Father Ted Posted 16 December 2012 Posted 16 December 2012 I'm looking to do a weekend/midweek in Germany sometime in the future and looking for some advice and reviews from people who have been. Mainly along the lines of: Which games you went to: Would you recommend going to watch that team again? Atmosphere/pyro-wise what was it like? Prices? And general questions: Did you buy tickets for the games in advance? Places you stayed and how you travelled around (+ costs). Thanks in advance!
C-man Posted 16 December 2012 Posted 16 December 2012 North-Rhine Westphalia is the best place to go. The region has something like 8/9 teams in the top two tiers, and given the games are staggered across the weekend, you are always guaranteed to see at least 3 games. If you want to spend a bit more time there then twice a season they have 'English weeks' where they have a midweek fixture too, or you could time it for a cup tie. Cup ties are usually a bit easier to get tickets for as well. Dortmund is the standout for me, for obvious reasons. Been on the Südtribüne a fair few times now but even though there's nothing like it, be prepared to pay shit loads on Viagogo or make friends in a bar prior to getting to the ground who can sneak you in. Fortuna Düsseldorf is class too, as are Gladbach and Köln. Would love to go to a Fortuna vs Köln derby, bet it'd be brutal. I tend to buy all tickets for Bundesliga games in advance, because 95% of them sell out. Most club websites are fairly easy to navigate and if you travel with a match ticket the local transport is all included in the cost of your ticket. I'd avoid Leverkusen and Bochum. Both shitheap towns with nothing about them and fairly average fans. Gelsenkirchen is pretty boring too but the Veltins Arena is out of this world, even if the fans that attend are deluded as fvck... Tend to stay in Düsseldorf, beautiful city with cheap accommodation and pretty much the centre of the NRW area so none of the clubs are too far away.
Father Ted Posted 17 December 2012 Author Posted 17 December 2012 North-Rhine Westphalia is the best place to go. The region has something like 8/9 teams in the top two tiers, and given the games are staggered across the weekend, you are always guaranteed to see at least 3 games. If you want to spend a bit more time there then twice a season they have 'English weeks' where they have a midweek fixture too, or you could time it for a cup tie. Cup ties are usually a bit easier to get tickets for as well. Dortmund is the standout for me, for obvious reasons. Been on the Südtribüne a fair few times now but even though there's nothing like it, be prepared to pay shit loads on Viagogo or make friends in a bar prior to getting to the ground who can sneak you in. Fortuna Düsseldorf is class too, as are Gladbach and Köln. Would love to go to a Fortuna vs Köln derby, bet it'd be brutal. I tend to buy all tickets for Bundesliga games in advance, because 95% of them sell out. Most club websites are fairly easy to navigate and if you travel with a match ticket the local transport is all included in the cost of your ticket. I'd avoid Leverkusen and Bochum. Both shitheap towns with nothing about them and fairly average fans. Gelsenkirchen is pretty boring too but the Veltins Arena is out of this world, even if the fans that attend are deluded as fvck... Tend to stay in Düsseldorf, beautiful city with cheap accommodation and pretty much the centre of the NRW area so none of the clubs are too far away. Thanks for that, really has helped me and youve sold it to me!
Dan Posted 17 December 2012 Posted 17 December 2012 I'd avoid Leverkusen and Bochum. Both shitheap towns with nothing about them and fairly average fans. Gelsenkirchen is pretty boring too but the Veltins Arena is out of this world, even if the fans that attend are deluded as fvck...
Voll Blau Posted 17 December 2012 Posted 17 December 2012 C-Man's pretty much got it spot on in terms of where to base yourself. Good transport connections as well - you can get trains from Aachen or Koln to connect to the Eurostar in Brussels (which is well worth a night out in itself by the way) or fly between Luton and Dortmund. If you're going over with a bunch of mates who are Leicester fans I'd recommend a game in Bochum (it's a top night out too). The fans aren't the best in Germany but it's still a great atmosphere on the terrace and you'll be made more than welcome by their supporters. Would be happy to put you in touch with a couple of the lads we know over there. The pub before and after the game we went to last season was absolutely unreal. Other than that get stuck into currywurst, schnitzel and plenty of the local brew, and you'll have a top time.
Father Ted Posted 17 December 2012 Author Posted 17 December 2012 Thanks for the information people. Will most likely go some time in September at the start of the 12/13 season which gives me time to plan it out!
Durnerz Posted 18 December 2012 Posted 18 December 2012 If you fancy Bavaria i've just come back from watching Augsburg, Unterhaching and Greuther Furth, obviously you have Bayern, TSV, ingolstadt and nuremberg worth watching in the region too, Munich is livlier than Dortmund or Cologne but the north west is brilliant for the sheer number of teams. Message me for any further info you need. Well worth doing
Guest MattP Posted 18 December 2012 Posted 18 December 2012 Done Hamburg, Bremen, Bielefeld and Bayern, Hamburg is great, superb night out and a good train connection from Lubeck if you're on a budget. Get down the Portuguese quarter and you'll find loads of bars where they shift out beers for a quid a bottle. Just avoid the St Pauli supporters if possible, tramps is an understatement. Bayern is magnificent. Awesome arena but nowhere near the atmosphere of the others. Probably the best town out there though. Lively and great people in Bavaria. Bielefeld is just a shithole tbh, alcoholics and idiots everywhere, like our version of Luton, we not that bad but bad for Germany. Bremen not much better but an awesome arena.
Simmo86 Posted 18 December 2012 Posted 18 December 2012 Done Hamburg, Bremen, Bielefeld and Bayern, Hamburg is great, superb night out and a good train connection from Lubeck if you're on a budget. Get down the Portuguese quarter and you'll find loads of bars where they shift out beers for a quid a bottle. Just avoid the St Pauli supporters if possible, tramps is an understatement. Bayern is magnificent. Awesome arena but nowhere near the atmosphere of the others. Probably the best town out there though. Lively and great people in Bavaria. Bielefeld is just a shithole tbh, alcoholics and idiots everywhere, like our version of Luton, we not that bad but bad for Germany. Bremen not much better but an awesome arena.
Maybes Posted 18 December 2012 Posted 18 December 2012 Pretty much second C-Man's opinion having been on a trip with him to Germany and currently planning on next one for February 2013. The North-West region is brilliant. Dusseldorf is a great city, plenty of decent pubs, bars and clubs. Been to Schalke's, BMG's, Bochum's and Leverkusen's grounds. Favourite being Borussia Park, the home of Borussia Monchengladbach, now my adopted German side. Been there a couple of times now, with the first visit being in with their ultra's in block 16 of the terrace, it was unreal.
Ric Flair Posted 14 January 2013 Posted 14 January 2013 We're thinking of doing a European swig for a few of my mates 30th's at the end of April. Reading this it looks like Germany is the best option, we had been thinking of going somewhere a bit alternative like Serbia but I think we'll stick with Dussledorf! Haha.
Father Ted Posted 14 January 2013 Author Posted 14 January 2013 We're thinking of doing a European swig for a few of my mates 30th's at the end of April. Reading this it looks like Germany is the best option, we had been thinking of going somewhere a bit alternative like Serbia but I think we'll stick with Dussledorf! Haha. I could give you some tips on Serbia! You have to be one brave man though if you can't speak the lingo!
Maybes Posted 14 January 2013 Posted 14 January 2013 Just in the middle of sorting our trip for the beginning of April.
Ric Flair Posted 14 January 2013 Posted 14 January 2013 Think we're doing Dortmund v Mainz on 20th April. Are we best to stay in Dortmund or Dusseldorf? Cheers
CosbehFox Posted 14 January 2013 Posted 14 January 2013 Think we're doing Dortmund v Mainz on 20th April. Are we best to stay in Dortmund or Dusseldorf? Cheers Dusseldorf f'sure
Maybes Posted 14 January 2013 Posted 14 January 2013 Think we're doing Dortmund v Mainz on 20th April. Are we best to stay in Dortmund or Dusseldorf? Cheers Dortmund is OK but more of an industrial city. Dusseldorf would be better mate. Plenty of bars, clubs etc More receptive to us English lot too
Guest MattP Posted 14 January 2013 Posted 14 January 2013 Think we're doing Dortmund v Mainz on 20th April. Are we best to stay in Dortmund or Dusseldorf? Cheers I was in a bar with loads of Mainz fans a few years back, they sing 'We all walk on together, we are super Mainz' to Elvis, great fans.
Voll Blau Posted 14 January 2013 Posted 14 January 2013 Currently looking at two trips next month. Three games in a weekend, then flying over for the Stuttgart-Bochum quarter-final in the week after Blackpool away. I've got no money or sense.
1884 Posted 23 January 2013 Posted 23 January 2013 I've booked up to go to Bayer Leverkusen V Stuttgart and Dusseldorf v Mainz in March and I'm staying in Dusseldorf. But what's the crack regarding the free train travel with the ticket? Is it within a certain travel time or certain trains etc? I presume it'll be free for those to games but I'm trying to plan another game for the friday if poss, just don't want to purchase train tickets in advance if they turn out to be free!
SOCCERROO FOX Posted 24 January 2013 Posted 24 January 2013 I've booked up to go to Bayer Leverkusen V Stuttgart and Dusseldorf v Mainz in March and I'm staying in Dusseldorf. But what's the crack regarding the free train travel with the ticket? Is it within a certain travel time or certain trains etc? I presume it'll be free for those to games but I'm trying to plan another game for the friday if poss, just don't want to purchase train tickets in advance if they turn out to be free!
C-man Posted 24 January 2013 Posted 24 January 2013 I've booked up to go to Bayer Leverkusen V Stuttgart and Dusseldorf v Mainz in March and I'm staying in Dusseldorf. But what's the crack regarding the free train travel with the ticket? Is it within a certain travel time or certain trains etc? I presume it'll be free for those to games but I'm trying to plan another game for the friday if poss, just don't want to purchase train tickets in advance if they turn out to be free! It's free at any time - I have used them at 9am and midnight before. You can use them on all regional trains (any train that starts with RE, or S, or U) which are the only ones you'll need to get to Leverkusen. From memory it takes around 15 minutes on the S-bahn from Düsseldorf Hbf to Leverkusen-Mitte.
Hinckley Fox 3 Posted 5 February 2013 Posted 5 February 2013 Think we're doing Dortmund v Mainz on 20th April. Are we best to stay in Dortmund or Dusseldorf? Cheers Thinking of doing the exact same fixture actually so any advice you have would be great! Looking at Dusseldorf it seems the better place to stay but the Weeze airport is about an hour away, as our flight would likely to be on a Sunday evening I'm not so sure how frequent transport would be running there. In terms of ticket release for this game do you know the date they are scheduled to be released?
Maybes Posted 5 February 2013 Posted 5 February 2013 Thinking of doing the exact same fixture actually so any advice you have would be great! Looking at Dusseldorf it seems the better place to stay but the Weeze airport is about an hour away, as our flight would likely to be on a Sunday evening I'm not so sure how frequent transport would be running there. In terms of ticket release for this game do you know the date they are scheduled to be released? Fly to Dusseldorf International if you can. It has much better transport links. Re the fixtures, the actual set date wont be released for another 3 weeks yet at least. Booked our trip two weeks ago for the 5th to 8th April, can't wait!
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