Joseph Rosendo: In keeping with Where To Go When's emphasis if you are going to Germany in Sept/October you will be there for Oktoberfest -- and although Munich is famous for its Oktoberfest -- you won't miss it in the other cities in Germany. It's everywhere so you won't be able to miss it and since it seems to me you are interested in local celebrations attending Oktoberfest celebrations in the smaller towns of Germany is an excellent idea and it saves you from the wild and crazy tourists that you will no doubt run into in Munich. In fact, I'd wager if you want to meet a lot of American tourists Oktoberfest in Munich is a good time and place to go. Regarding your accommodations: Throughout Germany and Austria you will see signs outside of accommodations reading "Zimmer Frei" --basically that means there is a room for rent. This room for rent could be in a hotel, inn or in a person's home. It's the latter that you are looking for. It is the equivalent of our Bed and Breakfast although in some situations it may be just one room and that room could be the family's guest bedroom, their child's vacant room, even their "best" room, etc. The rooms are usually less expensive than a hotel, the service excellent and cozy, the rooms stunning and the people lovely. You really get a family experience. I love to find these places when I travel -- and the best ones I've found were when I had rented or leased a car and was just wandering through the small roads in the countryside. I enjoy them, I recommend them, but, then that's our goal at Travelscope and DK -- introducing people to people. As a traveler, I would try to do anything that would give me the opportunity to capture a sense of the people -- and staying in a "Zimmer Frei" and, as well as, taking the train, traveling by car where you can stop where you wish or staying in accommodations -- like hostels -- where you can meet other travelers are all good ideas. For information on individual farm stay or hostel opportunities contact the German Tourist Office -- they have an office in New York and Los Angeles -- try 800-651-7010.

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Fort Smith, Ark.: Do you have lodging recommendations in Rothenburg ob der Tauber? Two stars? I'm departing Oct. 3, 2007. Thank you.

Joseph Rosendo: No exact recommendations per se¿..I recommend DK's Germany Guide and Top 10 Guides for a list of accommodations that best fit your budget and interest. When I was in Rothenburg we ended staying at a room that the Gasthaus that we had dinner in had available. It was a magical time -- just before the Christmas season and all the shops had specialty items for the holidays, the locals were in a great mood -- no longer overwhelmed since the summer hoards of tourists had left. We wandered the town and surrounding countryside (don't forget the surrounding countryside not all the nice things about Rothenburg are inside the town walls). We stopped for dinner and a local beer in a Gasthaus located within a stone's throw from the Medieval walls and had a wonderful time speaking with the folks and otherwise taking in the spirit of the place -- off season. It was getting late and we had a choice to take the train back to the city where we had our hotel room or ask about accommodations in town... We decided to stay. We asked the people in the pub and they conferenced among themselves and came up with a place nearby. It was on the second floor of a house and out our window we could see the top of the wall. In fact we could almost reach out and touch it. It was one of those unexpected, unplanned travel experiences that happen all the time -- if you are open to them. So I would say get the guidebooks, book a place if you must, but don't let that limit you going and staying there -- you may come up with something better once you are there then even the guidebook found.

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Kodiak, Alaska: We (two adults and one 7 year old) are headed to Germany in Sept/Oct 2008. We are flying in and out of Frankfurt and will be traveling to Heilbronn, Nurenburg, & Bad Tolz/Lenngries before heading to Czech. Any suggestions on farm-stays in the Lenngries area? Suggestions about farm-stays in general? Any thoughts on "family rooms" that some of the international youth hostels offer? Pros and cons of using a rail pass vs. buying separate tickets for each leg? Thanks, Natasha

Joseph Rosendo: Sorry, but I kinda mess up here. I mixed up the answer for your questions with the Kansas City question before -- so let me use your question to answer that question and you can find the answer to your question under hers above. Sorry, I'm more of a broadcaster/writer than a computer fan. I would add to your question though that a rail pass is always better than a separate ticket valuewise...but it depends on how much traveling by rail you will be doing and the pass itself...there are so many options these days.

Now back to the questions from Kansas, MO:
March will be cheaper than August and in Europe these days that is really something to take into consideration. I just returned from Spain and it costs $1.40 to buy one Euro. And, in any case, Germany is not a cheap destination in normal times. The weather is better in August and your cruise/trip down the Rhine will be more comfortable. March can be cold and much of Northern Europe can be shrouded in clouds in the Spring. Actually, from my experience (things may have changed with Global Warming) Spring doesn't really come to Northern Europe until May. On the other hand, remember August is still the major month for vacations in Europe so expect to compete for space, etc. with European tourists as well as foreign ones like you and your family. So if you are a gambler (and what traveler is not) you may want to risk March, but to be safe August should be smooth sailing.

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Bountiful, Utah: My wife and I have been considering a trip to Germany for a while now. I think a fun time to go would be during the Octoberfest season, but we do not drink alcohol so I'm not sure if this would be a good idea. Will there be plenty of things to see and do that don't involve drinking a lot of beer? Also, is the crowd going to be reasonable or are they going to be a rowdy bunch of mostly drunk people? Thank you.

Joseph Rosendo: Hmmm. If you can experience Oktoberfest as a cultural event I guarantee you some great people watching. Yet Oktoberfest is a celebration of the harvest and in this case the celebration comes with a lot of beverages being consumed. You can expect the crowd to be joyous (I don't want to call the rowdy out of hand) and many of them will be intoxicated. Your greatest chance of running into Girls and Guys gone Wild will be in Munich -- that is why I recommend taking in the Oktoberfest celebrations in the smaller towns. Of course, there will be plenty of things to see and do -- culture, history, a myriad of activities depending on where you are -- and it's up to you whether they involved drinking or not. You're not obligated to drink. Don't forget about fall foliage -- that happens in Germany as well. It's beautiful along the rivers. October is a wonderful time to be in Germany -- less people, a festive atmosphere and beauty everywhere. And even in the biggest beer halls in Munich you can get soft drinks.

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Milwaukee, Wisc.: Hi Joseph! Where should I spend actual Christmas Eve & Day? I was thinking of Rothenburg, but will it be too small of a town? Would Munich be better with more restaurant & sightseeing opportunities? I'm looking for the ultimate German Christmas experience!