Deutsche Bahn! if you want to go anywhere, learn how to understand German train system. It work wonderfully. If you understand how it works.




Those are tracks leading to Munich main train station.




There are three main categories of trains; ICE, regional and regional express. ICE trains are quick 200+ kph train that travels between large cities. Regional(RB) usually stops on every station and are slow. Picture above is of a guy controlling what looks like a regional train. RE is like regional but it doesn't stop as often.

This is the oldest train I rode. Windows can be opened!



Accommodations are nice in almost every train. All trains other than RB usually have toilets. ICE have dinning cart.


Where a nice refreshing beverage can be purchased! In a glass, nevertheless :P

But when DB start fixing rails and making additions, those create major issues to none-German speaking tourists.


So one can end up in the middle of nowhere on an empty platform waiting for over an hour for a train after mistakenly exiting on a wrong station.

Yeah, travelling by train is actually quite comfy in Germany. Most of the time. I remember one time many years ago I was taking a train with my brother from Heidelberg back to our home town, on December 23rd. It was snowing heavily, there was total chaos on the roads, with 20km traffic jams on the Autobahn, all while we were sitting in the Bistro Café of an InterRegio train, drinking Hefeweizen with a guy from Norway.




So, how was your tip? What did you see?

Those pictures make it look like Germany hasn't changed since I've lived there in 1987 even though I know better.

Zum Geburtstag Para!

It seems like you had a great trip Sim! Welcome back to Dixie.

Yes, yes, we must have details!

Hey, I've taken the train from Munich to Koblenz before!

There is a magic phrase that can greatly assist an American in Germany when trying very desperately to figure things out at the counter:

"Excuse me, I don't speak German very well. I need to go to Ravensburg. Can I get an itenerary to go with the ticket?"

Worked like a charm for me!

Which leads to one of my family's favorite stories of my misadventures in the Fatherland. You see, some have a gift for languages. Others don't. I'm one of the don'ts. I was raised by German immigrants and don't speak German!

I got lost in the aforementioned Ravensburg (great town, highly recommended), and was getting a bit frazzled and frantic in finding the train station. A policeman took note of my sort of hurried wandering and asked what the problem was. He was the only policeman I'd ever encountered that did not speak any English.

"Ja, ich bien verlaufen; wo ist der...." which roughly translates to "Yes, I am lost, where is the..." train station. Train station. Damn, it's one of the first words one learns in German. But suddenly a blank for me. He's looking amused as I do the whole talk slowly in a foreign language (to him) as if that will help.

Train...train...oh, zug is train in German. Platz is place, like a park platz for parking lot. Clearly a zug platz is a way to describe what I need.

It was the first time I ever saw a member of the politzei lose bearing and laugh when dealing with the public. Zug platz?! Ha ha ha! Bahnhof?

Ja! Bahnhof!

Directions given and I made the train to Lindau (another fine place to visit, also highly recommended).

It would have all gone into the ether and forgotten except that at the big family reunion thingie a week later it turns out he was married to some distant cousin of mine and everyone wanted to know how we knew each other.

That's a fantastic story Dart!

Depending on where you look, some places really haven't changed since then. But most big cities look different now.
The further you travel into rural areas the changes become near zero...

The 'Deutsche Bahn' is the best way for travelling long distances, but only if your destination is near a big city. Otherwise I'd prefer my car over any any other form of travel.

Cool story Dart.
Nice of the family to be there to help in your time of need.


Wheels

I notice one of the trains said Koblenz on the front, did you go there? I went there years ago and I remember an excellent Roman ampitheatre ruins. I love Germany as we used to have our family holidays there. 5 weeks in the Black Forest and the on the banks of the Rhein, great times

I would prefer that, too, but since Germany has an excellent mass-transit system it is no great hardship to take a bus, Straßenbahn, OEG, etc to most any destination. At least that's how it was for the 15 years I lived there. I miss it sometimes.

This reminds me, tomorrow evening is German Night for me and several colleagues from work. Every first Friday of the month we meet at a local German restaurant for some bier and German food. In fact, I will probably have some Franziskaner Weissbier like in that picture up there in the first post.

I've seen many places and sites.
Major cities that I at least spend a night; Cochem, Brussel, Brugge, Luxembourg, Numberg and Munchen



I was in local area but never stayed in that city. Too many other places to visit.

----------------------

So first morning hotel breakfast! It's pretty much same from hotel to hotel.

But first view from hotel.






So this is, what it seems, a typical breakfast. An egg, some meat and cheese with bread. Fresh and tasty.


A castle in the back ground

That breakfast looks scrumptious. Nice looking hotel too!

Heidelberg? It looks familiar.

Totally agreed on the German rail system. When I was stationed there with the Army, I took the train pretty much everywhere I went on my free time. Even took the train a couple of times down to Austria to visit RSColonel_131st.

The American passenger rail system looks pathetic by comparison.

Looks like the Moselle river, so it's probably Cochem.

I agree, the river is too small to be the Neckar I also don't recognise any part of Heidelberg in that picture...

You shouldn`t use it, if the outside temparture is above around 35°C, this Summer the AC on several ICE quitted, leading to some trains being stopped `cause some passengers collapsed in the overcrowded trains. The "excuse" of the DB was, such hot summers weren`t expected when the trains were constructed in the 70ies. SURE!

Yep Yep




Here's another angle.


(I'm enjoying this SimHQ-pictures....I wonder how much abuse by me it can take?)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burg_Eltz

This is a very nice place to visit to;Burg Eltz.


Unfortunately, they were doing some restoration so I couldn't get a full view of caste.



Entrance door.


Defensive position.

Over-viewing main wall.

Inside courtyard.

Look at this interesting water drain thing. Picture captured water drip.




They didn't allow photography during castle tour. But not in armory / family jewels. They have a lot of old weapons. Since this castle is the only survived castle around this area, all of weapons are original. Most are looking brand new even though they may be 300+ years old.


WTF is that? Devil egg?

Ahhhh Germany...my wife was "aus München" and , believe it or not, i've spent EVERY Christmas in Bavaria since 1991...but the Germans I know are really "begeistert" with where I live: the Provence, Southern France.

Hey, we should organize a mini-SimHQ meeting here in Munich in December. We can start off with Weißwurstfrühstück (white sausages and Weißbier at a late breakfast/early lunch), do some sightseeing, then hit some of the better Christkindlmärkte (the Medieval one, for examle; I bet Bones would enjoy that one) for Glühwein, Jagertee and Met.

With a little simming session afterwards? Or is it just about the Glühwein, Jagertee and Met?

I'll pass on the Weißbier, but mmmmm Glühwein!

Gerne...I'll spend these days in the Wasserburg area, but I can do the trip to Muenchen ...

You have no idea how much I would absolutely love to attend this. Too bad the lack of money and vacation time is in my way! Grrr....

To heck with simming. I want to meet some German women.

I could wear a mini skirt and put on some rouge just for you

Ruh roh...

Shouldn't that be a little sLimming session? German food is the best food in the world but it does make the pants feel a little tight. And I'm not talking about the way they sit tight when a beautiful woman (of which there are many in Germany!) walks past.

Great pics, Sim.

Call for Legend! Call for Legend!

Please see and respond in the Happy Birthday Panzer thread ASAP...

Brussel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruges

Bruges, Belgium

Thanks Sim, I really like the architecture in those buildings.
I know I'll never see them in person so these pictures are real nice.


Wheels

Ypres
http://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/flanders/ypres.html









Before and now

Result of setting explosives under trenches.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxembourg

Luxembourg

I didn't spend a lot of time in this city, just one night. From what I saw, city was very pretty. Especially park down-below city wall.

These are great photos, Sim. I was just in Germany recently. My Germany didn't look as good as this. hehe

Nice pics Sim, looks like you had a great time!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg

Nuremberg! Beautiful city with interesting sculptures and fountains.
Look at that heavy-duty fort! Impressive.

Great pictures Sim.


Wheels

Great pics of Nurnberg Sim. I forgot the percentage but a very significant portion of what is Nurnberg now was rebuilt after the war.

Great pics! Thanks for sharing them. Makes me want to travel! Of course, what doesn't make me want to travel?

Those pictures make me miss Europe. Except for the airport in Amsterdam. Spent nine hours there once. The entire nine hours, I listened to a woman's voice say, "Mind your step!" over and over and over and over and over and over and over...

Cheers!

Rick...

Servus
A guade Idee.
Ich wohne ja auch nicht weit von München, 20 km südlich davon.
Da wäre ich gleich dabei .
If somebody is coming from outside, we have sure some space for a few people in our house.

Another local willing to join in

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_party_rally_grounds

Nazi museum and zeppelin field.


Entrance to museum. Somewhat reminds me of StarWars' walker thingies.

Somewhat unfinished...

Outside looks ok


famous place...majority of old structure got blown up or removed due to "safety"

Franconian Alps
http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Franconian+Jura

Lovely warning... lol.






View from old broken castle.





Small town with a small church.

Wow, that is such stunning and tranquil scenery.

Great pics, as usual,Sim.

It's just surreal seeing those pics of the Nurnberg coliseum where so many scenes from Triumpf des Willens was shot.

Wow.

Hello my fellows.

Was that just a joke about the meeting in munich or was it serious ?
For me it was the latter

I rellay would not mind to meet up with some bavarian simmers. Altough I doubt there will be anybody from abroad joining in

Well, Bones mentioned that he planned to visit Munich sometime in December.

I'll start a separate thread in November about meeting up in December in Munich.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachau_concentration_camp


A museum of a 'work-camp'

Great photos as usual, Sim.

I was just viewing those photos from the Fraconia Alb. Are some of those photos from the Burgruine Neideck? I was in that area in September and I thought I recognized some areas.

I had to google for that name...yes, I was there. Very pretty place.

Klostergasthof Andechs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andechs

A monastery with a beer and wine garden! Crafty and capitalist monks!






This is just a small section of outside sitting.

There is plenty of good food and beer to go around.


The wine garden with a view.



Very enjoyable place to visit and relax.

Andechs with its Bockbier and cheese...have never been there...I've been told that the police wait for people leaving the restaurant with their cars for anti-alcoholic controls !

Well, you've been lucky that apparently there weren't too many people there during your stay (were you there during the week?). On sunny weekends, normally Kloster Andechs is packed full with tourists!

BTW, this place is often the destination of our bike trips (Andechs is about 30 km away - as one of Sarumans crows fly ). Usually only one-way, 'cause if we had one or two beers too many, we'd rather take the S-Bahn (from Herrsching) back home.

You should come in May, when it's Maibock-season. Oh, and the only "cheese" that you should eat would be Obatzda. I know, you're French and all, but cheese with Maibock? Come on...

I guess it wouldn't be beyond the Bavarian cops to do that, but personally I have never witnessed such waylaying myself.

I think it was on a weekday. But even then it was quite busy.




Oktoberfest!.

Each tent holds it's own beer brand.



with a slightly different decor


(why is there a hitler on a cloud? LOL )

As time progresses towards night, during songs a lot of folks stand up and dance on long table's benches.


And of course there is beer.

And more beer.


The only downside to this festivity was extremely crowded and hot tents with militant looking dudes that were always eager to push you. Service was lightning fast and very good. A LOT of eye candy. And beef of course.

Sehr nett eye candy at 5:00 o'clock sir!!

Beer garden! A proper beer garden! It's outside and there is plenty of food and beverages to go around.





This wasn't there...in that beer garden I mean, but I never saw a cow made that way. It was tasty!

So beer garden. As I said before there is plenty of food. A half of tasty chicken with a 1L of beer is what makes me happy.

Seating? A lot! What else would one expect from (so I hear) biggest beer garden in the world. I think I recall it sit 30,000 people. They even have a cart for beer mugs!
Name of a place is "Hirschgarten"

As usual, great pics Sim!

BTW the "Hitler on a cloud" is the famous "Münchner im Himmel" (A Municher in Heaven). The protagonist of a Ludwig Thoma humoristic satire.

http://simhq.com/forum/files/usergals/2010/10/full-1029-2081-dsc03362.jpg
I just noticed, Peter Brady was there too. What's he like in person?


Wheels

Hirschgarten! That's pretty close to where I live! They serve Augustiner Bier there. One of the better beer gardens in Munich.

The militant-looking guys are the infamous Bierzelt-"Security"; the idea seems to be to hire the worst crooks and troublemakers to pose as "security" during Oktoberfest. Most of them are a bunch of incompetent, overagressive morons...as long as they're up against people smaller than themselves; I once saw one actually choking a teenage girl (not for long, though . I was there with some friends who happened to be off-duty cops). One rarely see them getting involved in a real brawl involving the big, tough guys, though. You know, actually doing what they've been hired to do.

You know what I haven't posted? Boooooze!

Ooohhhh,

Kloster Andechs, I`m sure you were quite "happy" after this glas.

When I first drank it in the 80ies as a young man, I wasn`t aware it has nearly double as much alcohol in it, than a normal beer. I drank a few of them and the result wasn`t pretty....

Sim, you may want to consider attending AA.

Hey Sim, I know this thread has been up for a few days. I am in a hurry but just wanted to thank you for the amazing AAR you have provided. The pictures are gorgeous.

peculiar, to the say the least.

Are you trying to pick a fight with me?

How does saying that this "Munchner in Himmel" is peculiar amount to picking a fight?

As for the AA comment, some dry wit in response to your series of beer-only photos. Unfortunately the snark doesn't translate well in text.