Germany

Just a wee report on our recent German tour - specifically about working the system to keep train travel costs to a minimum.

Just having been on a Friday night in Düsseldorf'd Altstadt I have this to report:

The scene happens mostly on Bolkerstrasse. The atmosphere is typically German and the Germans have real good fun here. Even though it's a bit tacky the places to have fun are Ballermann, Oberbayern, and Diebels Fass Keller- all of which are free and totally unpretentious.

Straying from Bolkerstrassee, though, there are plenty of great places. But the downside of this is that they have brain-dead gorilllas guarding…

I think I have my Koln accommodations sorted but I will also be spending some time in Mainz. And good ideas for accommodations there? Not a hostel but a pensions or lower level hotel.

Can anywhere recommend anywhere central and cheap for a couple of nights in October from the 13-15th. Just a basic hotel in the centre.

I normally stay at Im-Kupferkessel but they are fully booked as there is a big trade fair on.

Thanks in advance.

Hello -

Does anyone know anything about either of these venues for a gig? Such as are they close to city centre or easy by public transportation? Are they large venues or fairly intimate? Are they nice places to see a gig?

Thanks,
jeff

It looks fairly probable that Deutsche Bahn locomotive drivers will go on strike, after securing the strike vote on August 6.

I had planned train travel for several days in August in Germany. Now I'm concerned I will be stuck, and worse, in an unpredictable way.

Any thoughts as to what will likely happen if/when the strike moves forward?

Hello

a few weeks ago I posted a message about a birthday trip to Berlin and it was answered by orange mango. I've been on holiday for 2 weeks so since i've come home i've noticed my message is lost in the long list of messages so am now searching for answers again!! Anyway taking my 27 year old friend for a girly birthday weekend in Berlin. We are plannign a bit of sightseeing, relaxing and partying and are lookign for advice on 'different' things to do. We wondered about a boat trip or saunas…

I intend to stop over Berlin for a few hours before I take the train to Dresden in August. I'd like to put my luggage in a temporary locker or storage service at Berlin airport or train station while I tour the city, but I heard that due to the terrorists threats of late, most European airports no longer provide this service. Is this true in Berlin as well? I can't seem to find any information in this regard on websites or in my guide book.

Hi. I hope to ride an open ferry/tour boat from Dusseldorf to Bonn in mid-August. Is this section of the river dull &/or industrial, or might this be an interesting ride? Waste of time? Suggestions about tour companies welcome.

My friend is really into going to some city other than Prague (where we're going to anyway) thats outside of Germany. So I'm trying to accomidate his whims and find something in the realm of sanity thats not going to put us way off and screw everything else up or strands us (our itenary as it is basically runs like this: Stuttgart, Heidelberg, Trier, Koln, Hamburg, Berlin, Prague, Muenchen, Nurnburg, Stuttgart with some things in between).

I was thinking of if we cut a day off of Koln and do a…