Throughout my life....I've probably been in the Frankfurt airport over one hundred times. In my early Air Force years at Rhein Main....it was the nearest place to catch the subway into Frankfurt. Over the years, I've ridden into or out of the airport several dozen times. So for those looking for a bit of advice....here are my ten comments:
First, there is the old airport terminal (number one) and the new airport terminal (number two). There are about one mile apart. The guys decided to have this tram which would pick you up and transport between the two. It's a lousy design (you have go up to a third-floor level.....then board and ride to the next terminal (two minute ride)....then go down from the third-floor level to the ground level. My advice, when you get dropped off at the airport...make sure you know the right terminal and have the ride dump you there. Avoid the tram ride.
Second, there's about twenty places to eat in the two terminals. In terminal two (the newer one), there's a McDonalds, a sandwich shop, and a coffee shop. Terminal one is the place which has more to offer on food.
Third, if you are stuck at the airport for eight hours....remember that you are just a twenty-minute subway ride into Frankfurt. So there's plenty of opportunities if you suddenly get stuck for a couple of extra hours.
Fourth, both terminal one and two have ample parking. In fact, your biggest worry is writing down your parking spot and remembering it as you come back later.
Fifth, crime. Yes, there are people walking around the entire airport on a daily basis, and waiting for you to put down a bag....then walk off with it. So pay attention to your environment.
Sixth, progression through the counter line, then the passport check, then the various security checks? You need to be at the airport at least three hours prior to the flight, if leaving from Frankfurt. If you arrive forty-five minutes before the flight, you can just about forget on catching that flight.
Seventh, the odds of the customs guys checking your luggage as you exit the baggage point? One out of hundred trips. In all these years and trips.....I've only had them check my bags once.
Eighth, these little currency exchange spots in the airport....are total rip-offs. If you want Euro....just find an ATM machine for some bank and buy your Euro there.
Ninth, if you've never been to Germany and your intention is to drive a rental car out of the airport.....have your map and game-plan already thought out. The minute you leave the parking garage, there will be a sign or two....indicating four significant directions. You'd best be ready to know precisely what direction you are traveling. And yes, a GPS would be nice to have at this point.
Tenth, stuck overnight? Well....there's a fancy hotel at the airport, which runs in the 200 Euro range ($250 a night). You can get a taxi to take you down a mile to a second hotel.....which is in the 160-200 Euro range ($180 minimum). After that, there's a hotel or two that run in the 140 Euro range. This is probably not the airport that you want to be stuck overnight. Yes, you can take the subway into Frankfurt, and find a number of 2-star hotels in the 100 Euro range.....all within walking distance of the train station. It's best not to plan for an event like this.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
The German Thing About Tap Water
An American typically finds hundreds of odd things when he arrives on German soil. So the topic of tap water will come up sooner, or later. Bluntly, Germans don't drink tap water, period.
The reasoning? It's hard to say.
When you go to a restaurant or pub, and it's in the midst of a hot summer day....you'd really like some ice cold water to refresh yourself. A German does too.....but they will order a simple bottle of water....paying roughly a Euro for eight fluid ounces of water.
Now, I will admit....there's a wide assortment of water choices. Most Germans prefer water with gas (the bubbles). Typically, Gerolsteiner will be a high choice amongst Germans. It's a mineral water, and been around for well over 120 years.
I admit...some of this preference probably comes from German history and fear of 'bad' water. This was probably true back in the 1940s. But German today is about as pure as you get.
My advice for an American in German....on a hot afternoon? As you stop at the pub.....order the largest bottle of natural water that they sell, and just anticipate drinking most of it while you sit and refresh yourself. Don't expect any ice cubes in the glass.....that's another topic for another day.
As for use of tap water for making coffee at home in Germany? Well....yeah, they use regular tap water for that. I know it doesn't make much sense, but this is Germany.
Finally, a word to the wise about getting dehydrated and stopping at a pub to have a beer, instead of a glass of water. It's not a smart idea, and your body will soak up that beer twice as fast on a hot day....meaning that you will feel enticed to sip one beer, then a second, and then a third. It's not a smart idea.
The reasoning? It's hard to say.
When you go to a restaurant or pub, and it's in the midst of a hot summer day....you'd really like some ice cold water to refresh yourself. A German does too.....but they will order a simple bottle of water....paying roughly a Euro for eight fluid ounces of water.
Now, I will admit....there's a wide assortment of water choices. Most Germans prefer water with gas (the bubbles). Typically, Gerolsteiner will be a high choice amongst Germans. It's a mineral water, and been around for well over 120 years.
I admit...some of this preference probably comes from German history and fear of 'bad' water. This was probably true back in the 1940s. But German today is about as pure as you get.
My advice for an American in German....on a hot afternoon? As you stop at the pub.....order the largest bottle of natural water that they sell, and just anticipate drinking most of it while you sit and refresh yourself. Don't expect any ice cubes in the glass.....that's another topic for another day.
As for use of tap water for making coffee at home in Germany? Well....yeah, they use regular tap water for that. I know it doesn't make much sense, but this is Germany.
Finally, a word to the wise about getting dehydrated and stopping at a pub to have a beer, instead of a glass of water. It's not a smart idea, and your body will soak up that beer twice as fast on a hot day....meaning that you will feel enticed to sip one beer, then a second, and then a third. It's not a smart idea.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Stau Season
Summer in Germany....brings on the subject of traffic jams. German "staus" are legendary. An American typically cannot imagine being stuck in a ninety-minute traffic jam....moving eight lousy miles (11 km) at best.
Why all the traffic on a weekend? Well....Germans want to travel and go places. To be honest, the current autobahn structure is made for ten months out of the year....not June or July. Even the concept of limiting truckers to six days a week, and forcing them off the road for Sundays.....probably hasn't helped that much.
Toss in the fact that if you are going to a week long house rental deal.....then they all occur on Saturdays to arrive to. This means you leave on Saturday morning and arrive at the house rental by that afternoon, and the reverse is true....the guy at the house rental right now....checks out by Saturday morning, and drives home on Saturday.
So I'm going to offer up simple advice on how an American can handle the stressful stau-business.
First, getting a head start is practical. I hate suggesting to get up at 3AM to start a trip but it helps. There is hardly anyone on the road until around 7AM, and traffic never builds up until 9AM. So you might just plan this in a way.....get six hours of driving out of the way, and rest for three hours around while the heavy traffic is running.
Second, the best places to stop along the autobahn in these situations....is typically your gas station and restaurant operations along the autobahn. I know the prices are outrageous and the food is typically two-star at best. But your only other option is to completely off the autobahn and plan some stop in a local town or city. Maybe there's a tourist spot to stop and see for three hours....and this makes sense then.
Third, I've noticed folks now get into GPS calculating. This leans toward you running into a lengthy autobahn stau, leaving the autobahn to travel on some secondary road at a lesser speed, and somehow coming out ahead in this driving game. I've tried this on five or six occasions. Frankly, it works if the stau is 20km long, but if's less than 10km....you'd best just stay on the autobahn.
Fourth, most staus start because of a car accident. Guys are stupid....driving 150kph and create a massive accident. You don't want to be a trigger to a stau, so I would strongly advise on getting a good ten-minute rest every two hours. It'd help to switch out drivers every two hours. It'd help to get everyone out of the car and make them walk a bit every two hours.
Fifth, once a driver gets really stressed out and acting weird from a lengthy stau....make the driver leave the autobahn and rest.
Sixth, staus typically come to a closure by late Saturday afternoon. You would rarely find one after 6PM. If you asked when the peak usually occurs....I'd say between 10AM and 2PM.
Seventh.....I'd like to say that staus occur more often near metropolitan cities, but that just isn't the case. You can't predict where a massive accident will occur and trigger a stau.
Eighth.....the stand-still stau. Over the fifteen years I lived in Germany....I came up against a absolute stau on three occasions. This is where nothing moves for at least thirty minutes. Typically....the cops are at the accident scene, with an ambulance crew, and digging folks out of a bus or several cars. If you figure you are such a situation, and the next exit is a km up the road.....see if you can wiggle yourself out to the right far lane and just exit the autobahn completely.
Ninth....the fog stau. I once drove from Munich back up toward Mannheim.....in early January. I ran into a fog bank where visibility was 200 feet at best. Traffic started to back up and we invented a massive stau.....but the positive was that we still continued to move along....just slowly. In a case like this....I'd strong advise you to find a rest-stop and just pull in for an hour....waiting for the fog to lift.
Tenth and final.....all staus eventually end, and traffic goes back into turbo, to make up for lost time. Sadly, this simply creates the next potential accident down the road. Don't go nuts to make up for lost time.
Why all the traffic on a weekend? Well....Germans want to travel and go places. To be honest, the current autobahn structure is made for ten months out of the year....not June or July. Even the concept of limiting truckers to six days a week, and forcing them off the road for Sundays.....probably hasn't helped that much.
Toss in the fact that if you are going to a week long house rental deal.....then they all occur on Saturdays to arrive to. This means you leave on Saturday morning and arrive at the house rental by that afternoon, and the reverse is true....the guy at the house rental right now....checks out by Saturday morning, and drives home on Saturday.
So I'm going to offer up simple advice on how an American can handle the stressful stau-business.
First, getting a head start is practical. I hate suggesting to get up at 3AM to start a trip but it helps. There is hardly anyone on the road until around 7AM, and traffic never builds up until 9AM. So you might just plan this in a way.....get six hours of driving out of the way, and rest for three hours around while the heavy traffic is running.
Second, the best places to stop along the autobahn in these situations....is typically your gas station and restaurant operations along the autobahn. I know the prices are outrageous and the food is typically two-star at best. But your only other option is to completely off the autobahn and plan some stop in a local town or city. Maybe there's a tourist spot to stop and see for three hours....and this makes sense then.
Third, I've noticed folks now get into GPS calculating. This leans toward you running into a lengthy autobahn stau, leaving the autobahn to travel on some secondary road at a lesser speed, and somehow coming out ahead in this driving game. I've tried this on five or six occasions. Frankly, it works if the stau is 20km long, but if's less than 10km....you'd best just stay on the autobahn.
Fourth, most staus start because of a car accident. Guys are stupid....driving 150kph and create a massive accident. You don't want to be a trigger to a stau, so I would strongly advise on getting a good ten-minute rest every two hours. It'd help to switch out drivers every two hours. It'd help to get everyone out of the car and make them walk a bit every two hours.
Fifth, once a driver gets really stressed out and acting weird from a lengthy stau....make the driver leave the autobahn and rest.
Sixth, staus typically come to a closure by late Saturday afternoon. You would rarely find one after 6PM. If you asked when the peak usually occurs....I'd say between 10AM and 2PM.
Seventh.....I'd like to say that staus occur more often near metropolitan cities, but that just isn't the case. You can't predict where a massive accident will occur and trigger a stau.
Eighth.....the stand-still stau. Over the fifteen years I lived in Germany....I came up against a absolute stau on three occasions. This is where nothing moves for at least thirty minutes. Typically....the cops are at the accident scene, with an ambulance crew, and digging folks out of a bus or several cars. If you figure you are such a situation, and the next exit is a km up the road.....see if you can wiggle yourself out to the right far lane and just exit the autobahn completely.
Ninth....the fog stau. I once drove from Munich back up toward Mannheim.....in early January. I ran into a fog bank where visibility was 200 feet at best. Traffic started to back up and we invented a massive stau.....but the positive was that we still continued to move along....just slowly. In a case like this....I'd strong advise you to find a rest-stop and just pull in for an hour....waiting for the fog to lift.
Tenth and final.....all staus eventually end, and traffic goes back into turbo, to make up for lost time. Sadly, this simply creates the next potential accident down the road. Don't go nuts to make up for lost time.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
The Berlin Airport Story
When the Berlin Wall came down....it only took a few weeks for political figures around Berlin to suggest that a huge significant airport would one rise from the divided city. Well....here we are in 2012, on the verge of that. In fact, it was to be in some type of open status this summer....but indications this week show that it just isn't ready for full operations. Naturally, some air transport companies had been planning and calculating on some flight operations. They are a bit upset.
The Berlin Airport? All total....around three billion dollars have been tossed into the purchase of the property, and the construction of the airport. I'm assuming that another billion was quietly funneled into road construction around the area, and some railway operations leading into the basement of the Airport.
The anticipation? It's hard to say. Folks around Berlin have huge expectations. Germany has one four-star airport in Frankfurt. It's rated one of the top three in Europe, and probably one of the top seven airports in the world....for both cargo and people movement. If you got a horse that needs to move to Dubai.....then Frankfurt has the experts to do the job. If you've got four truckloads of Italian-made shoes that need to move to South Korea....then Frankfurt has the cargo centers to do the job.
After Frankfurt? Well....it's a mighty big step down. Munich, Koln, Stuttgart, and Hamburg all have decent airports....but they just aren't in the same league as Frankfurt.
Berlin? My humble guess is that Berlin will eventually have around 150 flights a day, to forty destinations. Frankurt? It handles around 275 destinations through a normal week, and 480k flights for an entire year. I just don't see Berlin going into that type of statistics.
From the US....I would imagine four flights a day (probably New York, LA, Chicago, and Orlando). There might be twelve flights a day to some destination in Russia, and maybe two or three flights to somewhere in China.
The three billion? It gives them a world-class airport....just not all the traffic that Frankfurt would take.
The Berlin Airport? All total....around three billion dollars have been tossed into the purchase of the property, and the construction of the airport. I'm assuming that another billion was quietly funneled into road construction around the area, and some railway operations leading into the basement of the Airport.
The anticipation? It's hard to say. Folks around Berlin have huge expectations. Germany has one four-star airport in Frankfurt. It's rated one of the top three in Europe, and probably one of the top seven airports in the world....for both cargo and people movement. If you got a horse that needs to move to Dubai.....then Frankfurt has the experts to do the job. If you've got four truckloads of Italian-made shoes that need to move to South Korea....then Frankfurt has the cargo centers to do the job.
After Frankfurt? Well....it's a mighty big step down. Munich, Koln, Stuttgart, and Hamburg all have decent airports....but they just aren't in the same league as Frankfurt.
Berlin? My humble guess is that Berlin will eventually have around 150 flights a day, to forty destinations. Frankurt? It handles around 275 destinations through a normal week, and 480k flights for an entire year. I just don't see Berlin going into that type of statistics.
From the US....I would imagine four flights a day (probably New York, LA, Chicago, and Orlando). There might be twelve flights a day to some destination in Russia, and maybe two or three flights to somewhere in China.
The three billion? It gives them a world-class airport....just not all the traffic that Frankfurt would take.
Monday, May 14, 2012
German TV News
It won't be in the big news of the day or even discussed much in business news within Germany....but Loewe AG....the big name German manufacturer of high-standard televisions in Germany....is about to be bought by Apple.
The business sector says this is somewhere in the 110 million-dollar range.
What may be going down? Apple has a project left over from Steve Jobs....to build this nifty mini-TV that would connect to a vast network. Perhaps in this case....Loewe has a model which they've shown Apple, and suddenly the final piece to the puzzle is complete.
The hints to the story is that Loewe typically builds upscale products and usually has a four-star sound system built into the product.
My guess is that we are within a year or so....of having this pocket-sized device which can connect to a thousand different channels....perhaps even overseas channels. You pay for a subscription via Apple....turn your Loewe mini-TV on, and get updates to the latest soccer scores in Amsterdam, or catch up on the weather in New Zealand.
The business sector says this is somewhere in the 110 million-dollar range.
What may be going down? Apple has a project left over from Steve Jobs....to build this nifty mini-TV that would connect to a vast network. Perhaps in this case....Loewe has a model which they've shown Apple, and suddenly the final piece to the puzzle is complete.
The hints to the story is that Loewe typically builds upscale products and usually has a four-star sound system built into the product.
My guess is that we are within a year or so....of having this pocket-sized device which can connect to a thousand different channels....perhaps even overseas channels. You pay for a subscription via Apple....turn your Loewe mini-TV on, and get updates to the latest soccer scores in Amsterdam, or catch up on the weather in New Zealand.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Guns and Statistics
It's an odd statistic that came out this week.
In 2011...German cops fired a grand total of 85 bullets in relationship to their job (not training). Of that 85 bullets....forty-nine were simply warning shots. The rest? Six folks were killed and fifteen were wounded.
We won't go into comparison about the American side of the statistics....because we can typically fire fifty or more rounds at just one guy....at one crime scene....and that's on just a good day.
Germans will quickly pick up on a story like this and chat on how America is so terribly wrong. We fire too many rounds. We react too quickly. We drive around with machine guns in police cruisers. We might fire off six hundred rounds of ammo at a pretty hostile situation.
Having lived in Germany.....I can offer these observations.
Typically, you don't have "death by cop" attitudes in Germany. You don't openly invite the cops to your front yard and entice them to kill you with their guns.
Typically, you don't have gangs around Mainz, or Munich, or Trier.....who openly carry weapons in public.
Typically, you don't have El Salvadorian gangs operating out of Wiesbaden and shooting up rival gangs on the street.
Typically, you don't three guys showing up at your front door and showing off weapons to get you to open up your wall safe where you keep your big collection of gold coins.
But there's something else you can take from this story. German cops are more likely to fire a warning shot....which I wouldn't argue against. It's also pretty likely after he's fired that one warning shot....if he has to fire one more round....he's going to hit you. Statistically, I'm only guessing here....but that's probably ten times better than you could get with any US cop.
I know Germans will twist this around and hint strongly that we just have too many guns in America....but the other side of this story is that we've also got alot of characters who just aren't friendly.....far more statistically than what any German community ever has to deal with. We could invite a thousand ways to retrieve or take away weapons.....but it's just going to be one group affected. These odd characters? They aren't about to play games and they'd retain their weapons.
Germans can talk all they want on this.....but at the end of the day....they should just be thankful they live in Germany and feel that safe. And they should be thankful that German cops don't waste ammo and always offer up a warning shot.
In 2011...German cops fired a grand total of 85 bullets in relationship to their job (not training). Of that 85 bullets....forty-nine were simply warning shots. The rest? Six folks were killed and fifteen were wounded.
We won't go into comparison about the American side of the statistics....because we can typically fire fifty or more rounds at just one guy....at one crime scene....and that's on just a good day.
Germans will quickly pick up on a story like this and chat on how America is so terribly wrong. We fire too many rounds. We react too quickly. We drive around with machine guns in police cruisers. We might fire off six hundred rounds of ammo at a pretty hostile situation.
Having lived in Germany.....I can offer these observations.
Typically, you don't have "death by cop" attitudes in Germany. You don't openly invite the cops to your front yard and entice them to kill you with their guns.
Typically, you don't have gangs around Mainz, or Munich, or Trier.....who openly carry weapons in public.
Typically, you don't have El Salvadorian gangs operating out of Wiesbaden and shooting up rival gangs on the street.
Typically, you don't three guys showing up at your front door and showing off weapons to get you to open up your wall safe where you keep your big collection of gold coins.
But there's something else you can take from this story. German cops are more likely to fire a warning shot....which I wouldn't argue against. It's also pretty likely after he's fired that one warning shot....if he has to fire one more round....he's going to hit you. Statistically, I'm only guessing here....but that's probably ten times better than you could get with any US cop.
I know Germans will twist this around and hint strongly that we just have too many guns in America....but the other side of this story is that we've also got alot of characters who just aren't friendly.....far more statistically than what any German community ever has to deal with. We could invite a thousand ways to retrieve or take away weapons.....but it's just going to be one group affected. These odd characters? They aren't about to play games and they'd retain their weapons.
Germans can talk all they want on this.....but at the end of the day....they should just be thankful they live in Germany and feel that safe. And they should be thankful that German cops don't waste ammo and always offer up a warning shot.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Parking "War"
Some time over Sunday....down in Augsburg....one neighbor got into an argument with another neighbor....over a parking spot. Things got overheated. One guy goes back and gets an ax....to attack the other neighbor. From the description of things....the ax guy wasn't happy and started whacking on the door. Cops got called, and quickly arrived. The ax dude then retreated to his apartment, where the cops came to knock on the door. The guy refused to open the door....so the cops knocked the door down. The guy had the ax in his hand and apparently made a threatening move....so the cops shot the guy dead.
Now, I would be the first to say that you don't typically have ax episodes or cops shooting folks in Germany over matters like this. However, I also have to admit that parking is a fairly serious business in Germany.
For an American arriving and getting into the apartment hunt business....some advice here. First, if you rent an apartment....before you sign....make absolutely sure about the parking deal. There ought to be a sign with your apartment number and indications of private parking somewhere around the building. If you can't get that positive indicator....don't rent the place.
Second, in most towns....there's some unwritten rules in each neighborhood. Parking understandings.....as I would put it. So you might want to ask about this....before you settle in. You really don't want neighbors getting a bad attitude about the new American...just on the first day or two that you move in.
Third, parking in most German neighborhoods is fairly important. Folks get unhinged if you take their spot. So you want to make sure about parking situation. Be apologetic if you screwed up.
Finally....I must admit.....there is going to be that small number of Germans out there.....who will overreact and go ballistic fairly easily. Maybe one guy out of a thousand. I'm not saying it's a typical German thing....but you might run into it. Anger management classes are something that most Germans have never heard about, and would likely laugh if you suggested they needed to attend one.
In this case....I'm guessing one neighbor is fairly distraught right now.....his former neighbor is dead....all over one stupid parking misunderstanding. It really didn't need to come to this.
Now, I would be the first to say that you don't typically have ax episodes or cops shooting folks in Germany over matters like this. However, I also have to admit that parking is a fairly serious business in Germany.
For an American arriving and getting into the apartment hunt business....some advice here. First, if you rent an apartment....before you sign....make absolutely sure about the parking deal. There ought to be a sign with your apartment number and indications of private parking somewhere around the building. If you can't get that positive indicator....don't rent the place.
Second, in most towns....there's some unwritten rules in each neighborhood. Parking understandings.....as I would put it. So you might want to ask about this....before you settle in. You really don't want neighbors getting a bad attitude about the new American...just on the first day or two that you move in.
Third, parking in most German neighborhoods is fairly important. Folks get unhinged if you take their spot. So you want to make sure about parking situation. Be apologetic if you screwed up.
Finally....I must admit.....there is going to be that small number of Germans out there.....who will overreact and go ballistic fairly easily. Maybe one guy out of a thousand. I'm not saying it's a typical German thing....but you might run into it. Anger management classes are something that most Germans have never heard about, and would likely laugh if you suggested they needed to attend one.
In this case....I'm guessing one neighbor is fairly distraught right now.....his former neighbor is dead....all over one stupid parking misunderstanding. It really didn't need to come to this.
Summer in Germany
Summer is approaching in Germany. For Americans in the country or just visiting.....I'll offer up ten bits of advice on how to handle a German vacation.
1. There are tens of thousands of things to see in Germany....so don't waste the summer away. If you just draw a 1-hour driving circle around where you live....you might discover dozens of places worth spending an afternoon.
2. Utilize German rest-stops on the autobahn. I would be the first to admit that some stops are one-star in nature (they barely have a pull-off and a garbage can). A significant number of the rest-stops these days.....will have a restroom and a couple of picnic tables. One out of ten rest-stops have a full-up gas station with a restaurant that might actually offer a half-way decent meal. It's to your advantage every two or three hours to pull off and take half an hour to relax.
3. Most every German village has a swimming pool, where you can acquire a yearly pass for your family for around $40. I admit, the sun might only come out 42 days this year, but there's that slight chance of having a 75-day summer (one can always hope).
4. There are tons of fests around the country throughout the summer. This usually means a fair-like atmosphere, great food, and lots of beverages. If you pay attention to your local paper....you might find a schedule for all of those fests within driving distance.
5. Yes, there are amusement parks in Germany. I admit....some might be two-star types in the eyes of some Americans....but there are a couple (Europa Park for example) which would be worth spending three hours on the road to reach. None of these are exactly "cheap", and you need to plan on exiting by 7PM typically for all the parks.
6. Travel packages via TUI? If you visit the local tour agent in your town....they will drag out the fancy catalogs and show you thousands of vacation packages to countries around Germany. The packages typically include hotel, breakfast buffet, and the airline deal all combined. My advice is to ask a lot of questions before you sign anything. You don't want to end up at a quiet hotel in Italy where they party until 4AM in the morning....unless you were obviously looking for a party hotel.
7. Using the train to get from point A to point B makes sense. The cost is reasonable and there's no chance of you getting lost. The only issue I see in the midst of summer is when the temp rise above 95 degrees and the AC units on the trains have maxed out. In the old days....you could at least open the windows and get a blast of air on your face. Today.....those windows don't open.
8. Heading north or south on the autobahn on a Saturday? Expect lots of stau's between 0900 and noon. If you really want to get ahead....you need to pull out around 6AM and expect to take a good long hour break in the late-morning when you start to hit the stau's. Remember also....on Sundays....there's this rule about no trucks on the autobahn....so Sundays are a lot calmer for travel than Saturday.
9. Hiking? Every community in Germany has hundreds of miles of trails established. Most come near a pub or restaurant about every couple of miles.
10. Finally, a Rhine River boat trip is worth a million bucks. Yes, I know the food on board is lousy. Yes, the beer and wine is over-priced. But this is something you only do once for the whole year....so don't waste an opportunity. Make sure you've planned the method of return well....if you intend to use the train....keep a schedule of the various trains heading back to the starting point.
1. There are tens of thousands of things to see in Germany....so don't waste the summer away. If you just draw a 1-hour driving circle around where you live....you might discover dozens of places worth spending an afternoon.
2. Utilize German rest-stops on the autobahn. I would be the first to admit that some stops are one-star in nature (they barely have a pull-off and a garbage can). A significant number of the rest-stops these days.....will have a restroom and a couple of picnic tables. One out of ten rest-stops have a full-up gas station with a restaurant that might actually offer a half-way decent meal. It's to your advantage every two or three hours to pull off and take half an hour to relax.
3. Most every German village has a swimming pool, where you can acquire a yearly pass for your family for around $40. I admit, the sun might only come out 42 days this year, but there's that slight chance of having a 75-day summer (one can always hope).
4. There are tons of fests around the country throughout the summer. This usually means a fair-like atmosphere, great food, and lots of beverages. If you pay attention to your local paper....you might find a schedule for all of those fests within driving distance.
5. Yes, there are amusement parks in Germany. I admit....some might be two-star types in the eyes of some Americans....but there are a couple (Europa Park for example) which would be worth spending three hours on the road to reach. None of these are exactly "cheap", and you need to plan on exiting by 7PM typically for all the parks.
6. Travel packages via TUI? If you visit the local tour agent in your town....they will drag out the fancy catalogs and show you thousands of vacation packages to countries around Germany. The packages typically include hotel, breakfast buffet, and the airline deal all combined. My advice is to ask a lot of questions before you sign anything. You don't want to end up at a quiet hotel in Italy where they party until 4AM in the morning....unless you were obviously looking for a party hotel.
7. Using the train to get from point A to point B makes sense. The cost is reasonable and there's no chance of you getting lost. The only issue I see in the midst of summer is when the temp rise above 95 degrees and the AC units on the trains have maxed out. In the old days....you could at least open the windows and get a blast of air on your face. Today.....those windows don't open.
8. Heading north or south on the autobahn on a Saturday? Expect lots of stau's between 0900 and noon. If you really want to get ahead....you need to pull out around 6AM and expect to take a good long hour break in the late-morning when you start to hit the stau's. Remember also....on Sundays....there's this rule about no trucks on the autobahn....so Sundays are a lot calmer for travel than Saturday.
9. Hiking? Every community in Germany has hundreds of miles of trails established. Most come near a pub or restaurant about every couple of miles.
10. Finally, a Rhine River boat trip is worth a million bucks. Yes, I know the food on board is lousy. Yes, the beer and wine is over-priced. But this is something you only do once for the whole year....so don't waste an opportunity. Make sure you've planned the method of return well....if you intend to use the train....keep a schedule of the various trains heading back to the starting point.
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