German Rail Info

[eissman]

Additionally, you will be able to buy a pass good for unlimited travel on the entire network for 349 Euro (second class) and 549 Euro (first class) for the duration of the tournament.

How does this compare with a Germany rail Flex-pass for two individuals travelling together (which is an honored discount typically)?? Just curious if you or anyone knows this off the top of their head or may have looked into this already.

[eissman]

Here´s the link.
http://www.bahn.de/-S:PtVOR9:dGzLUNNNpg3,OtNNNSpM/p/view/international/englisch/travelservice/german_rail_pass.shtml

The price for example is 210 Euros for an adult (travelling with another adult who has to pay the same) for 10 days of unlimited travelling in a month period. That´s sound pretty cheap to me.

Now this is what I'm talking about ... thanks for the tip!!! :D

[eissman]

1. I can't stress how important it will be for any USian next summer
to be holding a pass for unlimited First Class DB travel. PLEASE
TRUST ME ON THIS ONE. YOU _NEED_ THE FIRST CLASS PASS.

Not for the "level of service." But there are a number of intangibles
which will make it a godsend for all Sammer Brethren.

I can *guarantee* there will be significant heightened security
around the DB beginning 2-3 weeks before the tourney starts.

Sprockets Efficiency will dictate separate *PRIORITY* security
measures for those holding first class tickets.

For those of you who haven't been to Germany recently if ever....


Thanks for the tip. To me it is a calculated risk to travel 2nd class rail during this event. I am sure it all depends on where you intend to reside while you are there and what you intend to do. I plan to actually travel the country, so to be guaranteed a seat... let me rephrase that... to guarantee my wife a seat is worth the extra money not to have to hear about it (if you know what I am saying).



6. Airfare options you might not think of at first....
Icelandair is usually an awesome deal, if you live in Minneapolis,
Orlando, or can easily get to Logan, Kennedy or BWI.
http://www.icelandair.is/routemap/index.html
In the summer, they also server SFO from Reykjavik.
Not only are they cheap, they'll sometimes give you a stopover
in Iceland... VERY hot chicks who start drinking at a very young age.
90% certainty you have of getting laid, regardless of age or body type.
And more importantly, Icelandair will often let you fly "open jaw"
itineraries, i.e., fly in to Hamburg, fly out of Amsterdam, or, fly in to
Berlin, fly out of Frankfurt, etc. This kind of flexibility on Lufthansa
or a US Flag Carrier on nonstop flights from the US in to Germany
and from Germany back to the US will cost you 2x-3x more than
on Icelandair. And don't forget to ask for the free stopover in
Reykjavik. HOT HORNY CHICKS that dig on USians.
-bs

My father mentioned this as he has travelled for years and mentioned that you can fly to Iceland and spend a night in Reykjavik (which is "mandatory" to guarantee the cheap fare), then onto your destination from there the next day as Iceland air services nearly all major European cities. Problem is their flight prices were only for Winter Months and anything else I saw that was open-jawed was not any cheaper than what I had seen for another airline.

Aer-Lingus from Ireland was an option for me to fly open-jawed. Look into this as well. Very similar to Iceland Air, only minus the overnight in Reykjavik... instead, try a 7 hour layover in Dublin. Hey, at least you can have Guiness on tap, no? ;)

[JoeSoccerFan]

This kind of flexibility on Lufthansa
or a US Flag Carrier on nonstop flights from the US in to Germany
and from Germany back to the US will cost you 2x-3x more than
on Icelandair. And don't forget to ask for the free stopover in
Reykjavik. HOT HORNY CHICKS that dig on USians.


-bs

Luckily, I'm not flying Icelandair. I can envision missing the entire world cup to stay in Reykjavik! :eek: :D

[dosacero]

Luckily, I'm not flying Icelandair. I can envision missing the entire world cup to stay in Reykjavik! :eek: :D

Honestly, having been to Reykjavik twice in the last 4 years...it may be worth it. Got to love the blond hair and blue eyed beauties that go to Club Rex.

[Brushes Sand]

Reykjavik is an absolutely bizarre place. No international chainstores.
No porn. 3 or 4 fairly low-key strip clubs. No visible poverty, anywhere.
And the women have zero stigma or hangups about sex.

All you have to do is hang out at one of the clubs on a Friday or
Saturday night when the pickin's are the best, stare at your chosen
target for 10 minutes, then walk up to her, and ask her if she would
like to go back to your hotel. I would say you odds are 50%+.
Two or three attempts in less than an hour usually is the max
to score. What is most bizarre is that the icelandic guys don't
seem to care that these overnighting guys just passing through
are scoring with their future wives. I rarely saw girls and guys
attached at the clubs. It doesn't add up. But i quit trying to
figure it out, and just soaked it in, so to speak.

It's like the island of lost toys, except you can really go there,
and the toys are HOT.

-bs

[dfb547490]

Not going to be able to make it to Reykjavik this time around, but it's definitely moved near the top of the list.

Question regarding the first game, I'll be staying in Dusseldorf--does anyone know if I have to take the Deutsche Bahn to Gelsenkirchen or is there a local rail that could get me to the stadium more inexpensively?

[REVS FAN 1]

Additionally, you will be able to buy a pass good for unlimited travel on the entire network for 349 Euro (second class) and 549 Euro (first class) for the duration of the tournament.



Why have I heard nothing more about this?? This is a much better deal than anything else I've seen posters buying...

Any more info on this???

[Palermo10]

Check my thread - "Train Travel and Time... WOW"

There are a number of passes mentioned.

[REVS FAN 1]

Additionally, you will be able to buy a pass good for unlimited travel on the entire network for 349 Euro (second class) and 549 Euro (first class) for the duration of the tournament.


Here's some more info on this....http://www.bahn.de/-S:PtVORd:dHiSo9NNcnXIS9NNNWpM/p/view/home/wm2006/eng_wm-pass.shtml (The ordering page in only available in German :o )


What am I missing here?? Why would anyone buy another pass for train travel IN GERMANY???

[eissman]

Here's some more info on this....http://www.bahn.de/-S:PtVORd:dHiSo9NNcnXIS9NNNWpM/p/view/home/wm2006/eng_wm-pass.shtml (The ordering page in only available in German :o )


What am I missing here?? Why would anyone buy another pass for train travel IN GERMANY???

This is likely a good deal if you are at the World Cup for the entire month or even first round phase, however for my wife and I, we are only there for 10 days - of which I have narrowed down only 5-6 days max that we will actually need travel via train. So rather than waste the extra money on a say 10-day pass, we can now budget more effectively on a 5-day or 6-day pass and still enjoy all the sights just as effectively.

Palermo10 is right... check his thread on this topic... someone there posted the Rick Steve's 2006 Train Travel link which is VERY helpful. I swear by Rick Steve's... I have booked 75% of my hotels and whatnot based on his suggestions in his Germany/Austria travel book. Be aware that he only writes about worth-while (in his opinion) sites and cities in his book. For instance, Kaiserslautern isn't even mentioned -- not even in the Index! (then again, I search 4 travel books for information on K-town and found nothing).

[BuffloSoldier]

Travel on gameday on local rail is still free, right?

[eissman]

Travel on gameday on local rail is still free, right?

My understanding is that local travel (ie. within the city limits of the game site) is free with ticket on day of the match. I could be wrong...

... anyone verify for sure?

[Palermo10]

Yeah, with tkt.

[cswan]

Originally Posted by AGF Aarhus
Additionally, you will be able to buy a pass good for unlimited travel on the entire network for 349 Euro (second class) and 549 Euro (first class) for the duration of the tournament.

This is a good deal, and for those 2-weekers like myself (if I hear good news regarding my tix order from the USSF) there is also the 18-country Eurail pass. A 15 day consecutive pass (1st class) is $605 (US $), while a Eurail 15 day consecutive 1st class Saverpass is $513 (if you buy with another person who will be traveling with you). If you're 26 and under there's the 15 day consecutive Eurail for $394 (2nd class).

BTW, I got this info from Rick Steve's 2006 RailPass guide. Other posters have mentioned it here ... it's a good place to start your research regarding rail travel and there's lots of vital information. Here's the link again in case you missed it in another rail-info thread.

http://www.ricksteves.com/rail06/pdfs/06RailGuide.pdf

I will be going with my niece so we're going to buy the Saverpass for $513 and we'll be able to go other countries besides Germany. Right now it looks like we'll be going to Austria and Holland, possibly France. Something to consider!

Christine S.

[AGF Aarhus]

Been on vacation for the past couple weeks. I look around the DB site a little later to see if there is any new (English) information.

[AGF Aarhus]

Still only in German, but here are the order forms:

Passes:
https://fahrkarten.bahn.de/shop/jsp/shop/product_list.jsp?GroupId=683

Tickets:
http://www.bahn.de/-S:PtVOR9:dH2DTNNNWwktptNNNR9M/p/view/home/wm2006/weltmeister_ticket.shtml#2

[The Magpie]

Something I've already done, and it's easier than I thought, but you can download personal timetables from the Die Bahn site to your Palm Pilot or PDA, and you can order a CD-ROM that has the entire DB timetable. That'll certainly be handy if you miss a train and need to figure out other travel options: just plug in the cities, search paramters, and it will give you all the information you need, from all connections, to services at certain stations.

Well worth trying out.

The Magpie

[eissman]

Good call mate! The Deustche Bahn site is extremely efficient and helpful in planning. Make sure you notice when the last trains to leave for the night are scheduled for (ie. that last train out of Kaiserslautern heading back towards Mannheim-Frankfurt could be a wee bit packed!). Standing room only for three hours might blow. I am heading the opposite direction 12 miles to bed for the night! Another one to check out is the last trains to your destination or place of rest after the Nuremberg game on the 22nd.

Thanks for the tip Magpie.

[AGF Aarhus]

The DB is putting on extra trains during the WC, and they have not been scheduled yet. This means that any schedule now is meaningless (it would be anyway because schedules are always changed on 1 May). Getting a comprehensive schedule is a very good idea, but wait until the schedule is accurate if you want to avoid major headaches.