Germany trip

[carcam]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I am going to Germany for the first time with some friends in October for Ocktoberfest in Munich. Our mutual hobbies are brewing beer and nice cars. So we are going on a beer and car tour. First stop is 3 days in Munich for Ocktoberfest and lots of beer. Luckily our hotel is Walking distance to the festival. Next up, tours of the Mercedes and Porsche factories.

 

My question to our German friends on board- I want to tour the Leica factory while I'm there but my friends aren't into cameras or photography. I'm the designated photographer (my M9 is currently getting the upgrade).

 

How can I break away from my friends and do a day trip to the Solms Leica place while I'm there?

 

Can I take a train from Munich or Stuttgart to Solms for a day trip? While it may be the highlight of my trip, not so much theirs.

 

Any advice is most appreciated. Thanks.

 

Planning my first trip to Germany with some friends from the states. In fact, none of us have ever been there before. Our common interest is "beer" so we're going to Munich for Ocktoberfest. We love and brew beer so it only seems fitting to spend a week sampling some of the worlds best. We are also touring the Porsche and Mercedes factories.

 

My question is, as the only photographer in the group (my M9 is getting the -P upgrade)

how and where can I escape my beer guzzling friends to visit the Leica factory in Solms? Their idea of a camera is their cell phone...

 

Stuttgart looks like it's a 100 miles or so away. Are there trains that go there easily?

 

Any suggestions are most appreciated. Sorry if this is too off topic.

 

Kevin

[Fernmelder]

Well, Stuttgart is much nearer to Solms than Munich, so I would consider going from there. (German train database DB Bahn: bahn.de - Ihr Mobilit says about 3 hours from Stuttgart vs. 5 to 6 hours from Munich - for one trip only! you also have to consider the train back!).

 

Well, Oktoberfest (without the c in it ) is one of the clichee events. Have fun, not my cup of tea though. Just saying, no offense here.

[01af]

Oh dear ... during the time of the Oktoberfest, I would never go anywhere near Munich unless I absolutely must—usually I don't, fortunately. Instead, I'd rather visit some small, arbitrarily chosen Bierkeller or Biergarten anywhere in Bavaria except Munich. That'll be much nicer and much more typically German than the crackbrained and way-over-the-top Oktoberfest.

[tpkoester]

While in Munich don't forget to visit BMW world and BMW Museum. Nice cars and extraordinary architecture.

[NZDavid]

Rightio, I did this a few years ago, and have actually been back to Germany twice since then on study and business trips. I had a great time. First up, beware the big crowds at the Oktoberfest. Get in early. Don't go on the Eurostar rollercoaster. My wife loves rollercoasters and insisted I go, but this is one of the highest in Europe...aarrrgghhh!!

 

Do visit the Viktualienmarkt for excellent food and crafts.

 

Do visit the Pinakothek der Moderne International Design Museum.

 

The BMW museum is just out of Munich; it's the only major car museum I missed.

 

Both the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche museums in Stuttgart are excellent.

 

The Leica factory is Solms is best reached via Wetzlar. You'll need to get there by taxi as there is no train stop in Solms, but it's very economical.

 

You can get from Stuttgart to Wetzlar but it will take 2 1/2 hours. Wetzlar itself is a very nice town and you might want to stay. See train timetables here: DB BAHN - TravelService - Query page

 

Train is definitely the best way to get around Germany. Get a train pass beforehand to save money. Eurail Pass - Prices and Info about the Eurail Passes & Tickets

 

You will need to book a factory tour, here: Leica Camera AG - Leica Plant Germany

 

Have fun,

 

David

 

David Killick | Freelance Journalist and Photographer

[jaapv]

Just rent a car for the day to go to Solms. It is an easy drive, and if want to visit the Hessenpark nearby it is the only way to get there. It iis also an easy way to get from the factory to Customer Service.

[NZDavid]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Hmm, only if you are used to driving on the right and know your way around. I'd prefer to take the train when traveling or let someone else drive. It's less stressful. Train would also be cheaper.

[jaapv]

I don't quite understand this driving on the right fear. I found driving in the UK takes me ab9ut five minutes to switch my brain around. Germany is a good place to drive. Traffic is quite disciplined. Anyway, Carcam is from the USA. If he had a habit of driving on the left he would not have survived.

[Guy S]

No road trip to Germany would be complete without a visit to the Nurburgring. Even if you don't fancy driving a lap yourself on a 'touristenfahrten' there is always something interesting going round and if you are there on a Saturday you may be lucky enough to witness a VLN race, the greatest motor racing series in the world imho

[-ph-]

I am living in Munich, so feel free to send me a message if you have questions. The Oktoberfest for sure is a big event, so you should not miss it! (Don't plan to do anything for the next day, not only is beer served in huge mugs, but it is slightly stronger than normal too...)

If you are car fans, you might want to rent a fast car in Stuttgart, drive to Solms and from Solms it is about 2 hours to Cologne.

 

Peter

[jaapv]

No road trip to Germany would be complete without a visit to the Nurburgring. Even if you don't fancy driving a lap yourself on a 'touristenfahrten' there is always something interesting going round and if you are there on a Saturday you may be lucky enough to witness a VLN race, the greatest motor racing series in the world imho

 

That is a bit of a drive from Munich...

[algrove]

While in Munich don't forget to visit BMW world and BMW Museum. Nice cars and extraordinary architecture.

 

Just so you know, the Manager of the BMW Museum is a Leica lover and owner.

[algrove]

No road trip to Germany would be complete without a visit to the Nurburgring. Even if you don't fancy driving a lap yourself on a 'touristenfahrten' there is always something interesting going round and if you are there on a Saturday you may be lucky enough to witness a VLN race, the greatest motor racing series in the world imho

 

Agree!

 

I have driven over 5000km on it the German made cars made for the Ring. Often drove the new F1 course in combo with the old Nordschleife for a 25 km lap. Stay at the Zimmer Haus, nice family run place.

[Guy S]

Agree!

 

I have driven over 5000km on it the German made cars made for the Ring. Often drove the new F1 course in combo with the old Nordschleife for a 25 km lap. Stay at the Zimmer Haus, nice family run place.

 

That's a good number of laps ! I cycled it one evening last year, its a long climb from Breidscheid to Hohe Acht. I've not tried the Zimmer Haus, I'll give it a try. We usually stay at The Tiergarten, I think all the small local hotels are having a tough time with the recent changes

[stunsworth]

I don't quite understand this driving on the right fear. I found driving in the UK takes me ab9ut five minutes to switch my brain around.

 

Same her travelling in the opposite direction. Once you've managed to go round the first roundabout in the correct direction the problems are over.

 

As someone visiting from the US it might be the roundabouts - in any direction - that cause the OP some confusion.

 

Don't forget that the Oktoberfest starts in September.

[Double Negative]

Deja vu...

[Studio58]

Hmm, only if you are used to driving on the right and know your way around. I'd prefer to take the train when traveling or let someone else drive. It's less stressful. Train would also be cheaper.

 

On my last trip to Europe I hired a car in Paris and drove through France, Switzerland and Italy. Talk about stress... not just the wrong side of the road either... signs I could not read etc.

However, I saw a lot of places I never would have seen had I traveled by train. I would recommend car hire for sure.

[St.Frank]

Solms is 80km north of Frankfurt, or 460km away from Munich. For trains, check bahn.com - your online travel booking tool for rail journeys, holidays, city trips and car rental

The next Octoberfest is still 8 months ahead of us, however you can get the bavarian beer experience during the whole year.

 

Cheers,

Frank

[carcam]

Thanks for al the advice! I realize it's still far off but fun to plan anyway. The first 2 days is actually part of a tour for the last couple days of Oktoberfest. It includes all kinds of things including the hotel stumbling distance from the beer tents. We will be there for a week and have plans to visit some Biergartens and other breweries. It's an eclectic group of guys so we may break up after visiting the Porsche and Mercedes factories. I may stay a few days longer and rent a car suitable for the Nurburgring. Trying to fit Solms in there too so I appreciate all the tips. I've rented cars with no problem in England and France but I can read their signs. German- not a chance. I wonder if a GPS would help get me around? We'll be using the trains most of the time. Thanks again everyone. Kevin

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[bocaburger]

So we are going on a beer and car tour.

 

You're not planning to just look at beer, so why just go to car factories/museums? Why not rent a car for the trip? Doesn't have to be a Porsche or an AMG or M-series Bimmer, in fact a Bimmer 1-series hatchback with a 1.8 liter turbodiesel, or a similarly-spec'd Audi is a worthy performer. The days of no speed-limits are gone though, so watch the lead foot. (You didn't say how many of you are going, or what luggage is involved...that would influence your choice of vehicle.) That way, drop your friends off in Wetzlar and go take your factory tour at Leica. Wetzlar is a very nice little town. The Wetzlarerhof is a good place to stay...view of the old original Leitz factory out the back.

 

While in the area, there is a lot of nice scenery and some interesting places. Braunfels (sister city with New Braunfels, TX) is not far, with an interesting castle.

 

For an American, distances in Germany are nothing. The whole country is maybe the size of Ohio. However, if you take the autobahn everywhere, I think you miss the best. The Romantischestrasse (sp?) that sort of bisects the country traveling north-to-south or vice-versa, is a great drive. Rotenburg is about in the middle, and a nice stopover. There are lots of quaint, clean villages throughout Bavaria, and although it's a little kitschy, the castles of "Mad" King Ludwig, Neuschwanstein and Hochenwangau, are a good see not far from Munich. Also in the vicinity and in somber contrast is Dachau, also worth a visit. Get sat-nav (GPS) with the car, and you won't get lost. Although sometimes it's nice to get lost, that's when you see places and things you hadn't expected. People are very friendly, and most everyone under forty speaks at least some English...teens and twentysomethings speak it fluently as a rule. My German is rudimentary at best, but I always lead off with a greeting in German and politely ask if they speak English, rather than just assuming.

 

I really like Rick Steves' guidebooks (no affiliation ) because his philosophy is for a traveler not to isolate himself from the culture. I've found his picks (and pans) quite accurate.

 

Having been in Munich during Okfest, I have to say that it was disappointing. Expecting jovial camaraderie, lederhosen and oompah music, the reality was quite different and alarming especially later in the evening. I was there with my wife, and it made her feel very uncomfortable to be surrounded by large, loud, very drunk men acting aggressive and shouting in a language she didn't understand. Nothing bad happened, but she was scared and that put me on edge. We found ourselves much happier in the smaller villages, where the beer is just as good and the atmosphere more congenial.

 

Feel free to PM me if I can be of any further help.