oktoberfest 2008

Can someone recommend a hotel right outside the city, that is nice? I know they would be alittle cheaper. Any advice would be great

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Please do write again, I know a few outside Munich but reasonable and easy to reach. And now really I have time to answer.

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I%26#39;ve always liked the K%26amp;K hotel in Harras. I%26#39;ve stayed there several times on business and have always been treated well. The area is nice and it would still be an easy U-Bahn ride to the Oktoberfest.

http://old.kkhotels.com/index.asp?ID=268

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Catholic Church near Schifferstr. Frankfurt

Hi,

We are staying in the Maingau Hotel (thank you Dave for the recommendation) around Easter and wonder does anyone know is there any Catholic Churches near there.

Many thanks

Cait

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sachsenhausen-live.de/sachsenhausen_d/sozial��

frankfurt.bistumlimburg.de/index.php��

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutschordenskirche_(Frankfurt)

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Euro Night Line Brussels-Berlin

I%26#39;m taking the overnight train from Brussels to Berlin and have a few questions-

It says breakfast is included but the train arrives in Berlin at around 0800 (fairly early) so what time is breakfast served? Does the train terminate at Berlin and if so are you expected to be off the train at this time or are things a little more relaxed on this service?

Thanks for any help.

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%26gt; Does the train terminate at Berlin

The train calls at 4 stations in Berlin

Berlin-Spandau

Berlin Zoologischer Garten

Berlin Hbf

Berlin Ostbahnhof

%26gt; and if so are you expected to be off the train at this time

Yes. These are all %26quot;through%26quot; stations with rather few tracks. Even if they are the last stop for a train the train has to leave the platform soon to give place for the next one.

You could also skip the breakfast on the train (it won%26#39;t be that impressive anyway) and have a nice breakfast somewhere in Berlin.

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Thanks for your help - I shall make sure I don%26#39;t oversleep then!

Bayern Pass

Does a Bayern Pass of 27 to 29 Euros actually cover up to 5 people or is that cost per person? We (4 adults) are traveling together from the Lucerne area to Oberammergau. We are planning to go from Lucerne to Lindau. Then use the Bayern Pass from Lindau to Oberammergau (regional trains).

I assume we can buy the Bayern Pass at any German train station. Can we buy it a week in advance while we are in Frankfurt?

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%26gt; Does a Bayern Pass of 27 to 29 Euros actually cover up to 5 people or is that cost per person?

The price is for 2-5 persons (together).

%26quot;Bayern Pass%26quot;

correct name is Bayern Ticket or Bavaria Ticket.

%26gt; Can we buy it a week in advance while we are in Frankfurt?

Yes. But keep in mind that it comes with no change no refund.

If coming from Lucerne you%26#39;ll arrive mostlikely on a far distance train in Lindau. Thus you have to change in Lindau anyway. Which also means that you could buy the Bavaria Ticket there.

Also an option:

Pre-Alpine Express from Lucerne to Romanshorn

www.voralpen-express.ch/site/content.asp��

Ferry across lake Constance to Friedrichshafen

Then

a) on a Sa or Su: Happy-Weekend-Ticket to Oberammergau (EUR 35,00 for all of you together)

b) Mo-Fr normal tickets to Nonnenhorn, from there onwards on the Bavaria Ticket

Price for this route is nearly identical as the %26quot;all by train%26quot; route. You can buy tickets for this route to Friedrichshafen or Nonnenhorn at Lucerne. Ferry included. This is a %26quot;connecting railroads%26quot; ferry - stations are directly next to the boats.

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I like your option taking the Alpine Express from Lucerne to Romanshorn and then ferry across to Friedrichshafen.

When we buy our tickets at the train station to take the Voralpen-Express from Lucerne to Romanshorn,can the Swiss half-fare card be used for this train?

We will be traveling on a Wednesday (no week-end) from Lucerne to Oberammergau. I assume the Bayern Ticket applies from Friedrichshafen to Oberammergau?

Thank you for your help.

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%26gt; When we buy our tickets at the train station to take the Voralpen-Express from Lucerne to Romanshorn,can the Swiss half-fare card be used for this train?

Yes. The half-fare card will give you also a 50% discount for the ferry Romanshorn-Friedrichshafen.

%26gt; I assume the Bayern Ticket applies from Friedrichshafen to Oberammergau?

No. Friedrichshafen is in Baden-W��rttemberg, not in Bayern. Albeit really close to the Bavarian border.

Buy tickets from Lucerne to Nonnenhorn (the first stop in Bavaria coming from Friedrichshafen).

If you have not bought the Bavaria Ticket already in Frankfurt you can buy it in Friedrichshafen. If you have a Bavaria Ticket you can just stay seated in Nonnenhorn of course.

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Thank you for your help.

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Removed on: 7:21 am, September 21, 2009

Do you know the history of München Oktoberfest

No, so I tell you.

The origin of one of Munich%26#39;s most important traditions, the Oktoberfest, is the splendourful marriage ceremony of crown prince Ludwig of Bavaria and princess Theresia of Saxonia on 12th Oct. 1810, only four years after Bavaria%26#39;s elevation to a kingdom.

Ludwig should later become the well-known %26quot;reconstructor%26quot; of Munich, king Ludwig I, and Theresia should give her name to the fair area, then a meadow, which at that time was outside of Munich - from then on called Theresienwiese (Theresia%26#39;s Meadow). So till now everyone in Munich calls the Oktoberfest %26quot;the Wiesn%26quot; (= meadow in the Bavarian dialect) and the fair is still on this %26quot;Theresienwiese%26quot;, which by now has become one of Munich%26#39;s places in the middle of the town.

In those days the people of Munich celebrated for 5 days in honour of the marriage of the couple, the occasion was declared a national holiday all over Bavaria, and so remained for a long time. At the end of the celebration there was organized a horse race by the upper middle class on 17th Oct. 1810. Because of the popularity of this horse race, it was decided to repeat the %26quot;Oktober-Fest%26quot; also the next year.

Already during the first years of the Oktoberfest, further attractions were added, e.g. the %26quot;Central Agricultural Fair%26quot;, and stalls for selling meals and drinks, especially beer.

In 1850, after the erection of the statue %26quot;Bavaria%26quot;, the next highlight became the introduction of the merry-go-rounds, which fast attained a large popularity. In 1880, a nocturnal visit to the Oktoberfest possibly led to the introduction of electricity. In 1892 the %26quot;Mass%26quot; (Mug) of glass was introduced to replace the stone mug.

Approximately from the beginning of the 20th century onward, the enormous marquees replaced the smaller beer-stalls. Soon after its 100th anniversary, in 1910, the Oktoberfest celebrations were interrupted by the two World Wars.

In 1950, the mayor of Munich, Thomas Wimmer - a very popular mayor (called Wimmer Dammerl by the inhabitants of Munich) introduced to the Oktoberfest the tradition of the %26quot;O%26#39;zapft is!%26quot; (it%26#39;s tapped), the yearly celebrated official tapping of the very first barrel of the Oktoberfest beer exactly at 12 o%26#39;clock of the first day of the fair in the beer tent of %26quot;Schottenhamel%26quot;. At the same year 1950, the horse race disappeared from the program.

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Thanks Herzblatt

Lots of interesting facts!!

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I have read a great deal about Munich because I will be there over Easter weekend and this was the best explanation of Octoberfest that I read in any of the tour books. Thank you. Very interesting and well said.

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First time to Germany, help please!

Hi! Boyfriend and I will be flying into Amsterdam in June and then heading to Maastricht for business. We have both been to Europe before, but not The Netherlands or Germany. We are looking for suggestions for the following:

**A pleasant way to get from Maastricht to Koln (we think car rental or trains might be more comfortable than buses, etc).

**Sites/towns to see around Koln, and/or:

**A route to a major city that allows us to stop or see interesting things along the way.

We enjoy arts/museums/architecture, shopping, local culture, dining,some outdoor activities (hiking, walks). Our budget is not extravagant (we%26#39;re both graduate students). Your suggestions are appreciated!

We prefer to see one or two towns and linger a bit rather than hurry across all of Germany in the week or so we have. Our %26quot;end point%26quot; of the trip (in Germany) has to be near an international airport so we can get back to the States. Thanks!

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route suggestion

Maastricht - Aachen - Cologne - Middle Rhine Valley - Mainz - Frankfurt Airport

http://www.aachen.de

www.koeln.nicecity.de/english/index.htm

http://www.koeln.de/en/tourism/tourism.html

http://www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.de/

mainz.de/WGAPublisher/��hpkr-5nkgnz.en.html

From the Rhine valley you could also explore the Moselle valley. E.g.

Eltz Castle

http://www.burg-eltz.de

Trier - the oldest city in Germany

http://www.trier.de

A good deal for the Rhine - Moselle area is the Rhineland-Palatinate ticket (EUR 26,00 for 2-5 persons). A day ticket covering all regional trains and all other local public transport (buses, in Mainz also trams) in the state Rhineland-Palatinate and a bit beyond (see map)

der-takt.de/fileadmin/��karte_rp_ticket.html

There is a similar offer you can use from Aachen to Cologne (EUR 35,00).

Mainz to Frankfurt airport is EUR 3,60 per person.

From Maastricht to Aachen you can use the euregioticket (EUR 14,00 pp)

www.avv.de/web/hauptdrei/euregioticket.php��

On Sa or So you need only one, as on these days it will be good for 2 adults (plus 0-3 children).

You could stay in youth hostels

diejugendherbergen.de/cms/front_content.php��

Some of them are in castles, e.g. Burg Stahleck in Bacharach or the Grafenschloss in Diez. Latter was just opened in 2007. Many of these hostels are new or newly renovated. They have only 1-,2- and 4-bed rooms with shower/WC ensuite. Thus no huge dorms.

youth hostels in the Rhineland (Aachen, Cologne)

jugendherberge.de/lvb/rheinland/index_en.htm

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Great info! Thanks!

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would agree with the above, we had 3 weeks in Germany in September and intended to travel all over actually ended up spending first 10 days on the Rhine between Koblenz and Bingen, just the travelling about can be great we walked, cycled, took trains, boats, cable cars and chair lifts. Take your time and take it all in. We stayed in jdh in Bacharach (in a castle), Koblenz (in a fortress)and St Goar (overlooking the river) and a B%26amp;B in Bingen. Rhine in flames is a must if you can make it, I think there is one on the 21 June. Loads of opportunities for hiking around the vine yards. There is bound to be some kind of festival going on while you are there it seemed to us that there was something on in one of these towns most days.

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What is %26quot;Rhine in flames%26quot;????

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http://www.rlp-info.de/index.php?id=696%26amp;L=2

www.rhein-in-flammen.com/index.php?id=80

castle/boat illumanations, sounds/music, fireworks

Best enjoyed on board of a boat.

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Thank you! :)

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Bad Windsheim in June

Will be spending three weeks in Bad Windsheim. Would like some advice as to what to see an do. Will likely be dependent on rail transportation. Any ideas would be most appreciated.

Thanks

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Wow. Never was a traveler so fortunate to book such a location without even knowing what to do there.

You must know of the open air museum there already.

Daytrips to Nuremberg, Bamberg, Wuerzburg, Rothenburg, Weissenburg, Eichstaett, Pappenheim, Weikersheim.

Cruise the %26quot;Bierstrasse%26quot; and sample brews at various pubs; use the bike paths to avoid arrest:

www.houblon.net/spip.php?article553

Check out the castle road:

www.burgenstrasse.de/showpage.php��

Bike along the nearby Altmuehl River with its white cliffs.

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Thanks for the tips Russ. Looks like I have a lot of homework to do. How far from Bad Windsheim to Prague?

Thanks again.

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Railroad map of Bavaria

bayern-takt.de/media/��Gesamtnetz07.pdf

Bad Windsheim is in the mid of the triangle W��rzburg - Ansbach - Nuremberg

Bad Windsheim is inside the VGN, the local public transport network of the Greater Nuremberg area.

http://www.vgn.de/

Fastest connections to Prague will need 6,75 hrs.

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