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Please note, there are problems with the braking systems of the newer S-bahn trains, any line using them does have restricted service - the ring line, S1 and S2 for instance. Also the lines that run through zoo, Friedrichstrasse, Ostbanhof, the trains can be shorter and very crowded and you may have to change train occasionally. Still good service, but just be alert.
Beautiful family-run loft apartments. It was done in a gorgeous minimalist design with huge windows, heated floors - everything you needed for a comfortable stay was provided, including a homemade guidebook with insider tips. Great location in Mitte near public transport, galleries and restaurants. The owner/architect couple also live in the building.
Hessische Str. 5, 10115, Mitte, Berlin
+49 (0) 30 8471090
www.miniloft.com
Google map: tinyurl.com/ykemjpp
One of the best coffee shops I've ever been to! Those guys sure enough know their business. The food was delicious, the place was cozy and the coffee was amazing - definitely worth a visit.
10247 Berlin Friedrichshain
T | +49 (0)30 288 392 33
Google map: tinyurl.com/y8a6sba
www.nofirenoglory.de/
A no-strings attached gem, the Weinerei offers unlimited wine, juice, and a meal for a one Euro fee (plus a donation on exit) in central Berlin.
The cafe itself is small, packed with locals and the wine isn't bad either!
A must-visit for budget travellers with a penchant for good wine, conversation and value.
www.weinerei.com/
Veteranenstraße 14, 10119 Berlin
030 4406983
Google map: tinyurl.com/yjoxpx7
Stayed at a couple of their apartments and enjoyed the locations and style of the places. Great value for money!
A lot of people just do day cruises on the Rhine. Bingen and Koblenz are the scenic parts of the Rhine River, to be sure. But if you're going alone, a cruise alone the river can be an excellent way to get a feel for some of Europe's best attractions.
You can stay in the cities and not see the countryside, or you can take the train all over the map... and have the countryside blur by you at frightening speeds. I like the boat because it is slow, leisurely, and actually feels like a vacation.
For a 1.5 week trip (which I think is about the max most of us can do on vacation), here's what I would recommend for a Rhine River Cruise:
www.ruba.com/tour/ColletteVacations/Best_of_the_Rhine_River_Europe
You can get all the way from Amsterdam to Colmar in nine days, at a relaxed pace, seeing a ton of quaint locations along the way.
Oktoberfest is the single greatest display of drinking the world has ever seen. Over 16 days, 6 million people drink over 6 million litres of beer. What a party!
To help you get the most out of your experience, we've assembled a list of 5 inside tips to help you get the most out of your trip to Oktoberfest.
Why should you listen to us? We lived and worked in Germany for years, and have attended the festival many times. When it comes to Oktoberfest, we are experts.
Tip #1) Know what you're drinking
The following are the types of beers you'll find at Oktoberfest:
- Märzen / Oktoberfest: This beer is brewed solely for Oktoberfest and is the most common brew sold there.
- Bavarian Lager/Helles: If you walk into any traditional beer hall in Munich and simply order a beer, this is what you’ll get.
- Hefeweizen / Weißbier: The state of Bavaria is famous for this refreshing wheat beer. This beer is unfiltered, hence its cloudy appearance.
- Dunkelweizen: Same concept as the Hefeweizen, only brewed with the addition of some darker grains.
- Dunkel: Means “dark” in German. If you take a Helles and brew it with darker Munich malts, this is the result.
- Pilsner: Referred to as Pils in Germany, this style of beer originated in the former Czechoslovakia.
- Radler: A combination of Pilsner beer mixed with lemonade or lemon-lime soda.
Tip #2) Know what you're eating
The following are the types of food you'll find at Oktoberfest:
- Bratwurst:What you’ll find at the festival is usually a short and fat variety, or the long skinny version called the Thüringer. Whichever you get, it is traditionally served on a roll called a Brötchen with mustard.
- Rindswurst: Not as common as bratwurst, this sausage is made primarily from beef and most often served with ketchup rather than mustard.
- Hänchen / Hühner: Rotisserie chicken sold by the quarter, half, or whole.
- Shweinehaxen: Pig’s knuckle roasted and/or grilled, and often served with some form of potato and sauerkraut.
- Knödelei: Traditional Bavarian dumplings.
- Schnitzel: The classic Vienna style (Wiener) is made from a fried veal cutlet.
- Sauerkraut: Fermented cabbage that comes in many varieties and colors.
- Spätzle/ Knöpfle: Egg noodle pasta that usually accompanies entrées and is often topped with gravy.
Tip #3) Tip your waitress!
You get great service at Oktoberfest the same way you do anywhere – by tipping well. 10% is a pretty standard and even healthy tip in Europe. With beers costing just under 9 EUR each, giving the waitress 10 EUR and telling her Stimmt so (shtimpt-so) is just fine.
Tip #4) Leave the bags and wallet at home
A beer-soaked Oktoberfest table is no place to set a $500 designer bag. Sure they’re cute and really match your outfit, but ladies, leave the nice bags and purses at home. There’s just too likely a chance they’ll be ruined or stolen amongst the drunken masses. Take a purse small enough that you can keep it in your lap or over your shoulder without getting in the way.
Guys, invest in a money clip or small wallet that can fit into your front pocket. Bring only what you need - cash, emergency credit card, and directions back to your hotel. This deters pickpockets, and also minimizes the damage if your drunk ass loses it.
Tip #5) Visit the ATM/Money Machine before you get to the festival
They only take cash inside of the tents! While there are ATMs at the festival, they charge exorbitant fees and often have a huge line of people waiting to use them. Be smart and get your cash before you arrive at the festival, and carry an emergency credit card just in case.
Following these 5 inside tips will help you make the most of your Oktoberfest trip.
Prost!
Munich, Germany. Logistical information for Oktoberfest can be found at www.twizgo.com/oktoberfest
For more Oktoberfest tips and advice, visit www.twizgo.com
2009 marks 50 years of the super-friendly family-owned Schwarztrauber vineyard and approximately 20 years on this vineyard site - a site that's easy to reach by local train transport plus a short walk (or maybe later a stagger) past the vines.
Summer festival on last weekend in August is particularly worth a visit with approximately 15 wines, organic food, music, informal tours by the owner and tours by traditional horse-drawn carts through the vines (a bumpy ride if you take your wineglass with you!).
Owners also do regular tasting events both on and off-site and will organise all kinds of tailored tasting events on site for groups. All wines certified organic by top German organic authorities etc. and they deliver (often personally where they can!) cases to just about everywhere in Germany. Wines can also be bought by bottle or case at a discount on site too.
Who needs Tuscany anyway? This is so much better, such a cool informal place, great wine, great food, great people with so much passion for wine!
Bioland-Weingut Gerhard Schwarztrauber
Lauterbachstraße 20
67435 Neustadt-Mußbach/Weinstraße
Germany
www.schwarztrauber.com
Open:
Mon-Thurs 9.00-12.00
Fri 8.00-18.00
Sat 9.00-16.00
plus events listed on website.
Train to Neustadt/Weinstrasse then change to local train and alight at Mussbach (6 min.)
Zirndorf is a small town near Nuremberg and home of the Playmobil Fun Land. Hotel Knorz is a 20 minute walk along paths to Playmobil, signposted by Playmobil figures.
Hotel Knorz offers bed and breakfast in a 1960's built but refurbished building on 3 floors (no lift). They have serveral family apparments, which include a fridge, two ring electric cooker, kettle and crockery. So you can bring that fussy child and eat in.
Breakfasts are a buffet of cerals, cold meat, cheese, smoked salmon and fruit, with fresh rolls and croissants and hot chocolate and chocolate spread for the kids.
The hotel is down a quiet side road, but the garden rooms have the advantage of being away from what trafic there is.
Staff were very helpful and with only one exception spoke english very well. The families staying were all german apart from us.
Zirndorf is a very attractive town with many old buildings and lots of outdoor seating at restaurants and cafes.
Volkhardtstr. 18
90513 Zirndorf
0911 / 96 06 350
knorzhotel@t-online.de
www.knorzhotel.de
Nearest station is Zirndorf, which has a 30 min service Monday to Friday, hourly at weekends. Alternatively you can get the U3 tube and then bus 70 or 72 from central Nuremberg.
It is a 10 minute walk from the rail station to the hotel.
Playmobil Fun Land is a themed activity park based on the Playmobil children's toys. It is aimed at children under 12 and is fun interactive activities. There is minimal queing and no roller coasters, just lots of things to do. We spent two whole days there. Hight season entry (August 2009) was 10 Euros per person irrespective of age, so 40 Euros for a family of four per day.
Things to note:
Much of the play involves water, so come with swimming gear to stand under the waterfalls. If soemone gets wet, use the tumble dryers provided to dry clothes.
There is a large indoor section if it's raining. Outdoors, sandpits and things are covered with awnings on hot days.
Food and drink is NOT a rip off e.g. tea for one Euro, single scoop ice cream cone 80 Cents!
The cafeteria has lots of choice eg pasta with different sauces and pizza, very much aimed at kids. A kids meal is 42 Euros.
You pay a pfand (deposit) on all crockery which is then refunded when you hand it all in, so keeping everying tidy and clean.
Most staff speak very good english.
Much of the park is wheel chair accessibile (so good for buggies too) and they have a wheel chair raft on the boating lake.
We had two super days out and the kids would love to go back.
There is an appartment hotel with family rooms for four across the road from the park. However, as the park is not loacated in a particularly interesting part of Zirndorf we stayed at the Hotel Knorz, an easy walk to/from Playmobil and the town centre.
PLAYMOBIL-FunPark
Brandstätterstraße 2-10
90513 Zirndorf
Phone 0911/96 66-1700
www.playmobil-funpark.de
funpark@playmobil.de
Nearest station is Zirndorf which has a 30 minute train service from Furth which is on the main line to Nuremberg (or use the Underground)
Alternatively, get the bus 113 from central Nuremberg. Tourist info in Nuremberg have all the details and will printout timetables for you.
It's quick and for 2 euro a simple way to view the city from the river. On a sunny day the Rhine park is a good place to walk and get out of the crowds around the Dom.
On the river bank. Just walk towards the Rhine from the Hbf.
Munich is the place to be when you like sauna. Most public swimming pools have a 'sauna landschaft', which means: an extensive sauna for very moderate prices. The one I like most is Dantebad: very modern and clean, and a pleasant atmosphere. From 7.30 till 23.00; Monday is for ladies only.
U-Bahn: Westfriedhof
Compared to other hostels around the world I would definitely rate Circus as a boutique hostel. You can choose between dorm style or private rooms. Dorm beds cost from 15€ and are fun if you go with a group (note: no hen or stag parties allowed).
Last time I rented a private room with ensuite bathroom and it was cleaner and bigger than the last expensive hotel room I was in. Rates were about 38€ per night for the private room.
The staff are ever so friendly and speak lots of languages including perfect English. They also have lots of money saving tips for you including a weekend metro card that gets you and a friend unlimited travel on the S and U Bahn.
The hostel is in Mitte which is in central Berlin and therefore not too far from most sights and easy walking distance to funky areas such as Prenzlauer Berg.
Oh, and they do a great all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast for only 5€!
www.circus-berlin.de
Weinbergsweg 1a
10119 Berlin, Germany
+49 30 28391433
U Bahn: Rosenthaler Platz (very close)
However long or short your visit to Berlin, you must go on at least one of Brewers daily walking tours.
We had only seven days, and as it was the first time we had been, we wanted to see all the historically significant sites as well as the off-the-beaten-track places. We went on two tours because the first all-day Best of Berlin walking tour was so interesting we couldn't wait to go on another!
There is a choice of tours to all parts of Berlin to suit all interests. Both guides we had were so knowledgeable and amusing and had interesting stories about all the places which really opened your mind as well as your eyes to what makes Berlin such an amazing place.
There were frequent stops for photos and lunch both days was excellent;. The tours are incredible value for money and are not to be missed!
Details of Brewers Berlin Tours are:
www.brewersberlintours.com or email info@brewersberlintours.com
This hotel is a real find, tucked away in the leafy suburb of Charlottenburg. It is 10 minutes walk from Savignyplatz station with its direct link to Schoenfeld airport. The room was large, very comfortable, clean and had a useful folder with loads of information about the hotel, the area and Berlin itself. The staff were courteous and friendly, the breakfast immense (it will keep you going til mid afternoon just in time for kaffe und kuchen!) and it was quiet. I think there is a suite of rooms which would be ideal for a family or a group of friends. I really recommend it.
Hotel Otto
Knesebecke Strasse 10
Charlottenburg
+49 30 54 71 00 80
www.hotelotto.com
near Zoo, Savignyplatz and Tiergarten stations and Kurfurstendamm for shopping
Great restaurant in Prenzlauer Berg area of Berlin.
Seemingly this was visited by Schroder, Clinton & Albright during a visit to the area in 2000.
German / French /Swiss dishes on menu.
(€7 - €17)
Knaackstrasse 37
Nearest metro Eberswalder Str.
www.gugelhof.com
Awesome boutique hostel: well located, friendly staff and amazing facilities.
It is a bar - where the rest of the town was stone cold dead this place was packed to the rafters and bags of fun... and it's called Winkles.
Koblenz, Germany
Trying Melt Festival near Berlin this year.
The venue looks awesome and it's not a field/ farm so hopefully won't turn into a mudfest if it rains.
:o)
Because it's got all the pull of an English festival, with better weather and an amazing vibe. Cranes light up the festival at night and they shoot fireworks off them - amazing.
Is this your business?