Advent as the reason
The last week of November is the quiet before the markets take over and the week when they are still worth walking through. Bamberg's are spread across the whole old town; Munich's are four separate markets with four separate crowds.
Brewery tours in late November are half empty, which means the guide has time and the tasting is generous. Drei Kronen in Memmelsdorf and Budvar in České Budějovice both ran that way.
The route went out through Frankfurt and came back through Rome, which sounds extravagant and was mostly a cheaper fare. It did mean landing in São Paulo the next morning with a suitcase of Rauchbier.
The Czech pair
Plzeň and České Budějovice are four hours apart by car and a century apart in character. Plzeň invented the pale lager everyone else copied; Budvar has spent a hundred years arguing with Budweiser about a name and making a slower, rounder beer while it argued.
One night in České Budějovice is not enough for the town, but it is enough for the brewery, the square and dinner. Two nights, as in 2026, is better.