Hotel for World Cup?

Myself and three other guys will be staying in Hamburg as it is where the USA will be staying during the World Cup.

Have read that the Reeperbahn (sp?) is where the nightlife is, but would like to know any hotel recommendations that are close to this area?

We will look at any range (1 to 5 star), so any recommendations are appreciated..

Thanks!

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There is not only the Reeperbahn.

www.hamburg-tourism.de/Nightlife.520.0.html…

Hamburg has - like all bigger German cities - an excellent public transport network

http://www.hvv.com

For hotels see the Hamburg Tourism site or check

http://www.hrs.com

http://www.hotel.de

Recommendations won%26#39;t help much. You have to find a affordable hotel with free beds in first place.

The situation won%26#39;t get any better after the drawing on 9th December. Guess that many who have not booked yet will start to book when they know where their team is playing.

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The lower star rated hotels are the easier to book as most of the big ones are booked already!

However the draw did not provide Hamburg with especially attractive fixtures so some of the bookings may be cancelled.

Try the usual websites advertised on Trip SAdvisor. As Alabada says, there is an excellent train and bus network so as long asyou are near a U or S bahn then you will get about Hamburg easily enough.

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Abalada / H Man

Thanks for your help and the websites.

I have actually found a few reasonable hotels available, but now the challenge will be for Gelsenkirchen, Kaiserslautern and Nuremberg---but those are whole other posts!!

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Good luck to USA in the finals and enjoy the German bier!

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I fear that the USA won%26#39;t do as well as Germany given the groupings...

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Things that would be useful: a list of cheap accomodation...

It seems as if the same expensive hotels keep coming up when you search for accomodation in Kaiserslautern on the web.

What would be good would be a list frmo locals of accomodation you can%26#39;t find on the web, with prices and things to recommend them.

I am looking for an apartment for 4 people for 3 or 4 days in Kaiserslautern for example, any suggestions?

tom.

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There are often some other hotels and apartments on a city%26#39;s own website. That is true with K-town.

kaiserslautern.de/tourismus/…

I believe that a Ferienwohnungen is a vacation apartment.

Regards, Gary

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kaiserslautern.de/wm2006/…

And - I%26#39;m a bit lazy - what I answered to a similar question:

Kaiserslautern (aka K%26#39;town - the biggest US community outside of the US)

www.kaiserslautern.de/index.html?lang=en

If you cannot find something in Kaiserslautern (the smallest venue city with 100.000 inhabitants and not part of an conurbation).

Map of the VRN area

www.vrn.de/frames/karten_plaene/content.html

But something in Mannheim (the biggest city in the VRN with 325.000 inhabitants).

A single ticket Mannheim - Kaiserslautern is EUR 7,00.

Such a local public transport network are zone-to-zone tickets, not point-to-point tickets like normal train tickets. Thus from any train/tram/bus stop in Mannheim to any stop in Kaiserslautern. Latter is in this special case not necessary - it%26#39;s the stadium closest to a main railway station, just a short walk.

Covered with such a ticket are ALL types of local public transport

- regional trains: RegionalBahn RB and RegionalExpress RE

- S-Bahn trains

- U-Bahn (only in some bigger cities, like Nuremberg, Hamburg)

- trams (only in bigger cities)

- buses

and even sometimes ferries (e.g. in Hamburg)

More interesting are however the day/24-hours ticket offers. And the mini group tickets.

A 24-hours ticket for the whole VRN area is EUR 12,00.

A mini group (2-5 persons) 24-hours ticket for the whole VRN area is EUR 17,50.

These mini group tickets for up to 5 persons are available nearly everywhere.

More common than 24-hours tickets are (calendar) day tickets. Sometimes the mini group tickets have also the restriction that they are valid on weekdays only past 9am. Normally a day ticket is however valid not just till midnight but till 3am of the next day.

Must sees (there are many more nice spots) in the VRN area:

- Heidelberg

http://www.cvb-heidelberg.de/index_eng.html

…heidelberg.de/Altstadt-Information/english/…

As Heidelberg is esp. in the US very well known it%26#39;s mostlikely not the place where you%26#39;ll find the best hotel deals. Mannheim to Heidelberg is e.g. just 14-17 minutes by train.

- Speyer

www.speyer.de/de/tourist/sehenswert…

Need advice

I want to spend two days in Bavaria%26#39;s nature but I don%26#39;t know which is the best city or village to go or whre to stay. I need some help and I appreciate if you give me the name of web sites to look.

Is it too difficult to reach there from Vienna? I want to stay 3-4 days in Vienna and then in Bavaria.

Thank you a lot

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Closest to Austria if coming from Vienna and one of the nicest spots in the Alps:

Berchtesgaden/Lake Königssee

http://www.berchtesgadener-land.info

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Hallo Silver,

I am from Athens, Greece, too and I am planning to go to Bavaria. Why don%26#39;t you stay in Munich? It%26#39;s a big city with lots of sightseeing and if you rent a car you can also visit Oberbayern where some magnificent castles are located.

Useful sites: www.bayern.de , www.munich.com, www.wissen.de (Some useful info but I am not sure if it is in English or just German)

hope I helped you

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Bavarian nature is quite diverse. If you are thinking about seeing mountains and castles, Berchtesgadener Land is a good option. I find the so-called %26quot;Fränkische Schweiz%26quot; a very nice area, too, with a lot of small villages amidst 30m-high rocks and smaller mountains. It is further away from Vienna though. Staying in Munich might be a good idea, too, for the public transport will bring you to places like Starnberger See, where some nice walking is possible, too.

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You can inquire about train transportation on either of two websites:

http://bahn.hafas.de/bin/query.exe/en

http://www.oebb.at/vip8/oebb/en/index.jsp

Unfortunately as the train ride crosses borders you will not be able to get the price without both.

Wien (Vienna) -%26gt; Salzburg on OEBB

then

Salzburg -%26gt; ? (Muenchen, Fuessen, Berchtesgaden) on Bahn.

It is about 4 hours to Salzburg.

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http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

1st class fare is 106.00 €, 2nd class fare is 67.80 € + 3 € for a reservation if desired

Gay Hamburg for single gay

Similar to the gay couple who posted in August, I am a 25 year old gay male who will be in Hamburg this coming weekend. Will be there for work but have some time to myself.

Checked out a few of the linked sites (both the city and outtraveller/planetgay) on the couples post, but those tend to be outdated (ended up visiting 4 gay bars which had closed in Athens, all in one night, once).

Am looking for real insider information

Looking for fun gay bars and nightclubs to see. But dont want to end up in some dugeon-y dark room with leather daddies, since I know Hamburg has its scary fetish side.

What other attractions (re: non-gay) can i absolulely not miss in Hamburg?

And does anyone know how far St. Georg is from the Mercure Hotel?

Thanks.

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I can you help only with your last question - partly.

street map

http://stadtplan.hamburg.de

St. Georg is south-east of the Lake Außenalster and north-east of the Hauptbahnhof (main railway station).

Partly - because there are 4 Mercure hotels in Hamburg:

Mercure Hotel Hamburg an der Messe

Mercure Hotel Hamburg Airport Nord

Mercure Hotel Meridian Hamburg

Mercure Hotel Hamburg City

From the last one this is in walking distance.

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mercure an der messe is where i am staying, but ill look itup.

thanks

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hey ,

have a look at www.hinnerk.de you ca see the whole gay party weekend in hamburg where and when.

some places you can visit is the change www.change.de

the pit www.pit-male.de or the g-bar at st.georg lange reihe.

greetings sven

st.pauli1@gmx.de

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thank you sven.

am in fact back from Hamburg.

And here is my wrap up:

Bellini Bar - very small nice

G Club - decent, but not too many people

Cafe Gnosa - cool, loungy, like Hamburg%26#39;s version of the Big Cup in NYC.

EDK - tiny club, but great music, best saturday after 2 am

the pit/male/tom%26#39;s - scary dark room style, but interesting if you are into that sort of thing

Stricly men - yikes! i would not recommend, realy, really scray.

i in fact loved hamburg, as both a tourist, and a gay man. Met a sweet Hamburger (?) named Sven, but i dont think it was you.... ;)

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Hey There,

I am a 32 yr-old gay man headed to Hamburg for the entire month of April, 2006. I%26#39;ll be working some but mostly want to be in a fun gay neighborhood immersed in the language.

I need to rent an apartment/hotel room for the month and will be with my small dog.

Can you recommend a neighborhood and sources/services for renting places for the month (dog friendly).

Any info would be appreciated.

Burton

help at finding good venue for surprise party

I%26#39;m surprising my boyfriend with a surprise party in Cologne early next year (2006). There are about 10 of us and i need a good place where we can all meet to surprise him. I was thinking of a good brewery in the old town, but i don%26#39;t know how big the places are and how appropriate they are for groups this big.

Please help, any suggestions of bars would be greatly appreciated. I would like something quaint and typical of Germany/Cologne.

Thank You

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The Brauhäuser are big enough.

Früh am Dom 1000 places (seats)

Sion 600 places

Päffgen 350 places

Peters 160 places

Gaffel 150 places

Sünner 140 places

... and undoubtly typical for Cologne

www.koeln.nicecity.de/english/breweries.htm

Organ music Dec 21-26

Does anyone know of any concerts of organ music taking place in Berlin between 21-26 December 2005?

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Yes there are some see berlin-tourist-information.de/english you can enter dates and get all concerts listed and there is a tel no to make bookings which is what i am about to do,havefun

Accommodation for small group of discerning travellers in...

Hi, I have been tasked with organising accommodation for a small party of colleagues (15) to Berlin, for 4 days, for business (mainly!!) in early summer. We are all in our 40s and most of us like good food, museums, relaxation and similar and we are not keen to stay in huge hotels or very rowdy neighbourhoods. Can you please tell me which areas I should avoid? I was told that I should look for hotels in the Unter der Linden area, is that so? Any help would be hugely appreciated!

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Unter den Linden is close to business (to the south) and fun (to the north and east)- but also rather expensive.

Hotels on Gendarmenmarkt offer great views - e.g. Hilton. Dorint Hotel is a designer place accorhotels.com/accorhotels/fichehotel/de/so…

In West Berlin there are some smaller design hotels like

brandenburger-hof.com/pages/hotel_frame.htm.

our corporate guests stay in these hotels - I am not so familiar with less expensive ones I am afraid.

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We were in Berlin this year for business and found Mitte area to be excellent.Plenty of museums restuarants and cafes.An up and coming trendy area.You are within walking distance to checkpoint charlie, berlin wall,the crosses, etc.etc there are also some great 5 star hotels you can stop and have pre dinner drinks in.Shopping is also excellent.

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My husband and I were in Berlin last week. We stayed at the Hotel Kempinski in the Ku%26#39;Damm area. It was fantastic and highly recommended for the discerning traveller.

World Cup 2006 travel related questions

This forum is intended to facilitate the exchange of travel information among soccer (football) fans around the world travelling to Germany for the 2006 World Cup of Football

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If you have a day to spend in Stuttgart, what are the must-see sights? %26quot;Day%26quot; means 08:00 - 17:00.

(I have tickets to a game in the evening on June 13th but want to make full use of my entire day in Stuttgart.) Any recommendation would be much appreciated!

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fifawm2006.stuttgart.de/index_fifa_ENG.htm

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Abalada,

Thanks for the link...However, what would be your personal recommendation? Give me your top 3 sights!

Sorry. I find it better to hear from actual people. Thanks again! or should I say %26quot;Danke%26quot;! :-)

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What I personally would visit in Stuttgart are the Schlossplatz, the Markthalle with the wonderful sights and smells of top quality food from around the world, the Staatsgallerie art museum, Wilhelma combination zoo-botanical gardens with its nice Moorish architecture, the Mercedes Benz museum (new museum opening in spring), and if interested in Porsches, their museum. A city tour through the tourist office (either walking or by bus) wouldn%26#39;t be bad either.

If you want to visit outside of Stuttgart using the local transportation network (S-bahn), the palace (Swabian Versailles) at Ludwigsburg and the old town part of Esslingen are excellent.

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Marcopolko,

Thanks for your response. How far are %26quot;the palace (Swabian Versailles) at Ludwigsburg and the old town part of Esslingen%26quot; by S-bahn? Can they be done in 4-5 hours? My hotel is at %26quot;Augsburger Str. 671-673%26quot; - I have no idea if it is a convenient location to get around Stuttgart or not? I%26#39;m so excited, we%26#39;ll find out on Friday who%26#39;s playing who on June 13 in Stuttgart...

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%26quot;Augsburger Str. 671-673%26quot;

This is close to the Obertürkheim station on the S-Bahn line S1.

http://www.vvs.de/download/71.pdf

Just 2 stops from Esslingen and 2 stops from Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion station.

esslingen-tourist.de/english/Sehenswert.htm

My top 3 for Stuttgart are

- Museum am Löwentor

naturkundemuseum-bw.de/stuttgart/index.html

Natural Science Museum (fossils, dinosaur)

Interesting. But esp. impressive the huge local content, i.e. from Stuttgart and surroundings.

- Wilhelma

Zoo and botanical garden.

http://www.wilhelma.de/

- Das LEUZE

www.stuttgart.de/baeder/kbb.php…

Nice combination of a mineral spa and fun bath. Stuttgart has the 2nd biggest mineral springs in Europe.

All 3 are next to each other.

The new Mercedes-Benz Museum which opens in May 2006 is next to the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadtion. And as more football fans are into cars than into fossils, animals/botanics, spas or old towns - I guess it will be very crowded there.

Try to make up an itinerary where you can reach the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadium from the Obertürkheim/Esslingen side. The trains from Stuttgart centre will be much more growded as 90% will reach the stadium from this side.

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First, abalada mentioned the paleontological museum, which is excellent, and which I enjoy being a geologist. The only problem there is I don%26#39;t believe there are any signs in English if that would be a problem, but the local fossils themselves are great coming from world-famous rocks close to Stuttgart.

As abalada also mentioned, your hotel is in or near the fairly remote Obertuerkheim part of Stuttgart near the Daimler Chrysler plant. Unfortunately, you%26#39;ll be only near one S-bahn line (S-1) (trains every half hour, every 15 minutes at rush hour) and no U-bahns. Esslingen will only be a few stops at most in the direction away from Stuttgart. The simplest way to get to Ludwigsburg is to just take the S-1 to the Hauptbahnhof, and there catch the S-4 or S-5 to Ludwigsburg. The palace is at least a kilometer from the Ludwigsburg train station. An alternative for returning is to walk through the park containing a deer herd and the small palace %26quot;Favorite%26quot; and the other small palace on the water %26quot;Mons Repo%26quot; (spelling?) and then return to Stuttgart on the S-4 at the Favoritepark S-bahn station.

In your 4-5 hours you could easily see the old part of Esslingen, but for the same time frame you might have to cut your Ludwigsburg visit slightly short. There you can visit the rooms that have public access on a tour, and also visit the four museums (the porcellan museum is nice) contained within it. They also still manufacture Ludwigsburg porcellan there. The gardens also have a section depicting children%26#39;s fairy tales.

Near your hotel is a wine museum in Uhlback amid the vineyards, and also the hilltop grave chapel (with excellent views) of one of Wuerttemberg%26#39;s rulers which he built for his wife, a daughter of the Russian Czar, on the site of the family%26#39;s former castle. Both are accessible by bus.

The problem is that you have far too little time. You can easily spend an interresting week or two in and around Stuttgart.

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Many thanks to all for your tips on Stuttgart. One question: what would be a good place to hang out in Stuttgart after a soccer game? (We%26#39;re NOT into wild, rowdy party scenes. We are a Canadian couple in our 30s looking for a fun and safe place for a drink, people watching etc. after the game).

I really look forward for our first visit to your wonderful city of Stuttgart and the country of Germany.

I%26#39;m glad we%26#39;ll get to see France vs. Switzerland on June 13th. This is a lot better than a Mexico-Iran match-up!!

Other cities I will be visiting next summer are Dortmund (2 days) and Munich (4 days). Any travel tips on those cities would be appreciated too.

Best regards.

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For the Swiss and French fans Stuttgart is of course the best location as it is really close to both countries. Less than 2 hours from their borders.

And the Stuttgart conurbation is with 2,65 mio. inhabitants the 3rd biggest in Germany.

Short: it will be very very crowded

…stuttgart.de/ENG/events/public-viewing.htm

Many fans will head from the stadium back to the inner city. The stadium is between the Wasen festgrounds (for the Stuttgart %26quot;Oktoberfest%26quot;, but at other times used for parking), the Mercedes-Benz factory and a residential area. So no reason to stay after the match near the stadium.

I don%26#39;t think that it will work to give any tips from %26quot;normal%26quot; experience. We don%26#39;t know if a place will be open at all at these days or what special program they will offer on these days. And if you have any chance to get in at all. E.g. if the place is already occupied by fans without tickets.

I guess the Stuttgarters will transfer the Königsstrasse and Schlossplatz in one big bar and party mile.

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I%26#39;m trying to find some accommodation near Kaiserslautern during the World Cup, but there seems to be very few hotels there. Can anyone help?

Cologne

Hi, can anyone tell me about worth to see places close to Cologne? maybe Luxemburg, Belgium or inside Germany,considering traveling costs.

Thanks

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Düsseldorf

http://www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de/

Bonn

bonn.de/tourismus_kultur_sport_freizeit/…

esp. the house of history (free entrance)

http://www.hdg.de/indexeng.html

Brühl Castle

bruehl.de/stadt_bruehl/…schloss_aug_uk.htm

http://www.schloss-bruehl.de *)

Middle Rhine Valley *)

http://www.talderloreley.de/index.en.php

http://www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.de/

Aachen (cathedral *))

aachen.de/EN/…index.html

Rout of Industrial Heritage (Zollverein pit *))

route-industriekultur.de/steuer/…menue_e.htm

*) UNESCO world heritage sites

Chritmas Markets in Hamburg

We are arriving in Hamburg this Friday - where are the best Christmas Markets? Thanks

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This link should give you some information if nobody gets back to you about it:

hamburg-tourism.de/…

If you have time for day trips, try visiting either Lubeck or Bremen. Both are beautiful towns. Bremen has a great Christmas market.

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Are you flying by accident with Ryanair to Lübeck (not Hamburg)?

The Altstadt (old town) is an UNESCO world heritage site and the Christmas market there has a long tradition.

http://www.luebeck-tourism.de/

Christmas Markets

luebeck-tourismus.de/weihnachten/index.html

Ice World

www.iceworld.de/index.php…

plz help world cup iterinary

hello

i am a journalist travelling to germany for the world cup.....my schedule is

5 June - 10 June - Munich

10 June - 23 June - Frankfurt

23 June - 6 July - Munich

6 July - 10 July - Berlin

I have picked out some hotels....i wish to stay in the city and be close to the underground railways system so that i can reach the venues without any hassale

selcted hotels

Munich

Griesers Hotel zur Post

Schrobenhausen

Frankfurt

Alter Vater Rhein

Nierstein

Berlin

Brandenburger Hof

Neuruppin

Can anybody help me please and let me know whether these hotels are in the citiy and close to underground stations

thanks

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As far as I know all these hotels are really far outr of town.

For Schrobenhausen it%26#39;s about 60km away fron the town center of Munich with a really bad public transport Link to Munich. The railway line serving Schrobenhausen is only hour- to two hourly and needs changing at Ingolstadt or Augsburg whats far away of beeing the direct way. The Bus linking Schrobenhausen to the S-Bahn network at Petershausen Station only opeates in peak hours.

For Berin it%26#39;s the same. Neuruppin is in Brandenburg and will reqire a more than one hour long train ride to Berlin city center.

I can only guess for Nierstein, but I know there are a lot of wineyards. So I think it%26#39;s also quiute far away from frankfurt city center.

you can check with www.viamichelin.com. Without giving streets or ZIP-Codes the city center will be selected.

MAybe you should spend a little more money and stay closer to the city or at least within the S-Bahn-networks.

Philipp

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thanks a lot phillip....u have been really helpful

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Hi Soccermad

If you want to be in the city next to the underground then I would recommend that you book with the Intercity group of hotels.

The hotels are always next to the ICE railway station, therefore, straight onto the S or U bahn and with the room rate you get a ticket for free use of all public transport during your stay.

They are of a very high standard for a 3 star and are in the cities which you mention above.

http://www.intercityhotel.de

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DB (German Rail) timetable

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/e

The DB timetable knows about ALL public transport in Germany. It can give you connections between 400.000 stops and knows also about 42 million addresses in Germany. You can search for addresses if you switch to the %26quot;Advanced Search%26quot; folder.

There is a special DB offer for the World Cup 2006

Weltmeister-Pass

A rail pass valid from 7. June to 11. July 2006 and covering all DB trains *).

2nd class EUR 349,-

1st class EUR 549,-

Available from 11. December 2005 at the DB counters/agents or online.

With such a ticket you could stay in further away cities, but with a better connection, e.g. by ICE high speed trains. For example Augsburg for Munich.

Travel time depends more on the offered means of transport than just the distance.

You can check this for each case with the DB timetable.

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Hotels in Münich that are within walking distance of the main train station [Hauptbahnhof] and the DB/S-Bahn trains would be:

Hotel Kings Center or Hotel Kings First Class are 2 blocks north. http://www.kingshotels.com/

Hotel Excelsior is 2 blocks east. http://www.excelsior-muenchen.de/

Hotel Europäischer Hof is across the street south of the station. We usually stay here in a business class room, which have a separate desk, couch, and TV room. The buffet breakfast is excellent. http://www.heh.de/e/default.htm

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thanks guys....i will try them out...as far as travelling is concerned i hear that all the accredited journalists will be allowed to travel free on the german railway system...that will be a great help...thanks again guys

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Hey guys i chkd out the hotels that u had mentioned.....they are way too expensive....i was looking at something under 100 euros...do u have something in mind...plz let me kno...Thanks again

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I don%26#39;t think you will find something under 100€ during world-cup. But you could try to find some private rooms. I%26#39;ll check on the web this evening.

Philipp

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thanks phillip....finding hotels is a nightmare.....everything seems to be totally booked and those who are not are frightfully expensive...thanks for ur help

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Check www.hrs.de

I entered your Dates and got quite a big list of hotels from 75€ to 100€.

If I was you I%26#39;d skip the idea of finding a well located hotel around 50€. This is difficult without the Worldcup, but completely impossible during the Worldcup.

I can recommend more or less:

- Stadt Pasing Garni: A litttle bit at the edge of town, but good bus link (2 lines with 10 mn intervalls) to Pasing station which is served of 4 S-Bahn lines and a lot of long-distance and regional trains.

- Edelweiss Parkhotel: Might be a little bit noisy, but good link to the city center by tramway (every 10mn)

- Petri Garni: Close to where I live. Underground 5mn away, from there 10 mn to the city center (U5 %26quot;Laimer Platz%26quot;)

Hope this helps.

You could also try www.hotel.de

Philipp

Cologne airport to cologne centre

could anyone tell me exactly how to get by train from cologne airport to the train/tram? stop called rudolfplatz in cologne

thanks

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I don%26#39;t know exactly where you want to go but i was in cologne 6 years ago and you can take a bus from outside the airport to the centre very easily - you pay on the bus. You can then walk/take taxi to your destination. The bus runs frequently.

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No bus any more - the airport ahs a rail link. You have to take S-Bahn to the main station and then Stadtbahn (tram/subway) No. 16 or 18 to Rudolfplatz

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I am going tomorrow morning for the weekend with my family. I%26#39;m afraid I took the easy, more comfortable and stress free way out and booked a return transfer from the airport to the our Hotel which is opposite the Rudofplatz. I did so so www.octopustravel-a minbus to meet us at the airport and will take us back from the Hotel. Total paid was £131.00 for the return. You can, of course, book one-way.

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Single ticket from the airport to Rudolfsplatz or anywhere else in Cologne is EUR 2,10.

A mini group (up to 5 persons) day ticket is EUR 8,50.

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Sorry to say that but I hardly ever saw money less well spent. But it%26#39;s yours to spend (or throw away) of course...

If you can revert it just take a train to the main station and a taxi from ther. It wills till cost you about 1/10 of what you just mentioned AND it will be faster.

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Holy Moly! 131 sterling, and I suppose that does not include gratuities?! Why not just walk up to the cab rank and get the first cab in the queue, that%26#39;s most likely to be significantly cheaper.

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Went for the Cologne Carnival this year and took a cab which cost about 14GBP one way.

Going again next February and staying near the Cathederal and therefore will be taking the train and walking.

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I am travelling to Cologne next week. I am staying at the Leonet hotel also near Rudolfplatz. I am happy about using the S Bahn from the airport to the centre but how did you get to Rudolfplatz. Do you recommend subway or taxi?

have you any other useful tips for three females wanting to see as much as possible in two days, Cathedral and Xmas markets already top of list.

Thanks

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If there are 3 of you then best to get a taxi from the train station - should be no more than 8 Euros. Leonet is about 500 yards from nearest tram stop at Rudolfplatz, and not the easiest place to find. You can get a decent city map from the hotel - including ones with Xmas markets on, and they are all easily walkable distance. (Medieval Xmas market is good - by the chocolate museum on the rhine).

Things to do apart from Xmas markets %26amp; shops.

1. Ice skating at Heumarkt Xmas market.

2. Visit Aachen - cosier feel than Cologne %26amp; nice Xmas market . (50 mins each way by train).

3. Go to pubs/jazz music in Altstadt near the Rhine - though it gets a bit boisterous Fri/Sat nights. Area around Rudolfplatz is still quite lively, but fewer singing drunks pushing each other around.

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Taxi will be more than 8 Euro.

Purrfecttune gave above a quote of GBP 14 (~ EUR 20) and I think this is more realistic.

The train uses the shortest route with the Hohenzollern bridge. But this is only a train and pedestrian bridge. A taxi has to go a less direct route.

Laundromats

Where can I find a laundromat in Heidelberg, Germany to do the washing of my clothes?

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Waschtrommel Monika Colley Waschsalon

Rohrbacher Str. 10, 69115 Heidelberg

Wojtalla Nicole M. Waschsalon

Kettengasse 17, 69117 Heidelberg

city map

http://ww2.heidelberg.de/stadtplan

click on %26quot;Adresse%26quot; and type in %26quot;Strasse%26quot; (street) and %26quot;Hausnummer%26quot; (house number)

Taking the train into Frieburg.

My daughter and I will be traveling via train to Frieburg in March for two days. Is this a good place to be based for a couple of days to %26quot;see%26quot; the Black Forest? We also like to ride horses. Are there other sites that can be reached without a car that are %26quot;must sees%26quot;. We are coming from Vienna and will then travel to Berlin.

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Freiburg is a good place to see the Black Forest.

You might visit Colmar in France (German boarder,1 hour from Freiburg) which is a very beautiful historic wine town . There is a bus (1076) from Freiburg to Colmar .

http://www.ot-colmar.fr

Laundromat

Where can I find a laundromat in heidelberg to do my washing

|||

of course you do :

Nicole M. Wojtalla

Kettengasse 17

69117 Heidelberg

Tel: 06221/602100

Eurorail passes How do you know if you need one?

I will be in Geneva Switzerland for a week, then taking a train to Munich for another week. I will be there on business, and don%26#39;t know if I will use the train for that. I will have two extra day in Munich for touring. How do I know if I should be a pass in the US? I may take a side trip to Austria too. Please advise.

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First, Geneva to Munich is a distance that is probably easier to fly than take the train. However I think there are no budget flights on the connection. But if you only intend to go Geneva to Munich by train, why do you want to buy the (hugely expensive) Eurail Pass? I have heard it costs something like 1500 $? Unless you want to throw away your money just buy single tickets. Do you fly back out of Munich or do you have to go back to Geneva?

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Eurail Pass

http://www.eurail.com

The cheapest pass would be an Eurail Selectpass 3 countries and 5 days in 2 months for USD 370.

3 countries are OK: Switzerland, Germany, Austria

But there is no version with less than 5 days.

You can check p2p ticket prices to/from Germany at the DB timetable

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/e

From: Geneve

To: Munich

Price will depend on the route and the type of trains used.

For side trips from Munich to the Bavarian Alps or Salzburg you can use the Bavaria Ticket.

Bavaria Ticket Single (1 person) EUR 17,00

Bavaria Ticket (2-5 persons) EUR 24,00

This ticket is valid one day and covers all local trains in Bavaria (plus to Salzburg). On weekdays however only past 9am.

http://www.neuschwanstein.de

http://www.zugspitze.de

http://www.berchtesgadener-land.info

http://www.salzburg.info

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“altamiro” and “abalada” are correct. To find train schedules and fares use the DB website. http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

From: Geneve To: München Hbf

The quickest journey would be InterCity train IC 523 departing Geneva at 10:23 and arriving Zürich HB at 12:56. Connect to EuroCity train EC 195 departing Zürich HB at 13:16 and arriving Münich Hbf at 17:28. Travel time 7h 15m, 1st class fare 156.80, 2nd class fare 95.80 €.

A reservation is only 3 €. With it you would be assured a forward facing window seat and would not have to move you and your luggage if someone with a reservation gets on the train. You are also allowed to bring along your own snacks and beverages onto the train. Buy the train ticket and make a reservation 24 hours in advance at the train station or travel agent office in Geneva.

Specific information about the Bayern-Ticket (Bavaria-Ticket) can be found at:

bahn.de/-S:PtVORd:d9E-jtNNYyadcNNNNPIM/p/vie…

As “abalada” points out, the Bayern-Ticket would be valid for travel from Munich to Garmish or Salzburg but only on the local RE or RB trains after 09:00 on weekdays. Same route and same tracks, just more “commuter” stops. A pdf map showing the area where the ticket is valid is at:

bahn.de/-S:PtVOR9:dC1IPdNNo6q5h9NNNcEM/regio…

|||

Another vote for point to point tickets. You have been given good advice by the experts.

|||

Thanks for everyone%26#39;e help.

|||

Medtravel, I am not sure about the expert%26#39;s answers when you did not even give your travel dates...December trains in this region are booked in advance and how good it is to have the timetable when you cannot get a seat! And 7 hours standing up is not fun...I would be very cautious about these so called experts, especially Altamiro who thinks a eurail pass costs $1500...Caveat lector

|||

%26gt; how good it is to have the timetable when you cannot get a seat!

Very good. If you proceed in the DB timetable with buying the p2p ticket for the desired connection it%26#39;s just one click (seat reservation) and EUR 1,50 more to get a seat (evtl. more if there are too many changes/legs).

EUR 3,00 for a seat reservation is the price if you buy at the counter or online without a ticket - but this is yet only possible for inner German connections.

Peak travel times are generally Friday and Sunday afternoon and evening. And also the holiday period Christmas/New Year.

The risk that you cannot book a seat anymore on this route is low. In Switzerland it%26#39;s not common to reserve seats at all (enough capacity, rather short (average) trips). And the passenger numbers on the routes from Switzerland to Germany are worlds apart from the number of domestic city connections in both countries.

|||

Another pitiable attempt of erudite advise by “maserati”

Unlike an airplane, when or if reservations for seating on a specific train begin to exceed capacity, the SBB or DB can simply add another carriage. However, from what I have read on TA, the same may not be true in Italy.

|||

Maserati,

When dissenting, one should present a strong argument....

%26gt; ........%26quot;I have heard it costs something like 1500$?%26quot;.....Yes, %26#39;altamiro%26#39; is right. There are 2 rail passes which cost $1338 and $1654, but not appropriate in this situation.

I fail to see in your response your answer to what the author asked in the first place. After looking at several of your recent posts, I suggest you enlighten those with your %26quot;expert%26quot; advise at the following forum:

http://www.maseratiforum.net/

Medtravel - Purchase your point to point ticket in Geneva at the Gare/train station for your trip to Munich. If you do any sidetrips from Germany, purchase the tickets at the Munich Hauptbahnhof/main train station. There is a separate office where English speaking DB agents can help you. It is about a 1 minute walk from the main ticket windows/office, located in the station. A rail pass for your travel will not be penny wise. Bring snacks/pop/sandwich

for your trip to Munich on the train.

Munich%26#39;s top ten sites -

discover-munich.info/sightseeing_toptips.htm

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Night train

Given the choice of taking the night train from Vienna to Freiburg and having an extra day in Freiburg (two total), would you miss all the beautiful scenery between the two cities?

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The scenery between Vienna and Freiburg is not very beautiful if you go via Salzburg-Munich-Karlsruhe, but as far as I know there is no night train between Vienna and Freiburg.

philipp plz help

hi philipp ...do u kno this hotel....is it near any underground railway system.....and also how far is it fro the world cup stadium and the International media centre....is commuting to stadium is a problem from here....Motel One München-Putzbrunn, Munich

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If you got a car the locationis ok. The way to the media center will be arrox 15 Min by car, the city center an additional 20 (but I seriously recommend to park the car at a underground or S-Bahn-Station (eg Neuperlach Süd U5).

The world cup stadium is 20 Minutes by car, but parking is very limited during the world-cup (which raised a lot of public protest in Munich) and so I%26#39; recommend to use a park-and-ride place , eg Garching-Hochbrück which is very close to the stadium.

Without a car the Hotel is very remote and can be reached by Bus from Neubiberg station (S6-Line) and Bus 212. This bus operates M-F 6h-23h in 20 to 60 Min intervalls, Sat 7h-20h and Sun 8h-19h in 60 Minutes Intervalls.

So without a car I%26#39;d recommend another hotel. *Sorry*

Philipp

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philipp....sadly i don%26#39;t have a car....it seems il have to look for another accomodation....thanks for everything...you%26#39;re a star man....thanks

|||

Hi soccermad,

check the other thread you started. I posted some more hotels and web-booking-engines there. But as I wrote there you will do *very* hard finding a acceptable hotel around 50€. This is almost impossible without the world-cup but hopeless during world-cup.

Philipp

best way to go from Dusseldorf (weeze) to Cologne??

Hi travelling over to Germany next week

arriving at Dusseldorf weeze airport and wondered what the best way of getting to Cologne is ,noticed there are bus%26#39;s but they take 2.5 hours ,is there a train which might be faster

Thanks Dean

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DB timetable

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

From: Weeze Flughafen

To: Cologne

RFB/AST are on demand (mini) bus services. You have to call the given phone numbers in advance.

AST to Weeze. From there by RE to Cologne. Travel time 1:48. Esp. if not travelling alone cheaper than the shuttle bus.

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It%26#39;s a bit of a journey from memory. Our bus went into Dusseldorf first, then onto Cologne. It took just over 2 hours I think, and it was nice enough scenery though, so not a bad journey. On the way back we took the train into Dusseldorf and got the bus back from there. We spent about an hour in the Altstadt in Dusseldorf which was nice. Weeze probably isn%26#39;t the best airport, but I%26#39;m guessing you%26#39;ve got a good deal with Ryanair?

|||

If you can afford it, www.octopustravel.com do some Tailor Made sightseeing Tours with pick up and drop off from your Hotel/Airport

|||

You could also visit Kevelaer which has a really nice Altstadt and is only about 15 minutes from Weeze airport. I have heard Weeze is nice too though I didn%26#39;t visit this town.

Germany has more Altstadt%26#39;s than you can shake a stick at. It%26#39;s really wortwhile to buy a good guidebook and do some exploring.

|||

Hi...how much did the bus travel cost ? and how much does the same cost by train ? Regards.

|||

Shuttle Bus Weeze Airport to Cologne: EUR 18,00

Bus to Weeze: EUR 1,95

Train Weeze to Cologne: EUR 16,30 *)

Bus to Kevelaer: EUR 3,60

Train Kevelaer to Cologne: EUR 15,50 *)

*) These tickets are valid to any train/tram/bus stop in Cologne.

Please note that the buses to Weeze/Kevelaer run only on demand. The bus to Weeze should be also included with this ticket. The bus to Kevelaer not.

Phone numbers can be found here:

airport-weeze.de/…

If you travel not alone buy a %26quot; SchönerTagTicket 5 Personen NRW%26quot; (HappyDayTicket 5 persons North Rhine-Westphalia%26quot; for EUR 27,00 which is valid one day for 2-5 persons and covers all local public transport in the state North Rhine-Westphalia.

On weekdays however only valid past 9am.

|||

Thanks for the reply.

Is the airport in weeze close to the city weeze ?

Regards.

|||

The bus needs 8 minutes to Weeze. Not far, but too far to just walk it.

Weeze is a town with 11.125 inhabitants.

weeze.de/kommunen/…

Advice on eating!

Hi, i am thinking of going on holiday here over christmas...does anyone know how much it would cost to eat out on average each evening?

Thanks.

|||

General rule of thumb is that it costs the same in Euros as you pay in pounds in the UK. In a mid-range restaurant you should expect to pay around 50 Euros for a meal for two including house wineor a bier. Although there are a few swish places that will charge you much more. At the other end of the scale you can get a cheeseburger in McDonalds for 1 Euro!

|||

What kind of cuisine do you prefer? May be I can give you some names of restaurants that aren%26#39;t too expensive.

|||

I like most types of food, but i would particularly like to go to a restaurant which services good German food but doesn%26#39;t cost more than £10 -£15 pounds per head, is this possible? I would be interested in most other types of restaurants as long as the food is good and it was in the same price range, any ideas?

|||

So, here are some restaurants with German cuisine which aren’t too expensive. I’ve been to all these restaurants at least once and I enjoyed it very much.

Kartoffelkeller

Deichstrasse 21

20459 Hamburg

http://www.kartoffelkeller-hamburg.de/

Lot’s and lot’s of potatoes especially Bratkartoffeln and the different potatoe salads are very good. The atmosphere in this restaurant is great. All dishes can be combined or shared with your partner.

Daniel Wischer

Spitalerstr. 12

20095 Hamburg

The oldest fish restaurant in Hamburg is in the pedestrian zone near the main station. It may be that you will have to wait for a free table but it worth it. Closes already at 8.30 pm.

Mö-Grill

Not a restaurant but a take-away for the best Currywurst in the North of Germany (can’t really judge the Currywurst in the South  ) There are also other kinds of ‘Wurst’ which are all very good but the best choice is really ‘Currywurst scharf’ (scharf = hot). There are many people from other parts of Germany who always look forward to being in Hamburg and to eating a Currywurst in the Mönckebergstraße. I don’t have a house numer but there are two stands that are called ‘Mö-Grill’ (one on each side of the road). They are near the Möckebergbrunnen and the entrance of the tube station called ‘Mönckebergstraße’. You definitely should go there! The Mönckbergstraße runs parallel to Spitalerstraße (the pedestrian zone near the main station)

Das weiße Haus

Neumühlen 50

Museumshafen

22763 Hamburg

http://www.das-weisse-haus.de/

This restaurant belong to the famous German TV-cook Tim Mälzer (Tim Mälzer is a very good friend of the British cook Jamie Oliver – may be you know him). The restaurant is in the picturesque Museumshafen of Hamburg (the old harbour) and can be reached by boat, starting from Landungsbrücken (it’s really great going there by boat!) Although Tim is quite famous here and the restaurant is located in that area, the prices in his restaurant are ok.

From 12-3 pm you pay between 5,90 Euro and 7,90 Euro for a meal and in the evening there is something called Überraschungsmenü which is more expensive but interesting because you don’t know what you get to eat. You just tell them what you don’t like and then they create something for you (3 courses for 28 Euro and 4 courses for 36 Euro)

As the restaurant is very famous it is advisable to make a reservation (Tel.: 040-3909016)

Dübelsbrücker Kajüt

Elbchaussee 303

Teufelsbrück

22609 Hamburg

Another very good fish restaurant serving traditional Hamburg dishes. It is in the middle of the part of the harbour called Teufelsbrück. You can go there by boat as well. Main courses are between 10 and 16 Euro. Great atmosphere because of the harbour!

Restaurant Opitz

Mundsburger Damm 17

22087 Hamburg

http://www.restaurant-opitz.de/

Traditional German cuisine. Seasonal cuisine. Located in a very nice area of Hamburg

Zu den alten Krameramtssuben am Michel

Krayenkamp 10

20459 Hamburg

http://www.krameramtsstuben.de/index.html

Traditional Hamburg cuisine. The Krameramtsstuben are near the ‘Michel’. In order to get an impression about what Hamburg looked like 350 years ago one should have a look at the Krameramtsstuben. The street in which the Krameramtssuben are is always worth a visit (good to be combined with the ‘Michel’) even without eating there.

Some other very good restaurants (not only German cuisine) are:

Brasilian: Panthera Rodizio (near the Michel)

Ditmar-Koel-Str. 3

20459 Hamburg

www.panthera-rodizio.de/panthera-rodizio/

The interesting thing about this restaurant is the ‚Rodizio’ itself. If you order ‘Rodizio’ you will start with a salad and after that you will get lots of different dishes that were prepared on a spit. They come around with the spits and only stop putting meat on your plate when you tell them to do so. They also serve vegetable and sweet things like bananas, pine apple etc. Have a look at the pictures – I think you’ll get a good impression about how ‘Rodizio’ works. And you really can eat as much as you want for only 22 Euro.

If you are fond of the Portuguese cuisine you should go to the ‘Portugiesenviertel’ which is in the district around the Michel / Dietmar-Koel-Straße as well. There are many very good restaurants and the atmosphere is great!

The best and oldest Indian restaurant in Hamburg is the one in Dillstraße:

Shalimar

Dillstr. 16

20146 Hamburg

http://www.shalimar-hamburg.de/4679.html

A little bit more expensive but absolutely worth every penny! It’s in the university district of Hamburg and the food is absolutely delicious.

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Thank you for that excellent list of restaurants in Hamburg. I particularly like the %26#39;Rodizo%26#39; one, I was in a similar place in prague and it was great fun. We are going to hamburg mid December and if you have any other tips, I would be happy to receive them. we hope to do Xmas markets etc. Regards Mary

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Hi voyager

There are more or less 3 christmas markets in the city of Hamburg. One is in Spitalerstrasse, one on the Gänsemarkt (also a very nice area to go shopping) and one on the Rathausmarkt. The Hanseviertel (shopping centre) is near the Gänsemarkt and it%26#39;s alwyays very nicley decorated as well.

I don%26#39;t know how long you%26#39;re planning to stay here but if you%26#39;ve got some time I%26#39;d recommend to go to Lünburg and/or Lübeck. Lüneburg and Luebeck are very nice little towns with very nice christmas markets:

www.lueneburg.de

www.luene-info.de (only in German language)

www.luebeck.de (only in German language)

http://www.luebeck-tourism.de/

Part of the christmas market in Lübeck is in a church and you%26#39;ll need hours to get in on weekends so it might be better to go there on a weekday.

You%26#39;d need about 30 minutes to get to Lüneburg and about 50 minutes to get to Lübeck by train.

|||

Hi, Not sure if i replied but thank you for all that info, looking forward to our trip, Mary

|||

The Shalimar moved!!!

The new address is:

ABC-Strasse 44-47 near Gänsemarkt

Bavarian Docmentary

I saw a documentary on Bavaria while in Wshington D. C. About December 11, 2003. It ws on Public Radio for their fund raiser. I would love to buy the tape. It was a beautiful travel log of allof Bavaria. Can you help me please?

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Could you be asking about visions of Germany, Bavaria. They use a helicopter to fly around various areas of bavaria and comment on the area / history. You can get that through PBS, they also have a new one out Visions of Germany, The Rhine river. I believe that you can both now as a package for a donation to the station.

Old christmas customs

I was curious if anybody knew of any villages in Germany (I would guess more in Bavaria) that still observe any of the very old Christmas customs ie the St Nicholas fire, or other such celebrations that are not well know

|||

In Biberach an der Riss in Upper Swabia on Christmas Eve they lower the baby Jesus in a basket from a house to the town square where the Christmas market is held. They then sing, the town Christmas tree is lit, and the children get little presents. In Altenstieg in the Black Forest the upper villagers battle the lower villagers with fire on Christmas Eve. I don%26#39;t know the exact custom, but it is unique. We have a friend from there, but couldn%26#39;t make it last year, but will try this year. Personally, in our apartment my German wife insists on using beeswax candles on the Christmas tree for lighting.

|||

marcopolko I look forward to hearing how your trip went and to learn more about the local Christmas custom in Altenstieg.

Train time + cost from Bonn - Frankfurt

Hi there,

Just wondered if anybody could answer my question. I%26#39;ve checked Bahn.de and it%26#39;s quoting 50 EUROS 1 way. Surely that can%26#39;t be right?!

Looking forward to your reply.

Regards,

Mark

|||

For a normal flexible ticket with an ICE high speed train the price is in this range.

Bonn - Frankfurt by

IC 1:59 EUR 32,00

RE 2:50-3:06 EUR 26,60

One nice side effect of the IC/RE trains - they use the much more scenic route through the Middle Rhine Valley.

http://www.talderloreley.de/index.en.php

If you plan more trips in Germany check out the Euro Domino offer

http://www.bahn.co.uk

|||

Well British Rail single tickets aren%26#39;t exactly cheap either!

We%26#39;ve just come back from Germany and travelling at the weekends there got a real bargain with die Bahn, using the Schoenes Wochenende-Karte at 30€ for up to 5 people on regional trains (not IC/ICE).

For 90€ on 3 days we(3 or 4 of us) travelled: Cologne to Giessen; Giessen-Kassel-Giessen; Giessen-Koblenz (wonderfully scenic along Lahn valley) then Koblenz-Cologne.

|||

Well, 50 Euro one way isn%26#39;t cheap indeed, but bear in mind that if you use the ICEs you are travelling (Frankfurt - Bonn) about 200 km in a 3/4 hour. If you don%26#39;t mind taking a slower train it is half as expensive, as Abalada wrote.

|||

Thanks to all those who have replied.

Lynda, how can I buy the ticket you described?

|||

Sorry, I%26#39;m not Lynda but...

to buy a Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket you walk up to the ticket machine or to the counter and ask, or press the button which is marked accordingly (possibly also %26quot;Wochenendticket%26quot;). I don%26#39;t think it is possible at all to buy it online, and it is definitely unnecessary to do so.

|||

I%26#39;m just wondering, can we get the ticket any cheaper than 25EUROS? In England (one of the most expensive countries in the world to live in - where prices are on average 25% higher) it only costs 30 EUROS return to travel between Leeds and London (250 miles return).

Please reply soonest.

Regards,

Mark

|||

Mark,

the Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket is valid for up to 5 persons traveling together. If you are traveling alone it isn%26#39;t very cheap but even for two it beats your London-Leeds example.

Also I have some experiences concerning rail travel in UK and know that if you want to get a ticket cheap as you described you should have booked it sometime during the Roman occupation of Britain. Otherwise the flexible ticket prices (especially Midland Mainline) are outrageous.

In the same way you can try to get SparPreis 50 - pre-booking the train, return journey over the WE, etc. Then you would get 50% discount, but this booking should also have been done before the Roman empure fell.

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Another thing: most people who travel by train in Germany buy a BahnCard (25 or 50) which gives you a discount of 25% resp. 50% on all tickets, without daytime or other restrictions. But it doesn%26#39;t make sense for an one-time journey.

|||

I found your reply very humourous. Our train network was privatised many years ago - hence the extortortinate prices. I am looking for a return ticket because I will be flying both in and out of Bonn/Cologne airport.

|||

Yep, I just managed to get a Sparpreis 50. Thanks so much for the information.

Regards,

Mark

family travel

We would like to take a trip to Germany next summer with our family of 4. An total extended family group of 13. Can someone recommend a resource for us to find accomodations? Hotel rooms that sleep at least 4? House, villa or condo rentals? Thanks!

|||

Hotel booking : www.hrs.de

private houses : www.fewo-privat.de

|||

Write to local and state tourist offices and request booklets from them that cover your needs. I know that the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg has such publications. However, many of the houses for rent will probably be fairly remote so that you%26#39;ll need a car and shouldn%26#39;t mind staying in a village or near one. You should be able to find plenty of places in the 250-400 euro/week range that will probably easily sleep four.

World Cup

Looking to stay in Aachen for a few days during the World Cup and catch a game in Cologne and one in Gelsenkirchen.

Is public transport available to get to both venues and also any decent bars in Aachen to watch the games in?

Thanks for any feedback

|||

accommodation:

aachen.de/EN/ts/60_accommodation/index.html

railroad map North Rhine-Westphalia (all 3 cities are in NRW)

www.nahverkehr.nrw.de/oelcms/ocx2.exe?GF=5

A %26quot;SchönerTagTicket Single NRW%26quot; (HappyDayTicket Single NRW) for EUR 21,00 covers all local public transport in NRW

- local trains: RegionalBahn RB and RegionalExpress

- S-Bahn

- trams

- buses

There is also a mini group (2-5 persons) version for EUR 27,00.

On weekdays this ticket is only valid past 9am. Always till 3am of the next day.

I guess they will put up in Aachen a big screen like in other bigger cities and show the games there. Of course there will be also bars showing the games.

Cologne for New Years

Is the NH Hotel in Cologne any good? I am planning to make a trip for New Year there and I am wondering what there is to do??

|||

We just spent last Saturday night at the Hotel and I was very satisfied, indeed I was pleasantly surprised as I had booked via the internet and was concerned there would be some problem. The hotel staff were very pleasant and helpful, one even printing out directions for us to get out of Cologne when we were leaving.

The hotel was very good and the only complaint was the parking in the hotel was full and we had to park in another parking station about 400m down the road.

The room was quite big and was very quiet, which is just the way we like it.

The breakfast was also huge, not just a cold contental but some hot food as well.

My wife and went specifically to visit the Christmas markets and we were able to visit six of them in the time we were there(one day)as they were all were within walking distance of the Hotel.

While the Hotel is not in the centre of the city, it is not too far to walk. It is opposte the chocolate museum and the Rhine river.

We are currently living in Antwerp and will definately return to Cologne and stay at the Hotel next year.

Should we take the Night train

We will be traveling from Vienna to Freiburg. Is this such a scenic trip that we should take the day train or would it be better to have the extra day in Freiburg itself by taking the night train? We would arrive at 9:30 am. Any ideas what to do with our luggage until check in time?

|||

Sorry, where do you have found this night train??? Bahn.de gives no direct night trains from Vienna to Freiburg!

|||

You can take a night train between Vienns and Stuttgart. Probably the through train leaving the Vien Westbf at 12:20 just after midnight and arriving in Stuttgart at 8:30 AM would meet your needs. There is an ICE then at 8:57 or an RE at 9.01 to Freiburg requiring a transfer at Karlsruhe and in case of the RE also at Offenburg. My feeling is that a train is a great way to get from city center to city center, but if you want to see anything between you are better driving where you can stop when and where you want. Because you don%26#39;t really have adequate time to do what you%26#39;re doing and the train probably won%26#39;t be running through much in the way of mountains (and then tunnels through the most scenic part), take the night train and have an extra day at your destination which you should enjoy more than whizzing past the scenery in a train.

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Couldn%26#39;t find any connection where you arrive at 09:30 in Freiburg.

There is one

Wien Westbahnhof dep 20:34 EN

Baden-Baden arr 05:19

Baden-Baden dep 06:11 ICE

Freiburg arr 06:59

Not so nice is the 1 hour break in Baden-Baden that early in the morning.

What about combining night train + scenery and arriving at a time in Freiburg with no check-in problems?

Wien Westbahnhof dep 23:30 EN

München Hbf arr 06:21

München Hbf dep 06:31 ICE

Ulm Hbf arr 07:49

Ulm Hbf dep 08:12 RE

Neustadt arr 11:26

Neustadt dep 11:31 RB

Freiburg Hbf arr 12:18

In Ulm you have enough time to visit a bakery in the railway station and shop something for breakfast. And this route is with the Upper Danube Valley and the Hell Valley in the Black Forest really scenic.

Christmas in Munich

My sister and I (20 something college students) will be spending Christmastime in Munich. I expect everything to be closed, but I was wondering if any locals know of places that will be open Dec 23, 24, or 25.

We will be staying at a hostel, so I am sure they will be able to assist in directing us places, but I would like to know what to expect ahead of time.

I read a previous post in which user %26quot;seybothph%26quot; gave a lot of great information about transportation and such, so it is not necessary to repost that again, thank you for the info!

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On Dec 23 everything will be open as it%26#39;s just a %26quot;normal%26quot; working-day. -just a *little* bit more crowded as usual.

But I guess museums and exibitions will be quite empty because everybody is christmas-shopping.

If you want lo leave on 24th there might be some problems. Only a limited number of bars is open and often open quite late 21 or 22 o%26#39;clock. I%26#39;ve not decided where to go and not inquired the opening hours yet.

If you got some more specific questions don%26#39;t hesitate to ask.

Philipp

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You might find more places open on the 25th rather than the 24th, since the Germans usually have their family evening and gift exchanges on Christmas Eve. I think all the cultural places will likely be closed, but many restaurants and bars will be open. The Augustiner Bräustuben on Landsberger Straße is usually open on Christmas day and I believe there is a hostel on that street as well. Can%26#39;t think of the name but it%26#39;s not far from the train station. Some of the non-German places will be open on Christmas eve, but I wouldn%26#39;t come all the way here for them :)

Weather in February...

What is the weather normally like in February in Munich? Should I bring snow boots or shoes? We will also be traveling to Salzburg, so any advice on what to pack would be great!!

Danke!!

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Well, no open shoes, that%26#39;s certianly... but snow boots is maybe a bit too much. ND is somewhere in the midwest, right? I think it will get much much colder where you live than in Munich. Pack for temperatures between -10 and +10 degrees... (It can also rain of course)

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I was in Munich in Feb 2003 and it was freezing. Snow on the ground, etc. It didn%26#39;t snow or rain whilst we were there but it certainly was cold. Like a fool i didn%26#39;t take any gloves with me, and only one coat, but a jumper and t-shirt underneath was sufficient.

Just get plenty of beer in you and you%26#39;ll be grand. :o)

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Usually cold. If wet or frozen depends of course on the actual temperature. Being 520 meter above sea level, it´s a bit colder than the lower Germany.

Average minimum is -3°, maximum +2°Celsius.

Average rainfall reaches it´s maximum in february: 45mm, quite much for Germany and due to the proximity of the Alps.

So snow is not unlikely, i´d give it a 65% probability.

Watertight snowboots might be a good idea.

Have a nice trip

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Thanks guys! I really appreciate the info! I%26#39;ll just be sure to bring water repellent shoes and jacket. Whatever the weather may be, it will definitely be warmer than Grand Forks, North Dakota!

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Last year there was snow on the ground from about mid-January through March if not April. I think it was the worst in about 5 years though. They%26#39;ve got plowing the streets and sidewalks down to a science of course, but bring decent, warm, waterproof boots.

family travel

We would like to take a trip to Munich next summer with our family of 4. An total extended family group of 13. Can someone recommend a resource for us to find accomodations? Hotel rooms that sleep at least 4? House, villa or condo rentals? Thanks!

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Many of these the farm have information in English. I think that they would be a great way for your large group to stay together at a very good price.

http://www.farmholidays.de/

http://www.blackforestfarms.de/

Also consult Bens website for info

http://www.bensbauernhof.com/

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It also depends on how long you plan to stay, how far outside of the city you are willing to stay, and what your budget is. If in the city is your goal, the annex of the Gastehaus Englischer Garten has small apartments. Not the fanciest place, but you can%26#39;t beat the location - not on a busy street, right next to the park itself (and the Seehaus and Chinese Tower beer gardens) and right on the U3/U6 line which takes you down to Marienplatz, where you can also catch the S-bahn to places outside of the city (Dachau or the airport for example).

What to pack for January

I%26#39;ll be in Munich for the entire month of January 2006. I%26#39;m a male college student from Texas and I dress pretty casual and naturally don%26#39;t need a lot of cold weather gear living in Dallas. I%26#39;m trying to decide what to pack for Munich in January without buying stuff I%26#39;ll never use again or without breaking the bank.

Do I really need insulated snow boots or could I get by with some Doc Martens and just some good wool socks? Do I need a parka or could I get by with a fleece jacket? I know I should wear layers but it is the outerwear that is causing me trouble. Should I splurge for a goose down or gortex coat or could I get by with something lighter weight? I also would like to try snowboarding while I%26#39;m there, and am wondering if I can rent gear (ski pants, jacket, boards, etc) or should I bring my own. Also any good places to try snowboarding that would make for a good weekend trip from Munich would be appreciated. Thanks!

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What a list of questions! But I%26#39;ll try to answer you at least some.

January is definetely the coldest month of the year in average. You hate to epect temperatures from -15 to +10 degrees.

I%26#39;d recommend a warm and *wind-proof* jacket. I fleece jacket might not fulfil this.

Your shoes will be okay. But you have to epect snow and then boots or shoes with a higher shaft are quite useful.

I usulally wear if I don%26#39;t need a suit a Jeans, if its very cold long undertrouwsers, wool socks, a long-arm shirt, a warm pullover and a winter jacket.

I don%26#39;t know how good you are in snow-boardning. But If you are a beginner you will definetely need a water-proof pants and jacket.

You can rent boots and board without problems. But I never heard of cloths.

I%26#39;m only skiing, but if there is enough snow It%26#39;s quitecomfortable to go to the %26quot;Sudelfeld%26quot; because it%26#39;s easy to reach by train. Just take the %26quot;BOB%26quot;-Train from the central station to Bayrischzell. From there 5-10 Minutes walk.

Other way: Buy a ticket to Kaltenbach at %26quot;Autobus Oberbayern%26quot;. They offer day tours to Laltenbach in the %26quot;Zillertal%26quot; in Austria (~200km from Munich). It%26#39;s pretty high (~1800m above sea level) and very snow save, but thats in general not %26quot;the%26quot; point in January.

If you got any further questions just ask.

Philipp

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As a foreinger from a warm country who lived in Germany for 2 years, I have a good suggestion for you to save money and stay warm. Why not kill 2 birds with one stone and buy yourself a windproof, waterproof jacket that can be used for snowboarding as well as a general jacket? Many people wear these jackets when walking around the cities in winter as they really keep you dry and warm. If you dont want bright colours, just go for plain black, grey or brown.

Also, dont compromise on quality by buying a very cheap one, as generally with jackets, you get what you pay for. Try snowboarding shops in America, Im sure someone can advise you. Ones that zip up your neck and have removable hoods are brilliant at keeping wind and snow out. And you will appreciate it when snowboarding or walking home at night!

Like the previous poster, I have never heard of renting snowboarding pants, but you should be able to pick up a cheapish pair for about €30 in Germany. You will probably only use them a few times, so dont spend too much. But, at the same time, you will definitely need waterproof ones as jeans will become soaked! The shop C%26amp;A in Germany generally has good quality and inexpensive snowboarding clothes, otherwise ask around. There are lots of places to buy and you will probably get it on sale as its after Christmas. You might even befriend someone who can lend you pants, so dont worry about it too much before you get there.

As for your other clothes - I wouldnt worry too much. Normal running shoes, boots, jeans etc all work fine in winter. You wont be spending hours outside anyway. Get a wool hat/beanie and some good gloves.

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Thanks to both of you for the great replies!

You both gave me some good info and it will help me hopefully make some good choices. I really want to pack light so I%26#39;m trying to keep the big bulky winter clothes to the minimum. Think I%26#39;ll just buy the ski pants etc. in Germany. Gonna get a good jacket that will do double duty in the snow and just for walking around the city. Will I stand out like a neon sign if I wear bright colors like red or blue. I%26#39;ve heard everyone in Europe wears black!

Thanks again!

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Yes, they all wear black and drink blood...

:)

No, not really, but I do think a neutral colour is the safest option. You can wear any colour on the ski slopes but if you want to look slightly cool in town, you should go for something that doesnt scream colour. So black, brown, grey, dark blue, dark green are common colours. I think bright sunshine yellow might be overdoing it?

Dont worry, Im sure you will fit in. Young people everywhere dress pretty much the same.

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I am going to Munich about the same time, but I do not snowboard. I am a young professional, and am wondering if a wool coat will do in December weather. I will be there in 2 weeks.

Thanks,

Steven

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If you are from Boston - from all I have read you will find Munich winters mild in comparison.

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It%26#39;s funny you%26#39;re deliberating over outerwear... my husband and I are doing the same thing for our New Year trip to Germany and WE LIVE IN CHICAGO so wasting the outerwear is not an issue. It%26#39;s the idea of being away from home and work all day and having to find a single solution for all possible weather conditions due to being out all day sightseeing.

Since you%26#39;re there a month, don%26#39;t worry. If you pack too light you can always go to a department store and buy something.

My suggestion is the Land%26#39;s End 4-in-1 jacket or its equivalent from some other outdoorsy store. It is a water-resistant outer shell with a zip-in fleece jacket. Of course you could go with separates but at Land%26#39;s End they give you a temp rating... the combined jacket is supposed to keep you warm over a sweater down to 15 below. Back in Dallas they become separate pieces.

Your shoes should be fine but I%26#39;d consider either fleece socks or thin thermal socks to layer. Also you can oil them and buy a waterproofing spray.

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If you haven%26#39;t bought it already, you might want to invest in some silk long underwear. LLBean has some good, not too expensive varieties as does Eddie Bauer if memory serves. Thin and light to pack and will keep you very warm without bulk but wick away the moisture when you perspire. I wore them all the time my first winter here and they are great for snowboarding.

Wine festivals in autumn 2006

Many years ago we spent a marvellous couple of weeks in Cochem around September/October time when there were wine festivals in all the villages along the Moselle. Can anyone tell me if this still happens, and what sort of dates it will be taking place in 2006.

Jaybeeh

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There are a lot of wine festivals in this area. Here is a little overview if what I could find:

30 June - 2 July: Senheim Weinfest

7 July - 10 July: Fankel Weinfest

21 July - 24 July: Valwig Riesling Festtage

28 - 31 July and 4 - 7 August: Traditional Weinfest in Ellenz

4 - 7 August: Festivals (Weinfeste) in Klotten, Mesenich, Nehren, Cochem and Dohr

11 - 14 August: Bruttig Winzerfest

18 - 21 August: Ernst Weinfest

24 - 28 August: Cochem Wein- und Heimatfest

1 - 4 September: Bremm Wein- und Heimatfest

1 - 3 September: Klotten Winzerfest

and so on.

I think you get the idea that wine festivals take place on every weekend from end of June till late October.

Some local guide should advise you which ones are good.

Here is a local website for details and many more dates which I was too lazy to type(unfortunately German only): http://www.cochem.de/aktuell/2006.htm

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Stuttgart has the large Weindorf at the beginning of September. There is also a possibility to eat in a Besenwirtschaft. Wineries are allowed to sell food until the new wine runs out. They advertise this by placing a broom outside the winery. Oftentimes you will eat in the owner%26#39;s kitchen or back yard, and it%26#39;s fun sharing a table with others. Stuttgart has wineries wthin the city stretching down the hills to just outside the train station. You can also visit the wine museum in the Uhlbach part of Stuttgart.

Frankfurt to Munich and back

Me and my husand and another couple are going to Germany for our anniverary%26#39;s in September 05. We will be flying into Frankfurt and driving down to Munich for Oktoberfest than back to Frankfurt. We have 7-10 days planned for our trip but are struggling to determine how long all of this will take. We want to see the Romance Road, Black Forest, Baden-Baden, Rhine and all the famous castles along the way. We may consider driving into Austria is we have enough time. Our local travel agents we visited so far do not have much experience with Germany so are unable to help us and wading through the sea of websites just drives me crazy!

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Hello from a fellow Minnesotan! I%26#39;m here, freezing, in good old MN over the holidays. Your trip sounds great. If you like, email me at freeborgs@hotmail.com and I%26#39;ll try and help you out, as my husband and I live near Frankfurt and do the Munich trip quite often.

Auf Wiedersehen...Daniela

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We live in Kaiserslautern, Germany and have had many visitors that we%26#39;ve taken on trips. I would recommend from Frankfurt following the Romantic Road and staying in Rothenburg (this is a walled midevil city) with a LOT of character (it%26#39;s recommended and described in Rick Steve%26#39;s travel books for more info). It is halfway to Munich...Make sure to stay overnight and do the nightwatchmen%26#39;s tour. Leave after lunch and head out to Munich and do the Octoberfest thing. Leave Munich and head down to Garmish (2 hour drive) for a taste of the Austrian Alps. You can spend the night in Garmish and then drive the 30 minute loop into Austria (beautiful sites there too) to hit the Neuswanstein Castle (a must) on your way back up. From there give yourself a 6 hour drive time to the Black Forest. My husband and I like Triberg and Baden Baden. You could spend the night there and drive up to the Mosel and Rhine. There is an extraordinary castle between the Mosel and Rhine called Burg Eltz wih all of the original furnishings and the family descendants still living there. INCREDIBLE! Drive over to the Rhine to St. Goar and Bacharach and take in the river from the roadside. Drive down to Bingen and board the Bingen -Rudesheim. It%26#39;s a steal...for 13 euros it%26#39;s a 4 hour cruise that takes you up from Bingen along the Rhine towns and gives you an outstanding view of all the castles along the way while sipping wine and eating lunch. Definitely worth putting in the plan. Make that your last day before heading back to Frankfurt and I guarentee you will leave Germany relaxed. So.... bare minimum....

Frankurt to Romantic Road and Rothenburg - 1 day

Drive to Munich after noon and stay for Octoberfest - ? days

Munich to Garmish (plan on 1 and 1/2 day incl. castle)

Drive from Garmish to Black Forest - at least one overnight

Black Forest to Mosel Rhine (5 hour drive) - at least one overnight and a full day

Drive from Rhine to Frankfurt (2 hours) - 1/2 day

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LovingEurope, that%26#39;s an excellent itinerary. I really have nothing to add to that other than I would stay in Oberau or Garmisch and take the train to Munich for Oktoberfest to avoid the parking and driving hassles.

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Is it possible to do something like the itinery you%26#39;ve suggested if you don%26#39;t rent a car - ie train/public trans.? Sounds wonderful. I%26#39;m planning 4 days in Germany beg. of August and need some suggestions. I%26#39;ll be coming from Paris and heading towards Amsterdam. thanks,

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Yes, most all of it is accessible by train. Because we have a car to get to the places within a 4-5 hour drive of us, I do not do much traveling by train (every once in awhile) unless we are traveling further but train stops are very prevalent in most towns. You can get a full train schedule once you arrive here and, not to dwell on it, but we have found the Rick Steve%26#39;s books most helpful in our travels around here...right down to which train to get on to go where. Everything I have listed in the above itineray (minus the boat ride in Bingen) is listed in his travel books and transportation options are discussed for each stop.

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Hi

We are also coming To Germany in September to visit the wine regions of mosel, rudesheim, and hopefully alsace before visiting Oktoberfest. We plan to fly in and out of Frankfurt, and use the Eurailpass to train it while there. We are wondering how accessible the wineries in Germany and the Alsace region are by train??? Do we need to consider car rental? Are there day %26quot;bus tours%26quot; out of Strasbourg? Any advice is much appreciated. Also, if we only get the Germany Rail pass, can we use it to go to Strasbourg? Thank you

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We are planning to go from Munich to Frankfurt in Dec and Jan 2006 and have read all the suggestions avidly! I have two teens(10 ,16)boys. Do you have any suggestions for them? Also will the roads be drivable then? I know nothing about snow! We have 5 days.

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Hi everybody.....

Would anybody tell me the distance from Frankfurt to Landshut?

We are going to Poland via Frankfurt in June and we will have two days in Frankfurt on our way back to Canada. We would like to visit Landshut for its famous Landshut Wedding.

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JJandWoody,

Yes, you can get around the wineries and wine towns by train (especially along the Rhein River)--St. Goar Bacharach etc. Being stationed over here, almost everyone you talk to uses the Rick Steve%26#39;s guidebooks to travel with...the instructions are so complete and helpful (down to which parking lot is best). They have a website www.ricksteves.com but in his Best of Europe book he goes into detail about the train passes (on page 12/13). Here%26#39;s an except:

The Eurail gives you unlimited rail travel on the national trains of 17 european countries (to include France). This pass includes many bonuses such as free boat rides on the Rhein River, Mosel and several international ferries. Plus a 60 percent discount on the Romantic Road bus tour through Germany

You can also buy select passes (3 countries) covering 5 days in two months $356 or $249 for youth.

However, IF you%26#39;re wanting to drive at a few stops, there is something called the Eurrail Drive pass that will allow a rental here and there along your trip....my in-laws are doing this pass for their trip out here this summer.

Hope this is helpful.

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Dorota,

If I have typed in the correct town name that you are referring to, according to Mapquest, from Frankfurt, it is 243 miles or approximately 3 hours and 46 minutes.

To be sure, go to www.mapquest.com, select Directions and then select %26quot;Europe%26quot; and type in your town. It will give you distance and directions.

Hope this helps.