References 2012 - Johns Bavarian Tours

Welcome to my references page; all my clients opinions are important to me.
After you have completed your tour, please send me an email with your personal commentary of our time together. 

Allow me to help plan your vacation in Bavaria from beginning to end!


We just returned home from visiting Munich & Prague during the Easter holiday week. In Munich we traveled with John Wetstone for two tours. The first day we visited Dachau & the city sites, including lunch at the BMW Welt restaurant. All went very smoothly and we learned a great deal, especially during the Dachau portion of the tour.
On our second tour with John we visited the castles & Oberammergau with a stop for lunch in Austria. Again, our time was well managed, John supplemented the "official" tour guide's information with some of his own comments during the visit to Linderhof Castle. Our lunch in Austria was a highlight of the day-with very pleasant surroundings & restaurant staff.

The trip was carefully orchestrated by John & enjoyed by all.

Dennis and Pat
Kill Devil Hills, NC.
USA


We spent two days with John - one to see Ludwig's castles and one to see Zugspitze/Garmish. We enjoyed our days and learned a lot of information that we would not have learned on our own. It was nice to have someone else driving through parts of Munich where drivers tended to ignore lights, lane lines, etc. Zugspitze was beautiful and John had us there early enough to see the full view before the clouds rolled in. We then spent time walking through the older part of Garmish - away from the tourist area. It was a beautiful, lovely day.

Our trip up to the castles ended up being more exciting than usual for May. A storm rolled in and we had to drive through a snowstorm. John was very experienced in driving through snow and it allowed us to enjoy the beautiful scenery. He also provided us with more information than the tour guides at the castles (he also knew many of them). I had back pains that day and John found less steep paths for us to maneuver around the castles.

Just a hint...many places in Germany do NOT take credit cards and our credit cards did not work at all ATMs. We've never had this issue in other countries, so it was quite inconvenient. Make sure to carry enough Euro's to avoid having to wait for banks to open!!!

Pennie and Ken
Houston, Texas
USA


Fun and Knowledgeable Tour guide.
My trip to Munich would not have been complete without John's Bavarian tours. John was very agreeable to taking me where ever I wanted to go. I spent three days with John, and I made two trips to the Austrian alps, walked the streets of Salzburg, Neuschwanstein Castle, Berchtesgaden, Kehlsteinhaus or the Eagles nest, Herrenchiemsee Palace, and so much more. He helped me and my group plan the trips and was a wonderful, knowledgeable tour guide.

John has a very nice 9 passenger VW Van. I was perfectly comfortable riding in the alps and around town. Whenever anybody wanted to stop for a bath room or a snack he alway stopped. The city of Munich is fast paced and reminds me of New York at times, but John navigated me safely at all times.

I had such a great time with John that I took him out for a beer after the tour so I could hang out and pick his brain some more. I can't wait to visit again soon.

Thanks John. :)

Dan
Atlanta, Ga.
USA


A Bavarian Wonderland
Fabulous 3 days visiting all the castles of King Ludwig's II and of many historic churchs. Our group was very comfortable and John was extremely knowledgeable about the historical facts of the region. Our daily luncheons were planned in advanced with special attention. My favorite site was the Herren Chiemsee castle. I would recommend this experience of a lifetime to everyone who wants to enjoy everything this area has to offer.John is very accommodating with great planning to make his clients happy.

Michael
Atlanta, GA
USA


Great day with John
My husband and I were picked up by John at our hotel in Munich (don't forget to bring your passports!). We were off to visit Hohenschwangau and Linderhof Castles. The scenery was breathtaking and needless to say, King Ludwig was a very interesting King (like the Micheal Jackson of his time). John was very knowledgeable about the history of the area, castles, and shares plenty of information about Ludwig and the family. John took us to a beautiful Inn for lunch where we sat on the back deck with views of the snow topped alps and enjoyed an INCREDIBLE lunch. I'm a foodie and lunch was outstanding. We were back in Munich by 6PM. 
Thank you for the wonderful tour John! Hope to see you again. Read up on Ludwig II before you go so you can ask John his thoughts about the life of the King that you will never find in history books!

Terry
Shelburne, VT.
USA


John,
Thank you for a very memberable Munich area tours. You earned your 5 on tripadvisor.
Good luck with your paintings. Great experience.
We took 3 trips with John, one north and then the Salzburg area, and then the Ludwig's castles.
He John was very informative and his personal guided tour wasted no time and allowing us to cover a lot in one day. Lunches were well planned and fitting. Absolutely worth it.

D&H
Williamsport, PA.
USA


Best Tours of the Trip
Our tours with John were the best of the trip. I went on a 2-week adventure to Munich and the surrounding area with a group of friends. John asked us where we wanted to go, then gave us a detailed explanation of what we would see and do at each of the places.
The castles we saw were fantastic, and the history of Ludwig II that John told and about the castle and grounds was the perfect addition to what the guides working at each place told us. The scenic drive to and from the area was enjoyable, made comfortable by the 9-passenger van we rode in. John was very enthusiastic about touring, and we learned almost as much during the drive about German culture and observances as we did in each of the sites we visited. Each day we had lunch in a different local restaurant. The food was fantastic!
Overall this was an excellent experience and well worth the cost. John was very accommodating and polite, as well as very informative. I highly recommend his tours

S&N
Decatur, GA
USA


“Leave it to the expert”
My wife and I had the pleasure of spending two days with John in early August 2012. We toured the Ludwig's casles and the Pfaffenwinkel (Priest corner) tour, both were fantastic.
John has an in depth knowledge of all aspects of both tours, he has local contacts and also some great locations for lunch!!
If you are looking for a relaxed informative and comprehensive tour of this area of Bavaria look no further than Johns Bavarian tours, great guy, good vehicle you will enjoy it, leave it to the expert!

Henry & Jennifer
Melbourne
Australia


My wife and I were bringing our daughter to Europe, as she would be studying for a semester in Italy. Our route brought us to Munich first, and we decided to take advantage of the situation and tour Bavaria before leaving for Italy.
I originally intended to try to drive around Bavaria and see some local attractions, but putting the trip together was proving difficult. We then came across a mention of John’s Bavarian Tours in a Lonely Planet guidebook on Germany. We researched John’s website, and read through his reviews, and decided to contract with his service. We all agree that we made an excellent choice.
We spent six full days with John. He picked us up at the airport on day one and brought us to the train station on day seven. He recommended we consider staying at the Hotel Opera, which turned out to be an excellent choice for the three of us.
We toured Dachau and Munich on day one. We did tour #7 to the Eagle’s Nest and Salzburg on day two. We did tour #10, Herren Chiemsee on day three. Day four was a holiday in the area, so we stayed local in Munich and toured Schleissheim Palace in the morning and the Deutsches Museum in the afternoon. Day five took us to tour #5 and Ludwig’s castles. It rained hard that morning, but John was well prepared with umbrellas. Neuschwanstein was covered with scaffolding, but that was really our only disappointment. Our final tour day took us to the Zugspitze and Garmisch.
John was always prompt and courteous. We had fabulous lunches every day. I did not have to plan anything or drive anywhere. We found it an excellent way to see Bavaria for the first time.

Thanks again,
James and Michelle
Fort Mill, SC.
USA


Dear John,
Thank you for your fond email. We did get home safely last week and are just now getting back to normal. We had a really a great two week vacation in Europe. The Danube River Cruise was very enjoyable, and the days that we spent with you made our vacation even better! My son and his family had a nice time in Italy and thankfully also returned home safely. We are now back to watching our Granddaughter Valentina 2 days a week and although it is tiresome, we love it!
Annette and I enjoyed the time that we spent with you in Austria and Bavaria. You are truly a professional and we really appreciated your patience in making our trip as comfortable and rewarding as possible. Your passion for the beautiful landscapes enabled me to take so many great photos that we will enjoy for many years to come. The spots that you picked for lunch each day were so tranquil, with breathtaking views of the lakes and mountains and great food as well.
Your thorough knowledge and genuine interest in the history of the castles and places that we visited, made our tour with you fascinating, and enabled us to get the most out of this vacation.
Once again thank you,

Sincerely,
Carl & Annette
Cliffside Park, New Jersey
USA


“John is Amazing”
We had purchased tickets for the Neuschwanstein castle and missed our tour because the horse carriages were way behind schedule. Luckily, I found John.
Without hesitation he hurried us to the ticket office and was able to get us in the next tour by pulling some major strings for us. John completely went out of his way and saved our trip. I cannot tell you how much i appreciate John and his willingness to provide such service. I will be going back to Bavaria soon and will book a tour with him Immediately!!!

THANKS JOHN :)

darby
Utah
USA


“Go with John!”
My wife, daughter, son-in-law and I have just returned from three weeks touring Germany, Austria, Hungray and the Czech Republic. We took two tours with John; Salzburg and Munich. Best tours of the entire trip and the trip was great. John knows Bavaria and his knowledge adds to the enjoyment. A few hours with John and you will feel you are with an old friend.

Fred & JoAnn
Houston, Texas
USA


“Hohenschwangau Castle and the Museum Der Bayerischen Konigen”
I have just returned from a weekend in Munich with a group of 20 supporters of Welsh National Opera, where we saw a performance of Wagner’s Lohengrin. Given the enormously important role King Ludwig II played in Wagner’s life – and vice versa – we thought we should combine a trip to the opera with a visit to one of Ludwig’s castles.
Fortunately, early on in my planning I came across John Wetstone’s website. I soon decided to put myself in his hands both for organizing our visit to Hohenschwangau and recommending a hotel. His hotel recommendation (Hotel Opera) was absolutely right for this group but above all he created and executed an original and engaging whole-day tour for us to the castle and museum nearby.
Everyone who took part continued to tell us throughout the rest of the weekend how much they enjoyed the day with him. It helped having marvelous weather but John’s choice of itinerary and the balance between study and relaxation were exactly right. Everyone also enjoyed his very personal style of guiding: it was totally different from the all-too-frequent guide speaking from a memorized script, who cannot be interrupted, which had marred the group’s weekend trip to Barcelona a couple of years ago.
Everything, including coach transport and lunch, was organized with maximum efficiency and minimum fuss. Above all John went to great trouble to find out the interests of this particular group and briefed the castle and museum guides accordingly.

Anyone wanting a personalized tour of Munich and Ludwig’s castles should make Johns Bavarian Tours their first port of call.

John
London
United Kingdom


“A Memorable Trip”
My nine day visit to Munich was one I shall long remember. There is so much of interest to see, and despite extensive reading and web-browsing in preparation, everything exceeded my expectations, despite often indifferent weather, and this was also true of John's tours, of which I took five.
As I was travelling alone it was important that I felt comfortable with John and confident in his abilities as tour guide. It was in fact a pleasure to travel with him; he showed himself professional, considerate, and engaging. John always ensured we had English-speaking guides, and if these were not available he translated discreetly, and was always ready to help out when my limited German failed. He knew many of the staff at the historic monuments, and at the places where we ate, all of which I enjoyed in his company.
We were able to share an interest in Ludwig II, visiting the major sites from his birthplace at the Nymphenberg palace through to the scene of his mysterious death in Lake Starnberg, taking in the wonderful castles and palaces of Hohenschwangau, Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Herrenschiemsee, wth their museums, including the famous sleighs and coaches at Nymphenberg. His tomb, and those of other members of the Wittelsbachs, I was able to see on my walking tours of Munich.
In addition John included visits to Oberammergau, Steingaden, the Fraueninsel, the Roseninsel, and the "Sisi" museum at Possenhofen, some of which I had requested, and some with which he surprised me, much to my pleasure. My only regret is that I did not have enough days to enjoy more of John's tours, and should I have the good fortune to return to Bavaria there is no doubt I would make use of John's services again.
To make the most of John's tours and to avoid any disappointment, one should plan well ahead, know what you want to see and discuss it with John. Read the material he sends you so you know what to expect from him and what is expected of you as a client, and remember that John is the best judge of what can be achieved in a day with his years of experience of driving times, weather conditions, opening times and the time needed to do each location justice.

I highly recommend John's Bavarian Tours!

Richard
Toronto
Canada