Can I ask travel questions here?

[wryter2000]

I've never been to Europe but always wanted to go. My sister is giving me her Lufthansa miles. It's still going to cost me an arm and a leg, but I'm going, anyway.

I fretted and fussed and finally decided to concentrate on the north of Italy and south of Germany with a train ride between the two. I'm actually kind of frightened, because my Italian is basically cooking terms. I studied German for many years but decades ago. I'm hoping I can ask questions here.

Rough itinerary - Florence and a surrounding town; Parma; Milan; train ride; Munich and other places in Bavaria. I'm open to suggestions for additions.

Thanks in advance.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. You don't need to speak either Italian nor German. Almost everybody knows a

everybody speaks a little English.

[wryter2000]

6. I'm going to use Duolingo as much as I can before I go

I don't want to be one of "those" Americans who expects everyone to speak my language.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. Germany you'll find English speakers pretty much everywhere...

In Bavaria, you'll find lots of interesting stuff even without looking very hard. It is Tourist Germany, Inc, and they do it extremely well.

There's lots of stuff to do in and right around Munich, but you want that tourist Germany in and around the Alps. Lederhosen, dirndls, and funny collars on the cows. And half-timbered buildings, many with murals.

Top of my list is Rothenberg, on the Romantische Strasse:

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/germanys-fairytale-dream-town-rothenburg

Steves is right about the nighttime, but you can easily daytrip it from elsewhere.

There's a large crowd in the square when the clock strikes noon and two carved figures pop up celebrating Rothenberg's survival with thousands of French troops at the gate. (Hint-- it was a beer drinking contest that saved them) They've spent a fortune keeping this a medieval town, although they do have electricity and running water now-- but that's about it.

Oberammergau is another one. Don't go there if the Passion Play is on, but at other times it is still a quaint little town with good shopping. There might still be farmers running their cattle through the town to get to grazing patches, but that may have stopped by now. And the Painted Houses. Everybody's amazed by the painted houses.

Mad Ludwig's castles shouldn't be missed. Neuschwanstein is the one Disney copied, and you get up there by walking or horse-drawn buggy. The Wittlesbach family is still around and has most the furniture and treasures tucked away, but the castles have been given to the state and are open to the public. Ludwig is reputed to be a dismal result of inbreeding and as dim as they come. He bankrupted the treasury with things like castles, and the generally accepted rumor is that his mother, or some other relative, had him killed. Back then there was no impeachment, and if the family ok'd it, assassination was the only way out of a bad king.

That should be a start for southern Germany. Italy, I'm sorry-- I've been there but have little advice to offer.

[wryter2000]

5. Thanks

That's plenty to think about. I have months to plan.

[ginnyinWI]

3. The only German you will need:

Try to learn some of the basic signs: like for traffic, signs that will be posted out in public. Sometimes you need to know what they say and there will be nobody around to tell you!

Things like "open", "closed", "do not enter", "exit only", etc.

I don't know about Italy--haven't been there.

[wryter2000]

4. I'm not going to try driving

I have a hard enough time in the US. But I'll check this out. Thanks.