Xoutpost.com - Our trip to Germany/Austria

Suggested tunes for your entertainment while reading:
Scooter- Weekend (N-Trance mix)
or ATB- Marrakech

So as you may know, I recently took a trip with my parents to Germany and Austria. We left on 1 June and returned on the 13th, flying Air Berlin from JFK to München with a connection in Düsseldorf. Why from JFK? Air Berlin cost roughly half ($700) less than a direct flight from Dulles IAD to MUC. The quality of service was higher than any American-branded flight I've been on lately, and the Airbus planes were new and clean. In contrast with flights to Asia, I found the 7hr flight quite manageable; indeed I may have little reason to fly back to Asia in the future when I can go on holiday in Europe!

Condensing our 11-day trip isn't going to be easy, but I'll try to hit the main points.

Day 1-3: München.

We arrived early on Monday 2 June, checked into the Hotel Haberstock (great location across from the Hauptbahnhof), and my parents took a nap. Explored the Marienplatz and Fußgangerzone. On the second day, I spent half the day alone, exploring the Englisher Garten and other less-central areas on a rented bike. I highly recommend renting a bike; as long as you follow the rules, you won't get run over and there are many bike lanes along the major streets.

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Their Straßebahn (S-bahn) was extremely clean, quiet, and of course, punctual. The map layout is efficient and negates the need for a car. To make things more interesting, it seems as if the ticketing system is voluntary. There are no turnstiles that you actually have to pass through. Rather, there are a few ticket stamping machines that stamp your ticket, which is a piece of paper that doesn't even have a barcode or anything to differentiate the type or valid dates :yikes:. So basically, it's up to the honor system. A lot of folks didn't bother to buy tickets all the time and simply walked thru, but I bought a 3 day pass so I wouldn't feel too guilty.

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Karlsplatz

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The pedestrian zone in the city centre (Fußgangerzone)

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One of many clock towers from the Marienplatz.

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The extremely nice Englischer Garten. I really loved this huge place............green space in the city but it's not too crowded or noisy. Think of it like Central Park in New York, except cleaner and with a handful of Beergardens inside.

No trip to München would be complete without a trip to.....

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Me, examining the X3 2.0d with EfficientDynamics. As for the car deliveries, it was cool to see the BMWs on the delivery platforms, and I even spotted a couple US European Delivery Vehicles!

Day 4: Hohenschwangau & Neuschwanstein, Mittenwald

At this point, we picked up the rental 118i from Sixt and departed München in the morning. The weather was not cooperating for the next few days, and thus the scenery was diminished somewhat.

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Schloss Hohenschwangau above, Neuschwanstein below.

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The beautiful countryside. In general, everything is much more green and "pretty" than the US. Roads are narrower, and there are far fewer cars because the cost of owning and buying a vehicle is far higher than the US.

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Mittenwald, a nice quaint town in the south of Bayern near the border with Austria and 30km from Innsbruck. If one wants to get out of the touristy places and experience authentic Bavarian town life, definitely travel off the beaten path and stop at some smaller places in the countryside! :thumbup:

Day 5: Innsbruck to Lienz via the Ziller Valley and Felber Tauern Tunnel

I actually didn't intend to stop at Innsbruck, but my mother wanted to see the Golden Dachl and Swarovski crystal factory. I had built quite a bit of flexibility into the schedule, because after all, this is a holiday, not a rushed sightseeing tour!

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Although only 20-30km from the border, Innsbruck and Austria in general, has a much different feel and culture than Germany. The architecture in the city buildings is different, as are the people. It definitely is a more multi-cultural society, since it is so close to the Italian border as well. The second photo is the bling-bling Swarovski gift shop at the factory just outside Innsbruck.

After leaving Innsbruck (a tad late, at 5.30pm), we continued to Lienz via a scenic drive through the Ziller Valley. After a steep and twisty climb on mountain roads that are driver heaven (on wet pavement!), we were rewarded with some stunning views of the Alps just as the rain and clouds briefly let up.

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We then proceeded through the Felbertauern Straße, which includes a long tunnel that's quite an engineering feat (for €10), and winds along the Alps. Great potential, but rain and mist kept the scenery modest.

Day 6: Großglocker Hochalpenstraße, Berchtesgaden

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After spending the morning in Lienz, we started off towards a 2 night stay in Berchtesgaden thru the famous Großglockner Alpine pass (€28). The weather finally let up a bit, and the views both on the way up, and at the peak observation point, were nothing short of stunning. :wow:

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After spending a few hours taking shots along the way and visiting the thorough exhibition centre (don't rush your way thru this), we drove down the northern side. The weather changes were abrupt and surprising. At the exhibition centre, it had gone from partly cloudy to cloudy in 30min. After 4km, it began to rain. The temp dropped from 9°C to 3,5°C in a few minutes. After a few more km of meandering, the sun came out briefly. Then I literally drove into a cloud, with near zero visibility on the winding road. The fog let up just in time for a set (20+) of downhill hairpin bends that tests the brake fade and driver confidence capabilities! The BMW 118i passed the test brilliantly, but the brakes were smelling quite awful by the time we got to the bottom :wow::wow:

Truly, the Großglockner pass is a MUST DRIVE! (Photo actually is a relatively straight portion of the pass) :bmw:

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Day 7: Day trip to Salzburg, AT

The weather was a bit damp and cloudy this day, so instead of doing some outdoor leisure activies, we opted to go to Salzburg instead and take in the sights. The weather was better in Salzburg, and to make things interesting, Euro 2008 was beginning. Which means there were lots of wild football fans running about, showing their colours.

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Word of warning: The folks here are very enthusiastic about their football. Football fever can spread to tourists as well, me included.

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We also stopped by their central plaza and the Mirabell Gardens. Nice city, but like Innsbruck, nothing of terrible interest to me in the long term.

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Day 8-9: Depart Berchtesgaden to Wien, AT ( 2 nights there)

We spent most of the day in Berchtesgaden, where I persued more outdoor activities (which the Germans seem to be a fan of) by renting out a mountain bike. There were a lot of trails, and thus I spent a few hours exploring the various outlying areas of the very scenic area.

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The town itself is a nice size; not too small and not too crowded. As with all villages, there is a nice central pedestrian zone with shops and restaurants.

A few shots of the Belvedere summer palace and Schoss Schönburg (In Vienna) from my cell phone:

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Day 10: Regensburg

Driving out of Wien, we left Austria and drive back to Regensburg, Germany. It's a picturesque town NE of München that has remarkable buildings and clock towers dating back to the Roman Empire. :thumbup:

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Day 11: Regensburg, BMW Werk Dingolfing

After spending most of the day in and around Regensburg, we drove down to Dingolfing for a 5.30pm BMW Factory tour. The A3 was under contruction east of Regensburg, which caused for frustration and close call moments as both directions of the Autobahn were squeezed onto one roadway. It's so narrow that it means the Goethals Bridge in NJ seem like a California freeway. :scared:

Needless to say, photos are not permitted in the factory. But here's out from outside:

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And as y'all might know, the A92 is one of the faster highway sections in Germany. So of course, I had to follow suit. I kept a constant pace of 170-200km/h without any particular "dash" towards a top speed goal. Since the tires were H-rated and the vehicle was loaded, I did not attempt the 210km/h limiter.

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Some folks make it sound like driving the German Autobahn is terrifically exciting and dramatic. Not so. Indeed, I felt at home driving in Germany from the very first day. Cruising at higher speeds was as easy as pie and actually very relaxing. Think of it as a good stress reliever.

I admired the fact that the Germans have a knack for good driving habits and drive fast responsibily. Even in the city, they are attentive to bikes and pedestrians. Austria is a different matter........I didn't like the fact they weren't as perfect drivers as the Germans, and they had a habit of speeding up and then slowing down a few hundred metres later.

A review of our rental, a 2008 BMW 118i 5 door, is available in the Premier Members section.

Day 12: Depart from München

It was time to say Auf Wiedersehen to Germany. We departed München in the morning. Sadly, I had to say good bye to this great place. Final pic at the München Flughafen.

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Impressions:
I really liked this place. It was undoubtedly the best European vacation I've been on. Austria has very nice architecture and is home to the arts, but out of the two countries, Germany is the clear winner (and also the winner of today's Football match :woot:)

However, Germany is not for everyone. Most American tourists stick out like a sore thumb, my dad included. Americans in general like to talk a lot, and talk quite loudly at that. Germans view Americans as too friendly. However, I really believed that I fit in quite well. I knew enough German to speak and respond, understand signs and directions, and could have passed off (in short conversations) as NOT being a tourist. I'm also not particularly picky about food, which meant I thoroughly enjoyed the typical Bavarian cuisine (and beer, everyday :beerchug:), However, my parents don't like potatoes or excessive meat, which spelled trouble.

By the way, for those of you wondering how I got all the ß and ö letters in.....I did buy a keyboard there. :p

I loved the efficiency, punctuality, and overall atmosphere of Germany. It's not just apparent in their driving either. For example, everyone at the München train stations, no matter how crowded, immediately stands on the right side of the escalator. This way, rushed folks can walk on the left. Trains are clean and on time. Most folks wait their turn to walk at the signals, instead of crossing haphazardly (think NYC) while the pedestrian signal is still red, which causes traffic tieups.

I've always enjoyed the outdoors quite a bit, and Bavaria definitely satisfies that need. I will always remember my bike rental in Berchtesgaden. I was able to ride a total of about 20km in a few hours, enjoying the crisp Alpine streams and look at the great scenery. For a guy that likes to do a fair amount of mountain and cross-country riding, this area has a lot to offer. Some folks thought 2 nights in Berchtesgaden was excessive, but I'm glad I spent the time there.

I'm already missing Germany. Perhaps I will be able to study there someday, or take another trip. For those living in Germany or Austria now, y'all have a great country (certainly better than France). Of course, every place has their issues, but of all the countries I have travelled to, Germany was the place I enjoyed the most.

Ich habe viel Spaß gemacht!