and i don't mean players, i mean fans! is anyone here planning on making the trip? if so, what games are you trying to hit? we've made it to a couple of mens world cups, and a couple of womens world cups, but since we missed south africa, we really want to go to germany! unlike my wifes parents, who plan on staying the month and catching every last usa game, we will not have that kind of luxury, especially with a new baby. so, the question is, if you had only a week or so in germany, which games would you try to see? group games (sure things) or knockouts (who knows who will be playing, or where)?
Actually, I am going! Very excited, too. While I have traveled to watch many soccer games in the U.S., never something like this so I am way pumped. I will try to see all the but the first U.S. game, and hopefully into the late stages.
I'm actually going as well. If Germany runs the table then I'll see them three times. I have tickets to USA vs Sweden in the group stage and tickets to one quarterfinal.
I'd planned on going for most of 2009 and 2010, even had a plan for tickets and hotels, but then I had a sudden-ish trip to Norway last year and decided I needed to focus on saving money for a second college stint. Germany's a fantastic country though. Friendly and warm people, great food, public transportation to die for and the overall costs/prices of things are actually pretty damn good. I can't wait until I can make it back over there.
i don't know how you feel about beer, but, no surprise, germany easily has some of the best beers around. since it'll be summer, the beer gardens will be serving both Helles and Radler. a Helles is a summer brew the germans call an "all day beer", meaning you can drink it all day. if you decide to drink it all day, you'll be surprised at how you don't feel bloated. and the next day, you'll be surprised how you don't have a headache, and how generally great you feel. you'll only be able to order the Helles in full 1 liter tankards in most places. Radlers are a beer + lemond drink concoction. sounds weird, but it's pretty refreshing. i'm probably still about 50-50 on making it there, but the idea of possibly going is awesome!
Oooh. Well, when I went to Germany, I went just for the U.S. friendly that was played in late 2009. There were some things at the time I wanted to see (concentration camp outside of Augsburg, the Christmas Market in Munich, Zoo in Frankfurt) but I just didn't have time for.
Hotel rooms are disappearing fast in the smaller towns. In my experience Monchengladbach and Wolfsburg specifically. I couldn't get a room in Wolfsburg for the night of the US vs Sweden group match. I have a room in Hanover that night and am now working on getting to Wolfsburg from there. It is a late match and the current train schedules are not conducive to my situation. Oh, and the Holiday Inn Express in Monchengladbach costs more per night than some of the best hotels in Berlin. Ya' know that whole supply and demand thing. I'm letting a travel agent do the trip and am squeezing in the tourist stuff between matches. I know travel agents cost money, but this one has saved my ass.
yeah, i'm beginning to see what you mean. do you know if they are planning any additional trains to supplement the regular schedules? hotel availability is ok once you get just a few miles away, but with some of the later games, catching a regularly scheduled train will be nearly impossible.
Well I just ordered tickets for the semi-final in Mönchengladbach. I'm so excited to go!! don't really care who will be playing that semi-final, maybe just hope that there's one European country in it. I'm hoping more for a great atmosphere. Luckily I don't have to worry about hotels or so, it's just an hour drive from where I live, convenient
It is my hope that they will be adding trains. I believe the summer train schedules come out in a few weeks. If there are no additional trains I am looking into hiring a car to drive me to Wolfsburg from Hanover where I am staying. I don't want to try and drive myself and the only other option I can see is to skip the USA vs Sweden match I have tickets for and that IS NOT an option.
I am a german living in Hannover and got a ticket USA vs. Sweden. And I also have to take the last train from Wolsburg to Hannover. Shouldn't be a problem. The wolfsburg stadium is near the train station, you can walk. If anybody else has problems getting a hotel in wolfsburg, you will have success in Hannover, because as an exihibition town there are many hotels. If you have to save money: try youth hostels. Check out the trains at bahn.de. M'Gladbach belongs to the Rhein/Ruhr Area. Try getting a hotel at a distance of ca. 50km. Not problem, because of excellent public transport(vrr.de).
yeah, looking at the map, it looks like maybe a 15-25 minute walk from the stadium to the station. with an 8:45pm start time, the game may end about 10:45pm. last westbound train is something like 11:13, and last eastbound train is something like 11:23. it looks like there are 2 trains going each direction a few minutes apart, and then nothing until around 5am. it's do-able, but kinda cutting it close. there won't be extra periods, but there could be a lot of injury time, or other odd delays. i found some availability in gilfhorn. i figure if we miss the train, that's close enough a taxi may take us.
If we don't catch the train, a friend of mine will bring us to Hannover by car. I won't drive because I can't watch soccer without drinking a beer(or two or ...).
I have actually asked about possibilities for pre-booking taxis *from* the stadiums, but have had no reply so far. *sigh* When I've asked "centrally", I've been told "ask the stadium". Stadium liaison people seem to have other things to do than reply to mails, but maybe I've just been using the wrong addresses?
I got stuck at the Cleveland Browns Stadium after the Germany vs USA match. The cabbie who took me there assured me there was a taxi stand and I could get a ride back to my hotel no problem. Well that turned out to be utter bullshit. The security guards said no such thing existed and there were no cabs in sight. It wasn't dark yet and my hotel was close enough to walk back so I did, but this experience has left me a bit nervous. I don't want to be standing around a stadium in Germany by myself in the middle of the bloody night with no way to get to a train station or my hotel. I'm sending my travel agent all the stadium info and she is going to look int hiring a car and driver for the matches. I'm sure it will cost a blue bleeding fortune, but I'm going to at least check it out and see if it is financially feasible. For the record I am not at all nervous about traveling abroad by myself, except for this middle of the night stadium transportation thing.
Once you are over there, you should be able to make arrangements through your hotel conciegre or cab company to have a reserved cab pick you up and drive you back. Tip the concierge well and everything will work fine. BTW, the cabs in Germany were all Benz or BMW when I was there, not crappy junkers like the US.
It's a 12 minutes walk from the stadium to Central Station in Wolfsburg: http://212.68.73.240/bsvag/XSLT_TRIP_REQUEST2 Map: http://212.68.73.240/bsvag/FILELOAD?Filename=nds_4DA7F7171.pdf
If you want a cab from Wolfsburg to Hannover try this: http://www.taxi-airport-hannover.de/en/transfer_prices.html
the links didn't work for me, but i'll take your word for it. google maps had it at about 17 min (even though the stadium itself isn't in the satellite image). but, one has to factor exiting the stadium and crowds, not to mention injury time and unforseen delays. i think the question is, if the game end is delayed, are the trains held at least a bit, or do they roll out on time regardless, knowing that huge numbers of riders are at likely that game?
It's not much time, I agree. And no time to have a last beer and celebrate. The train won't wait. I'll ask the german railway about extra trains and will inform you. A cab costs 79€ each person. If there are no extra trains, a friend will fetch us.
You're right. Links don't work. try http://www.braunschweiger-verkehrs-ag.de/ and look for "Fahrplanauskunft", after 2 clicks you see a british flag, it will make it a little bit easier.
You can take bus from Wolfsburg to Gifhorn, there should be one going as late as 1 AM at least. Edit: ah, the game is on a weekday. Yeah, I fear they close down the town at 11 PM then.