General Travelling Advice

[Crop Circles Maria]

Hello all,
here are some tips for people who may not be in Germany yet. I dont know if anybody has already posted these.
-Stores close early, around 5, 6, 7 pm, bring your own bag!
-sun sets after 9 pm, nice!
-Germany is known for beer, pretzels, chocolate, and sausages. Try the ham, wine, and cheese as well.
-I bought a rail pass for 300 euros, very well worth. I got a discount for having game tickets. I just go to any station anytime and I ask to be printed an itinerary for how to get to my next destination. Haubtbahnhoff (main station), very important word, memorize it!
-hotels close very early, if possible, try to check in before you go to the game, take your keys with you so you can get back in at night, nobody will be at the reception and the door will be locked
In Leipzig you can check your back in the DB Lounge at the haubtbanhoff, in Gelsenkirchen, there is a bus outside the bus station which is next to the haubtanhoff which will check your bags for free until midnight.
-If you have time and or dont have a ticket, go to the fan fest. Watch the games on the big screen, eat, shop, and mingle with fans.
-My old fears of neo nazism and anti americanism are unfounded, all are welcome!
-if you go to the bistro (lunch) car of the train and find fans drinking, sing their songs and they will buy you beer!
-if you go to the bistro car, the attendant wont check your ticket.
-nobody really checks your subway, bus, tram ticket in any city
-go downtown after the game, it will be a party if the popular team wins. The Brandenburg gate was a madhouse after Brazil won and downtown any city when Germany wins, I got home at 4am.
-Taxis are expensive and only worth it if your hotel is far or complicated to get to.
-0 id checks at the game gates.
-Germans love David Hasselhoff - Norm Mc Donald
Germans love Robbie Williams - Sandro
-have fun and be safe!
Sandro

[EuropeanSoccerFan]

Hello all,
here are some tips for people who may not be in Germany yet. I dont know if anybody has already posted these.
-Stores close early, around 5, 6, 7 pm, bring your own bag!
-sun sets after 9 pm, nice!
-Germany is known for beer, pretzels, chocolate, and sausages. Try the ham, wine, and cheese as well.
-I bought a rail pass for 300 euros, very well worth. I got a discount for having game tickets. I just go to any station anytime and I ask to be printed an itinerary for how to get to my next destination. Haubtbahnhoff (main station), very important word, memorize it!
-hotels close very early, if possible, try to check in before you go to the game, take your keys with you so you can get back in at night, nobody will be at the reception and the door will be locked
In Leipzig you can check your back in the DB Lounge at the haubtbanhoff, in Gelsenkirchen, there is a bus outside the bus station which is next to the haubtanhoff which will check your bags for free until midnight.
-If you have time and or dont have a ticket, go to the fan fest. Watch the games on the big screen, eat, shop, and mingle with fans.
-My old fears of neo nazism and anti americanism are unfounded, all are welcome!
-if you go to the bistro (lunch) car of the train and find fans drinking, sing their songs and they will buy you beer!
-if you go to the bistro car, the attendant wont check your ticket.
-nobody really checks your subway, bus, tram ticket in any city
-go downtown after the game, it will be a party if the popular team wins. The Brandenburg gate was a madhouse after Brazil won and downtown any city when Germany wins, I got home at 4am.
-Taxis are expensive and only worth it if your hotel is far or complicated to get to.
-0 id checks at the game gates.
-Germans love David Hasselhoff - Norm Mc Donald
Germans love Robbie Williams - Sandro
-have fun and be safe!
Sandro

Some very nice inside views. But one think isn´t true. Where have you actually been? All the stores I know close normally at 8 pm (monday to saturday). Here in Frankfurt some close at 10 pm and are open on sunday as well during WC.

[gameson]

I am planning to go to Kiez in Hamburg on a Sunday and I believe in Germany, shops are closed on Sunday. I guess Kiez are open 24/7 7 days a week? true?

[AGF Aarhus]

The opening hours have been liberalised for the WC.

Shops are allowed to stay open unti midnight Mon.-Sat. rather than the normal 20:00, and they may also open for more limited hours on Sunday.

Obviously not all stores do this (the ones near my apartment have not), but they can if they want. Where our house is the shops close about 17:00 during the week at at noon on Satuday. Yes, you read that correctly, no shopping after 12:00 on Saturday.

[scottk964]

I am planning to go to Kiez in Hamburg on a Sunday and I believe in Germany, shops are closed on Sunday. I guess Kiez are open 24/7 7 days a week? true?

That depends what type of shops you're looking for in the Kiez... have you been there before?

[gameson]

NO, but would love to just stroll around the place and not looking at closed shop, it's just not as fun. I want to eat there also...

[scottk964]

NO, but would love to just stroll around the place and not looking at closed shop, it's just not as fun. I want to eat there also...

Eating and drinking and doing the things people do in red-light districts will not be a problem in the Kiez, no matter what time it is. It's actually a little depressing to be there during the day. Try to go on a weekend night if possible, spend the night out, then go to the Fischmarkt the next morning!

[gameson]

That's my plan, after I come back from the final in Berlin (around 2 - 3 AM depending if it goes to OT), I have few hours to burn before my flight at 6 AM, so I would like to walk around in the Kiez instead of at the airport, but since the final is on Sunday, that's why I ask since I dont want to be there and all shops are closed, dark and stuff.

[Crop Circles Maria]

Some very nice inside views. But one think isn´t true. Where have you actually been? All the stores I know close normally at 8 pm (monday to saturday). Here in Frankfurt some close at 10 pm and are open on sunday as well during WC.

I was in a small city just outside Leipzig. The supermarket closed at 5. I was told that in the big cities the hours have been extended exclusively for the world cup.
Sandro
ps I forgot, Germany is a non-smokers nightmare.