Are you stressed out about putting together an itinerary to Europe? Not sure where to travel to first, how much time to spend where, what sights are really worth visiting and which ones are overrated? Wondering what are the best accommodations for you, and which is the best way to get around, by train or car? Should you purchase a rail pass or point-to-point tickets?
Allow Brett to help you eliminate the daunting complexities. If you’re planning a trip to Europe, you’ll be glad you dialed us up! We can help you travel like a local while saving you time and money at the following destinations.
Destinations – in Austria: Vienna, Danube Valley, Mauthausen, Salzburg, Sound of Music sites, Innsbruck, Hall in Tirol, Graz – Baltic countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania – in Germany: Munich, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Baden-Baden, Romantic Rhine (Bingen to Koblenz), Dresden, Meissen, Romantic Road (Rothenburg to Füssen), Ludwig’s castles (e.g. Neuschwanstein), Nuremberg (Old Town, NS Party Rally Grounds and post-war crime trials), Berchtesgaden, Obersalzberg (Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest), Third Reich sites – in Italy: Rome, Florence, Venice, Sicily – in Belgium: Bruges, Brussels, Mechlin, WWI & WWII battlefields (e.g. Bastogne, Ypres, Langemark) – in France: Paris, Dunkirk, Normandy D-Day beaches, ABMC cemeteries – in Czech Republic: Prague, Terezin (Theresienstadt) – in Ukraine: Kiev, Chernobyl – in Hungary: Budapest, Eger
A trip consultation with Brett is a prudent investment and well worth its salt.
The fee is US$100 for a 30-minute trip consultation over the phone (the fee also covers the extra time spent by Brett poring over your itinerary prior to the call).
Contact Brett (by phone or email) to schedule an appointment.
Free consultation: Sign up for one of Brett’s tour packages and receive free consultation as part of your package.
Hi Brett:
Thank you for answering my email inquiry. I am interested in a comprehensive Salzburg & Sound of Music tour next (2017) September, if you are interested and are able to sponsor such a tour. I found your travel guide on Salzburg and the Sound of Music very helpful and would love to see the movie sites up close. Please let me know if you will be able to accomodate such a tour..
Hi David, thank you for the message and your support (in purchasing my Salzburg guidebook on Amazon). That is a good idea that I offer an all-encompassing Sound of Music tour next year (2017) taking in all the sites, from Salzburg Old Town to the stunning scenes in the lake district to the glorious Do-Re-Mi meadow (located in Werfen 40km south of Salzburg). I will offer it mid-September to piggyback with the opening weekend of Oktoberfest. If anyone is interested in joining me in September 2017 for a memorable day in and around Salzburg, Austria to visit all the breathtaking sites seen in the Oscar-winning movie “The Sound of Music,” please message me via the Contact page on this site. Looking forward to hearing from you, Brett Harriman
Thanks for your answers Brett.
Salt Mine tour questions: There are several in the area. Which is the most interesting comprehensive tour, and why?
Hallein (and Celtic village) or Berchtesgaden or Hallstatt.
Are the ice caves and other sights in Hallstatt worth getting to if a salt mine in another town is better?
Thank you,
Diane,
By far the busier mine is Berchtesgaden because it’s cheaper and practically on the way to the Eagle’s Nest. However, unlike Berchtesgaden, the Dürrnberg mine above Hallein offers dynamite views and a reconstructed Celtic village to explore. As for the mines themselves, both are virtually the same: offering deep caverns, wooden slides, and a salty lake. So, to answer the question, which mine is better: they both are (but if I had to pick one, it’d be Dürrnberg). Bottom line: Visit whichever mine best suits your travel itinerary, this includes the world’s oldest mine in Hallstatt, which is also excellent!
Hope that helps,
Brett
Hi Brett,
If someone wanted to experience the Octoberfest out of cultural curiosity and because they happen to be in Munich at the time, but does not enjoy drinking or being around drunks, what could that family do or see that would be of interest? Is there a fee to stroll around the grounds and take photos or enter any of the buildings? Should we just skip the madness? We will not be in town on opening weekend for the parade.
Thank you,
Diane P.
Hi again,
You can experience everything Munich has to offer during Oktoberfest just the same as outside the festival period. That said, since hotels charge excessively high room rates during Oktoberfest, I wouldn’t recommend you stay any more than one night (with the option of returning post-Fest when rates are cheaper). To answer your other questions, there is no fee to stroll the festival grounds or to go into the beer tents (you may not, however, be able to get into the tents because they are full, which is typical many evenings, especially weekends).
Hope that helps!
Cheers,
Brett Harriman
Hi Brett,
If our schedule allows us the option of choosing to be in Rothenburg ob der Tauber during the Imperial City Festival in Sept. or going a different week when it would be less crowded, which do you recommend? I understand the re-enactors and activities would bring history to life, but is it worth fighting the influx of tourists? Will it be so crowded that it is not worth it? Or so memorable and fun that it is worth the hassle?
Thank you,
Diane P.
United States
Hi Diane,
Your trip sounds like a lot of fun, with a dash of serendipity.
Rothenburg is so unique, amazing that it’s best to visit it whenever you can. If you can make it during the festival without much fuss, do it. If not, no worries, you’ll have an equally wowing time!
If you don’t already have it, consider downloading my updated DIY guide on Rothenburg to help get you around.
http://www.harrimantravelbooks.com/Store.html#PurchaseRothenburgGuide
I wish you many happy travels!
Brett Harriman