dear euromusers - we're coming to your town

brittleblood

well, not london if you live in london. we're set to hit the beaches of someplace early july as tag-alongs to our two boys student exchange program. they are going to be staying two weeks in n. germany - near muenster (teltge?) and will wind their way to munich to conclude their stay. we'll meet them at the end and plan on traveling to points unknown from there > initially we had thought "LONDON" !!! but we're getting quotes of $400 per night - which is hardly family budget friendly...

so all options are open and YOUR recommendations are VITAL. !!!

and i'm sure there's more than one of you who has always wanted to tell me where to go

thawts?

PaulR

I would strongly suggest looking at a site like Trip Advisor you should be able to find something to fit your budget, the site has lots of current reviews. And covers not only the large hotel chains, but also the smaller hotels and 'Bed and Breakfast'.

greg

At current exchange rates that doesn't surprise me brittleblood - that would be about £300-320 per night. Central London in the big hotels isn't cheap, but there are some cheaper options. Try Premier Inn or Travel Lodge for cheaper options. Also look at lastminute.com and laterooms.co.uk. Always for the major London hotels if you go to their own websites they will be more expensive than these last two sites. Once you are here though it need not be too expensive. The major museums and galleries are generally free unless it is for a special exhibition, eg, British Museum, Science Museum, National Gallery etc. Theatre can be quite cheap unless you want a major show - often you can pick up good value seats reasonably priced at lastminute.com. You can eat cheaply or spend a fortune on meals depending upon where you go. If you are in London for more than a day, get Oyster cards for tube and buses - they are considerably cheaper than paying for indivisual journeys. For one or two days get a Zone 1 and 2 travel card - see Transport for London (tfl) website. Really only tourists (both from abroad and elsewhere in UK) pay full price for transport. I don't live in London but I still have an Oyster card for when I am there.

If you are planning travelling from Munich to London you can either fly (try easyjet or ryan air for cheap flights but watch carefully their baggage allowances, particulalry the last company.) We travelled to and from Munich last year by train, via Paris. We did it in one day quite easily, but you could break the journey there for a night. If you want more details I will let you know how to get amazingly good value tickets.

Bad Thoughts

brittle: Are you committed to staying in London? There might be better options if you catch a cheap flight from Düsseldorf or Cologne to an alternative city. (You would have to catch the DB, about 1-2 hours, maybe 30-40 euros per person.)

ETA: A little farther, but not necessarily more expensive, would be to go to Amsterdam, where many British cities are in reach.

greg

A possible alternative might be Birmingham, which is fairly close to Stratford (Skakespeare) and both Oxford and London are reachable for day trips. I am assuming that your sons are teenagers, so London would probably be best for them as there is an enormous amout to see and do, and it need not be expensive.

Germanprof

This will in the end not be that specifically helpful, but a couple of years ago I took the family to London and we found a very reasonably priced place that I think was categorized as a bed and breakfast rather than a hotel and turned out to be perfectly acceptable. We found it through some site listing B&B places. The not helpful part, I can't remember what site. I mention it at all just to raise the question of whether you are only looking at "hotels".

MrV

An alternative to big cities would be to take a tour of the German Alps if you are into scenery and walking, you could go by auto or train. Obviously a car would enable you to stay at Fremden Zimmers (cook yourself) or smaller Gast Hauses (breakfast included, meals out) where it is less expensive. But it is high season there also. A beautiful area if you enjoy that kind of thing, and Salzburg in Austria isn't all that far by train or auto. You also might want a few days in Munich for museums and the park.
If you do go to london, I used to eat at Indian restaurants, good food and less expensive, but that was a few years ago, I don't know about prices anymore. I agree with the Ryan air recommendation, I think they fly from somewhere outside of Munich now, just pay attention to extra costs, like taxes and charges for using a credit card etc, it adds up, but still can be a good deal, I often flew from Italy to Germany or NL for about the same as the cost of a taxi to the airport.
I used this site several times for hotel reservations and was satisfied: http://www.hrs.com/, they do most of Europe. Have fun.

jackedUPjazz

Hey Brittleblood yes I have always wanted to tell you where to go, and now's my big chance.

We have had good luck with airbnb for finding affordable longer term stays of 30 days or so. Maybe it will work for you.

Brighternow

From Münster to Puttgarden there's 426 kilometers. In Puttgarden there's a ferry to Rødby / Denmark. From Rødby to my house there's about 8 kilometers. You are invited.

brittleblood

you guys kill me.

despite my wayward ways i can feel the amazing vibe of connect which doesn't fade in the least. clink.

i will definitely chx out these recs - especially ones which center on trains. and brighter, if i can figure out a way to stumble into your den of marks i'll get it done. a good friend is a dane and may give us some added sites to see so don't stray!

speaking of recs (and despite a horrendous recording glitch at the end of track 1) kindly lissen to: [url=http://www.emusic.com/album/begar-hadda/rid-ya-fares-chaoui/13930578/[/url]

brittleblood

holy smokes!

i emailed my danish buddy re: "you ever been to rodby, denmark? we may be traveling in the area?"

his response:

Wait a minute. What's going on? You're planning a trip to my hood and didn't tell me? We need to talk. You're gonna see my peeps.

small world.

Dr. Mutex

I second the recommendation for the Oyster cards if you're going to be in London more than a couple of days. I tried to avoid having much money on mine when I left but I think it's still got about £15 on it because several times I elected to go on an impromptu walking tour rather than taking the tube. Neil Gaiman novels not withstanding, there's more to see above ground, although the way into some of the tube stations is pretty arcane. I think it was the Tower Hill station (?) they had done it so you could see what they had excavated through.

One thing that might interest you is the Churchill War Rooms. I don't think many tourists find their way there.
Also many don't realize there's more to see than the outside of the Tower Bridge

One of my favorite tips for saving money anywhere is to buy food in food stores, not restaurants.

Lowlife

Welcome to London

Top Tips:

Try geting hotels outside of Zone 1, they seem to be cheaper and check with Trip Advisor
Travel after 9.30 am in the morning and get a travelcard, they are £8 for an adult and can be used all day on trains, bus and tubes available at most stations and tubes
Museumns are mostly free and there is a great selection, outside of any special events. The British, Victoria and Albert and the National Portrait are my favs.
Take a walk down the Thames on the South Bank between Westminster to Tower Bridge for some of the best views of London along the way is The Globe, Borough Market, Tate Modern
River Boat to Greenwich is a good journey, discount if you have a travelcard
The Parks are brilliant especially Regents Park
Check out any music listings, there are quite a few cheap of free concerts in London
The markets especially Camden

brittleblood

well. we have a shell of a plan: intro > copenhagen est. june 27

we then travel to berlin to meet the boys - need to be there july 2

then munich

then prague. depart july 9

brittleblood

flight out of copenhagen is a.m. june 30

yikes! prague is expensive $300+ night - anyone ever spend time in praha??

thoughts??

beers? !!!

MrV

I am not sure if http://www.hrs.com/ books Czech but give it a try, I've used it for France, Portugal & Spain with good results each time. In the early 90's places like Prague were a bargain, but now I think Croatia, Slovenia etc are better deals. Prague is a beautiful old city that is still fairly untouched architecturally (as is bombed).
Pilsner Urquell and the original Budweiser should be readily available if you like a nice crisp lager.

Brighternow

That is some tight schedule, and doesn't leave much time for Prague or Rødby for that matter.
- But I would choose Copenhagen anytime.

I was in Prague many years ago and managed to rent a private apartment for only a fraction of the hotel prices. I got the address from the tourist information on the main railwaystation. I also rented a car from a private person very cheap compared to the profesionals. It was a waitress at a resturant who knew someone who knew someone.

And yes, definitely Pilsner Urquell.

ETA: from the 28 - 30 of june I'll be working in Bregentved. This is halfway between Cph. and Rødby.
http://www.bornogdyr.dk/ - This has not yet been confirmed.

greg

The problem with Prague is that it is now in the Euro Zone, and it is increasing in value against both the dollar and pound at the moment. Try laterooms.com, useful anywhere in Europe. The beer is superb - try original Bud and you will never want the US version again!

How long are you in Prague and Munich?

brittleblood

you cannot spell "beer" without eglanstgermain/68stationwagon/brittleblood (i'm pretty sure everything's covered).

!!!

this trip may just push me over the cliff...a woman down the street is a serious home/brew enthusiast and has, in recent years, up'd the ante on her investment. i traded her some of my pumpkins (yes, i have farmblood in me) for a six - a variety of stout/ipa/spiced. she has really mastered the art and i'm tempted to pick up another avid interest/excuse for a vice.

btw, the stout she made is the only one i insisted on drinking 2 the same evening...and the second was more for after dinner. a wonderful beer to fill the time on its own terms.

brighter...let's figure out logistics to grab dinner the 27th or 28th - and beer!

i have to admit,when i first saw "try budweiser" i thought you all had gone mad...it's pisswater here in the states!

now, off to laterooms...

Brighternow

A local Lolland speciality:

Bad Thoughts

Budweiser is available in the US. It's called Czech Var.

Side note: a friend of mine wrote a history of Budweiser, Budweisers into Czechs and Germans.

MrV

@BN I am assuming this is akin the Rauch Bier in Bamberg, Germany. To me it is an acquired taste. Curiously enough, now that I am retired back stateside, it is available in a nearby German restaurant. As I understand it, the proprietor is originally from Bamberg.

@Brittleblood; a good analogy, I have had europeans tell me on more than one occasion they would sooner drink from a toilet that have american beer.
While in Munich try some Hefeweissen

greg

In many respects Munich is the home of good lager type beer. The beer cellars are everywhere (not always underground too). It is a pity you are not there in the Autumn for the beer festival - but that does considerably push up hotel prices. There is so much in both cities to do/visit. We spent a week in each and did't see all we wamted. I'm sure that you will all enjoy being there.

Germanprof

sooner drink from a toilet that have american beer

Fortunately in the last decade Grand Rapids has become a veritable hotbed of good microbreweries, with a concomitant multiplication of specialist drinking establishments.

Bad Thoughts

Fortunately in the last decade Grand Rapids has become a veritable hotbed of good microbreweries, with a concomitant multiplication of specialist drinking establishments.

There are some areas with good microbreweries (the Triangle is not one of them). Americans, though, don't understand the art of the local beer.

Brighternow

@ MrV - Yes, I think so . . . The Krenkerup brewmaster is from Germany and they also make weissbier and doppel bock.

Krenkerup Smoked beer
"Krenkerup Rauch Bier is our European Gold medal winning beer. This smoked beer stands out from the rest of the pack due to its smoky character. The beer has been produced using malting barley which has been smoked over beech wood, to give it a gentle note of smoke.
This special taste and flavor gave the Brewery a gold medal in the 2011 European beer tasting contest. Our Rauch Bier goes especially well with sushi and national Danish dishes such as pickled herring and "The vets night snack". Try it and prepare for a pleasant surprise!
500 ml / Alc. 5.2%

http://en.krenkerupbryggeri.dk

brittleblood

as a side bar, my danish fiend introduced me to an english beer, boddington's, which i really enjoy sharing in his company.

the stateside beer stereotype is certainly accurate - but like california wines have demonstrated, the art isn't lost on us. the woman down the street really has it working...i need to consult her before leaving to see if...

drumroll

SUPER DRUMROLL

bridge to probably the 2nd most important subject (behind beer, obviously)

WHAT THE HELL TO SMUGGLE!!!???

i hear so many stories of smuggling crazy stuff i'm bit by the thought of it. to the point i'd question my own existence if i don't smuggle a thing at all. !!!

so, what on earth should i really try and get away with - some specialty ham? a long-admired yeast for brewing? or a door from a castle???

sigh...i'm wired already.

Brighternow

- How about 100-year-old sourdough ?

brittleblood

may not be a bad idea - we have a neighbor who is an artisan breadmaker.

could use a translation help !!! where would this place be? http://shop.strato.de/epages/61425309.sf/ - i figure i can drop my wife off for 3 or 4 hours here and visit a nearby tavern to put some of these wonderful recs to test.

clink.

Bad Thoughts

Pfaffenhoffen, Bavaria. It might be a house. It's a regular shop.

Bad Thoughts

This is the regular (non-shop) website.
Here's a blogpost describing a visit to the physical shop.

Not much to see in Pfaffenhofen, but you could kill a few hours there.

Ten miles up the road, in Wolnzach, is the German Hops Museum.