Backpacking at World Cup

[SCSOLC]

So how many people out there will be backpacking during the World Cup?

Just curious how many people will be winging it as well and what you guys have figured out about locker sizes for storage on games days and other helpful information we could all use for the journey such as appropriate reservation for trains to sleep on at night. And any other miscellaneous questions for survival. Shall be quite an adventure all to support the USA.

Flight. Tickets. Train Pass Purchasing in next couple of weeks. Ready to go.

[msaut9784]

Good thread.. I'll be traveling around Germany backpacking staying in hostels for most of the tournament. Also making side-trips to Paris and Prague between USA games. I wish I could add some helpful advice, but as this is my first time in Europe I'm the one in need of most advice. I'm booking my train pass this week, most likely getting a 10 day German pass, sounds like booking reservations on the German rail site is the cheapest and best way to get that done.

[Mrs. O'Leary's Cow]

Me three. First time going. Have a few friends in Germany, but getting info from them is slow (what with the time difference and their slacker nature and all.) I'm most concerned about storing my pack (thought about renting a car for this very reason, but the money I save on a Weltmeister DB pass vs. car rental and fuel is enough to rent a storage space in every city I visit.)

Who knows about lockers at the games? Do you have to stash stuff at the train station? I'd hoped to bring a laptop and keep a blog of my trip, but I'm getting nervous about having a place to keep it merely during the matches!

[Blackbaron]

If anyone is interested in sharing gas money between cities...I'll be tooling around in a van and be in and out of every venue city at some point during the first three weeks. Maybe it'll work out to share a leg of the road trip? Drop a PM.

[Turzita]

Sort of wingin it too. Renting a car from Cologne to Gelsenkir..and driving to Berlin the morning after. Then off to Prague for a few nights and back to Germany. That's as far as I've gotten with my planning.

I also want to go into Amsterdam, especially for the match against Argentina.

[joehill]

i'm doing this, staying in a combination of hostels and hotels (and a pension, whatever that is).

cologne, hamburg, berlin, kaiserslautern, prague, nuremberg, munich

i need to get my rail pass still!

[niceView]

i'm doing this, staying in a combination of hostels and hotels (and a pension, whatever that is).

cologne, hamburg, berlin, kaiserslautern, prague, nuremberg, munich

i need to get my rail pass still!

going to germany for two games (hamburg / munich) and berlin ... hostels and hotels prices are expensive. for munich, couldn't find any hostels and hotel costs were like 120 Euros per person... so it looks like the game in munich i'm gonna be partying all night!! :cool:

[globalexplorer]

Just bought three Weltmeister Passes :D

[96Squig]

There are lockers of every size (they even store bicycles) in every major German railroad station, hope that helps ;-)

[torontosports]

Well I am a canadian soccer writer that loves winging it in hostels and campsites. thats the only way to get really awesome stories for the mag I work for.

For all you yanks out there it d be nice to speak english over some pints while I hype up your team. I ll be in Cologne on the 11th, frankfurt for the 17th and gelsenkirchen on the 21st.

anything and everything is on my mind in between that. If you want perhaps you would be interested in renting a cool flat, the more people the more comfy it gets pricewise. they re some very very good deals out there still and id be down for sharing a loft, gas, food expenses if anyone wishes. Youd probably get in the magazine too lol so either way im looking to meet e ton of people and make this trip the best of all time and trust me ive had some INSANE soccer trips in my day

[SCSOLC]

Confirmation that we will be able to store a weeks worth of luggage in a locker? Single backpack.

Good post everyone keep them coming many more questions to be answered. Random questions welcomed here.

So what 96Squig is telling me is that there will be no problem storing a backpack on game day?

[96Squig]

Confirmation that we will be able to store a weeks worth of luggage in a locker? Single backpack.

Good post everyone keep them coming many more questions to be answered. Random questions welcomed here.

So what 96Squig is telling me is that there will be no problem storing a backpack on game day?
If Fifa or DB doesn't screw up and the situation in the other big cities isn't different than what I am used to from Hanover and Dresden (and Stockholm), yes.
If I happen to walk by the main station I will ask them for confirmation.

[Deluxe 007]

Can anybody tell if surcharges on night trains apply for couchette services only, or in general? I plan to take some night trains and try to get some sleep there, but I'm not really willing to spend an excessive amount, so sleeping in regular seats is enough for me.

[Yggdrasil]

Who knows about lockers at the games? Do you have to stash stuff at the train station? I'd hoped to bring a laptop and keep a blog of my trip, but I'm getting nervous about having a place to keep it merely during the matches!
There are no lockers at the stadiums for security reasons. Also you are not allowed to bring any bulky back packs or suitcases into the stadium.

As for laptops, for Bundesliga games I have brought a laptop into stadia several times but I'm not sure you can do it during the WC. FIFA will run the stadia with their own regulations and somewhere they have a "catch all" clause that you are not allowed to bring any "device" which could be used to broadcast video, images, sound or results into the Internet. I guess they will interpret it as they see fit.

[AyanO]

I am going to be backpacking not just during the games in Germany but for a good month in July afterwards heading to Eastern Europe. I plan on doing the Hostel staying, and combination of cheap no-frills airlines and trains. A few questions for the other backpackers here..
1. What rail pass are you buying? I think i'm getting a 6 day in 2 month Germany-Benelux pass, 280 bucks works out to 44 dollars per trip and looking at some of the trips I plan on taking, a bit cheaper.
2. What size(in Cubic Inches) in your backpack?
3. How many days worth of clothing are you thinking of bringing. I'm thinking between 7 to 10 days
4. What side trips do you have planned? I have an Amsterdam-Belgium-Luxembourg trip planned for June 13th to 17th. And a Barcelona flight for June 19-22. Then a Prague getaway from June 23-June 25th before figurign out where the hell the Round of 16 games are going to be..

I'd love to hear from other backpackers, we should UNITE! and rock the country.

[aerohokie]

Here is a pdf file listing all of the surcharges on German trains using a Weltmeister Pass or Eurail Pass.

Rail Surcharges (http://www.theworldcupingermany.com/artman/uploads/Surcharges%20and%20compulsory%20seat%20reservations.pdf)

[aerohokie]

1. What rail pass are you buying?
We'll be in Switzerland for 10 days before the tournament so we're going to get a 3 travel days in 1 month Swiss Rail Pass. For the tournament we got the Weltmeister Pass.
2. What size(in Cubic Inches) in your backpack?
My pack is 2700 cu in.
3. How many days worth of clothing are you thinking of bringing.
Since I've got limited room in my pack I'm bringing 3 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of shorts, 2 collared shirts (for out on the town), 2 t-shirts, one sweatshirt, one rain jacket and socks and underwear for 6 days. Plus my cleats for pickup soccer.
4. What side trips do you have planned?
Switzerland, Amsterdam, Paris, Prague, 2 stages of the Tour de France

[Deluxe 007]

Here is a pdf file listing all of the surcharges on German trains using a Weltmeister Pass or Eurail Pass.

Rail Surcharges (http://www.theworldcupingermany.com/artman/uploads/Surcharges%20and%20compulsory%20seat%20reservations.pdf)

Cheers! I'm in your debt!

[AGF Aarhus]

Here is a pdf file listing all of the surcharges on German trains using a Weltmeister Pass or Eurail Pass.

Rail Surcharges (http://www.theworldcupingermany.com/artman/uploads/Surcharges%20and%20compulsory%20seat%20reservations.pdf)
The info you listed is for Inter Rail, not Eurail passes (there is a difference).

[AGF Aarhus]

Look on the FAQ here:
http://www.eurail.com/
There are not supplements on all ICE trains, as there are for Inter Rail according to the previous link. Only on the 'Sprinter' trains, which you are not terribly likely to be on, anyway.