TRIP OVERVIEW Join the hustle and bustle of these popular markets, sipping warm, spicy mulled wine while you browse beautiful stalls filled with Christmas delights. Enjoy the markets in Berlin, Munich, Dresden and Nuremberg as well as the seeing the best of each town and city. We also visit the charming town of Rothenburg and the magical Neuschwanstein castle. This trip really is a treat for the senses and something special to get you into the Christmas spirit. Travel Charm specialises in small group travel. Large group tours seem impersonal and fast paced but Travel Charm groups are like travelling with friends. And the perfect way to explore Germany. INCLUSIONS Accommodation in twin rooms Daily buffet breakfast 4 x 3-course dinners at local restaurants Private transfers with English speaking driver o Berlin Airport Berlin Hotel o Berlin Hotel Berlin Train Station o Dresden Train Station Dresden Hotel o Dresden Hotel Dresden Train Station o Nuremberg Train Station Nuremberg Hotel o Nuremberg Hotel Nuremberg Train Station o Munich Hotel Munich Airport Private tours & excursions in English o City tour Berlin with driver-guide, 3 hours, no entrance fees included o Walking tour Dresden with guide, 3 hours, no entrance fees included o Walking tour in Nuremberg with guide, 2 hours, no entrance fees included o Excursion to Rothenburg with driver-guide, 5 hours, no entrance fees included o Walking tour Munich with guide, 3 hours, no entrance fees included o Excursion to Neuschwanstein with driver-guide, 10 hours, entrance to Neuschwanstein Castle included Train tickets, 2nd class o Berlin to Dresden o Dresden to Nuremberg o Nuremberg to Munich
Excluded Airfares. Entrances/sites/meals, other than those specified in the itinerary as included. Tips to guides, representatives and drivers. Any other items not listed in above-specified inclusions. ITINERARY DAY 1 - BERLIN Welcome to Germany! Upon arrival and after check-in the rest of the day is free at your leisure. Our welcome dinner will be at a local restaurant. (Dinner) DAY 2 - BERLIN Enjoy a 3-hour tour with English speaking driver-guide. This tour provides an overview of the historic and contemporary Berlin and includes numerous famous monuments. Rest of the day is free at your leisure. DAY 3 BERLIN Today is a free day. See Cindy for a list of things to see and do if you are not sure. A good day to sleep in and catch up. Dinner is at your leisure.
DAY 4 BERLIN TO DRESDEN A driver will pick us up at the hotel and take us to the train station where we will catch the train to Dresden. Upon arrival, we will be met by a private transfer to take us to our hotel. This afternoon we will spend at the Christmas Market in Dresden, also called Striezelmarkt. It is one of the oldest Christmas Markets in Germany dating back to the year 1434. Dinner together at a local restaurant. (Breakfast, Dinner) DAY 5 DRESDEN After breakfast, we will join a private 3-hour walking tour with an English-speaking guide and get to know Dresden, a city with one of the most beautiful historic centres of Germany. The rest of the day is free at your leisure as is dinner. DAY 6 DRESDEN Today is a free day. See Cindy for a list of things to see and do if you are not sure. A good day to sleep in and catch up. Dinner is at your leisure. DAY 7 DRESDEN TO NUREMBERG After breakfast we will transfer from the hotel to the train station where we will catch the train to Nuremberg. A private transfer will take us to our hotel. This afternoon we will visit what might be the most famous German Christmas Market, the Christkindlesmarkt. Over 2 million people visit Nuremberg each year to attend it. Dinner at a local restaurant. (Breakfast, Dinner)
DAY 8 NUREMBERG This morning after breakfast, enjoy a 2-hour walking tour with English speaking guide. During this tour of Nuremberg, you may visit the old part of the city, where you will find most tourist attractions. Visit the castle, one of the most important medieval imperial palaces. Its privileged vantage point offers incredible views of the city. The rest of the day is free at your leisure as is dinner. DAY 9 NUREMBERG After breakfast, we embark on an excursion to Rothenburg with English speaking driverguide. Rothenburg is one of the oldest and best-known cities in Romantic Germany and is nestled on the shores of the meandering Tauber River. A stroll through its narrow, cobblestone streets is a trip back in time. The medieval city centre has been beautifully preserved; admire the wooden houses, the historic town hall and the extensive medieval city wall. Tonight, dinner is at your leisure. DAY 10 NUREMBERG TO MUNICH After breakfast, a driver will take us to the train station where we will catch the train to Munich. The hotel will be very close to the train station, so we will walk from the station. The rest of the day is free. Dinner is at your leisure. DAY 11 MUNICH This morning after breakfast we will discover the history of the Bavarian capital in a threehour walking tour. Munich, home to the famous Oktoberfest, is also one of the most important cities to understand the history and culture of the German people. The rest of the day will be at your leisure as will dinner.
DAY 12 MUNICH Today we visit Neuschwanstein, Germany s most famous castle, during a 10-hour excursion with English speaking driver-guide. It was built by Ludwig II, the notorious "mad king, known for his striking personality and eccentricities. This castle served as an inspiration to Walt Disney when he built the castle of Sleeping Beauty in Disneyland. As an optional excursion, you may also visit Linderhof Castle, the famous city of Oberammergau or the lovely Castle of Hohen Schwangau, near Neuschwanstein. Then return to Munich. Tonight, is our farewell dinner. (Breakfast, Dinner) DAY 13 MUNICH This morning after breakfast you will check out and depending on your plans a transfer has been organised for you to the airport or maybe you will want to keep exploring Germany, please let us know at the time of booking. Thank you for travelling with us and we hope to see you on another trip soon. PACKING We recommend you pack as light as possible. You will need to manage your own bag on trains and cobblestone roads, upstairs at train stations and lift it into luggage racks. There is no getting around it, the weather will be cold. The temperature averages around 5 C and 0 C. We recommend you dress in layers and bring good walking shoes and a warm coat. Layers are the perfect way to dress for a cold climate. Clothing made from light merino wool is perfect as it is light but warm and breathes. Our trips are casual unless otherwise stated, there will be no need to dress up, Smart casual for dinner will be perfectly fine.
MONEY The Euro (EUR) is the official currency in Germany. The easiest and cheapest way to get money while travelling is from an ATM. And preferably one inside a bank, for security reasons. Check with your bank in advance concerning the suitability of using your card overseas and any international fees that you may incur. Although you can easily obtain money at airports and major train stations, we suggest you bring some extra cash in the local currency in case the ATM's are not working. Alternatively, you can bring other money in a major currency and exchange it at the airport. Exchanging money at the airport will cost more, but a good back up in case of emergency. The safest option is to bring cash in either Euro or US dollars. When leaving home don't forget your PIN and make sure you have noted the phone numbers (and kept in a safe place) to call in case the need arises to cancel your cards. Credit cards are not always accepted in stores and restaurants. While travelling, we recommend you carry some cash to pay for restaurant bills and other services. Change can be difficult to obtain so throughout the day, try to gain as many small denominations as you can. Tipping is not necessary, however, if you are satisfied with the services provided a tip is appropriate. As a guide - in basic restaurants and cafes we suggest you round your bill up to the nearest 1. In more up-market restaurants we suggest adding 5% to 10% of your bill. You may like to pay local guides (used in addition to your trip host) 2-3 per day, and we suggest 1-2 per day for drivers on your trip. Remember, a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service. We recommend you have access to extra fund in case of emergency. Please allow additional money for meals and beverages not included in the itinerary. FOOD & DIETARY REQUIREMENTS On our trips, we like to experience food authentic to the region in which we are travelling. So that you have flexibility in deciding where. what and with whom you eat, not all meals are included in the trip price. If you have any dietary issues or requirements, please notify us so that we can take this into consideration. Please understand that some destinations may be more difficult to cater to dietary restrictions, but we will do our best to advise you on what to do. Some areas are more difficult for vegetarians and gluten-free diets. and the menu selection less varied than at home. _
ACCOMMODATION All our accommodation will be in 3-4-star hotels and on a twin share basis unless otherwise specified. Single travellers will be paired with another traveller. If you d prefer not to share, a single room supplement is available at an additional charge. Please indicate your preference on your booking form. Be aware that accommodation in Europe does not always have double beds, but rather two single beds that can be pushed together. Most of the time it is possible to separate them. But don't be shocked if there is little space. STAYING CONNECTED If you have not already done so, please provide your mobile phone number to your host so that they are able to contact in the event of emergency or changes to the itinerary. A Messenger Group will also be created, and daily itineraries will be posted here, along with changes in itinerary and other events as they come up. Please let us know if you are not on Messenger and we will discuss alternative arrangements with you. TRAVEL INSURANCE It is ESSENTIAL that you have travel insurance. You will not be able to travel with us if you don't. All trips are non-refundable, however, if you have travel insurance and the cancellation is for a medical reason Travel Charm and Lisa Malnar, Flight Centre, will assist in putting the insurance claim in for a refund. If you would like to arrange travel insurance complete the appropriate section on the booking form.