Germany or Scandinavia in September/October?

[v]

I'm beginning to day dream about our next trip and these are our ideas so far. We've never been to either place.

We'll probably want to take a week off from work, so let's assume we'll arrive on Saturday morning and will depart the following Sunday. I'd love to do this over Labor Day but with my husband's work schedule, the last half of the month is more realistic.

Which would you choose, and what would be your itinerary? We probably wouldn't want to stay in more than 3 hotels in that period of time. Also, whichever we don't do now we'd probably do in another year or two.

Thanks!

[orangello]

Isn't September-ish Oktoberfest time? That could be really, really fun. Plus I think some of the areas in Germany witht he castles are gorgeous at that time of year - leaves changing, etc. I'd go that way and try to go to Scandinavia more in the summer months!

[steph196]

We did Oktoberfest in Munich in September 2013 and it was a blast! I would do Germany. The weather is nice...perfect fall weather.

[v]

Is Oktoberfest a complete shitshow? If so, we'd probably like to avoid it, right?

[GilliC]

Jan 26, 2015 6:50:25 GMT -5 v said:

Is Oktoberfest a complete shitshow? If so, we'd probably like to avoid it, right?

I have German colleagues who insisted on flying back home for it.

I haven't been, but my impression is that it's like Carnaval in Rio. If you're up for a party and willing to deal with the crowds and inconveniences, it's a unique experience. But that's not everyone's cup of tea. (And from my experience, Carnaval was nowhere near as debauched as I had the impression it would be!)

[GilliC]

September/October can be a pretty time in Scandinavia, but it's cooler, and the tourist season (with tourist hours) generally ends in August. If you're planning to visit at some point, you might save it for when you can go closer to summer to have more options. (Or winter for a more unique experience.)

[steph196]

Jan 26, 2015 6:50:25 GMT -5 v said:

Is Oktoberfest a complete shitshow? If so, we'd probably like to avoid it, right?

It was a blast! We aren't crazy partiers anymore these days, but it was a blast when we were in the mix!

[v]

Okay, it looks like Oktoberfest is from 9/20-10/4. Is the chaos only during those dates, or does it spread on? If it is only in that time period, it seems like it would be easy to avoid.

So assuming there's no Oktoberfest involved, what would you do for Saturday through the next Sunday in Germany or Scandinavia?

[meowmaps]

I think you could spend a week based in Munich and take day-trips around Bavaria. My H and I did that a few years ago in March. We were actually there for five days total. We spent four out of the five days in Munich and spent one day doing Neuschwanstein. We loved Munich! We stayed in a lovely B&B near the Englischer Garten. If we had had more time we probably would've gone to Salzburg and maybe Nuremberg.