Continental Airlines launches its daily Bavarian Express direct flight to Munich from Newark today (March 27th).

While Frankfurt remains the No. 1 fly-through space, some travelers might want to consider heading to southern Germany instead. Munich (pronounced Munchin in its native tongue) offers it’s own charms — such as Oktoberfest (it starts this year Sept. 18) as well as all of the southern appeal of Germany.

For the American tourist, Munich is what you think Germany is supposed to be like — complete with big waitresses holding a couple of gallons of beer, liederhosen and old men in felt hats. Other attractions in the city include the Glockenspiel — perhaps the No. 1 overrated tourist attraction in Europe — it’s a clock — incredible Gothic buildings and narrow cobble stone streets.

But you can spend fabulous afternoons in the English Garten and if you need a lesson in humility, you can head to the suburbs and visit Dachau — a concentration camp that will literally leave you speechless and headed to the Hoffbrau Haus where you’ll want to sear those memories out of your head with alcohol.

Additionally, if you’re thinking of heading into Salzburg, Austria, (it offers more than simply Sound of Music tours) or any other locales south, arriving in Munich makes sense — it’ll save you an easy $100 for the train ticket from Frankfurt and a good four hours — each way — for the train. And, if you want to add a little Eastern European flair to your trip, Munich is a quick train ride away from Prague.

Picking your landing zone is much more important than many people may realize, because Europe may seem like a small country, but it’s still pretty big and which would you rather do? Spend a holiday riding around on trains or actually spend time in the places you want to see?

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