Off to Germany: pre-planning stages [Archive] - Page 2

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MarkoC

07 Sep 2005, 06:41 PM

Does anybody know how US Soccer will be distributing the allotment of tickets they get from Fifa? Will it be a lottery comprised of registered members or first come first served method?

How did they handle this for the 2002 World Cup?

Thanks!

AyanO

07 Sep 2005, 06:51 PM

Hey All.. my first of sure to be many posts about Germany Travel, as I have USA TST-5 Tickets. I will admit first off, I'm doing alot of things differently than most, first and foremost as I plan to take a full 2 months to see all of europe, with a small trip before the start of the games, and a longer 1 month trip after the games.. Also bear in mind, I am going alone, and in a way enjoy traveling alone as it gives me the freedom to go where I want to go, and do what I want to do... Yet my main priority will be going to the cities with the USA games. So a few points..

Getting to Germany via Airfare. Most airlines only let you book tickets 330 days in advance, so right now you can book your tickets for the full length of the World Cup. I would advise on booking early, way before December 9th for sure. Fares from the east coast are going to be a bit south of $1000, and West coast or any place needing a connection at least $1300. that is just typical fares for summer airfares to europe. Most of these USA to Germany fares for the period of early June to July are going to sell quick. Especially now they are available to be bought.

As for travel within Germany, their train system is incredibly efficient, fast, and fairly cheap considering the distances you will be going from City to City. Before December 9th its going to be tough for any of us, to really make exact train or hotel plans.

Starting December 10th, Hotel plans should be your first and foremost concern, as many of these small towns simply dont have the rooms for the thousands of people who will be decending upon the town. In fact as much as I enjoy Germany, and will love to be there with all the crazy soccer fans from around the world, on days the USA is not playing, i'm running.. running for my life to other countries..

Yep on the 2-3 day breaks between games, i'll be hanging out in Prague, Warsaw, Krakow, Copenhagen, Brussels, Amsterdam, or whatever city is closest to where the game is played. I really dont want to pay overpriced hotel prices, be in overcrowded cities for 2-3 days between games. I will arrive in the city the night before/day of, and leave the next day, limiting my time and expense in germany as much as possible. Its not even very expensive to travel to these other cities via train or Bus. Prague is 3-5hrs from Berlin, Leipzig, Nuremberg, etc..

Also dont overlook Hostels. I've stayed at many all over the world in my life, and not only are they cheap, if you are travling alone they are great, you get to meet younger (up to like 40 probably), likeminded people who kinda float from one place to the other, I would surely rather stay in the communial feel of a hostel and deal with possibly one bunkmate snoring, but have people to hang out in the cafe's, by the pool, etc than I would pay $400 a night to stay at the Hilton which will feel all buttoned up and stuffy, and who is going to Germany to sleep anyway...

Anyway, just a few of my plans for my great Germany 2006 adventure..

lemons

07 Sep 2005, 07:56 PM

To those of you that have ordered tickets - how much is it to buy tickets to follow the US around?

Palermo10

07 Sep 2005, 08:45 PM

Also dont overlook Hostels.

That's what I'm doing. $17 a night, there are 8 of us, and we are able to get two rooms with 4 beds, each room with a toilet/shower. Breakfast, bedlinen, towels included!
Hotel4Youth Berlin, if anybody wants to join.

Bigdog

08 Sep 2005, 02:03 PM

Reminder
Start saving your pennies now!!! We need you all in Germany!!
Bd

Bigdog

08 Sep 2005, 02:04 PM

REVS FAN 1

08 Sep 2005, 03:12 PM

To those of you that have ordered tickets - how much is it to buy tickets to follow the US around?

I got (2) TST-6's for $1204

eissman

08 Sep 2005, 03:32 PM

I got (2) TST-6's for $1204

I am a Newbie, so forgive me, but TST-6? Translation please... And is (2) TST-6's a package of two seats to a variety of games (like all the USA matches in Group phase). Sorry for my ignorance... I am wanting to learn.

Cheers.

BuffloSoldier

08 Sep 2005, 03:33 PM

TST's are team-specific tickets for a certain country--in our cases, the U.S.

The number corrolates to the number of games. 3 (group stages), 4 (round of 16), 5 (quarters), 6 (semis), 7 (final).

eissman

08 Sep 2005, 03:48 PM

TST's are team-specific tickets for a certain country--in our cases, the U.S.

The number corrolates to the number of games. 3 (group stages), 4 (round of 16), 5 (quarters), 6 (semis), 7 (final).

Thanks Buffalo Soldier...

... how are these made available other than FIFA ticket alotment?? Again, ignorance is not bliss in my case...

AyanO

08 Sep 2005, 03:58 PM

Jayhawk

08 Sep 2005, 04:03 PM

I think the only way tickets are available are in FIFA various rounds of allotments and also the US Soccer Federation will "eventually" have some tickets for the games. But since i got my TST-5 in the first lottery round of FIFA, i'm not really on top of the latest and greatest ways to get tickets for the games...

Outside of FIFA/USSF I guess there are scalpers, but as with any big event and with high security tickets, buyer BE CAREFUL.
Well color me green with envy. I applied for TST-5 tix in the first window, but didn't get them. I looked on the FIFA website and it said there were no ticket packages available for U.S. games right now, but maybe they'll open another window. Here's hoping.

Ultra Peanut

08 Sep 2005, 04:20 PM

... how are these made available other than FIFA ticket alotment?? Again, ignorance is not bliss in my case...

FIFA had two lotteries, one in February and one in May, in which you could apply for tickets. On August 24th, they put a whole bunch of tickets from the first lottery that hadn't gone claimed--from people who had flaked out on bank transfer payments, mostly--up for grabs, seemingly one by one. This sale was how a lot of us got in on US team-specific packages, with many, myself included, opting for the 3-ticket group stage pack. (Said pack, with shipping and MasterCard international transaction fee, set me back $220. Others may have paid more or less depending on how their credit card company handles international transactions, if they're doing bank transfers, or what the dollar <-> euro exchange rate was on a given day).

The next shot will be the USSF allotment, and doubtless specific information about how to get in on that one will be posted when it's made available.

bigredmachine

08 Sep 2005, 04:23 PM

Regardless of which games you go to, I think rooms are going to be outrageous throughout Germany. You can drive from one end of Germany to the other in 6 hours or less. Trains are another fast option. I plan to try getting a place to stay outside of Germany - Austria is cheaper, or Switzerland, or even France or Holland, depending on where the games are. I don't see any problem with driving in and out on game days, unless you plan to get really loaded, in which case you need a designated driver.

SoulflyTribeFC

08 Sep 2005, 04:30 PM

I'm definitely using trains. I got a brochure with prices and all that stuff. For a month for one person its like $950 or something but two people traveling together, it's $804. And they offer two and three week unlimited passes as well.

There will be enough public transportation to get people from train stations to the games also. I think actually that there are buses to take people from the train stations to the games for no charge. I think I remember reading about that last time around.

I wonder about hotels, though. I hope bigred is wrong about the price gouging but it could very well be the case. It might work best to stay in nearby cities and shoot over on the train on gamedays. According to the brochure, it's like an hour and 15 minutes from Frankfurt to Cologne and 3 hours 30 minutes from Frankfurt to Munich. And from Berlin to Prague (for off days) it's like 4 hours and Munich to Salzburg is like an hour.

Ultra Peanut

08 Sep 2005, 04:32 PM

I'd just like to point out I have slept in worse places than the Munich airport, where I've twice had to spend the night.

SoulflyTribeFC

08 Sep 2005, 04:34 PM

I'd just like to point out I have slept in worse places than the Munich airport, where I've twice had to spend the night.

Hmm.... I'll consider that as an option.

:D

Palermo10

08 Sep 2005, 04:47 PM

Outside of FIFA/USSF I guess there are scalpers, but as with any big event and with high security tickets, buyer BE CAREFUL.

I bought my tickets from Euroteam.info - they have been advertised in the Washinton Post (along with RazorGator) as reliable sites for buying tickets outside of FIFA.
You have to have your cash strapped though, because one TST-3 for the USA cost me $1,050. But I was able to buy 5 together, which was nice.

There's also complete refund if the US does not qualify ,or they cannot get your tickets. But in my case they were able to guarantee my tickets within a week's time.

stevewhit0

08 Sep 2005, 04:51 PM

There will be enough public transportation to get people from train stations to the games also. I think actually that there are buses to take people from the train stations to the games for no charge. I think I remember reading about that last time around.

The times i've been to germany for games the local trains or busses to and from the stadium are included with the ticket.

Ultra Peanut

08 Sep 2005, 04:52 PM

Hmm.... I'll consider that as an option.

Specifically, it was my only option when flying out of Munich early in the morning when I'd otherwise been staying in Salzburg--too early to get the early train from Salzburg, no point in getting a hotel just for the night, especially because the Munich airport is way the hell out in the middle of nowhere. Having the snack bar attendant correct my husband's pouring skills at the self-service beer taps at 2:30 am was a sight to see, I tell you what.

Spending a night at Heathrow was much worse.