Travel Germany and surrounding Countries
Replies: 9 - Last Post: Mar 11, 2012 7:18 PM Last Post By: Kyletherobins
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Travel Germany and surrounding Countries
Hey guys,I'm planning a trip summer for 2012 (june, july, august) in Germany. Best case scenario I would also visit areas in the Czech Republic (Prague is only real point of interest. other suggestions?), Denmark (Aalborg), Holland (Amsterdam, Utrecht), and Switzerland (Zurich, Basel). Main points of Interest in Germany are Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, and Bonn.
Can anyone give me a rough estimate of how expensive these places cost on a weekly basis during summer time. That is staying mostly in hostel dorms, eating on a small budget, with a healthy dose of partying and touring, you know, doing the backpacker thing on a backpacker budget. Is it common to grocery shop and prepare your own food in the hostels? I have been to Australia, and backpacked there. Is it similar in price? I am trying to budget my trip and need to know what kind of finances I will need.
Also if you guys have any other suggestions, please post them, I don't really know much about the area. I plan on doing a big loop, flying into Zurich, traveling north to Basel, then east to Munich, then Prague, north to Berlin, north to Hamburg, then to Denmark, then southwest to Amsterdam then south to Bonn, then south back to Zurich. I am attending a 5 week semester of school in Kiel Germany, along the Denmark border, and was going to try to mark that place as the half way point on my journey, then work my way back down to Zurich as a backpacker.
I'm mainly concerned about the budget, and the destinations, but any thoughts at all on this plan are greatly appreciated! Thanks a lot guys!
-Kyle
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Hi Kyle,I suggest you read this thread first, it should answer many of your questions:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2153476
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And take a map as Kiel is 100 km far from the border to Denmark3
G'day Kyle, it's a pity you didn't read (maybe you did ... but you didn't react) your other threads, so can you understand me hesitating to to provide answers. But maybe I'm wrong.Denmark is pretty expensive. Being in Kiel it's easy to discover if a bus daytrip to Kopenhagen is sensible or rent a car for a weekend together.
South of Vejle is not very interesting.
And so on.
So do some homework first as said above and we'll be there.
BTW. When exactly are you in Kiel?
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The part of Germany just south of Switzerland is Baden-Wuerttemberg, the second most visited German state for tourism, although in most parts you'll see few foreign tourists. Have a look at what I wrote recently in #2 of http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187281-i1303-k5153826-Tour_Freiburg_area_end_in_Zurich-Freiburg_im_Breisgau_Black_Forest_Baden_Wurttemberg.html#38710315 of another travel forum.6
I have been to Australia, and backpacked there. Is it similar in price?Germany is much cheaper than Australia that`s sure!
Hostels are between 10-25 EUR, the avarage is more like 20, breakfast is often included. Last summer I got a single room, en-suite, with breakfast for 25 EUR! But the day before I paid 22 EUR for a dorm bed in another hostel that has seen better days.
Here is the website of the German YH association: http://www.jugendherberge.de/
Food can be very cheap(if you don`t mind the quality) in Germany if you buy it in supermarkets and DIY. I think Aldi is the cheapest supermarket.
Train travel in Germany can be amazingly cheap if you hook up with other travellers and form a small group.
More info about these cheap deals:
http://europetrainsguide.com/200907153/Countries/Germany/Germany-DB.html
While you`re in Kiel don`t miss the U-Boot in nearby Laboe!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U-995
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Aldi is the cheapest - they have more or less all the same pice level like Edeka or Lidl. But if you will not eat street food all the time inside cities you have in public structures ( town hall, main post office and so on) very cheap "Kantine" - like a self service most of the time but only for lunch and between noon and 2pm.8
Bonn only needs 1 day (I know, I live here), and unless you're into Beethoven can arguably be skipped entirely. Consider throwing in Cologne for a day (as you'll route via there en route to Bonn anyway). Frieburg or Heidelberg is also worth a shout en route down to Zurich.One question - if you're not living in Zurich why go back there? I'd instead fly outta somewhere else on an openjaw ticket (fly into city A, back from city B).
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I'm in Kiel starting june 29th thru august 3rd. I was thinking maybe 2 weeks on either side of my semester in kiel to travel from and back to Zurich.-Kyle
