Destination Germany

Destination Germany

Growing up in Europe, my family went every year to Munich for the Oktoberfest and we skied many years at Garmish Partenkirchen. We went so regularly that my father bought me a Bavarian costume which I loved and looked the part for the festivals. They also loved the Christmas Markets and went by train, and many times on a river cruise down the River Rhine. You have great choices of companies such as AMA Waterways, Viking, Uniworld, and many more. Spend a week on land and a week on the river so you see more of the country. You can enjoy Germany 365 days a year. Located in the heart of Europe, you can experience culture, history, art, music, museums and so much more, It has a beautiful coast in the north, the Alps to the south, and enchanted forests, river valleys, vineyards and buzzing cosmopolitan cities in between.

Tourists from the United States reached 5.7 million last year and it increases each year. Shopping is outstanding, and I always come home with some shoes and a handbag. Their leather goods are a deal. You can fill out a form at the airport and show receipts for your shopping and get the tax refunded, after a small fee. All shops are closed on Sundays and holidays. Many museums are closed on Mondays.

A great way to tour the country is by motor coach. A very good company is Insight, which has a lot of space on their coaches, 34 seats instead of 54. Many companies offer tours such as Tauck, Globus and Trafalgar. I have used them all over the years, good value.

Many Jewish people have visited Germany since the last war and they have a great brochure for the Jewish Traveler. They have the highlights on 64 cities and you can download it or print a pocket version. www.germanytravel/brochures.

Germany is a gourmet delight, with 290 Michelin starred restaurants. Look at the “Food and Drink in Germany” microsite which sorts the restaurants by region to make it easy for you to select. They have 13 wine regions and the food, wine and beer festivals are worth attending.

You should use Rail Europe to get around. I suggest you use Munich as a base, and take trips out each day. Many people like to go to the Mercedes and BMW museums, and a castle or two. If you are traveling with children, Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria is fun, and Heidelberg Castle offers jousting games, Guttenberg Castle with falconry demonstrations, or Lichtenstein Castle which served as the location for the movie Sleeping Beauty. Go to a zoo or theme park, legoland in Gunzburg is open in the winter.

Various Voices Festival will be held May 9-13 2018 when 3,000 people in 80 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender choirs from all over the world will take part in concerts at the Gasteig concert hall. www.various-voices.de

If your ancestors came from Germany, then we can build an itinerary around the area they came from.

If you are going in the winter. Recommend you fly direct from the U.S. to Germany even if the ticket costs more than a flight which has you changing. With the weather being unpredictable in the winter months, many times I have missed a connection and had to stay overnight somewhere on route.

Germany is a great destination for a holiday.

Maureen Jones

All Horizons Travel/Frosch

825 Santa Cruz Avneue

Menlo Park

650-961-2340 Direct

Maureen.Jones@Frosch.com