Berlin is great, Munich is nice. I also like Dresden and Leipzig (the zoo in Leipzig is amazing, even for adults). Hamburg was ok too.
Frankfurt--agree that it's fine as a place to spend the night before you head home, but otherwise no. |
Love Berlin and Munich and would skip Frankfurt. Nuremberg is wonderful as are the smaller towns that were listed above. I also really liked Hamburg. |
Nuremberg is a hidden gem! The old town is quite charming and the tram network is excellent for getting to the Nazi sites and zoo. Munich is awesome too. The documentation center and Residenz are must-sees. Watch the glockenspiel show in Marienplatz and then grab a pretzel or pastry at Cafe Rischart. It is also an excellent city for a chocolate crawl. On the other hand, a family member who went to Frankfurt said that the "old town" felt like Disney. It was built in 2012-2018 to serve as a tourist attraction and does not have a a true German vibe to it at all. Frankfurt airport is also horrible. Allow at least three hours if catching a connecting flight or train, because you are going to be waiting in immigration lines for a very long time! On the other end of the spectrum, Munich airport is excellent! |
How much time will you have in Germany? I lived there for a year, and found it took four or five days to do justice to a world class city like Munich or Berlin. You could skip Frankfurt all together and add on a day trip to Neuschwanstein or Rothenberg ob der Taube from Munich and maybe two days for Leipzig after Berlin or a side trip to Potsdam. |
I second the praise for the Munich airport. It's huge yet efficient. Getting through immigration is swift for Americans.
I'll add Dresden to the list. The rebuilt Cathedral is remarkable. I also loved going to Cologne, Bonn, and Aachen (and a quick hop into Belgium to check out a couple Trappist breweries). And for the true religious history dorks, Wittenberg is a must. It's bordering of tourist schlock at times, but seeing the doors at All Saints' Church is really cool itself you're into that sort of thing. |
I liked Munich a lot, very low key not too hot in the summer and not overrun with tourists |
Berlin + Munich, but prefer every other country I have been to in Europe over Germany:
*Iceland *Switzerland *France *England *Portugal *Italy *Norway *Denmark *Sweden *Ireland *Scotland *France *Spain |
Really enjoyed the area along the border with French Alsace. Places like Baden-Baden and Freiburg are so pretty. |
Love Konstanz and areas along the swiss border too. Frankfurt isn't a place to visit so much as to get through. |
Loved Munich and Berlin. Hated Frankfurt. It's one place I would never return. |
I loved Munich and all of Bavaria. Go to Cinderella's castle. |
Neuschwanstein |
Why? Any particular things you disliked about Germany relative to all these other places? |
It was in the high 90s when we were there. I had chosen a budget hotel with no ac. Three people in the room and at least one had COVID-19.Won't make that mistake again! |
Are you a banker on business? Skip Frankfurt.
I’d focus on Munich and Austria unless you have a specific reason to visit other parts of Germany. |