Oberstdorf • Europe Briefing Gemütlichkeit the Travel Letter for Germany, Austria, Switzerland & the New Europe
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• Meissen Porcelain • Oberstdorf • Europe Briefing GEMüTLICHKEIT The Travel Letter for Germany, Austria, Switzerland & the New Europe THIS ISSUE: • Readers' Forum DEAR SUBSCRIBER OBERSTDORF November 28, 1994 Though seldom visited by Americans, Oberstdorf, in Germany's Allgau, is an enormously popular ski and "cure" destination for Germans. Gemütlichkeit editor/publisher, Bob Bestor, was there recently. Cheaper to Ski Europe? Could an Austrian ski vacation berstdorf is about Those driving to Driving south from possibly be less expensive than one as far south as Oberstdorf should use Memmingen, one can take in Colorado? The Austrian Tourist one can go and Mairs Deutschland Die the autobahn to below Office seems to think so. They sent O Generalkarte #25 (scale Kempten but we recom- us a press release complete with still be in Germa- 1:200,000) or ADAC # 14 mend the yellow road to charts that show a one-week ski ny. In a wide, flat valley vacation in three Austrian ski areas surrounded by mountains Bodensee, Schwäbische Alb, Ottobeuren and its — Innsbruck, Zell Am See and St. that offer some of Germa- Allgäu. Approaching from fabulous church, then a Anton/Arlberg — range from $1,002 ny’s finest skiing, this resort the west, Lindau or leisurely backroads drive to $1,600 per person, while a week town is in that tip of Bregenz, we suggest south through such towns in Aspen or Park City, Utah, is slightly Germany that extends into heading south to Federal as Untrasried and Betzi- over $1,600. Austria about midway Road (red on maps) #200 gau. Below Kempten, find between Füssen in Bavaria which goes east to Hittsau. Sulzberg and go south on Of course the ATO is hardly and the Austrian city of From there continue east on the green-edged yellow unbiased in these matters, but that Bregenz, at the eastern end the Main Road (yellow on road through Ottacker, doesn’t necessarily mean they are the map) that crosses the Rottach and Gindels, wrong either. So we decided to do of Lake Constance. border from Austria to paralleling Federal Road some checking on our own. First, It is reached by rail from we determined the elements of a ski Germany at Schönhalden. 19, all the way to Oberst- Kempten via Sonthofen, or At this point the drive dorf. vacation: air fare, ground transport, from Lindau via Immen- lodging, meals and lift tickets. From becomes especially scenic. stadt and Sonthofen. Continued on page 3… New York, the best roundtrip airfare we could find to Aspen in early hen the Iron unscathed — surviving January was $651. According to MEISSEN fires, floods and wars — the Aspen Skiing Company, a well- Curtain descended located bed and breakfast would set W after World War AND ITS Meissen was left to molder us back $279 per night but we in- II, it deprived Westerners under communist rule. At sisted on cheaper accommodations of visitation rights to some PORCELAIN the time of unification, and were quoted $83, or $41.50 per of Germany's most splen- Bruce Woelfel reports on many buildings were nearly in ruins. The town person, at Aspen’s Buckhorn Lodge did treasures. A few, like Meissen and its Staatliche (no breakfast). We assumed taxi is now being rebuilt — a the Pergamon Museum in Porzellanmanufactur, fare from the airport to the hotel at huge task. Many houses East Berlin, were accessible producer of lavish, intricate about $20 and we also assumed from West Berlin on foot, lean precariously, seem- porcelain, including the one could eat three decent meals a by tour bus or private car, ingly held up by scaffold- famed Dresden China. day in Aspen for $40. A six-day lift provided one was willing ing; most have no indoor ticket would be $228. Whether we to put up with the tedious the fabulously detailed plumbing, only toilets in a went to Aspen or Innsbruck, we rear yard. would take our own skis, boots and and often unsettling border porcelain of the Saxon town crossing process. But poles, so let’s call that a push. of Meissen in museums, Still, Meissen is a lively driving unattended in East castles and shops, the place place with a colorful Germany's countryside — To compare, we decided on a where it was made was central market, dating one-week package to Innsbruck except on a very few West hidden from our view. But back to 1150, and other from Austria Ski (1535 West Loop Germany-to-West Berlin that, of course, has all smaller plazas. When we South, #319, Houston TX 77027- corridors where western changed. This 1000-year- visited, a plaza on a back 9509, phone 800-333-5533, fax drivers were not allowed to old city is now wide open street was host to a 713-960-8966) for $792 per per- leave the autobahn — was to tourists. “European Festival” with son, double occupancy. It includes verboten . Though visitors roundtrip air to Munich, ground a boisterous audience to West Germany could see Though for hundreds of Continued on page 2… years it remained relatively Continued on page 7… November, 1994 seven nights accommodations, and breakfast or writing in the Placerville Times (California) about DEAR SUBSCRIBER breakfast plus lunch or dinner. Prices begin at driving on the German autobahn. After pulling into Continued from page 1 $789 per person, double occupancy, from New the right lane to allow for a much faster car to York or Boston, $859 from Atlanta, $854 from rocket past, Mr. White says, "I looked down at my transport between Munich and Innsbruck, and six Chicago and Cincinnati, $930 from Los Angeles speedometer to make sure I hadn't inadvertently nights at the Pension Alpina, including breakfast. and $836 from Philadelphia and Washington. The parked." Our six-day lift ticket is $158 and we figured eating rates apply to all Swiss resorts plus Kitzbühel would a bit more expensive in Austria and that Then he offered this right-on advice: (Austria), Chamonix (France), Courmayeur (Italy) lunch and dinner would set us back $40 per day. and Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany. For "Good road maps are essential. The best So here’s the breakdown for a week of skiing those arranging their own air transport to Europe, place to find them we discovered, is Germany. in Innsbruck and Aspen, assuming one flies from Swissair also offers land-only packages at 26 They are printed in German, but so are the places New York. Alpine resorts that include seven nights hotel, we were going. It only took a short time to figure breakfast or breakfast plus lunch or dinner, and out what the symbols meant and how to determine Innsbruck Aspen transfers via first class rail or bus. Using Kitzbühel mileage ('kilomterage,' that is) between points." Airfare Incl. $651 as an example, the price for a week in January at Hotel Incl. $249 the "first class" Hotel Jagerwirt is $645. Book with "We had picked up maps at AAA before leav- Breakfast Incl. $48 a travel agent or call Swisspak at 800-688-7947. ing, thinking they would suffice. Compared to Lunch/Dinner $240 $192 their detailed German counterparts, the domestic Lift Ticket $158 $228 No Soap? No Way! variety came up short, offering a bare overview of Ground Transport Incl. $40 Our service which clips travel articles on Ger- main autobahns and secondary roads. The maze Package Cost $792 NA many, Austria and Switzerland provides a constant of byways simply did not appear, and without such Totals $1,190 $1,408 source of interesting reading. The Los Angeles information, we could have been seriously lost instead of just periodically off course." Going west, the price for the Austria Ski pack- Times is among the country's most respected newspapers, but a full-page feature for business age increases: it's an extra $87 from Chicago, $195 "We obtained maps of Germany and nearby travelers to Germany had this advice on hotels: from Houston and $231 from Los Angeles. Of countries from the Reutlingen office of the ADAC "Although more business-class accommodations course it is also true that the closer one gets to (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club; German now have rooms with private baths, many hotels Aspen, the lower the airfare will be. You can equivalent to our AAA)." upgrade the hotel in Innsbruck to the four-star still have shared bathrooms, so make sure to Hotel Sailer for an additional $110. I don’t know request a room with private bath if you want one. The kind of maps referred to by Mr. White, I the Sailer but would be willing to bet it’s substan- Remember that many German hotels do not pro- would add, are available at most service stations tially better than the Buckhorn. vide soap." and book stores in Germany and, in this country, through Gemütlichkeit's retail travel store/cata- I can't remember the last time I was in a hotel We chose Austria Ski for our comparison log, Travel Essentials, phone 800-521-6722. because we know it is a reputable company with in Germany (or Austria or Switzerland) that didn't long experience in selling Austrian ski vacations. have soap. Many three-star hotels, and virtually Car Rent Prices Continue Down every four-star hotel, equip guest bathrooms with According to the ATO press release, many Two months ago we quoted an industry source a tray of complimentary toiletries containing the packages to Austria may also contain such add- who predicted a week's rental in Germany on a usual collection of shampoo, bath gel, conditioner, ons as a welcome party and a farewell dinner.