First Time and Last Minute -- Excited!

[Hunter]

Greetings all!

Poking around your board while planning a very last minute trip has been quite useful! Thanks.

Originally intended to visit Germany/Eastern Europe after my graduation this December, but due to a recent change of plans I find myself with three free weeks in September. Attempting to plan a trip into Frankfurt and then around Germany or wherever for about two weeks. I'd leave Sept 5th. I've also never done anything quite like this before -- usually I've gone to visit relatives or traveled with a friend. Figure now is my chance to go! Eeek!

I'm so excited. Booking my flight in the next day or so before they fill up. Talk about last minute! Trying to figure out what I'm going to do while there.

[expatben]

Welcome Hunter! Germany is amazing and I hope you have a great time!

[marc873]

Nice!!! The first trip can be a bit nerve racking, but dont sweat it!!! It will be an amazing adventure!!! And with the short notice even better, as you will probably be winging most of it!!! Keep us posted, and do you have any specific plans or destinations in Germany upon arrival???

[Hunter]

Thanks! I'm a bit nervous but very excited.

I have tickets in and out of Frankfurt on the 5th and the 17th. My plan is to land in Frankfurt (spending the night) and then make my way up the Rhine Valley. Then I want to head to Berlin, possibly Prague, and then to Nuremberg before heading back to Frankfurt. Avoiding Munich and the whole Oktoberfest deal.

I know maybe one or two friends in Berlin to visit but the rest of the time I'll be on my own. I've taken a few years of German in college so I'm not too worried about getting around and I'm very happy to finally be able to use it.

I'm not sure how much I want to plan vs. just wing it. About to borrow a few guidebooks from a German friend. Still nervous to travel by myself. The only other trip I've done by myself still was part of a loosely organized student group with a set amount of days for each city.

[expatben]

My advice is wing it, thats what I did when I did a tour of Germany and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Its natural to be nervous but it seems like you are prepared and I think you'll have a blast!

[Dig]

Welcome and have fun

[marc873]

Yeah, balls to the wall and wing it!!! Considering you can speak German, you will have an edge that will make things flow much more smoothly!!! Def make your way to Prague!!!! And dont be worried, just take the time to meet other travelers, and the fun will happen!!!

[Hunter]

Considering not doing Prague now. Berlin is what I've been dying to see and while I'd like to see Prague I'm worried two big cities might be overwhelming. There are a ton of specific things I want to see in Berlin and nothing specific I'm interested in Prague. Thinking about spending an entire week in Berlin just hanging out. Then I might just go to Dresden or Nuremburg and then spend a day in the Rhine.

Thanks again for the welcome! Appreciated!

[expatben]

Can't really comment because I have never been to Prague but its somewhere I would love to go. However there is a weeks worth of stuff to do in Berln. I would also reccomend a trip to Leipzig if you have an interest in the Cold War era.

[travelpunk]

I just got back from Prague on Friday and I loved the place. I was on my own and winged two thirds of my 3 week trip through Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Prague. I had friends in Copenhagen that I stayed with and that was awesome, but I spent many hours alone wandering the streets by foot and bike as they were at work.

Prague is awesome and I am even entertaining the thought of living there for a little while.

You can stay in 3 or 4 star hotels for 45 euros a night. Other than accommodations, food and drinks seem to be about the same prices than that of western Europe countries. I guess the good old days of cheap Prague are gone.

I winged every part of trip, but I also set aside a higher budget so I could do things last minute on the fly.

If you want to meet a lot of people on your trip, stay in hostels. I opted for quieter trip this time as the main purpose for this trip was to clear my head.

I am also dying to see Berlin and really do a Germany tour. I've been to Hamburg which was fantastic, but there are some die hard Berlin lovers in here that has gotten me all worked up about big B.

Also, I would suggest that no matter where you go, rent a bike and or do a bike tour. You can save a lot of sight seeing time with a bike and actually be able to shave some days off of your itinerary, opening up more days for other cities.