Off to Germany: pre-planning stages

[soccerpops]

Update on Airfares to Germany

Tonights best rates, Departing 13 June '06 and returning 28 June '06 - to Frankfurt (FRA) from the following locations (includes taxes and fees):

LAX --> FRA $976
NYC --> FRA $764
WAS --> FRA $823
CHI --> FRA $883

[Palermo10]

Good idea Mike- here's mine, which is basically BUDGET.

Airfare - $1200 (you save money on this right now)
Hostel- $17/night ($280 for the trip)
Food/Beer - $40 (this is a max, I dont drink, but my friends that do will not pay more than $40 a day on average. total = 640)
Match Tickets - $1,030 (3 group games - ouch)
Hotel Accommodation = $0 - we will sleep on the train as we are paying on a per-night basis in the hostel and have 3 days to rest until the next match :)

Total (everything included) for 16 nights on a 20-something's budget= $3150

Not included:
Rail - $200 (6 days of rail)* - Mike I don't know where you got the price for this, but I have no idea what it would be?

Lucky for me I will already have been in Spain for 6 months, so halve the airfare ;) and my total comes to about $2500.

[Wizhawk]

Check the Eurail website for prices and packages.

[Mikeymike15]

Good idea Mike- here's mine, which is basically BUDGET.

Not included:
Rail - $200 (6 days of rail)* - Mike I don't know where you got the price for this, but I have no idea what it would be?



Check out the German Rail Twin pass at raileurope.com.

For 2 people travelling together, the base price is $270 for 4 days of travel in a month. Each additional day of travel is $36. So 6 days of rail works out to be:

$270 - 4 days base
$36 - 5th day
$36 - 6th day

$342 - Total for 2 People
$171/person

I rounded up to $200 for budgetary purposes

[Woody-99]

Okay, another question. Say you have a rail pass for unlimited travel or whatever. Do you have to get a ticket at a ticket counter or are there rail cars with open seating?
Usually in Germany when you buy your train ticket you buy the right to travel on the train but not to necessarily to get a seat.
The way I am used to it, the rail cars for short-distance journeys ("Nahverkehr" i.e. RB,RE) are with open seating, so whoever comes first sits first.
ON long-distance journeys ("Fernverkehr" i.e. ICE,IC,IR) people who want to be sure to have a seat have to buy a seat reservation for 3€ per distance (it can be cheaper online or on some ticket machines). The reserved seats are marked in the train, so you can still travel only with your ticket and still get a seat that ain't reserved. But if you don't know the route and how crowded the train usually is, it is recommended to reserve a seat.
There a some exceptions like the night trains where a seat reservation is mandatory.

Apart from that it is always very useful to look for group prices in Germany(it often pays off even with only 2 people) and regional train tickets. These ticket only include the short distance trains but are very nice to tour a special region because you can often use also busses and underground, etc.
Also look for "city-cards" in the cities, that include travel options and intrance to museums, etc.

And although the german train system might be pretty reliable, I usually don't take the last train possible to get to an important event ;)

EDIT: The prices for the german rail tickets look pretty good, especially when you consider many long distance travels

[Palermo10]

I rounded up to $200 for budgetary purposes

At $200 for 6 days, that's $33 per day, or split to about $17 each way (unless you take multiple trips in a day).

http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/passes/german_rail_youth_pass.htm - "youth" is considered anyone under 26. It is $142 for 4 days, but any extra day is just $13.

That is for strictly Germany, however.

[Mikeymike15]

At $200 for 6 days, that's $33 per day, or split to about $17 each way (unless you take multiple trips in a day).

http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/passes/german_rail_youth_pass.htm - "youth" is considered anyone under 26. It is $142 for 4 days, but any extra day is just $13.

That is for strictly Germany, however.


must be nice to be a youth.... ;)

[Palermo10]

Update on Airfares to Germany

Tonights best rates, Departing 13 June '06 and returning 28 June '06 - to Frankfurt (FRA) from the following locations (includes taxes and fees):

LAX --> FRA $976
NYC --> FRA $764
WAS --> FRA $823
CHI --> FRA $883


First game of the tournament is June 9 though. First round is over June 23

[MikeLastort2]

First game of the tournament is June 9 though. First round is over June 23

I think he was just giving examples of best available prices on round trip flights to Germany next summer.

[Palermo10]

I think he was just giving examples of best available prices on round trip flights to Germany next summer.

Yeah I understand - here's what I've been looking at for my group, who will be stationed in Berlin:

(all prices include tax & fees and are from Orbitz.com)

From New York City (JFK) to Berlin (TXL), June 7-23
$749 on Iberia -

From NYC to Madrid (MAD), June 7-23
$721 (but you would have to get round trip from Madrid to Berlin - even though that is likely under $70)

From NYC to London (LHR - Heathrow), June 7-24
$699 arrive in London at 8:05am, enough time to get to Berlin. On the return flight, your flight out is at 6:40am. But there is an option of getting a return flight at 11:20am. And because this is Aer Lingus, you can see the Mother Country by stopping in Dublin. ;)

[BuffloSoldier]

With a lot of thanks to Mikeymike15, airfare has been purchased. $1275 from Philly to Dublin, returning Frankfurt to Philadelphia.

Now just gotta get that little journey from Dublin to the continent taken care of. :D

[SoulflyTribeFC]

With a lot of thanks to Mikeymike15, airfare has been purchased. $1275 from Philly to Dublin, returning Frankfurt to Philadelphia.

Now just gotta get that little journey from Dublin to the continent taken care of. :D

A friend of mine who's been to England many times said to check out this site for cheap flights between European cities.

http://www.ewatravel.com/european_discount_airlines.htm

I've been considering flying into London or Paris or Madrid and then flying over to Frankfurt if I can get it for cheaper that way.

EDIT: This is a flight through Ryanair.com (link on the site) from Dublin to Frankfurt. Couldn't find anything for next summer but this is for October.

Going Out

Reg fare 59.99 EUR
Sun, 02 Oct 05
Flight FR1954 18:35 Depart Dublin (DUB)
21:35 Arrive Frankfurt-Hahn (HHN)

Coming Back

Web fare 0.01 EUR
Sun, 16 Oct 05
Flight FR1955 22:00 Depart Frankfurt-Hahn (HHN)
23:00 Arrive Dublin (DUB)
---

[MikeLastort2]

A friend of mine who's been to England many times said to check out this site for cheap flights between European cities.

http://www.ewatravel.com/european_discount_airlines.htm

I've been considering flying into London or Paris or Madrid and then flying over to Frankfurt if I can get it for cheaper that way.

EDIT: This is a flight through Ryanair.com (link on the site) from Dublin to Frankfurt. Couldn't find anything for next summer but this is for October.

Going Out

Reg fare 59.99 EUR
Sun, 02 Oct 05
Flight FR1954 18:35 Depart Dublin (DUB)
21:35 Arrive Frankfurt-Hahn (HHN)

Coming Back

Web fare 0.01 EUR
Sun, 16 Oct 05
Flight FR1955 22:00 Depart Frankfurt-Hahn (HHN)
23:00 Arrive Dublin (DUB)
---

Just an FYI - Hahn is about an hour drive from Frankfurt.

It used to be a US Air Force base, and was the place where I was stationed for three years in the '80s.

[SoulflyTribeFC]

Just an FYI - Hahn is about an hour drive from Frankfurt.

It used to be a US Air Force base, and was the place where I was stationed for three years in the '80s.

Oh, wasn't aware. It was the only airport under Frankfurt in the search I did. Is the main airport in Frankfurt then FRA?

[DaniD]

Oh, wasn't aware. It was the only airport under Frankfurt in the search I did. Is the main airport in Frankfurt then FRA?
Ryanair only flys in/out of the smaller airports. So you have to figure in the extra time (and money) to get between the airports.

[Palermo10]

I was able to find on Ryanair, round trip from London to Berlin at GBP 0.01 both ways. Tax and fees would probably make it about $50.

But from New York to Berlin it is about $750, and New York to London was about $700... so it didn't really make much sense to do that.

If you can find a big difference, like $100 or $150, then those intra-European flights will help out.


Edit- Delta filed for Chapter 11 today, FYI

[soccerpops]

First game of the tournament is June 9 though. First round is over June 23
Those dates are based on me missing the first round game, but staying on thru the sweet 16, if I can get tickets. I've actually seen some tickets ALOT cheaper if you leave by May 31st.

[Wizhawk]

So who wants to do soccer travel...my roomate just dropped on me(right after I was sent the invoice and agreed to the payment plan :mad: )

[Palermo10]

So who wants to do soccer travel...my roomate just dropped on me(right after I was sent the invoice and agreed to the payment plan :mad: )


No way of getting out of it?

[Wizhawk]

Well I haven't signed anything, and they don't know where I live, so technically I'm not obligated for anything. But I'm the kind of guy who feels like a d-bag for backing out of somehting like this. So the first option is find another roomate quick. If that doesnt work, find a new way to go to Germany.