Frankfurt - Cologne trains

Hi I am going to Cologne but flying into Frankfurt, is the ICE train the best train to get? Is it really 50 euro each way? Also is there a website I can get my ticket in advance?

Thank you !

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ICE is the fastest way to get to Cologne .

Normal price is 58 Euro for ICE, travel time is less than 1 hour .

If you take a IC train it takes 2 hours , but you pay only 38 Euro

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I forgot to say : you can book your ticket there : www.bahn.de .

I you book early you might get a ticket for 29 Euro for selected trains .

But please not : is it not possible to take another train with this ticket

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DB timetable

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

From: FRA

To: Cologne

and as an option

Via: Koblenz

%26gt; is the ICE train the best train to get

Yes. Zooms you with up to 300 kph to Cologne. This comes of course for a price.

You can opt also for the Rhine valley route. Slower but also cheaper. And much more scenic.

http://www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.de

Give at the DB timetable Koblenz as a via station for this route.

You can buy tickets directly from the DB timetable. Normal price tickets are flexible. Discounted specials are only good for the booked connection and thus of some risk in combination with a flight.

Please note that the above is only valid if you fly into Frankfurt International Airport (FRA). If you fly with Ryanair to (Frankfurt-)Hahn (HHN) the situation is completely different.

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Hi, yes I am flying into frankfurt-han ! Is my only option to travel by bus? Do you pay on the bus? Or is it possible to get taxi to a trainstation?

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%26gt; Hi, yes I am flying into frankfurt-han ! Is my only option to travel by bus?

Shuttle bus Hahn to Cologne (Köln) is your best option.

www.hahn-airport.de/default.aspx…

%26gt; Do you pay on the bus?

Yes.

%26gt; Or is it possible to get taxi to a trainstation?

There are no really close train stations to Hahn. The next realistic alternative would be shuttle bus to Koblenz and from there by train.

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Oh dear ! Thank you for the information. There are 8 of us so I am thinking of ways for value for money also. We would have a 2 and a half hour wait for the bus to cologne so that is not looking very attractive !

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When will you arrive at Hahn airport?

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Hi, we arrive at 9.45am. we are now thinking perhaps we could try and rent a minibus with a driver but perhaps this would be too expensive..

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DB timetable

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

From: HHN

To: Cologne

An option would be bus to Koblenz and train to Cologne.

The direct bus to Cologne at 12:15 will be however the cheapest option. With 8 better to reserve.

bohr-omnibusse.de/en/…routes_reservation.php

If you opt for the train Koblenz to Cologne you%26#39;ll qualify with 8 for a group discount.

bahn.ie/db_irland/view/products/groups.shtml

Cannot be booked online but here

bahn.ie/db_irland/view/us/db_uk_booking.shtml

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Oh brilliant, its great to know we can reserve seats on the bus if we go with that option, many thanks for your help, you have made things so much easier!

single vs double meaning & cheap hotel suggestions

I am new to recent Europe travel. We are 2 adults and 2 teenagers. When i use search engines to find hotel suggestions i enter 4 adults. When hotel choices come up i get hotels with rooms called called double rooms availible. Max 2 people. In most north american hotels, rooms come with 2 beds big enough for 2 people each. It seems to me that i can%26#39;t get that option in Munich/Europe. It seems they want me to book 2 rooms? Is there some way i can get 1 room with sleeping for 4? Do some hotels have cots they can pull in. i imagine rooms being too small for that. When i looked at hostel they charge by the person and with 4 people it seems as much as a double hotel room.

While i am getting advice. We need accomodations in Munich that are clean and cheap. End of July. We don%26#39;t mind sharing a bath or care how fancy it is. Any specific suggestions or website search engines?

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%26gt; It seems to me that i can%26#39;t get that option in Munich/Europe.

Indeed. Not common here at all.

%26gt; i imagine rooms being too small for that.

Will be mostly the case.

http://www.hrs.com

-%26gt; Extended search

-%26gt; Other room categories

(x) Family room (2 adults, 2 children)

hostels Munich

muenchen.de/cms/…Jugend_Camping.pdf

Esp. outside the cities the DJH youth hostels are a good option with many offer family rooms.

http://www.jugendherberge.de/en/

And some 50 of them are in castles, e.g.

jugendherberge.de/en/…

jugendherberge.de/jh/bayern/spalt_wernfels/

Common for families here is to stay in vacation apartments/holiday flats (German: Ferienwohnung). They do however often require a minimum stay of 3 nights, in some really touristic places maybe even longer.

Best source for them are the lists by the local tourist offices on their websites. The existing portals require fees which only few - more expensive ones - are ready to pay. Many don%26#39;t even have their own homepage.

http://www.bensbauernhof.com/

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Novotel Munich City has family rooms depending on the age of your teens and if 4 of you will work in 2 double beds. We have a good deal there but it really depends on your dates. There are other places too. You may also find some that a double and two singles or a double and a bunk bed.

We had good luck last weekend in Ireland with a family room in two hostels. A double and a bunk bet in one and two singles and a bunk bed in the other. One of my books suggests that hostels in Germany and Austria can be noisy. Not sure how accurate that statement is as a generalization but I%26#39;m sure some may be more party type hostels wherever you are. So check reviews etc.

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i found bed and breakfast %26quot;hotel monaco%26quot; near munich train station and munich city centre - one traveller wrote they had 2 adults and 4 children so that may be an option

it%26#39;s not a big hotel and seems clean and simple but pics look good and all reviews are great

not sure if anyone else knows about this it%26#39;s #3 on the B%26amp;B list - #1 and #2 are not within walk to munich city centre

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A lot of hotels charge by the person. A typical three star quality hotel in Bavaria runs about 45 euros per person. Usually babies are free, but definitely not teenagers. That said, you%26#39;ll have to get two rooms or hope the hotel has a family room/apartment for use.

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Just a thought... Getting two rooms means having two bathrooms, in other words: much less hassle in the mornings.

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Hi quleed

You might try www.1800hotels.com - they have an option for quad rooms with either 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children. Another option might be for you to try an apartment as opposed to a hotel?

Good luck with your search

Meeting people in Berlin? + nice bars and clubs alone?

Hi!

so i will be coming for 2 months soon to Berlin, i will be coming alone and i will be staying in Mitte just close to Kastanienallee (like 5-10 min walking). Is it easy to meet new people in Berlin? I like to party but i dont know how i would feel to go to night clubs alone, id rather meet people before to go with. Where should i go?

As well i like hip and trendy bars, im not too much into the drink as much beer as u can lol, more champagne or a good cocktail, are there some great bars around the area i will be staying? and are there night clubs where they play something else than electro?? like rnb hip hop commercial music (bob sinclar etc).

of course i will surely go to the famous huge clubs in berlin to check them out, but id like to go to more trendy clubs as well.

Anyway, if some as well here would like to meet, im a fun 27 years old french girl, ill be here to study german and i like to party! so dont hesitate :)

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If you go along Kastanienallee and on Oderberger Strasse, there are tons of cafés and small bars where young people gather in the evenings and outside on sunny afternoons. I guarantee you that if you%26#39;re friendly and get into some conversations, you%26#39;ll not only find out where to go for trendiosity and clubiosity, but also have some companions to go there with.

One place I could point you to is Bar 103 which has no sign, but it%26#39;s prominently on the corner of Kastanienallee and Zionskirchstrasse.

Also, another friendly place is the Sankt Oberholz at Rosenthaler Platz and Torstrasse, in effect just down the hill from Bar 103. It has free, unlocked wifi and has become a mecca for resident English-speaking young people in the afternoons. (It also offers a good daily soup for an inexpensive lunch.)

Backtracking up the hill, you might also want to check out the Portugese galao place half a block up Weinbergsweg (which is the continuation of Kastanienallee) on the right as you head back up the hill. It%26#39;s frequented by a nice group of local young people about your age (and has great galao and Portugese pastry).

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thank you!! i will definately check out all these places :)

Hertha Berlin

Hello. I shall be visiting Berlin next weekend and am considering going to see Hertha v. Bochum.

Would it be safe for a small group of (3 or 4) English football fans to go to the game?

If yes, where would be the best place to sit?

How easy is it to book tickets online, via the club, for the game?

Thanks.

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%26gt; Would it be safe for a small group of (3 or 4) English football fans to go to the game?

Yes.

%26gt; If yes, where would be the best place to sit?

No idea.

%26gt; How easy is it to book tickets online, via the club, for the game?

How good is your German?

http://www.herthabsc.de/index.php?id=247

There are not that many tickets left for this match. 87% sold according to eventim.

Another method:

www.eventim.de/cgi-bin/tickets.html…

search for %26quot;Hertha Bochum%26quot;

While the direct result is mainly in German, if you proceed this way the actual booking process is in English.

You can talk with the place you stay in Berlin if it%26#39;s OK to ship the tickets there for you. Than you can select

shipment: Express (Germany)

This will be a lot cheaper than to the UK. And for the latter the time is also running out.

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Thanks.

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I went to see Hertha play werder Bremen with my teenage son in April. We got our tickets from the fanshop in the Europa Centre at €25 for the main stand (near the away support - the lad supports Werder). Even though the crowd was 68000 tickets were still available at the ground on the day of the match. The atmosphere at the game was unbelievable. Both sets of fans were mixing at the beer and food stalls before and after. One thing to beware of is they charge a deposit of €2 for the plastic tumblers if you buy beer in the ground - you then top them up and drink in your seat - very civilised. Enjoy Berlin and try and take in the game

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Thanks for the info, Rorycake. I have managed to buy tickets on line, however, some of my colleagues haven%26#39;t got tickets yet. I shall let them know that you got tickets on the day.

The pre-match beer with both sets of supporters mingling sounds good.

Thanks once again.

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I%26#39;m on one of my bi-annual trips to Berlin the week after you which as ever will take in a Hertha game. (nervously checks fixtures to make sure they at home ... phew! home to Shalke)

I%26#39;ve seen Hertha about half a dozen times in the last couple of years and it is 100% safe and definitely worth doing even if you are not football mad.

Ticket wise I%26#39;ve always just rolled up on the day and bought a ticket from one of the ticket office cabin things outside the ground. (I seem to remember they open about an hour or so before kick off). Compared to the Premier League tickets are dirt cheap.

Where to sit... buying tickets on the day I%26#39;ve always ended up at the Hertha end, on the right as you approach the stadium (you wont get tickets %26quot;in%26quot; the Hertha end just to the right of the half way line... but to be honest anywhere is good and you will spend half the game watching the Hertha fans - there is nothing remotely similar in to this experience in the UK - singing for 90 minutes.

Drinks wise I%26#39;ve never noticed pubs as such in the area as you get off the train although there are stalls that sell beer/food outside the ground. Once inside you can buy beer and take it to your seat.

Personally I would say to people get there at least an hour early to allow time to have a good look round, outside the ground and then inside to wander round the outside of the stadium to see the olympic stuff. Getting there I find it easier to exit the station at the rear and walk up to the ground from there (get a ticket/drink/food).

If you are a hardcore football fan - you can always make a quick exit at the end to beat the other 50,000 heading to the station and catch a train back towards alexadraplatz. Get off at Hackescher Markt the station before, and catch the late kickoff Premiership game in the Irish Pub below the station

Bottom line - go to the game - you wont regret it.

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Is it safe to take my fiancee to a game ?

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Thanks for the info, Wibble101. I%26#39;m certainly looking forward to tomorrow%26#39;s game.

Enjoy your trip next week.

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Leonardo. It%26#39;s perfectly safe, there were a large number of females at the game all enjoying themselves.

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Did you have a good time

Did berlin win?

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yeah, they did - 2-0!

To drive or train??

Ok everyone...we are traveling to Germany for the first time and have decided to fly/rail our way from destination to destination but have yet to decide whether to rent a car and DRIVE from Munich to Frankfurt (where we fly out of to come back home) or take the train. Any suggestions? We are experienced drivers although we%26#39;ve never driven in Europe and would need an automatic transmission...other than that, is there anything horribly daunting about the drive from Munich to Frankfurt, or would we be able to enjoy the journey and take our time? Thoughts??

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Hi Hrmnyboy,

Enjoy the journey, take your time.

We Americans rarely get the chance to use a good, reliable, and fun train system, so take advantage of this rare opportunity.

And -- stay green, eh?

s

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the drive is easy. How long do you have? You have the autobahn, but that won%26#39;t allow you to see anything. You have lesser roads that will, but will take longer.

Or there%26#39;s the train- fine,cheap, green and maybe to you, novel, but you don%26#39;t get to stop and wander like you could- given time - in a car.

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If all you plan to see are cities, a car is useless. Take the train.

FKK no clothes Spa in Dusseldorf

Hi, does anyone know of a good sauna/spa complex in the Düsseldorf region where it is completely textile free ?

I have found the Asia Therme and Wellneuss spa has anybody experience of these ?

Many Thanks

7 Days in Munich-Need Itinerary Advice...

We are three girls in our mid-20%26#39;s traveling to Munich June 5-12th...we would like to see:

Munich

Dauchau

Neschwanstein

Mittenwald

Garmisch

and some lakes or water activities...

Do you think it is best to stay a few night in each place or base ourselves in Munich and make day trips, etc...

If anyone has any itinerary suggestions-please post them!!!

Many thanks!!

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I would highly recommend basing yourselves in Munchen, at either Wombat%26#39;s or 4youMunchen Hostel, then taking the train (purchase week pass at www.db.de/) back %26amp; forth on day trips. You can also spend an afternoon or two at the Englischer Garten, watching some locals - or joinging in - surfing the Isar river!