I'm in the midst of planning for Egypt & Portugal & Paris...I leave Tues. so I hadn't taken time to chime in on Germany. But it is one of my favorite places....been there 15 or so times, maybe 20! Flew into the Munich airport at all times of year. Driven thro Munich on my way from the airport to Garmisch many times...several times I got lost...some signs are small & difficult to see. Can't remember when you're going but Bavaria, especially, is great any time of year. There's a good train from the airport to the Hauptbahnhof, main train station in Munich. I agree that the Hofbrauhaus or some other beer hall is fun & good food. Also, don't miss the glockenspiel in Marienplatz. I'm doing this from memory so I hope that's where the glock is! 8-) There is great train service to Garmisch-Partenkirchen where I think I'd rent a car for a day or so & see the Alps...great circle tour of half a day thro Fern Pass. Mittenwald has a wonderful church & violin makers. Garmisch has a wonderful kurpark, where, May to Sept., an orchestra plays light classical music in a bandstand in the beautiful flower-filled park with the towering mountains looking on..2 to 3 concerts a day. All for the price of admission which is one Euro, I think. Good restaurant, too. Brings back wonderful memories, my late husband & I spent many hours enjoying the music, the atmosphere, the people, & dancing under the stars on a marble floor 3 nights a week to big band music. Nice walk down memory lane. 8-) Lots of B & Bs close by. If you have a rental car, drive to Oberammergau is a good halfday trip, stopping by Linderhof, one of Mad King Ludwig's castles. I believe in his philosophy, if a little glitter is good, a lot of it is better. Fun to see his excesses. Oberammergau is the little town where the Passion Play is presented every 10 years. Beautiful religious paintings on the buildings & houses. In Koln, the cathedral is worth the visit. It is literally a few steps from the Hauptbahnhof. 1st time I was in the Koln cathedral was a dreary wintery March evening. The candles were flickering as I stepped into the Gothic cathedral & a boys' choir was singing. Still gives me chills & a smile to remember. You can take a peek at the Rhine river there, too, as well as a museum featuring Roman artifacts. Taking a ferry ride on the Rhine is fun, too. Rothenburg is a great place but a bit difficult to get to on the train...but possible & worth the trip.

Must quit rambling on & on. Have a wonderful trip.

Carol Bailey in thawing N. Idaho...shortly in Egypt!