Accommodations in Germany, Switzerland and Austria

Four of us took a 5-week trip to Germany, Switzerland and Austria, June 3-July 10, ’03. We had first-class railpasses and by the end of the trip had taken 74 trains, 12 local buses, one tour bus, seven taxis, five trams, eight boats, four subways, four funiculars, two cable cars, five personal cars and four vans. The following establishments were the ones that were most outstanding.

• At Gästehaus Am Römerbad (56856 Zell-Mosel, GERMANY; phone 06542/41602), the landlady, Elizabeth, was very sweet and hospitable. We had a private room with shower, toilet and sink. It was immaculate! We paid €40 (near $47) per couple and it included an excellent breakfast with eggs, hard rolls and bread plus butter and jelly, three kinds of meat, cheese, and coffee in a carafe.

• Restaurant Rusticana (Oberstrasse 40, 55422 Bacharach/Rhein, Germany; phone 06743/1741) had very friendly and helpful owners, John and Astrid. They even gave us ice for beer (on our second visit). Dinner was excellent, including great apple strudel with ice cream. The cost for four dinners, two desserts, two coffees, two beers and two wines was €49 ($58).

• Ristorante Pizzeria da Vincenzo (Rathausstr. 9, 55430 Oberwesel, Germany) had excellent pizza — perfect crust. The staff was helpful. We asked for and received a pitcher of ice water (not sparkling). The facility was spotless, with clean restrooms. We paid €30.68 ($36) for two pizzas, six beers and one wine.

Be sure to arrive at the train stations in Germany about five to 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departures. Sometimes the trains leave before the posted times.

• In SWITZERLAND we stayed at the unique Locanda Gandriese (CH 6978 Gandria, Switzerland) — in a gorgeous setting. It was fabulous. The rooms were very clean and the staff great. We paid €100 ($118) per night for a double with shared bath down the hall and a sink in the room (no problem). This included breakfast. Dinners were available from the on-site restaurant.

You can arrive there by taxi or bus or take a boat from Lugano or from various docks. To save money on the boat, buy a round-trip ticket.

• In AUSTRIA we stayed at the excellent Familien Hotel Erika-Schorer GmbH. (Josef-Pirchl-Strasse 21-A, 6370 Kitzbühel, Austrial-Tirol), a 15-minute walk from the Bahnhof.

It was absolutely beautiful. The place was spotless. We paid €158 ($187) for a double and that included dinner, afternoon tea and treats and breakfast. The 5-course dinners were excellent. The full breakfast had made-to-order eggs, bread, buns, cereal and fruit.

The staff was very friendly and helpful and earned a generous tip. Expression of thanks was welcomed and appreciated by them.

• We ate two times at the Brau Haus in Hallstatt, Austria. It is located right on the lake, toward the salt mine. The food was excellent, served outside by the water on tables with red-and-white checked tablecloths or inside the clean and cute restaurant.

For €66 ($78) we had dinner for four including garlic soup, pork, homemade noodles, five large beers and one white wine. On another visit for €55 we had a wienerschnitzel, two soups and one macaroni and cheese with beers and a wine.

• In Vienna we stayed at Pension Anna (Zieglergasse 18/1, 1070 Vienna, Austria; phone +43-1 523 01 60 or e-mail pension.anna@chello.at) — a wonderful conclusion to our trip. (We learned of it in ITN, April ’01, pg. 162.) You can walk there from the train if your luggage rolls.

The rooms were clean and well supplied. The rate was €100 for a double and included a good breakfast. The staff was especially friendly and helpful. They gave us valuable tips on how to get around Vienna. You can get a 24-hour pass (€5 each) for all kinds of transportation in the city (bus, trolley, subway).

We arranged a taxi to the airport (€28 for four of us) and they were on time (picked us up at 4:30 a.m. sharp) and quick.

JANE & FLIP RICHARDS
Surprise, AZ