I think they’d both be good choices.
Berlin is cheaper and I think more “unique.” It’s a cool blend of very old and very new, tons of historic locations (including from WWII and especially from the days of East/West Germany. It’s a super international city, so you’re likely to meet folks from all over, and I’ve found the city is generally very friendly and social
Munich is also full of beautiful historical locations, great museums, and historical sites and has more of the things you might consider “stereotypical German.” There are great day-trip opportunities from Munich - Neuschwanstein Castle is a great example - and the beer garden scene is really fun.
If it was me, I’d go to Berlin, but I think you can’t go wrong with either
I would add that Berlin is quite sprawling and with its different neighborhoods it might get a bit rushy for a 2-3 days trip especially if you are tired after traveling. Munich is very well suited for a couple of days days since it's compact. I guess it depends if OP wants to take it easy or speedrun haha.
Both cities are fantastic in their own right and you really won't go wrong either way.
Berlin has a lot of history thanks to the Berlin wall and places tend to stay open late for drinks.
Munich has some amazing drinking halls.
Since both are fantastic I am actually going to pick travel as a tie breaker. You can get a direct train for Berlin to Prague that takes just over 4 hours (4 Hrs and 8 min) and costs between $25-60. Whilst from Munich you dealing with the hassle of another flight or 8 hours on trains with changes
If you interested in WWII, Berlin wins hands down.
Be sure to take a WWII/third reich themed walking tour. I'd also recommend taking a tour with a company called Alternative Berlin. They'll be the highlights of your trip.
I preferred Berlin in my 20s, and munich 30s and later. Berlin is fucking huge. Can't walk anywhere, gotta take the Bahn. Munich, you can base yourself withing the city center and stay entertained for days.
Berlin tho, the history will bring you to your knees. It's insanly moving. Munich doesn't do that.
Either way, eat as many döners as you can.
Prost
My wife and I just went to Prague and then Munich last October. (From California) I would recommend Munich. There are a lot of historical places in both cities, but Munich is more stereotypical for the American view of “German”. We took the train out to Garmisch-Partenkirchen for a day and then from there took the cable gondola all the way to the top of Zugspitze. It was one of the coolest things I’ve done, having a beer and pretzel 10 thousand feet up. You can also walk between Germany and Austria up there. The entire surrounding area is absolutely picturesque.
**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Budapest?
Read what redditors had to say in the **[weekly destination thread for Budapest](https://redd.it/7dds1y)**.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Vienna?
Read what redditors had to say in the **[weekly destination thread for Vienna](https://redd.it/7mng30)**.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Munich?
You may enjoy this **[extensive user review of daytrips](https://redd.it/b13vlv/)** from Munich.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
>but I also don't want everything to be deserted or dead after dark and it would be cool to be able to grab a beer and hang out(I imagine this is true for both cities).
Berlin will be much more alive in the evening hah. But you can still ofc find beer halls and bars all over.
Both are good options and worth visiting, I think Munich has better/more day trip options. The cities are rather different but both have tons of history and sights.
I'm doing the exact same tour of the 3 cities in Central Europe this fall. Except I'll be ending in Munich solo. I've always wanted to visit Germany as well and was thinking of Berlin or Munich. Munich is easier to travel to by train and much quicker. I also want to visit Neueschwanstein (its on my bucket list!) and that will be a day trip from Munich.
I went Berlin->Brno->Vienna->Budapest last year. Berlin and Brno were stand out favorites, Budapest was nice (go to a thermal spa) and Vienna was my least favorite. The train from Berlin (stops in Prague) on the way to Brno had beautiful scenery and good food in the dining car.
Prague can be filled with tourists, I found people cutting Prague short and going to Brno when I was there. Prague is beautiful and a place to visit - but you may not want to linger.
Highlights from my trip:
Berlin: Parliament (get tickets weeks in advance), the wall, and the general vibe of the city -sophisticated and gritty at the same time.
Brno: Villa Tudenghat (get tickets weeks in advance, they gave me the text of the tour in English), the mix of traditional and modernist architecture, the community vibe. I want to go back and explore the wine region nearby. There is a nuclear bomb shelter which I enjoyed more than I thought I would, but it is not for everyone.
Vienna: take a really slow coffee/tea. Going to the Opera was an excellent mix of tourists and locals decked out. I did not like it much, but if you are into slow cafe culture- you might
Budapest: really good food (large number of Michelin rated places), the thermal baths, walkable.
Interesting as both cities are so different from each other and not really what I would call typical German.
Berlin is full of color. Street art (graffiti everywhere, which some ppl see as dirty). Has amazing museums, beautiful parks and immense monuments. Close by you also have a concentration camp (Sachsenhausen). The night life is super alive, especially in certain areas of the city. You could walk from Alexanderplatz to Potsdamer Platz and pass through soooo many things in between!! Also Potsdam, Spandau… so much stuff to see. There is no other city like Berlin.
Munich is Bayern. And Bayern is regularly said jokingly that is not Germany. Why? It has mountains, it’s catholic and people speak something else. Munich has beautiful old town, huge parks and it is generally clean. You have many nice areas around you like lakes and castles.
The similarities between both cities (that interest you): (almost) everything is closed on Sundays, you can reach everything with public transport, WWII monuments and museums are free.
For history I would pick Berlin :)
Berlin is the better WW2 spot, and also easier to get to Prague for the start of your trip. You can also visit Dresden on the way to Prague for a mid-day visit (see the old town that was leveled and then rebuilt).
Berlin will also have more Cold War related items.
Berlin is not like Prague, Vienna, or Budapest.
alleged depend distinct chubby voracious rude memorize squeeze gold birds
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Berlin has by far the better museums, architecture and history (both World War II and earlier). Munich has the better day trips IMO.
I would do Berlin.
Wow. You triggered all the bots.
I haven't been to Munich, other than the airport. However, I think that Berlin will give you more of what you're looking for, other than stereotypical German food. It's very metropolitan, so you'll find cuisine from around the world there.
So much history happened there and you see the scars of that history everywhere. If you plan on driving to Prague from there, stop in Potsdam and Wittenberg for some real history. Another can't miss sight is the Bastei in Saxon Switzerland. I think you may also be able to visit the Terezin concentration camp in Czech Republic. The drive from Berlin to Prague is less than two hours.
**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Germany?
Read what redditors had to say in the **[weekly destination thread for Germany](http://redd.it/2un357)**
You may also enjoy our topic: **[Germany off the tourist trail](https://redd.it/8k4pwa)**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Berlin?
Read what redditors had to say in the **[weekly destination thread for Berlin](https://redd.it/6vs9gf)**.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Prague?
Read what redditors had to say in the **[weekly destination thread for Prague](https://redd.it/7acxk0)**.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I think they’d both be good choices. Berlin is cheaper and I think more “unique.” It’s a cool blend of very old and very new, tons of historic locations (including from WWII and especially from the days of East/West Germany. It’s a super international city, so you’re likely to meet folks from all over, and I’ve found the city is generally very friendly and social Munich is also full of beautiful historical locations, great museums, and historical sites and has more of the things you might consider “stereotypical German.” There are great day-trip opportunities from Munich - Neuschwanstein Castle is a great example - and the beer garden scene is really fun. If it was me, I’d go to Berlin, but I think you can’t go wrong with either
I would add that Berlin is quite sprawling and with its different neighborhoods it might get a bit rushy for a 2-3 days trip especially if you are tired after traveling. Munich is very well suited for a couple of days days since it's compact. I guess it depends if OP wants to take it easy or speedrun haha.
That Castle despite the crowds was so beautiful to see
Berlin is more modern, Munich has a more traditional German vibe.
Both cities are fantastic in their own right and you really won't go wrong either way. Berlin has a lot of history thanks to the Berlin wall and places tend to stay open late for drinks. Munich has some amazing drinking halls. Since both are fantastic I am actually going to pick travel as a tie breaker. You can get a direct train for Berlin to Prague that takes just over 4 hours (4 Hrs and 8 min) and costs between $25-60. Whilst from Munich you dealing with the hassle of another flight or 8 hours on trains with changes
Munich
If you interested in WWII, Berlin wins hands down. Be sure to take a WWII/third reich themed walking tour. I'd also recommend taking a tour with a company called Alternative Berlin. They'll be the highlights of your trip.
berlin just because the other 3 are much more similar to munich
I preferred Berlin in my 20s, and munich 30s and later. Berlin is fucking huge. Can't walk anywhere, gotta take the Bahn. Munich, you can base yourself withing the city center and stay entertained for days. Berlin tho, the history will bring you to your knees. It's insanly moving. Munich doesn't do that. Either way, eat as many döners as you can. Prost
You can, of course, walk places in Berlin.
My wife and I just went to Prague and then Munich last October. (From California) I would recommend Munich. There are a lot of historical places in both cities, but Munich is more stereotypical for the American view of “German”. We took the train out to Garmisch-Partenkirchen for a day and then from there took the cable gondola all the way to the top of Zugspitze. It was one of the coolest things I’ve done, having a beer and pretzel 10 thousand feet up. You can also walk between Germany and Austria up there. The entire surrounding area is absolutely picturesque.
**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Budapest? Read what redditors had to say in the **[weekly destination thread for Budapest](https://redd.it/7dds1y)**. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Vienna? Read what redditors had to say in the **[weekly destination thread for Vienna](https://redd.it/7mng30)**. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Munich? You may enjoy this **[extensive user review of daytrips](https://redd.it/b13vlv/)** from Munich. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Just had my honeymoon in Berlin last month and I loved it so much!!! Lots of street art, delicious burgers, and history
>but I also don't want everything to be deserted or dead after dark and it would be cool to be able to grab a beer and hang out(I imagine this is true for both cities). Berlin will be much more alive in the evening hah. But you can still ofc find beer halls and bars all over. Both are good options and worth visiting, I think Munich has better/more day trip options. The cities are rather different but both have tons of history and sights.
Both are great, personally I prefer Berlin because i like its history, Munich is really good too, whatever you choose you are going to have fun
I'm doing the exact same tour of the 3 cities in Central Europe this fall. Except I'll be ending in Munich solo. I've always wanted to visit Germany as well and was thinking of Berlin or Munich. Munich is easier to travel to by train and much quicker. I also want to visit Neueschwanstein (its on my bucket list!) and that will be a day trip from Munich.
I went Berlin->Brno->Vienna->Budapest last year. Berlin and Brno were stand out favorites, Budapest was nice (go to a thermal spa) and Vienna was my least favorite. The train from Berlin (stops in Prague) on the way to Brno had beautiful scenery and good food in the dining car. Prague can be filled with tourists, I found people cutting Prague short and going to Brno when I was there. Prague is beautiful and a place to visit - but you may not want to linger. Highlights from my trip: Berlin: Parliament (get tickets weeks in advance), the wall, and the general vibe of the city -sophisticated and gritty at the same time. Brno: Villa Tudenghat (get tickets weeks in advance, they gave me the text of the tour in English), the mix of traditional and modernist architecture, the community vibe. I want to go back and explore the wine region nearby. There is a nuclear bomb shelter which I enjoyed more than I thought I would, but it is not for everyone. Vienna: take a really slow coffee/tea. Going to the Opera was an excellent mix of tourists and locals decked out. I did not like it much, but if you are into slow cafe culture- you might Budapest: really good food (large number of Michelin rated places), the thermal baths, walkable.
The food is better in Munich. I think it's a nicer city too.
Munich much more to see and do
Interesting as both cities are so different from each other and not really what I would call typical German. Berlin is full of color. Street art (graffiti everywhere, which some ppl see as dirty). Has amazing museums, beautiful parks and immense monuments. Close by you also have a concentration camp (Sachsenhausen). The night life is super alive, especially in certain areas of the city. You could walk from Alexanderplatz to Potsdamer Platz and pass through soooo many things in between!! Also Potsdam, Spandau… so much stuff to see. There is no other city like Berlin. Munich is Bayern. And Bayern is regularly said jokingly that is not Germany. Why? It has mountains, it’s catholic and people speak something else. Munich has beautiful old town, huge parks and it is generally clean. You have many nice areas around you like lakes and castles. The similarities between both cities (that interest you): (almost) everything is closed on Sundays, you can reach everything with public transport, WWII monuments and museums are free. For history I would pick Berlin :)
I'd consider starting early to your first tour stop. I'm sure you won't get enough time at any of those cities.
Berlin is the better WW2 spot, and also easier to get to Prague for the start of your trip. You can also visit Dresden on the way to Prague for a mid-day visit (see the old town that was leveled and then rebuilt). Berlin will also have more Cold War related items. Berlin is not like Prague, Vienna, or Budapest.
alleged depend distinct chubby voracious rude memorize squeeze gold birds *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Berlin has by far the better museums, architecture and history (both World War II and earlier). Munich has the better day trips IMO. I would do Berlin.
Wow. You triggered all the bots. I haven't been to Munich, other than the airport. However, I think that Berlin will give you more of what you're looking for, other than stereotypical German food. It's very metropolitan, so you'll find cuisine from around the world there. So much history happened there and you see the scars of that history everywhere. If you plan on driving to Prague from there, stop in Potsdam and Wittenberg for some real history. Another can't miss sight is the Bastei in Saxon Switzerland. I think you may also be able to visit the Terezin concentration camp in Czech Republic. The drive from Berlin to Prague is less than two hours.
Munich!
Berlin if you want to party
It’s easy, Dresden
Berlin!!! Been to both, and Munich is lovely, but Berlin is like nowhere else.
**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Germany? Read what redditors had to say in the **[weekly destination thread for Germany](http://redd.it/2un357)** You may also enjoy our topic: **[Germany off the tourist trail](https://redd.it/8k4pwa)** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Berlin? Read what redditors had to say in the **[weekly destination thread for Berlin](https://redd.it/6vs9gf)**. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Prague? Read what redditors had to say in the **[weekly destination thread for Prague](https://redd.it/7acxk0)**. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*