Gemütlichkeit SUBSCRIBER the Travel Letter for Germany, Austria, Switzerland & the New Europe
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DEAR GEMüTLICHKEIT SUBSCRIBER The Travel Letter for Germany, Austria, Switzerland & the New Europe Tales of Travel Trouble Gemütlichkeit has never done traditional advertising such as TV MUNICH and radio. For years the same direct Munich is Germany’s most popular destination, also it’s most expensive. This mail piece that describes our servic- month we show you how to make your euros go farther in the Bavarian capital. es has been the main source of sub- scribers. Thus, an advertising slo- unich bills itself as “the Munich attracts more than 4.5 gan is something we’ve never con- city of laptops and Leder- million visitors a year. sidered. Lufthansa’s is “There’s No M hosen”—an appropriate And in a nationwide poll, 75 Better Way to Fly.” Hilton Hotels’ description of Germany’s third- say “Travel Should Take you Plac- percent of Germans said if they largest metropolis, where cutting- could choose to live anywhere in es.” The Nike tagline, “Just Do It,” edge high-tech seems good and I really like John by Sharon Hudgins their own country, it would be in and old Bavarian Munich. Deere’s, “Nothing Runs Like a traditions go together like Bratwurst Castles and churches have long Deere.” Based on reports we get and Bier. from returning travelers maybe been an important architectural ours should be, “Know Before You Founded in 1158, Munich cele- feature of Munich, the seat of Cath- Go.” This summer we’ve heard brates its 850th birthday this year, olic bishops and German royalty for about some bad things that have as well as its 175th Oktoberfest. It’s several centuries. In the center of happened to good travelers. A often called “the northernmost city the city, the Residenz of the Wit- prime example is the family of five in Italy” because of its pastel- telsbach family, rulers of Bavaria that booked and paid for airline painted buildings and abundant from the Middle Ages until 1918, is tickets calling for arrival in Rome sunshine. With 58 drama and mu- a large complex of palaces built and departure from Frankfurt— sical theaters, 41 museums, seven around seven courtyards. In addi- without knowing in advance how orchestras, two top soccer teams, tion to 130 richly decorated rooms much it would cost to get from and its world-famous beer festival, Continued on page 3… Rome to Frankfurt. All available options have a substantial down- side: air is probably the cheapest Austrian Country Destinations but baggage restrictions can raise the price considerably, plus you Another in our series of country desti- gasse, which eventually leads to the don’t get to see the country be- nations; charming and sometimes historic overlook where the two rivers join. tween the two cities, and airports towns where hotel and restaurant prices Most of the main sights are with- serving low-cost European airlines are much lower than in the big cities. in a five-minute walk of the main are sometimes remote (Frankfurt’s Steyr square. The local tourist office on the Hahn Airport is 126 kilometers main square at Stadtplatz 27 can from the city). Rail is expensive (a There’s enough ‘old world’ charm direct you. A recommended excur- three-country Eurail Pass for five here to keep a visitor interested for a sion in the weeks prior to Christmas people costs $2,140), and the only couple of days, but Steyr is not so Dis- is to the hamlet of Christkindl, just really comfortable automobile for neyland-perfect that it attracts the mul- two kilometers away. There is a five adults on a trip of that length is titudes. About a third of the way be- small church and a post office where a seven-passenger van, which will tween Salzburg and Vienna, south of Austrian children send letters to be frightfully expensive to pick up the main east-west Autobahn, the pic- “Father Christmas.” Stamps and in Rome and drop in Frankfurt— turesque old town sits on the peninsu- postmarks from here are collected. well over $3,000 on a 14-day rental. la of land formed by the confluence of Don’t miss the intricate, mechanical the Steyr and Enns rivers. One man renting a car in Frank- ‘creche’ built in the living room of a furt called the attention of the rent- Past the arched stone entry to the local man during the ‘30s. Altstadt is the town’s wide, main square al company’s employees to scratch- Continued on page 7… es on the vehicle he was about to lined with restored Gothic and Renais- drive off in. The scratches were sance buildings. Further on, the square Exchange rates as of 7/31/2008 duly noted but the rental company narrows to become the town’s alley- 1 euro = $1.55 Continued on page 2… wide main shopping street, the Eisen- 1 Swiss franc = $0.95 www.gemut.com August 2008 69803_8Gemut_rp 1 8/13/08, 7:54 AM www.gemut.com http://theeuropetraveler.com DEAR SUBSCRIBER costs, the major U.S. airlines—the so- before your U.S. departure.) Tom Continued from page 1 called ‘big six;’ American, Delta, first went to his bank who offered Continental, Northwest, United and to sell euros at an exchange rate refused to provide the renter a copy USAir—are laying off workforce and 1.683 on a day when the bank-to- of the paperwork and he left without reducing the number of domestic bank exchange rate was 1.556. I a record of the damage. Guess what? flights. Experts say they are turning don’t know the amount to be ex- At the end of the rental he was their attention to more profitable changed but if it’s $3,000, that’s a charged for the scratches and had no foreign long-haul flights where Brit- difference of about E146 or $227. proof they weren’t his responsibility. ish Air and Lufthansa are making Tom needs to get an exchange rate I don’t like second-guessing but nev- big profits. This could mean an in- as close to that 1.556 as possible. er, ever accept a damaged or crease in transatlantic capacity in ‘09. Wells Fargo’s foreign exchange scratched car without an initialed That coupled with a drop in demand service quoted an exchange rate of document that notes the damage. would almost surely mean a lower- 1.6347, plus a fee of $8 to ship the What this renter should have done is ing of fares. Of course, any seats not euros to Tom. That’s $45 better phone the toll-free number on his taken by North Americans could be reservation confirmation and de- than his local bank. However, at filled by Europeans, though some mand assistance or another car with fxglobaltransfer.onanda.com, I got predict an economic downturn for a different company. an online quote of 1.557 plus a fee the Continent. In any event, you can of $25 to transfer the funds to a Sometimes you do everything already book trips for this winter in foreign bank. Tom will have to right and things still go wrong. the $400 to $500 range, not includ- open an account with FXGlobal- Rental car companies in Germany ing, of course, taxes and a substan- Transfer, a company with offices require a valid U.S. driver’s license tial fuel charge. in New York (tel. 212-858-7690) only, not an international license. A For the last few years, our advice and Toronto (tel. 416-593-9436), but woman who had booked a rental car regarding exchanging dollars for it appears he’ll save about $200 on a with Avis in Koblenz, however, was foreign currency has been to take $3,000 transaction by dealing with recently refused her rental because your ATM card to Europe (make them instead of his bank.—RHB she did not have the international sure you have a four-digit PIN and permit. The agent was dead wrong Using Gemütlichkeit ask your bank to raise the daily limit but the woman didn’t get her car, • Hotel prices listed are for one night. Discounts are on the amount you can withdraw). often available for longer stays. she had to go to another company You’ll get the bank-to-bank ex- • All hotel prices include breakfast unless otherwise and pay a much higher price. Inter- change rate. In many cases—but not noted. national licenses are required to • Local European telephone area codes carry the “0” all—you’ll pay a per-transaction fee pick up rental cars in Poland and required for in-country dialing. To phone establish- of about $1 to $5. But what if, as sub- ments from outside the country, such as from the USA, Austria and highly recommended— scriber Tom asks, you need a sub- do not dial the first “0”. but not required—in other coun- stantial amount of foreign currency tries. To be on the safe side, get an Logging on to Our Website upon arrival in Europe to pay for a international driver’s license from Back issues in PDF format from January 1993, except for your local AAA office. month-long vacation rental in cash? the most recent 10, are available free to subscribers only at (This is a bit of an unusual circum- www.gemut.com (click on “Members”). To access the There may be a gleam of hope for issues, enter the user name and password published in stance because most landlords want this space each month.