 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
TO FLY OR DRIVE - COMFORT OR PAIN
Your journey to Leipzig will depend on your home location. Most of us (who live outside of Germany) will fly into Germany and then use
public transport to get to Leipzig. If you live in Europe you are well served by various airlines (many of them budget), if you live elsewhere
your flights will be more restricted and I throughly recommend extending your stay to see other parts of Germany and or Europe.
Fortunately Public transport in Germany is second to none, and runs efficiently and to time.
DRIVING TO LEIPZIG - THE PAIN
You may wish to Drive to Leipzig especially if you live on the Continent or the UK. Driving time will obviously be based on where you live.
If you live in the UK and for some reason you decide to drive to Leipzig you will need to be prepared for a car journey of 24+ hours
(including the ferry/Chunnel train time), the route is quite good, however it is a very long journey and I advise having a couple of drivers.
Personally I have never driven, although we have discussed the possibility of taking a people carrier to be able to take more clothes and
bring back more shopping, maybe one day. If you decide to drive I would advise getting to Leipzig on the Wednesday, this will give you
time to rest before the events and beer on Thursday. Sat Nave will make your life even easier and I would highly recommend investing a
Europe map enabled unit (Tom Tom do a very good unit)
If you want to take your car from the North of the UK you can travel by P&O ferries from Hull to Europoort in Rotterdam. The price is
around £250 for a return ticket and includes a 4 bed standard en-suite cabin without a window. It’s an 11 hour overnight sea crossing
and after you disembark you have a 10 hour car journey through Holland and North Germany. You will find that you will need to book
your ferry for the Tuesday before WGT, spend all day driving on Wednesday to Leipzig from Rotterdam and then recuperate on
Thursday before WGT starts on Friday. Info from Tracy
You can also drive via Calais
I drove to WGT overnight (the best way to do it!) and I was the only driver - my hands were shaking when we finally got there!!! It's about
8-9 hours from Calais including stops. There again, in my current car, I reckon I could cut that down a bit on the old autobahn!
Info from Steve Weeks
FLYING TO GERMANY - THE COMFORT
Most of us that live outside of Central Europe will fly into Germany (typically into Berlin Schonefeld). Depending on where you live will
govern where you fly from and too, and how much you pay. There are generally various options from each country, and you should
explore all before booking a flight, eg a few extra miles travel to a minor airport can sometimes save you a small fortune. As for flying
into Germany the normal options are to fly to Berlin Schonefeld, Leipzig Halle or Altenburg airports.
If you fly with a budget airline you may find you cannot take as much clothing / boots etc, and you may be stung with extra weight
baggage allowances (about €15 per KG), therefore it may be better to pay the extra and fly with a national carrier such as Lufthansa or
British Airways.
For those of you who live in the USA it maybe cheaper for you to fly to the UK and use a budget airline to get you to Germany, again think
about your luggage allowance and the extra hassle...Slimelight the weekend before WGT is normally a good way to start the party...
SECURITY AT THE AIRPORT - BIG BOOTS AND RUBBER GLOVES
If you dress in your biggest boots when you go to the Airport you will find that you will attract the attention of airport security. Don’t worry
they are just doing their job, be pleasant and you will get through (be an arsehole and be prepared for rubber gloves).
Your boots will have big soles, big enough to house explosives, you will be asked to take them off (don’t wear your silly Mr Man socks)
and they will go through the scanner with your coat and any hand luggage. (Undo your boots when you are waiting in the queue to get to
the security gate), it’s normal for them to have a joke at your expense. Don’t wear or take anything that looks like a spike or anything that
is sharp either as part of your belt or necklace (no mini sword pedants), and be careful if you have big rings that could be used as a
weapon. Don’t put anything sharp in your hand luggage either; it needs to go in your suitcase in the hold of the aircraft. You will be
forced to part with your sharp objects if you have any. If you have spikes on your boots you may find that they have to go in the hold of the
aircraft, and you will have to board the plane in your socks! Not a problem, although you might find the terminal before boarding a little
embarrassing (It has been known, so be warned).
If you fly via a Large international Airport they may swab your boots with a chemical cloth. This will then be put in a small machine that
can detect explosives. Again be helpful and you should be OK. This is a much better system it saves a lot of hassle and unbuckling of
boots. On the way home German security is normally more strict, and taken far more seriously (don’t forget Germans don’t have a
sense of humour :), they don’t make jokes at your expense they just go straight for the rubber gloves! Use your common sense and you
will get through OK.
Bullet belts (or key rings) are not advised at Airports (even in your suitcase), and you may have to open your suitcase in Germany on the
way home if you are flying via Schonefeld especially. Security here may ask you to a private room to inspect your luggage (its happened
several times to our group).
FROM THE UK
Flying to Germany could not be easier from the UK, various budget airlines fly to either Berlin or one of the two Leipzig airports. The
most popular route is between Stanstead and Berlin, however there are many other routes. Your route will depend on where you live,
when you want to fly, how far you want to travel in the UK before you fly, and how far you want to travel in Germany once you have landed.
Cost and Airline preference may also influence your choice of route. If you fly with EasyJet Ryan Air or Berlin Air The cost of a return flight
should be about £60-70 depending on your preferences. Fuel Surcharge's may increase the price, book early. If you are driving to
Stanstead you will need to park your car, Pink Elephant parking run an excellent bus service too and from the car park, you can book
online and will pay £50-60, if you just turn up and park you will end up paying an additional £20. I would imagine that most Airports have
a similar policy.
Gatwick to Berlin is today an equally a good route, with good connections to London and the south coast, Easyjet have an established
route that takes just over 2 hours flying time, although you do have to put up with always using the terminal furthest from the check-in
desk and be prepared to be treated like cattle when you board.
FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD
Various airlines fly to Berlin, I have listed many below, there maybe others
BOOKING A FLIGHT - MY ADVICE
My advice is to use the Skyscanner website to get the best deal...
UK Flights are normally available from November 6-7 months before WGT
Your journey to Leipzig will depend on your home location. Most of us (who live outside of Germany) will fly into Germany and then use
public transport to get to Leipzig. If you live in Europe you are well served by various airlines (many of them budget), if you live elsewhere
your flights will be more restricted and I throughly recommend extending your stay to see other parts of Germany and or Europe.
Fortunately Public transport in Germany is second to none, and runs efficiently and to time.
DRIVING TO LEIPZIG - THE PAIN
You may wish to Drive to Leipzig especially if you live on the Continent or the UK. Driving time will obviously be based on where you live.
If you live in the UK and for some reason you decide to drive to Leipzig you will need to be prepared for a car journey of 24+ hours
(including the ferry/Chunnel train time), the route is quite good, however it is a very long journey and I advise having a couple of drivers.
Personally I have never driven, although we have discussed the possibility of taking a people carrier to be able to take more clothes and
bring back more shopping, maybe one day. If you decide to drive I would advise getting to Leipzig on the Wednesday, this will give you
time to rest before the events and beer on Thursday. Sat Nave will make your life even easier and I would highly recommend investing a
Europe map enabled unit (Tom Tom do a very good unit)
If you want to take your car from the North of the UK you can travel by P&O ferries from Hull to Europoort in Rotterdam. The price is
around £250 for a return ticket and includes a 4 bed standard en-suite cabin without a window. It’s an 11 hour overnight sea crossing
and after you disembark you have a 10 hour car journey through Holland and North Germany. You will find that you will need to book
your ferry for the Tuesday before WGT, spend all day driving on Wednesday to Leipzig from Rotterdam and then recuperate on
Thursday before WGT starts on Friday. Info from Tracy
You can also drive via Calais
I drove to WGT overnight (the best way to do it!) and I was the only driver - my hands were shaking when we finally got there!!! It's about
8-9 hours from Calais including stops. There again, in my current car, I reckon I could cut that down a bit on the old autobahn!
Info from Steve Weeks
FLYING TO GERMANY - THE COMFORT
Most of us that live outside of Central Europe will fly into Germany (typically into Berlin Schonefeld). Depending on where you live will
govern where you fly from and too, and how much you pay. There are generally various options from each country, and you should
explore all before booking a flight, eg a few extra miles travel to a minor airport can sometimes save you a small fortune. As for flying
into Germany the normal options are to fly to Berlin Schonefeld, Leipzig Halle or Altenburg airports.
If you fly with a budget airline you may find you cannot take as much clothing / boots etc, and you may be stung with extra weight
baggage allowances (about €15 per KG), therefore it may be better to pay the extra and fly with a national carrier such as Lufthansa or
British Airways.
For those of you who live in the USA it maybe cheaper for you to fly to the UK and use a budget airline to get you to Germany, again think
about your luggage allowance and the extra hassle...Slimelight the weekend before WGT is normally a good way to start the party...
SECURITY AT THE AIRPORT - BIG BOOTS AND RUBBER GLOVES
If you dress in your biggest boots when you go to the Airport you will find that you will attract the attention of airport security. Don’t worry
they are just doing their job, be pleasant and you will get through (be an arsehole and be prepared for rubber gloves).
Your boots will have big soles, big enough to house explosives, you will be asked to take them off (don’t wear your silly Mr Man socks)
and they will go through the scanner with your coat and any hand luggage. (Undo your boots when you are waiting in the queue to get to
the security gate), it’s normal for them to have a joke at your expense. Don’t wear or take anything that looks like a spike or anything that
is sharp either as part of your belt or necklace (no mini sword pedants), and be careful if you have big rings that could be used as a
weapon. Don’t put anything sharp in your hand luggage either; it needs to go in your suitcase in the hold of the aircraft. You will be
forced to part with your sharp objects if you have any. If you have spikes on your boots you may find that they have to go in the hold of the
aircraft, and you will have to board the plane in your socks! Not a problem, although you might find the terminal before boarding a little
embarrassing (It has been known, so be warned).
If you fly via a Large international Airport they may swab your boots with a chemical cloth. This will then be put in a small machine that
can detect explosives. Again be helpful and you should be OK. This is a much better system it saves a lot of hassle and unbuckling of
boots. On the way home German security is normally more strict, and taken far more seriously (don’t forget Germans don’t have a
sense of humour :), they don’t make jokes at your expense they just go straight for the rubber gloves! Use your common sense and you
will get through OK.
Bullet belts (or key rings) are not advised at Airports (even in your suitcase), and you may have to open your suitcase in Germany on the
way home if you are flying via Schonefeld especially. Security here may ask you to a private room to inspect your luggage (its happened
several times to our group).
FROM THE UK
Flying to Germany could not be easier from the UK, various budget airlines fly to either Berlin or one of the two Leipzig airports. The
most popular route is between Stanstead and Berlin, however there are many other routes. Your route will depend on where you live,
when you want to fly, how far you want to travel in the UK before you fly, and how far you want to travel in Germany once you have landed.
Cost and Airline preference may also influence your choice of route. If you fly with EasyJet Ryan Air or Berlin Air The cost of a return flight
should be about £60-70 depending on your preferences. Fuel Surcharge's may increase the price, book early. If you are driving to
Stanstead you will need to park your car, Pink Elephant parking run an excellent bus service too and from the car park, you can book
online and will pay £50-60, if you just turn up and park you will end up paying an additional £20. I would imagine that most Airports have
a similar policy.
Gatwick to Berlin is today an equally a good route, with good connections to London and the south coast, Easyjet have an established
route that takes just over 2 hours flying time, although you do have to put up with always using the terminal furthest from the check-in
desk and be prepared to be treated like cattle when you board.
FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD
Various airlines fly to Berlin, I have listed many below, there maybe others
BOOKING A FLIGHT - MY ADVICE
My advice is to use the Skyscanner website to get the best deal...
UK Flights are normally available from November 6-7 months before WGT
|
|
|
|
