O Tannenbaum - A tour of German Christmas Markets and other spots

[OZDUCK]

If it was boring we wouldn’t be following along. I don’t know Germany well so found it interesting. I must admit I find German food a bit to heavy and meaty

Thanks for the response. While there are a lot of 'hearty' meals in Germany there are also plenty of lighter ones. I do admit that the cold weather we encountered this time did encourage heavy meals. However there some especially nice fish dishes for example. I eat more fish there than here. Compared to even 2011 we have noticed a lot more choice in foods in our last two trips.

 

[OATEK]

Thanks for TR @OZDUCK, really enjoyed following along.

 

[OZDUCK]

Thanks. Glad to hear you enjoyed it

 

[VPS]

Thanks for the response. While there are a lot of 'hearty' meals in Germany there are also plenty of lighter ones. I do admit that the cold weather we encountered this time did encourage heavy meals. However there some especially nice fish dishes for example. I eat more fish there than here. Compared to even 2011 we have noticed a lot more choice in foods in our last two trips.

sadly I'm allergic to fish now so that makes a bit tougher - people can't tell the difference between white fish (which I can't eat) and seafood (which I can eat) so I tend to avoid anything from the sea when I am out

 

[OZDUCK]

sadly I'm allergic to fish now so that makes a bit tougher - people can't tell the difference between white fish (which I can't eat) and seafood (which I can eat) so I tend to avoid anything from the sea when I am out

That's a pity. O am not a huge seafood eater but it is defiantly nice to have from time to time.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Thanks @OZDUCK for sharing your journey and the effort it takes to do a TR. We tend to travel to warmer climes but your Christmas Markets have certainly piqued my interest!

 

[OZDUCK]

Thanks for the kind thoughts. The Christmas Markets are definitely worthwhile doing once. But far too cold and miserable for me to realy contemplate another trip like this one.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Thanks for the kind thoughts. The Christmas Markets are definitely worthwhile doing once. But far too cold and miserable for me to realy contemplate another trip like this one.

Might take a bit of convincing Mr Flyfrequently then, thanks for your honest assessment @OZDUCK

 

[OZDUCK]

Might take a bit of convincing Mr Flyfrequently then, thanks for your honest assessment @OZDUCK

Maybe a 'short, sharp trip would be more palatable to him. We were there for 6 weeks so there was plenty of time for the cold to get into our bones. A trip to a couple of the more famous ones like Nuremberg and Dresden or Strasburg and one or two smaller markets might be enough. Apart from the markets we also caught up with four lots of friends so our trip was a bit more extended. Hopefully D Bahn might even be running properly in the future - if Germany gets over the current rolling national strikes across the transport sectors..

 

[Flashback]

Maybe a 'short, sharp trip would be more palatable to him. We were there for 6 weeks so there was plenty of time for the cold to get into our bones. A trip to a couple of the more famous ones like Nuremberg and Dresden or Strasburg and one or two smaller markets might be enough. Apart from the markets we also caught up with four lots of friends so our trip was a bit more extended. Hopefully D Bahn might even be running properly in the future - if Germany gets over the current rolling national strikes across the transport sectors..

Strasbourg, Colmar and Basel is a great little trip to do and easy on the trains.

 

[RooFlyer]

I've just reviewed the entire TR in preparation for my trip this December - a mighty effort, and very informative, so thanks @OZDUCK . However it did bring back my apprehension about using DB and a quick Google sees no improvement.

However, yes we were probably a bit unlucky in suffering both a severe snow storm and a strike. I think the important thing is to try as much as possible to reduce the number of connections and especially shortish ones. If you do your bookings on the D Bahn site you can adjust the connection times to avoid some of the suggested 4 minute ones and also to avoid 'local' trains like the RE or RB ones which are usually slower and busier with no seat reservations. And our last two trains actually ran a couple of minutes ahead of schedule.

I bit the bullet and decided to go DB - Flexipreis Europa, 1st class using a 'Probe/trial' 3 month 1st class BahnCard, with 50% off fares. I decided to go 1st class because TKWIA, get lounge access , reserved seat and I figure it might give me better flexibility in event of irrops. Basically I think I can take any train on the day, or the next. Expensive, but all paid for now, so essentially free on the day.

Must remember to cancel the BahnCard.

I planned the routes with a minimum of 1 hour for transfers, but already one has been enhanced down to 35 minutes.

8 Dec Dusseldorf (arrive from HEL) short hop to Koln for 2 nights.
10 Dec Koln to Karlsruhe ICE 2 stops, 34 min transfer, Karlsruhe to Strasbourg ICE . 2 nights in Strasbourg (have been there before)
12 Dec Strasbourg to Stuttgart ICE 1 stop, 47 min transfer Stuttgart to Munich ICE 3 stops, 40 min transfer Munich to Salzburg for 2 nights. This is the one I'm a bit worried about, but we'll see.
14 Dec Salzburg to Vienna on RJX; 'business class' for 2 nights, then fly out to HEL and then down to the Caribbean to thaw out.

Of course I turn 54 on 16 December so miss out on that age discount 'by that much'

Any comments or cautions or tips would be welcome.

 

[OZDUCK]

You seem to have been pretty cautious and left adequate time between the connections - as long as the system doesn't fall over in a big way but then nothing could be done anyway. We had plenty of trouble around Stuttgart as there were lots of rail works in that area including the infamous Stuttgart 21 project but I assume much of that has been completed - except for Stuttgart 21. But really you should be ok. As you said, if DB causes you to miss a connection you can pretty much just take the next suitable train. But of course your pre-booked seat reservations disappear. It has to be said that the DB app was very good at advising us of delays and cancellations so keep an eye out for updates.

App DB Navigator

DB Navigator not only provides you with information about your connection before you start your journey, but you can also use it to check your train's punctuality while you are travelling.

int.bahn.de

Choosing first class does seem like a good idea for your trip.

This DB page lists the major rail works areas for 2024. I think you seem to avoid them.

Major construction sites 2024

Major construction sites 2024 for Deutsche Bahn long-distance rail transport. All important information on time periods, timetable changes, replacement services.

int.bahn.de

 

[RooFlyer]

This DB page lists the major rail works areas for 2024. I think you seem to avoid them.

Arrrgh. Last time I checked that, a few months ago, there were no works on my route and they were all scheduled to be finished by early December. There's a bunch of new works there, finishing much later - a couple of them on or close to my route. Damn.