Germany away (2 September 2006) - all info in this thread

**NeilMcD** · 08/02/2006, 11:04 AM

Post any info you have on this trip

**zinedineontour** · 08/02/2006, 12:23 PM

When the fixture is announced tmow will they announce what stadium the game is on ?? If not whats the best airport to fly into that is handy for getting around ?

**Forever Dreamin** · 08/02/2006, 12:28 PM

Unlikely theyll announce the stadium as they have up to 60 days before the match date to do so. Your best bet is to book hotels in the main cities such as Munich, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Berlin etc. Most wilkl take bookings without payment and you can cancel the wrong ones.

its a brave man thatll book flights on spec unless you like driving, check FIFA world cup web site to see distances from the various stadiums etc.

**NeilMcD** · 08/02/2006, 12:30 PM

I think the match is going to be in Munich or Dortmund but I could be wrong. They generally play their big games in these cities. It depends on your situation. If its an in and out job you should wait until the city is announced before booking flights. However it could be a double header or if its a weekend you could make a good trip out of it and in which case Frankfurt is easy to get to and is pretty central and Germany has a great train system.

I hope the Germany game is part of a double header with either Slovakia or the Czechs. I really hope there is a double header before the end of the year.

**zinedineontour** · 08/02/2006, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by Forever Dreamin

Unlikely theyll announce the stadium as they have up to 60 days before the match date to do so. Your best bet is to book hotels in the main cities such as Munich, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Berlin etc. Most wilkl take bookings without payment and you can cancel the wrong ones.

its a brave man thatll book flights on spec unless you like driving, check FIFA world cup web site to see distances from the various stadiums etc.

cheer for that ... yeah was just unsure what to do on thurs if we get germany .. should i go ahead and start booking hotels and maybe flights or just hold off till stadium announced ..

**eirebhoy** · 08/02/2006, 1:35 PM

Originally Posted by zinedineontour

cheer for that ... yeah was just unsure what to do on thurs if we get germany .. should i go ahead and start booking hotels and maybe flights or just hold off till stadium announced ..

You'll have ages to book a hotel so no point in getting that booked as soon as the fixtures are announced. The match could be anywhere btw. They don't seem to have a preferred stadium.

**Paulie** · 08/02/2006, 1:35 PM

Just one thing to keep in mind folks, if you're thinking of booking flights into a German city and then getting a train to the actual match venue, German train fares can be very expensive. My experience of it is that a 3 hour train journey could cost in the region of €140 for a return ticket. So if you book a cheap flight to a fairly central city like Frankfurt make sure to factor in the train fare as well. Your best bet really, if there are a few of you, is to hire a car. That will work out much cheaper.

**Stuttgart88** · 08/02/2006, 1:38 PM

I hope it's Dortmund - it looks a fantastic stadium. Bertie Ahern should take note of what a proper football stadium is like, none of this Abbotstown bowl nonsense.

**Schumi** · 08/02/2006, 1:44 PM

Originally Posted by Paulie

Just one thing to keep in mind folks, if you're thinking of booking flights into a German city and then getting a train to the actual match venue, German train fares can be very expensive. My experience of it is that a 3 hour train journey could cost in the region of €140 for a return ticket. So if you book a cheap flight to a fairly central city like Frankfurt make sure to factor in the train fare as well. Your best bet really, if there are a few of you, is to hire a car. That will work out much cheaper.

I flew into Cologne/Bonn airport when I was going to Berlin last summer and got a train the rest of the way. It worked out cheaper than flying direct to Berlin so that should be viable.

**NeilMcD** · 08/02/2006, 2:05 PM

THere is huge saving on German trains if you are travelling in groups and if you do a search on their website there are many ways of cutting down the cost of a train journey.

**zinedineontour** · 08/02/2006, 3:09 PM

So the best option really is to hold out till venue announced .. just think if we hold out till then the airlines will obviously put up all their german flights for that date on thursday ..

**NeilMcD** · 08/02/2006, 3:16 PM

There is no best option its a calculated risk and you have to take a risk one way or the other.

**Forever Dreamin** · 08/02/2006, 3:59 PM

Hope that we dont have a double header away. If we want to qualify each of the main away games should be tied up with an easier home game. Away games on the Saturdays home on the weds letting the players back to their clubs very early thurs.

**NeilMcD** · 08/02/2006, 4:02 PM

That did not work the last time though and we had double headers for the 2002 World Cup which we qualified for.

**Forever Dreamin** · 08/02/2006, 5:48 PM

Right, but Holland and Portugal were both played away a month apart!

**Junior** · 08/02/2006, 7:54 PM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

THere is huge saving on German trains if you are travelling in groups and if you do a search on their website there are many ways of cutting down the cost of a train journey.

Spot on. Ive done this when travelling with Celtic in Stuttgart. Groups of 6 got something like a 40% discount (from memory).

**Forever Dreamin** · 08/02/2006, 9:38 PM

German railways website
http://www.bahn.de/-S:PtVOZ9:dK29f9N...ew/index.shtml

hamburg to munich is €260 return, discounts for groups but hard to find out on web site, group is 6 or more.