Central Europe trip (Berlin-Prague-Vienna-Budapest) Now with added Munich!

[Dog]

Lufthansa has direct flights between both Montreal and Munich and Frankfurt but none with Berlin. Weird. The itinerary also makes the flights more direct. Direct Mtl-Munich. Return Budapest-Frankfurt-Montreal.

LH has left TXL to the LCCs. Air Berlin going bankrupt is an example of why LH has focused in the business centers of FRA and MUC. I want to say I read recently that they've stopped flying their TXL-JFK route that they just started last year.

Munich is a bigger business center than Berlin?

[Boring Choice #2]

Budapest is wonderful, but Vienna is equally wonderful. They are completely, independently wonderful cities with a beautifully intertwined history. To miss either would be a shame.

The question wasn't to chose one of the two but how much time in both you mongrélle...

it was more the "in her view, a cold imperial city filled with huge imperial buildings" comment which is headshake worthy.

[PredsFan77]

Lufthansa has direct flights between both Montreal and Munich and Frankfurt but none with Berlin. Weird. The itinerary also makes the flights more direct. Direct Mtl-Munich. Return Budapest-Frankfurt-Montreal.

LH has left TXL to the LCCs. Air Berlin going bankrupt is an example of why LH has focused in the business centers of FRA and MUC. I want to say I read recently that they've stopped flying their TXL-JFK route that they just started last year.

Munich is a bigger business center than Berlin?

Bavaria and NRW are the economic engines of Deutchland. Berlin runs into some legacy GDR brain drain issues.

[Slick Nick]

Budapest is wonderful, but Vienna is equally wonderful. They are completely, independently wonderful cities with a beautifully intertwined history. To miss either would be a shame.

The question wasn't to chose one of the two but how much time in both you mongrélle...

it was more the "in her view, a cold imperial city filled with huge imperial buildings" comment which is headshake worthy.

That wasn't an exact quote #2

anyway, great plans Dogo.. enjoy

[AD]

Lufthansa has direct flights between both Montreal and Munich and Frankfurt but none with Berlin. Weird. The itinerary also makes the flights more direct. Direct Mtl-Munich. Return Budapest-Frankfurt-Montreal.

Berlin has a terrible airport from what I hear and though the best city for tourism in Europe (well, if you like hardcore BDSM anyway), its not an international hub. I've always flown to Frankfurt which is the biggest in Europe and by far the biggest in Germany. Easy train ride to wherever as well. Munich is the secondary economic centre.

Between Frankfurt, Koln/Bonn and Munich, no one needs to fly into Berlin.
Different from UK or France where the main cultural city is also the main business, tourism, etc. city. Germany is more diverse. (Fucking Federalists)

[habfan4]

Lufthansa has direct flights between both Montreal and Munich and Frankfurt but none with Berlin. Weird. The itinerary also makes the flights more direct. Direct Mtl-Munich. Return Budapest-Frankfurt-Montreal.

Berlin has a terrible airport from what I hear and though the best city for tourism in Europe (well, if you like hardcore BDSM anyway), its not an international hub. I've always flown to Frankfurt which is the biggest in Europe and by far the biggest in Germany. Easy train ride to wherever as well. Munich is the secondary economic centre.

Between Frankfurt, Koln/Bonn and Munich, no one needs to fly into Berlin.
Different from UK or France where the main cultural city is also the main business, tourism, etc. city. Germany is more diverse. (Fucking Federalists)

I've flown in/out of Tegel a half dozen times and it is a laughable airport. Berlin-Brandenburg airport was supposed to open a couple of years with Tegel and Schönefeld being mothballed. But the project has been a complete disaster going way over budget - think Big O mismanaged.

If Tegel has a redeeming quality it's that Air Canada started flying direct from Toronto (well Air Canada "Rouge" but still direct). So you could avoid connecting through FRA, CDG or LHR.

[Dog]

How is Rouge? They fly from Budapest to Toronto for my return leg, but I rather pay a little more and fly Lufthansa back through Frankfurt. Rouge seems like an Air Transat. Not what you want on a 10h flight.

[AD]

I'm taking it for the first time to Cancun Sunday. I'll give you detailed review.

[Dog]

It’s fine for a sub 4hish flight, but the lack of individual entertainment system and reduced leg room would be painful on a long flight.

[habfan4]

Think I’m going to add 3 days to da trip and add Munich. Will fly from Munich to Berlin and then train down to Prague-Vienna-Budapest. 20 days in all.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

HF4 restaurant recommendations for Munich?

Danke!

I tend to stick with the classics in Munich - Beer and pork.

Two standouts in that regard are Nürnberger Bratwurst Glöckl am Dom - https://www.bratwurst-gloeckl.de/en/home/ . Rustic place with metal plates - best white sausages you're likely to find in Munich and easy to find as it's located next to the Frauenkirche. IMHO Schneider Bräuhaus München - https://www.schneider-brauhaus.de/ is the best of the beer hall experience, fantastic beer and excellent food.

The Viktualienmarkt is a great spot - a farmer's market with lots of food/drink stalls.

I'll second the Augustiner recommendation. The Augustiner Keller location preferably for the beer garden which is located near the main train station. The central locations (Augustiner am dom & Augustiner am platz) are also good.

Sophia's (in the Charles Hotel) is definitely worth a look if you start to tire of typical Bavarian fare.

[habfan4]

It’s fine for a sub 4hish flight, but the lack of individual entertainment system and reduced leg room would be painful on a long flight.

You can work around the lack of the inflight entertainment - Assuming you have a tablet or a smallish laptop. They have an app that you can download which allows you to stream their movies to your own device. Or better yet, load up your own content. Not 100% certain but leg room on Rouge seems the same as what you'd expect in economy on regular Air Canada.

For me, it's a trade off. I like to avoid connecting flights, where possible, particularly in Frankfurt or Paris (or even at Heathrow).

[Dog]

from a quick google search, the leg room on Rouge was a few inches less than Lufthansa and the streaming to your own device seemed spotty/limited content. Would have to connect at either Pearson or Frankfurt on the way back anyhow.

[AD]

I think you should start a putch once you get in to a Bavarian beer house. To get into the spirit of the place.

[Dog]

« Oh great, another tourist trying to start a putch », said every Bavarian beer house employee.

[PredsFan77]

Only people killed would be tourist because no locals go to the beer halls you would know about. I went to some sketchy one south of the hbf and some kids toured me around Munich university bars and snorting snuff the entire time. Was quite the experience. They were kind enough to point me in the right direction to make sure I made the last train back to my hostel.

[Dog]

Any of you guys ever drive the Grossglockner High Alpine Road in Austria?

I had a day planned to drive from Satlzburg to Fussen to see Neuschwanstein castle nearby. Would pass through Berchtesgaden and maybe go up to what used to be Hitler's Eagle's Nest as the view seems spectacular.

However, reading on line, I came across Grossglockner High Alpine Road in Austria. The starting point is about an hour south of Salzburg but it heads south straight through a pass in the alps. The views seem incredible. Thinking of ditching Neuschwanstein castle (or spending less time in Munich) to do it. I like alpine drives. Or maybe I'd just skip it, keep to original plan and do it on a separate trip to the alps. Thing is that would be more likely in the winter for skiing and these mountain passes are only open in the summer.

[Boring Choice #2]

I took the train everywhere when I lived in Europe. Sorry Doggie.

[Dog]

[Dog]

Think I'm going to do it, bitches.

Cut a day from Munich (leaving 2 days). Drive to Saltzburg for a day, stay overnight. Next day drive down from Saltzburg, do the Grossglockner pass, across the northern Dolomites in Italy and back to Austria, spend night in Innsbruck. Next day, up to Neuschwanstein castle and some Bavarian towns (or back to Munich), then flight to Berlin next morning.

Yolo!

[PredsFan77]

your passengers will enjoy puking

[Dog]

We spent a day driving in the Pyrenees a fee years ago. Was one of the highlights of our trip to Spain. Dunno, I like alpine landscapes and towns.