Trip to Germany

Just got back from a 3 week trip around Europe and was in Munich & Berlin for part of that trip. Both of those cities are pretty easy to get around by speaking English only. LEARN how to read the public transportation maps. I was in a group of 6 and was the only one who know how to get around. Do a little research if you are going to use the S & U trains and learn about validating your ticket. The restaurants all have English menus so don't hesitate to ask for one!

and yes German is a difficult language! But you could get by with English almost everywhere! You need to learn street signs, train maps, how to read bus schedules, but it's not too hard. They are very good about being organized and clear! If you need any help or have questions, feel free to add me!

It's spelled Cologne, not Colon ;-) Or in German: Köln. Beautiful city, it has a huge cathedral and it's a perfect place for shopping. Close to Cologne is Aachen, it's a bit smaller but also a very beautiful, historic town. Both cities have large Xmas markets in December.

Once you've narrowed down the must-sees, you can look into things to do in the area. There are some beautiful castles (Neuschwanstein in the southern region) of medieval and neogothic times. There are also places where you can find remains of the Roman Empire (several sites in Trier, large museum in Cologne)

You'll be fine speaking English, although obviously not everyone might be able to help you out. Not to discourage you, but if you really want to learn the language you'll have to get at it seriously. Study, practice, read, speak. Taking a real-life language course is the best approach, as German is quite difficult both in grammar and pronunciation. Personally I'd say, if it's just for a holiday, get a little phrasebook, or one of these simplified language courses, and just try to learn some very basic phrases and words.

and yes German is a difficult language! But you could get by with English almost everywhere! You need to learn street signs, train maps, how to read bus schedules, but it's not too hard. They are very good about being organized and clear! If you need any help or have questions, feel free to add me!

I am from Switzerland (boarder to Germany) and have been there lots. Feel free to add me

I live near Frankfurt and have lived in Munich.

If you want to learn the language - I would suggest you start with a one on one course or one of the cheaper language courses like Living Language or Michael Thomas - stay away from the Rosetta Stone program at first because it is just too expensive for what it gives until you are truly committed.

There are a lot of language resources for free - busuu.com is a good one, Deutsche-welle is excellent, as are the forums on how-to-learn-any-language.

Once you get going try ASSIMIL (my "go to" language source) and bilingual resources.

In a year and a half, if you give a little EVERY DAY, you will have a good B1/B2 level especially if you've learned languages before. But you have to do a little every day. Not once a week, not three times a week... Most people fail.

As to travel advice - get a Lonely Planet guide and surf the web for Travel Advisor stuff.

I'm German

If you want to visit the kind of Germany most foreingers imagine when hearing 'Germany', visit Bavaria. Stuff you have to eat: Currywurst mit Pommes (Curry sausage with fries) which you can get snack bars on the streets. Berlin is great but very crowded if you ask me, Leipzig is beautiful for example and less known to tourists. I'm from Hamburg. Feel free to add me and ask more.

I've never heard Germany described as cheap! Even the Germans think Germany is expensive. I'm American, but lived in Germany for a year, and have traveled there many additional times to boot.

Berlin is a very fun city, but not very "typically" German. I loved Hamburg--it has fantastic architecture and a thriving design/arts scene. People mostly talk about (and recommend) Western Germany, but I think Dresden and Leipzig are very cool. They are Eastern cities that were both badly damaged in WWII and then extensively rebuilt. Plus they are former GDR territory, so it gives you a different perspective Germany. Not all of it is dirndl and Oktoberfest. The former GDR had a really different experience and you can see it still in those towns. Plus they are very historically rich if you're interested in WWII history at all.

I'm currently living in Munich, been here for 5 years (from England) and I've never had a problem language wise. Even though I can speak German most locals speak excellent English, especially in the hotels/cafe/bars etc. I'd recommend you join http://www.toytowngermany.com/ which is an expat English speaking community. You'll get all the info you need on the best touristy places, bars, restaurants etc. There are many organised night outs. day trips etc you can take part in, doesn't matter if your only here for a day or a week, you'll be welcomed (as long as you drink beer :-))

As far as personal safety is concerned, I've not once felt threatened or unsafe as I make my way around the public transport system. Once you get your head around the ticketing system it's a very easy system to use. You can buy a week ticket for as little as 40 euro and it allows travel on all types of transport i.e. bus/tram/train/underground all day every day any time etc. Here's the website http://www.bahn.de/ it's in English too.

Food wise, so much choice, brilliant restaurants. Depending on which city you land and when, you may find lots of street sellers of local food etc. Sometimes you just have to not know what it is and just try it but that's the fun of experiencing new tastes.

You're going to have so much fun. It's never dull.

I live in Berlin and will reply later, but if you want to start learning German in one of the most pleasant ways possible, try "Coffee Break German" - you will find it online as podcasts that you can download or listen to directly, each lesson lasts app 15 minutes.

Are you more into nature or big cities?

Germany is wonderful.
I lived in Augsburg for about four years and I loved it.
I don't know how much time you have alloted but, if I only had a week or so, there are a few things I would not miss

(in no particular order)
1: Checkpoint Charlie. It is a cold war icon and defined the era.
2: Neuschwanstein Castle. This is sometimes called the "Cinderella Castle" and supposedly is the model that Walt Disney used.
3: The Black Forest: It's just really cool and you can get an authentic coo coo clock.

Other then that, just have fun.
If you are into mountin biking, you can spend the day at Berchtesgaden. When I was there, the lifts ran almost year round. During the winter they took the skiiers and snowboarders up and during the sumer they took the mountian bikers up.