Ask Brian

Hi, I’m Brian 👋 an American dad living in a small German village near the Austrian border, south of Rosenheim, with my wife Shauna and our boys Noah and Elijah. We moved here in June 2024, and a lot of Germany questions have simple answers once you live here. I love helping, so ask away!

What can I ask?

Anything about traveling in Germany. These are the questions I can help with most:

• Christmas markets: which ones to pick, what day to go, how to combine them by train.
• Trains and tickets: Deutschlandticket or Bayern-Ticket, which train to take, how to handle a connection.
• Where to stay: which part of town, and what works well with kids.
• Itineraries: how many days in Munich, which day trips fit, what’s realistic in winter.
• Bavaria and the Alps: our home turf, from Rosenheim and the Chiemsee to Kufstein and Salzburg just over the border.

How to send your question

Email me at VacationInGermany@gmail.com. It helps if you tell me:

1. When you’re traveling, and for how many days
2. Who’s coming (kids’ ages are useful)
3. Where you’re starting from, and whether you’ll have a car
4. Your question, as specific as you like

What happens next?

I can’t promise to answer everyone personally in the busy weeks before Christmas, but I answer as many as I can. The best questions become posts on the site. I only use first names, or no names at all if you prefer, and I never share your email address.

If you’re on our email list, you can also just reply to any of my emails.

Before you write: quick answers

• When do the Christmas markets open? Most big ones open in the last week of November. Every date is in our market calendar.
• Do I need a car in Bavaria? For cities and most day trips, no. We’re a train-first family. 🚆
• What should I pack? Grab our free packing list in the box below.

Herzliche Grüße (warm wishes),
Brian