Germany at October half term.

[IsabellaofFrance]

DS1 is studying at GCSE and wants to go on and study it at A-level.

So I have been thinking of planning a trip to Germany to help him with his spoken German. Was thinking a city break might be better.

Any recommendations? e would be going for 3-4 days, and would need there to be activities that also suit younger DC's (8 and 7) and if possible castles to keep DH happy .

Studying German at GCSE.

Spent half term in and around Salzburg(Austria). My DCs are not fluent German speakers so any tours we did go to got the English translator and only encouraged them to use it if they found the German tour guide too fast.
Lots of shopping where they could only buy stuff if they spoke in German.
Got them to order in restaurants but alway checked our order as DS supposedly ordered grilled chicken but got sausage on the first day!! After that first nervous day it was fun.

Bavaria maybe? Munich for a big town and lots of castles. Other good towns are Nurnberg, Wurzburg, Rothenburg of der Tauber.

German children are back in school most likely so Museums etc should be more quite.

Berlin is also a good choice and Potsdam nearby has a beautiful castle. There is another castle in Berlin, Charlottenburg.

Or Hamburg? No castle though.

You may wish to avoid Munich while the Oktober Fest is on….
Lots of daytime drunkenness etc.

Hamburg is beautiful and not that long a trip.
Berlin - loads to do, really interesting stuff historically.

Oodles of castles along the Rhine - go to Cologne and take a boat to Mainz, stopping off at castles as you wish. Or the other way around.

Despite the name Oktoberfest, it actually starts end of September and finishes beginning of October, far away from any UK October half term.

How about Freiburg?
Lovely place but also a nearby theme park for the younger ones ( Europa Park)

Berlin.

Berlin. There's the Legoland Discovery Centre at Potsdamer Platz and the Currywurst Museum in Mitte. Your DH could visit the castle at Charlottenburg.

Most people in the tourist areas speak English, but I found that Berliners are appreciative if you make an effort to speak German.

Nuremburg, you can also visit the fabulous playmobil funpark for the little ones.

I was going to say Munich. You'll miss Oktoberfest.

There are some great kids museums, the Allianz arena, Dachau for the older one, a palace, lots of family friendly restaurants, easy transport etc.

Really child friendly and easyjet fly there from Manchester if you're up North.

Munich is lovely - DH has lived there for the past few years and there is lots to do and see.

Can get to the Nymphenburg Palace by bus as it's relatively central. Residenz in the centre of town is v grand as well. Everywhere is family friendly, will speak English if you want to and not if you don't. Massive restaurants all decorated in traditonal Bavarian style. Plus amazing cake

If you want to do proper castles, hire a car and Bavaria has all you need. Go north up to Wurzburg - massive palace, and you go through Dinkelbuhl (cutest town in the world) and Harburg which is a great proper medieval castle.

Probably our favourite trip though was to Burghausen - you can't beat the longest castle in Europe! It is spectacularly castley and well worth the trip.

Oktoberfest is mainly in September and even then pretty unnoticeable in the centre of town. During the day loads of people take their kids to it as there is a massive fairground.

Salzburg is good for a short break but not masses to do. There is a fantastic castle. English is widely spoken as they are used to lots of visitors for the festival + Sound of Music. Once you've walked round town and seen the castle most people go on a Sound of Music tour (DH refused) or a day trip across the border to Bavaria to go to Hitler's Eagle's Nest - stunning, but not great for practicing languages! DH and I drove ourselves into Berchtesgaden and I would warn it is not for the faint hearted driver

If you can afford it, I'd do a short road trip for castles in October and go back to Munich for the Christmas market in December.