DEAR� SUBSCRIBER� GEMüTLICHKEIT�The Travel Letter for Germany, Austria, Switzerland & the New Europe� Strange Advice From The Guru In the Navy, we called it “bum dope,” bad information (if the term in ISLAND OF SYLT those long-ago days had a drug con- notation, it was lost on me). As we Germany’s version of the Hamptons on the North Sea attracts an elite clien- close out the 19th year of publishing tele and is a perfect place to escape fellow American tourists. Gemütlichkeit, there is a considerable amount of bum dope being passed out hen it comes to destina- that this is Germany’s most coveted about travel. tions, many travelers have and expensive residential real estate. to fight the urge to return For example, companies and mer- W Visitors arrive via long, double- time after time to the tried-and-true. decked car trains (42 per car each chants who benefit financially from the It’s a safe but dull strategy, and readers way), over vast tide flats on the seven- procedure, tell visitors to Europe that unable to break out of the not-so-vicious mile Hindenburg embankment, or by it’s advisable to pay hotel and res- southern Bavaria/Black Forest cycle will car ferry (37) from Denmark. taurant bills in dollars (the process is never know the many unique charms of called Dynamic Currency Conversion, the island of Sylt, Deutschland’s version This is not the Germany of cuckoo DCC). That way, they explain, you’ll of the Hamptons. clocks and dirndls, forests and rolling know the exact amount in dollars that farmland, sauerkraut and Rostbraten; This flat, sliver of an island in the will appear on your credit card bill. it is Nordfriesland, a place of thatched North Sea lies as much off Denmark’s Indeed you will, but you’ll also pay roofs, fresh sea air, weather-beaten coast as Germany’s and attracts up- up to 5 percent for the “service.” Bum Monterey-style pines, heather-covered market Germans like no other domestic dope. dunes, and fresh seafood. destination. One of its dozen villages, Sometimes curious advice comes Kampen (pop. 650), seems at first an A largely elite clientele of both from surprising sources. In a recent unassuming collection of cottages scat- old and new rich come to stroll and newspaper column, our nation’s tered among meandering lanes, until you loll on beaches pounded by the North guru on travel to Europe, Rick Steves, notice the discreet Bvlgari, Prada, and Atlantic, whack their Titleists around says the “free spirit, without much Louis Vuitton signs and a local whispers the Scottish links-style golf course, and planning, no real itinerary” will re- Continued on page 3… turn home with a “backpack full of complaints about how expensive and Five Great Austrian Train Rides stressful it all was.” On the other hand, he says, the traveler with a “detailed n Austria, the tracks and trains still The five route recommendations day-to-day plan” will come home with go almost anywhere you want. And below are based on scenery, historic “rich stories of spontaneous European Iwhether you choose to travel entirely significance, and accessibility from the adventures.” by rail or just want to take a break from major cities. If you have limited time, driving, there are great rides aplenty. give priority to the routes at the top This is a bit of a head-scratcher. After all, would you rather concentrate of the list—or those closest to the city Isn’t this the same Rick Steves who 20 on a twisting mountain road clogged where you plan to spend the most time. years ago preached the gospel of mov- with traffic, or stand at an open window ing about Europe as mood dictated 1. Semmering Line: Among the and watch the scenery roll past? with a rail pass, a backpack, and one or first mountain railways in the world, two of his guidebooks? If you haven’t been off the main lines the Semmering Line—approximately between major cities, here’s a surprise: the middle third of the route between Steves says that with his guidebook Local trains on secondary lines let you Vienna and Graz—was a spectacular research and TV filming commitments, open the windows and enjoy travel at a achievement for its time. Almost up he has “one of the most tightly-wound more leisurely pace. You also get to inter- until the introduction of the Euro, the itineraries of any traveler.” act far more with the locals than if you Semmering Line and its designer were Continued on page 2… were encased in your own automobile. the featured motif on the 20 Schilling In this issue... Austria’s rail lines offer scenery bill, Austria’s most common currency p1 Sylt; Isle of Affluence ranging from rugged mountains to denomination. p1 Best Austrian Train Rides peaceful lakes and rolling hills along the Continued on page 7… p1 Dear Subscriber Danube—all within easy reach of major Exchange rates as of 12/04/05 p8 Multicountry Ski Trips cultural centers, such as Vienna and 1 euro = $1.17 p8 Readers’ Forum Salzburg. 1 Swiss franc = $0.76 www.gemut.com December 05/January 06 www.gemut.com Europe with no reservations and no sights along the way, maps of the most DEAR SUBSCRIBER important cities, and a few pictures. Continued from page 1 plans—only a car rental voucher and ap- propriate Michelin Green and Red guides. Traveling without an itinerary is tai- No doubt that is the case. But we’ve lor-made for the auto traveler. Success- traveled in Europe both ways, with Admittedly, many travelers are not fully getting around Europe’s backroads an hour-by-hour itinerary, and simply wired that way. Still, I would urge every- requires the right maps (yeah, I know, making it up as we went along. For us, one to at least leave a few days open for those GPS devices are amazing technol- winging it is by far the more relaxing in-Europe decision-making. ogy, but good maps are still indispens- and rewarding. One must, of course, be properly able). A scale of 1:200,000 (1 cm=2 km) prepared—not itinerary-ized—to suc- Steves says careful planning gives or 1:150,000 (1 cm=1.5 km) is best. That cessfully travel in footloose fashion. That him “the luxury of two hours of abso- map of Germany you got free from AAA preparation involves being able, each lutely relaxed, focused-on-the-moment or the tourist office is OK for an overall day in Europe, to answer three basic spontaneity.” At Gemütlichkeit, we’re perspective but will be useless on back- questions: Where do I sleep? What do I looking for two weeks of spontaneity. roads. The mature vacation traveler to Europe see? How do I get where I’m going? I’m convinced the advice Steves doesn’t achieve that with a spreadsheet Where they lay their heads each gives in his books, on his Web site, and that accounts for every 15-minute seg- night is for many travelers the most in his PBS programs is solid. He’s shown ment of the trip. Where is the spontane- critical travel issue. To successfully millions how to “do” Europe respon- ity if you can’t spend an extra day in a “wing it,” one has to be able to find sibly and without taking out a second town that has unexpectedly charmed suitable accommodations on short no- mortgage. But this time he’s forgotten you? Where is it if you can’t, on the spur tice. The Michelin Red Guides, with their what it was like to travel for fun instead of the moment, decide to stay overnight depth of coverage and variety of useful of business. at the intriguing little country hotel you tools, is always our first line of defense. discovered when you stopped there for Though there is no printed guide for If you want a tightly-wound itiner- lunch? Where is it when you have to Austria, Michelin rates that country’s ary, try a Globus Tour—or maybe one of drive like a bat out of hell to get to your hotel on its ViaMichelin.com Web site. the 300-plus tours that Steves’ company scheduled hotel on time because you Tourist offices are another reliable operates.—RHB became immersed in exploring a castle, source. Even small towns have them and Using Gemütlichkeit most are well-equipped to help visitors a museum, or an interesting town. Sorry, • Hotel prices listed are for one night. Discounts are Rick, but rigid schedules are stress in- find a wide range of same-day overnight often available for longer stays. ducers and spontaneity killers. accommodations. A mobile phone, of • All hotel prices include breakfast unless otherwise course, vastly simplifies hotel searches. noted. I’m the first to admit that planning a • Local European telephone area codes carry the “0” trip is one of the joys of travel. It’s fun to As to what to see, the best references required for in-country dialing. To phone establish- for European sights, history, and culture ments from outside the country, such as from the USA, get out the maps and guidebooks, surf do not dial the first “0”. the Net, and create an overall plan. By are found in Michelin’s Green Guide se- all means, make reservations in cities ries which encompasses more than 40 Logging on to Our Website where they are necessary (not as many books, and covers most countries and Back issues in text format from January 1993, except for as you might think), but leave a few major cities.