Testimonials and User Reviews

Castle Sommersdorf, Burgoberbach from Dec. 26. 2009 - 1/1/2010

Name: Joshua Oram
Home Base: Arizona, USA
Vacation Apartment: Sommersdorf Gabriele
Overall Rating:
Comments:

My wife and I enjoyed a five day stay at Castle Sommersdorf for the week of New Years 2009/10. What an amazing place to stay! We knew we didn't want to stay in a generic hotel room, but would prefer something a bit more... adventurous, so we went to Bettina (Live Like A German) for advice - when she suggested Castle Sommersdorf, we couldn't resist! Who could pass up the idea of staying in a real castle in Germany?

Sommersdorf has been in the possession of the Carlsheim family for hundreds of years (since the 1500's, if I remember correctly) and Baron Carlsheim still resides there himself with his wife and a very large, friendly dog, Moritz. The Baron himself brought us to our room and graciously offered a tour of the castle. Such a nice gesture, especially considering the fact that his own family (kids and grandkids) was visiting for the holidays, and I'm sure he would rather spend his time with them! We almost felt like part of his extended family.

The room was so cozy and quiet, and the same goes for all of Sommersdorf, the town where the castle is located. Population 170! This is definitely not the Courtyard hotel, or whatever other generic place you could book next to the airport. This is a real experience with genuine people - you are literally a guest in the Crailsheim's home. And the atmosphere is amazing, especially in the winter nights, when rolling mists envelope the grounds and the bridged moat.

Sommersdorf is located halfway between Rothenburg o.d. Tauber and Nurmburg, so you are right there between the new/modern city and the old medieval city, not to mention countless smaller towns (like Dinklesburl) that provide days of exploration.

We loved staying in such a beautiful, historic place (in 2008, Castle Sommersdorf hosted its 800 year anniversary celebration!!!), and on top of all that, to have met such a gracious host in Baron von Crailsheim... what an amazing experience. Thanks, Bettina!

Meersburg (Lake Constance), 2 days in October 2009

Name: Cindy Roberg
Home Base: Pequot Lakes, Minnesota
Vacation Apartment: Silvanerlaube (A)
Overall Rating:
Comments: Bettina, we had a wonderful time in Meersburg. Our first day was rainy but we got out and explored the town and both my daughter and I loved Meersburg, the house we stayed in was perfect. Very clean and close to the town nice walking. The owners are extremely accommodating as well...We would stay there again...Thank You for finding this home for me...Cindy Roberg

Stayed in Erbendorf @ Vacation Apartment Mark, Kammerer in Triberg and Bad Toelz/Duttler from 12/2 u

Name: Bonnie Lagoda
Home Base: USA
Vacation Apartment: Mark
Overall Rating:
Comments:

We had an absolutely fantastic time! The apartments were great! The weather was acceptable (no major snow storms or blizzards - just some rain but was warm around 40 most of the time!) We needed more time - but then we knew that when we left. We did Paris (you can have it, we did not like it), Strasbourg (lovely town), Luxemberg, Switzerland, Austria, had lunch in Italy and Czech Republic (although we have no idea what we ate there). The Alps were amazing! Great pictures but not sure now which picture was Germany, Austria, Switzerland or Italy part of the Alps!

Germany was the best of all in my book! The Christmas Markets were exciting and we did several. We loved the small towns - the cobblestown streets, the buildings, the people. The churches were awesome. I especially liked the Weis church (Church in the Meadow). Everyone going to Germany must see this one!

So glad we rented a car and didn't do a tour. We shopped in Aldi's for breakfast (don't Germans do breakfast out?) Did a mall, bakeries, dollar store, butcher shops, electronics store, etc. Loved the small town shops. Found a great pizzeria in Erbondorf...had supper there twice which was unusual - we never sat still long enough to eat twice at the same place. The Germans were great - once we got out of the airport.

We did the train, bus, taxi, ferry and river cruise on the Rhine - which was spectacular. Loved looking for the castles on the cruise! The castle we stayed in was awesome. Wish we had more time to vist there but had to get up early to fly home. The flights, both ways, were great too!

We can't wait to go back!

We all took tons of pictures and are going to get together when we get them on CD's for each other. I intend to get feedback on the apartments from them and then write notes on your website.

Thanks so much for your help and the apartments. This was probably the best vacation I've ever been on! I have no problem recommending you and your apartments and would not hesitate using your services again.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Nuremberg (3 days in December 2009)

Name: Maria Ball
Home Base: Ilford, Essex, UK
Vacation Apartment: Streitberger (2)
Overall Rating:
Comments: We had a wonderful time visiting Nuremberg and Rothenburg, and the apartment was lovely. Thank you for your help.
Best wishes
Pam

3 days in Bacharach (October 2009), 3 days in Lenggries

Name: Max Rumbaugh
Home Base: Scottsdale, AZ
Vacation Apartment: Am Schlossberg
Overall Rating:
Comments:

The arrangements all went well. We were greeted and had someone with the ability to handle English available to greet us and to check with us each day. The Bacharach apartment and owner were very charming. The village is very nice and most enjoyable. It was truly a good find.

The apartment in Lenggries was attractive and the daughter of the owner was a fine hostess. The apartment had a sloping ceiling and thus made the room only half the size as advertised, since we could not use half of it. I would not recommend you place anyone in the apartment on the top floor. I bumped my head hard twice even though we used only half the space.

Thanks. Overall we had a great experience!

Max

Heidelberg, Germany, 2 weeks in June/July 2009

Name: William Farrant
Home Base: Horton, MI
Vacation Apartment: Stadler Family
Overall Rating:
Comments:

The Stadler apartment in Heidelberg exceeded all our expectations. The owners were very friendly and helpful to us. They offered advice and suggestions on places to go and things to do in and around Heidelberg.

The apartment itself was perfect. It was spotless and all it's accommodations were new or in new condition. The beds were super comfortable and the environment was very quiet and peaceful. Shopping is near by at a convenience store near the Neckar River and Aldi's (Grocery) just down the street.

The residence borders park land and walking trails were right outside the backdoor. While looking through the front windows the view is breathtaking.

We enjoyed going to Germany and are considering seriously returning to the Stadler's home as a base for our wanderings, as Heidelberg is situated near the French Border, the Romantic Road and the Castle Road. If we stayed in Heidelberg itself, an excellent vacation destination to be sure, we would definitely try to book the Stadlers home.

3 days in Trier, 5 days in Ulm, 3 days in Cregling

Name: Walt Schumacher
Home Base: Yuma, AZ
Vacation Apartment: Lore
Overall Rating:
Comments:

Hello Bettina...
We are back and the trip was great... We really enjoyed our stay in Trier. Our hostess was very helpful in answering our questions and had the best English of all the places we stayed. Her place was very handy to downtown and easy walking distance. We however did not remember about grocery stores all closing on Sunday's so we improvised there. Our stay in Ulm was really nice, the family daughters had the task of translating. Our hostess was use to having just Germans staying with her. They were very nice but would suggest she get her notes around the apartment translated into English so we can do as requested. Our last stay in the country near Wurzburg on the farm was very interesting. The first night we had a problem with flies in our room. We talked with our hostess and the next day it was much better.. The sleeping and bathroom was the best at this place. We really appreciate your hard work in making all the arrangements.. We will recommend you to anyone who wishes to do vacation rentals in Germany.. Thanks again....
Jan & Walt Schumacher

Triberg, Black Forest

Name: John Mimms
Home Base: Sherman, USA
Vacation Apartment: Kammerer
Overall Rating:
Comments:

Hi Bettina:
Well we got back yesterday and had a wonderful trip. The Kammerer's were just great to us and their vacation apartments were fabulous. We had a wonderful time in Triberg and thought it was just beautiful. We also bought a cuckoo clock from Mr. Kammerer. Mrs. Kammerer showed us pictures of last winter around their house. Way too much snow for us. The weather for our trip couldn't have been better.

The rest of the trip was also outstanding and the country beautiful. Maybe in a couple of years we will go back again to learn more of the history of Europe.

Thanks for all your help Bettina, without it we would have wandered around blind.

John & Dorothy Mimms - Joe & Patricia Funchess

Seesptiz, Fuessen, Dollendorf (Blankenheim)

Name: Lisa Turner
Home Base: Bingham Lake, MN
Vacation Apartment: Pension Krebs
Overall Rating:
Comments:

Hi Bettina,
We had a great trip, it went way too fast! The Krebs house was perfect, we loved it. I never did look at the apt downstairs but I am sure it was nice. It was very close to the Ring, easy to come and go to the track. The other place in Fussen, was nice but the road was very busy and loud in the summer with windows open. It was right on a very nice swimming lake and the indoor pool and sauna etc was great. They have a restaurant right on site and the food there was very good. Thank you for all your help with the planning of our trip.

We rented a Garmin GPS and they saved us! I just put the address in and we would end up right where we were supposed to. I would recommend one to anyone heading to Europe. It was preloaded with all the software we needed.

Thanks again,will recommend you to anyone going to Germany, you have nice places to stay. Let us know if you branch out to other countries. We're thinking about France and Italy next time,
Lisa

Koblenz, Germany

Name: Leah Russell
Home Base: Bavaria, Germany
Vacation Apartment: Burg Lahneck (Apartment 4)
Overall Rating:
Comments:

Hey Bettina,
we had a wonderful time in Koblenz. The location was beautiful (we weren't expecting to be right on the river!). Thank you so much for working with us. We would like to use your company again. We'll also pass the word along to our friends here.

Leah

Wetzlar, Germany

Name: Mary Beth Bernheisel
Home Base: USA
Overall Rating:
Comments:

What a wonderful experience in Wetzlar! My husband and I wanted our children (both under the age of 4) to experience German culture up close, and we were thrilled. The apartment was beautiful and comfortable, and it was perfectly situated so that we could easily get around in both the old city and the newer part of town without a car. We loved walking and shopping, finding all the playgrounds, and visiting the Freibad. Our goal wasn't to sightsee as much as it was to simply enjoy a different culture, and it was perfect! Our hostess was gracious and accommodating, the people in the town were warm and friendly (we were sorry to have to say goodbye to the proprietors of both the bakery and the butcher shop), and we felt very comfortable during our entire stay.

We are already planning our next trip and will absolutely enlist Bettina's help again!

Heidelberg, Germany

Name: Amie Kroes
Home Base:
Vacation Apartment: Gästehaus Zum Löwen, Apartment 2
Overall Rating:
Comments:

... The place in Heidelberg was great thanks!! It was exactly what we were looking for, close to the city but not quite in it. It was very clean and welcoming. The couple who owned the building were very accommodating, going above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable. They even let us know about hidden castle ruins and other attractions that the guide books don't tell you about. We very much enjoyed our stay and would surely go back!! Thank you very much for the recommendation your website was very helpful!

On the picture you see the Heidelberg castle with the city in the background (GREAT vacation, Germany is a beautiful country and I am very proud to say I have had the chance to visit). Thanks again for helping us with our vacation planning. Keep up the good work!! I will be sure to write you as soon as I can afford to go back!!

~Amie

Wetzlar, Germany

Name: James Cooper
Home Base: Missouri, USA
Vacation Apartment: Am Westerwald
Overall Rating:
Comments:

My sister and I retraced the journal of my father's WW II journal, through Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. We are experienced travelers and were looking for more than an American Style Tourist experience where we stayed in impersonal hotels. We also had some special dietary considerations that own kitchen allowed us to accommodate.

Bettina Kraft, representing "live-like-a-German" was the answer to our prayers. She worked diligently on finding an apartment in Cologne and outside Frankfurt in quiet, residential neighborhoods where we could prepare a few meals, but more importantly, get to know the friendly and helpful neighborhood near our apartments.

The owners/hosts were very accommodating and tried to accommodate our every need! The apartments were well furnished, practical and stocked with the essentials. We shopped for our own food in local markets and shopping centers, rode the convenient public transportation and parked our rental car except to do the rural sightseeing and visiting that we accomplished.

For a Midwestern family, the German public transportation and high speed trains offered us convenience and economy with special pricing available for small group day trips, special travel days, and the weekend pass to virtually anywhere in Germany, including the local buses, metros and trams.

I would highly recommend LIVE-LIKE-A-GERMAN if you want to experience Germany. As the name of the group implies, you truly "live like a German"...

James Cooper, Missouri
Emily Cooper Bunyan, Illinois
Gay Murphy, Indiana

Wetzlar, Koblenz, Lenggries, Triberg

Name: Terri Voermann
Home Base: Fort Mill, South Carolina
Overall Rating:
Comments:

I thought I would send you some feedback on our wonderful trip. The locations you selected and your itinerary were perfect.

Wetzlar - the 3 bedroom apartment they moved us to was fantastic. Everything was new and it was very large and comfortable. It was a perfect location in Old Town Wetzlar so we could walk to everything. I would highly recommend this place. We booked an English tour of Castle Braunfels and really enjoyed that as well as strolling through the town.

Koblenz - the city of Koblenz was a good location for sight seeing down the Mosel and the Rhine rivers. We spent one day touring down one river and the next day down the next. The river cruise down the Rhine you booked for use was fantastic.

Heidelberg - the hotel was absolutely wonderful and in a perfect location for everyone to go on their own. We loved Heidelberg and my stepson enjoyed the nightlife there. We ate dinner in the castle and it was exceptional.

Triberg - very interesting little hotel. Kind of like going to a Motel 6 after Heidelberg but it was very inexpensive. However, the restaurant was amazing and unexpected. It was actually located in Nusbach so you had to drive in Triberg. It was a beautiful drive from Heidelberg to Triberg. The cuckoo clocks were interesting. We enjoyed this stop. We did the Porsche tour in Stuttgart on our way to the next stop. It is a fantastic tour. It lasted over 2 hours. If anyone wants to do this, be sure they book way ahead. We ran out of time to see the new museum because were meeting relatives for lunch in Salach.

The drive to Bavaria was gorgeous. Lenggries - we can't say enough about this place. It was the perfect end to the trip. So relaxing in the country. The owner made you feel at home. It felt more like a Bed & Breakfast than an apartment. They had a wonderful breakfast each morning and her mom made homemade jams and cream cheese each morning. They had a refrigerator in the building so you could help yourself to wine, beer, water, and juices for minimal cost. This was great in the evening and we enjoyed several bottles of wine. Lenggries was a great little town and we took the gondola up the mountain. Bad Tolz (the town next door) had a nice Old Town area with shops and cafes. We also visited The Eagle's Nest and Salzburg in Austria one of our days. We went to see the Sleeping Beauty castle but found that very crowded and touristy. We enjoyed the small towns more.

I just want to say again what a fantastic and enjoyable trip we had. Thank you for helping me put all this together and finding the wonderful accommodations for us.

10 days, end of December 2008

Name: Anne Hopper
Home Base: Wichita, KS
Vacation Apartment: Penthouse
Comments: Just wanted to let you know that we really enjoyed the Penthouse vacation apartment in Wetzlar. The location was great--close to shops,etc. We had the penthouse apartment (plenty of room, dishwasher, washing machine). Very nice. We would definitely recommend Wetzlar as a place to stay.

October 2008

Name: Jeff Parker  (Manpower, San Diego)
Home Base: California
Overall Rating:
Comments: We utilized Live Like a German for Corporate travel throughout rural Germany. Bettina was always available for us and really made it easy for us to manage our employees overseas.

10 days, May 2008

Name: The Dey Family
Home Base: Nebraska, U.S.
Vacation Apartment: German Hide-Away on the Lahn River
Comments: Reiner and Bettina, You have a great place to stay. I want you to know that Inge was very gracious and prepared a great authentic German meal complete with homemade wine. Germany appears to be a great country and the village of Waldgirmes is very clean, quiet, and friendly as was the rest of the country. We traveled to the Bremen area to visit our relatives (distant) in Ober Octenhausen and stayed there 2 days. The autobahn is quite unique and well maintained. Why are the roads so clean and well kept compared to US?

2 weeks, July / August 2008

Name: Deirdre O'Reilly
Home Base: Dublin, Ireland
Vacation Apartment: German Hide-Away on the Lahn River
Comments: We loved the apartment - it really is a home away from home. Waldgirmes is a very beautiful place - we had some great fun exploring it and the surrounding area. My kids loved the playroom but they kept getting distracted from the toys to look at the horses in the beautiful meadow just outside the apartment.
After returning to Dublin we were only back a couple of days and already we were missing Waldgirmes! We had a wonderful holiday and totally loved the apartment. We loved your website and found it extremely useful. We would have no hesitations in recommending a "Live Like a German" holiday - in fact that's all our friends are hearing about since our return. The O'Reilly Family

Name: Jan and Katja Hasselbaum
Home Base: Waldgirmes, Germany
Vacation Apartment: German Hide-Away on the Lahn River
Comments: We know the Kraft family now for more than 25 years, and live in Waldgirmes near-by. Their apartment in Goethestrasse 5 is a great place to stay. We always enjoy when the Kraft's are visiting, and we can get together at their place to have a fun time. If you want to live like a German during your vacation, this is the place to stay! Travel Tips: If you have kids make sure you visit family theme park Lochmühle in Spring or Summer. Also our kids always enjoy going to Senckenberg museum in Frankfurt...

Name: Frank and Melanie Itter
Home Base: Moenstadt, Germany
Vacation Apartment: German Hide-Away on the Lahn River
Comments: We know the Krafts for more than 25 years and we are very close friends. Although we live several thousand miles away our friendship never suffered. We see each other regularly during their stays in Germany, and use the Internet or the good old phone to communicate often. Their apartment Goethestrasse 5 is located in a quite area in Waldgirmes. It is spacious, nice, and has everything one needs for a good vacation. You can comfortably live there with 4-5 persons. Need to point out the nice backyard (we always enjoy it there, see pictures to the right!) The village is a small, but has a very good infrastructure. It is located between the two neighboring towns Wetzlar and Giessen. Its central location makes it an ideal starting point for exploring the area. Travel Tips: Here are some tips: Visit the old Roman fort Saalburg located on the Taunus ridge northwest of Bad Homburg. Also, there are many castles, like Castle Gleiberg, Castle Braunfels, Castle Cleeberg, and many more. Exploring big cities is also a good option (e.g., like Frankfurt, Cologne, Wiesbaden, Koblenz, and Trier).
In terms of local activities Waldgirmes has lots to offer too: nice trails for hiking and mountain biking, tennis, and soccer. Since the Lahn river is nearby you can do canoe tours too. To sum up: Just a great area located centrally in the heart of Germany!

Name: Dr. Gary Banner and DJ Rassech
Home Base: Gilroy, California
Vacation Apartment: German Hide-Away on the Lahn River
Comments: We were visiting the Kraft family in December 2007 during our trip in Germany. They invited us over in Waldgirmes for coffee and cake, and we enjoyed our time there. They gave us a complete tour of the apartment -- it looks really great! In particular we liked the European style furniture, hardwood floors, and the overall stylish decoration. Hope we can visit again in 2008!

Name: Thomas and Sabine Hengst
Home Base: Nauborn, Germany
Vacation Apartment: German Hide-Away on the Lahn River
Comments: We have known Reiner and his wife Bettina for more than 15 years. We are good friends and I always enjoy their hospitality in Waldgirmes or California. Bettina has a great taste in terms of interior design, which you can see in Göthestrasse 5. The place has been completely remodeled in 2006. Its interior has high standards and is arranged lovely. We know that, because we visit there every time when the Kraft's are in Germany. Travel Tips: Overall we can highly recommend the areas of Wetzlar and Waldgirmes for your Germany vacation. Beautiful forests and lakes invite you for hiking and long bicycle rides. The nearby towns of Braunfels and Wetzlar are great for sightseeing and exploring their old historic downtowns. The distance to Frankfurt is only 70 km. Frankfurt itself has a big city flair and offers you a rich historic and cultural activities to see.

Name: Joy Parvin
Home Base: West Yorkshire, UK
Vacation Apartment: German Hide-Away on the Lahn River
Overall Rating:
Comments:

We LOVED the apartment! We have stayed in quite a few apartments, cottages, etc. over the years, but we thought this was one of the best we'd stayed in. The standard of all the appliances and the facilities in general was very high. Plenty of towels were provided, and the welcome pack was very much appreciated (bread, milk, etc.).

The location was very peaceful, near to a lovely pool, restaurant, small playground and countryside. I would highly recommend this apartment to anyone wanting to stay in a quiet location in Germany.

Lots of useful information has been provided for things to do in the locality, and phone numbers were provided for a local contact (Bettina's mom - who was so friendly and helpful) and for the US.