Suggestions for Warnemunde-Berlin tours

We and another couple traveling together on Oceania's Marina from Stockholm to Amsterdam leaving on 8/21/15. One signed up for WAR006 Echoes of the past-Jewish Heritage and the other for WAR005 The Berlin Experience.

Any reviews on these tours? We know this will be a long day of travel/touring.

Also, and we wonder if we would be better off trying to get an independent tour to cover what both of these tours cover. Any recommendations?

Thanks,

Miadia

Welcome to cruise critic. The best place to start is the roll call for your cruise. That's where people form or join independent excursions. You can also check out the ports of call area.

Here is your roll call:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2138132

Just be aware you will spend a good five hours total on the bus as it's a long drive to Berlin.

Another option is to save Berlin for another trip.

We had one of our best tours ever with Dave Natale - Friends of Dave Tours. A walking tour of Warnemunde then a short train ride to Wismar, a medieval city with amazing cathedrals.

I know I sound like a broken record but I'm one who is very averse to trying to see a city like Berlin or Paris where a several hour drive in each direction is involved. You're much better off doing a land tour to such cities. It's hard enough to see a SMALL city when you have so little time there.

Just my prejudice ...

Mura

We enjoyed a short train trip into Rostock and then a wander around Warnemunde.

Rostock was part of the Hanseatic League and was rebuilt to reflect that. See the astronomical clock and the organ of St. Marien Church which looks like a baroque stage set. Tasty Thuringer sausages for sale from the vendor in the square.

Warnemunde is a pretty fishing town that is a popular tourist place for Germans. In Warnemunde wander the backstreets with pretty little cottages. The town also boasts of the longest beach on the Baltic.

A cheap, easy and enjoyable day!

I know I sound like a broken record but I'm one who is very averse to trying to see a city like Berlin or Paris where a several hour drive in each direction is involved. You're much better off doing a land tour to such cities. It's hard enough to see a SMALL city when you have so little time there.

 

Just my prejudice ...

 

Mura

Mura,

you are correct in principle - Berlin is best visited on land over several days.However, if one does not think they will return to this area anytime soon or ever(for whatever reason) then seeing Berlin in a day is better than not seeing it at all.

Just my thoughts - YMMV

Paul, that is very true. I usually add at the end of my diatribe that if you think this will be your only chance to see such a major city, you may wish to do so even if the time is limited.

But I remember spending a week in Berlin on my first visit there and every day was filled. I just cannot imagine (for myself) being able to see so little of it.

But we all make our own decisions about how we want to spend our time on a vacation. There is no wrong decision ...

Mura

The first chance I had an opportunity to visit Berlin, in 2012, I did the all-day tour. I am glad I did, since I won't be in the area again (and because my ancestry is German).

The day was long but filled with so much first-hand information. It was especially interesting that our first guide was born and brought up in East Germany with a very different perspective on pre- and post-wall Berlin than our "official" Berlin guide. (within Berlin's city limits tour busses must have a certified local guide.)

If you may never again be able to visit Berlin, I urge you to do so; memories of WWII and the division of Berlin will fade and it would be a shame not to hear them.

The first chance I had an opportunity to visit Berlin, in 2012, I did the all-day tour. I am glad I did, since I won't be in the area again (and because my ancestry is German).

 

The day was long but filled with so much first-hand information. It was especially interesting that our first guide was born and brought up in East Germany with a very different perspective on pre- and post-wall Berlin than our "official" Berlin guide. (within Berlin's city limits tour busses must have a certified local guide.)

 

If you may never again be able to visit Berlin, I urge you to do so; memories of WWII and the division of Berlin will fade and it would be a shame not to hear them.

This was exactly our experience and rationale ( and same year - August):)

(and German ancestry as well)

We and another couple traveling together on Oceania's Marina from Stockholm to Amsterdam leaving on 8/21/15. One signed up for WAR006 Echoes of the past-Jewish Heritage and the other for WAR005 The Berlin Experience.

 

Any reviews on these tours? We know this will be a long day of travel/touring.

 

Also, and we wonder if we would be better off trying to get an independent tour to cover what both of these tours cover. Any recommendations?

 

Thanks,

Miadia

Hi. We were on Marina during June, with a call at Warnemunde. We debated for months about whether to make the trek to Berlin or not. We ended up doing a small private tour to Berlin with six persons in a van and it was definitely a worthwhile day. Not the ideal way to see a city like Berlin obviously; but we learned a lot and I hope to return for a 3-4 day visit. fyi the small vans and private vehicles are permitted to travel at high speeds on the Autobahn, whereas the large tour buses have speed limits. Our trip each way by van was 2.5 hours. Yes it was a long day but we were expecting that and it was worthwhile. Having said that, I think we could have had a great day doing various things within an hour radius of Warnemunde too. The tour company we booked with was Insider Tours Berlin, one of Rick Steve's recommendations. Our guide covered a lot of ground, touching on the Prussian history, WW1, WW2, the Holocaust, the Cold War, Reunification and the current rebuilding efforts. Any one of those topics could take days to cover alone....so it really depends on what you're interested in. Hope that helps.

We did the Baltics with independent tours - Alla tours.

DH went to Berlin with one group and I and two others did Warnemunde, Rostock, etc.

Both DH and I were very happy with our tours. He felt Berlin was really worth the trip,

Alla (and several of the other major companies like SPB) offer a package if you are doing several of their tours which in effect reduces the cost. She is very professional to deal with (I took care of the group) and very efficient.

It was definitely cheaper than a ship's excursion and with fewer people a more quality experience.

hope this helps a bit.

The cruise is so port intensive that we enjoyed our day in Warnemunde. We were one of the few who did not go to Berlin or Rostock. We had a marvelous day walking the little town. It was very charming. We had a great lunch off the ship in one of the restaurants.

We and another couple traveling together on Oceania's Marina from Stockholm to Amsterdam leaving on 8/21/15. One signed up for WAR006 Echoes of the past-Jewish Heritage and the other for WAR005 The Berlin Experience.

 

Any reviews on these tours? We know this will be a long day of travel/touring.

 

Also, and we wonder if we would be better off trying to get an independent tour to cover what both of these tours cover. Any recommendations?

 

Thanks,

Miadia

I am on your cruise. If you visit the roll call, there are already private tours forming.

Many thanks for you helpful info re: private tours from Warnemunde to Berlin. We are using Insider Tours in St. Petersburg, so we will check them out for Berlin.

Miadia

Miada, where in WV are you located? We lived in Parkersburg for 3 years and Hurricane for 6 years.

You should join the roll call and find out if there are others who are also using Insider Tours. We are using SPB, but we have opted not to do the Berlin tour. We are golfing instead and then hanging out close to the ship.

FYI, our ship is scheduled to dock in Rostock instead of Warnemunde.

We did a tour of Warnemunde and neighboring towns with Friends of Dave.

Wonderful. Trip advisor recommended too.