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TO FLY OR DRIVE - COMFORT OR PAIN
Your journey to Leipzig will depend on your home location. Most of us who require the services of this website and 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. Of
course many people will drive to Germany and Leipzig including a small minority from the UK its a long trip across several countries
that a few die hards make every year (see detail below for 2011 info).
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 (less so into 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 - GATWICK / STANSTEAD / HEATHROW / LUTON
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 (although there are now a number of services from Gatwick and Heathrow),
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 £80-100 depending on your
preferences. Fuel Surcharge's may increase the price, book early. If you are driving to airport you will need to park your car, the Long
Stay car Parks all run an bus service too and from the terminal, costs are normally £40-60, if you just turn up and park you will end up
paying more. My preference is Gatwick to Berlin, Easyjet have an established route that takes just an hour and forty minutes, 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 (as per all budget airlines).
FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD
There are too many to mention, and the list seems to change each year...there are plenty of sites out there that can help you.
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
NOTE: The compresive list below changes year by year so maybe out of date.
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
DRIVING IN GERMANY - ENVIRONMENTAL BADGE FOR GREEN ZONES
If you are driving to Leipzig and through Germany you will need to be aware that from March 2007 there are vehicle restrictions in
environmental green zones, typically in larger cities across Germany.
The areas especially threatened by fine exhaust particulate matter are marked as "environmental green zones" with the sign 270.1.
Vehicles that wish to enter these zones must carry a badge else the driver will face a fine. The sign 270.2 shows where the zones end
Vehicles without the environmental badge may not pass through the green zone, otherwise the driver will face a penalty of 40,00 € even
if the vehicle has a low emission value. This is also valid for all vehicles registered in foreign countries. For this reason it is
recommended that all drivers to understand where the zones are before driving in Germany and purchase it on time, if they wish to
enter one of the increasing number of green zones.
DRIVING IN LEIPZIG - DO I NEED A BADGE?
If you are driving directly to the Agra without entering Leipzig City centre then you should not need a badge, if you plan on driving into
Leipzig then you will need to purchase and display a badge as it joined the scheme in Jan 2011.
You can find more information and purchase your badge here
Your journey to Leipzig will depend on your home location. Most of us who require the services of this website and 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. Of
course many people will drive to Germany and Leipzig including a small minority from the UK its a long trip across several countries
that a few die hards make every year (see detail below for 2011 info).
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 (less so into 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 - GATWICK / STANSTEAD / HEATHROW / LUTON
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 (although there are now a number of services from Gatwick and Heathrow),
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 £80-100 depending on your
preferences. Fuel Surcharge's may increase the price, book early. If you are driving to airport you will need to park your car, the Long
Stay car Parks all run an bus service too and from the terminal, costs are normally £40-60, if you just turn up and park you will end up
paying more. My preference is Gatwick to Berlin, Easyjet have an established route that takes just an hour and forty minutes, 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 (as per all budget airlines).
- Gatwick - Easyjet to Berlin
- Stanstead - Easyjet / Ryanair / Air Berlin / German Wings to Berlin
- Stanstead - Ryanair to Altenburg (service ends in March 2011)
- Heathrow - Luthansa and BMI to Dresden
- Luton - Easyjet to Berlin
FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD
There are too many to mention, and the list seems to change each year...there are plenty of sites out there that can help you.
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
NOTE: The compresive list below changes year by year so maybe out of date.
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
DRIVING IN GERMANY - ENVIRONMENTAL BADGE FOR GREEN ZONES
If you are driving to Leipzig and through Germany you will need to be aware that from March 2007 there are vehicle restrictions in
environmental green zones, typically in larger cities across Germany.
The areas especially threatened by fine exhaust particulate matter are marked as "environmental green zones" with the sign 270.1.
Vehicles that wish to enter these zones must carry a badge else the driver will face a fine. The sign 270.2 shows where the zones end
Vehicles without the environmental badge may not pass through the green zone, otherwise the driver will face a penalty of 40,00 € even
if the vehicle has a low emission value. This is also valid for all vehicles registered in foreign countries. For this reason it is
recommended that all drivers to understand where the zones are before driving in Germany and purchase it on time, if they wish to
enter one of the increasing number of green zones.
DRIVING IN LEIPZIG - DO I NEED A BADGE?
If you are driving directly to the Agra without entering Leipzig City centre then you should not need a badge, if you plan on driving into
Leipzig then you will need to purchase and display a badge as it joined the scheme in Jan 2011.
You can find more information and purchase your badge here
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FURTHER INFORMATION
German cities, under a law passed in 2006, are acquiring environmental zones (Umweltzonen); areas
into which you can't drive your car unless it bears a windshield sticker certifying that it has an
acceptable emission level.
There are three different stickers: a green one certifying that the vehicle is environmentally acceptable; a
yellow one for less acceptable vehicles and a red one for those that are still less acceptable. Yellow
and red stickers will eventually be phased out, after which all vehicles permitted in the environmental
zones will need a green sticker. The stickers are hard to counterfeit and would be destroyed in any
effort to remove them from the windshield.
Gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles without catalytic converters will be unable to get any kind of a
sticker and will not be permitted in the environmental zones. All gasoline-powered cars with catalytic
converters will get a green sticker. So will the best of the diesel-powered vehicles. Diesels, however,
present a greater pollution hazard, and many will only get yellow or red stickers.
Signs that tell you you're entering an environmental zone will picture the stickers that are allowed
beyond the sign. If you have a red or yellow sticker and that sticker is not pictured on the sign you must
turn around. Cars found in an environmental zone without an appropriate sticker are subject to a €40
fine. The fact that your car is eligible for a sticker is no excuse.
The first environmental zones were established on January 1, 2008 in Berlin, Cologne and Hannover.
Others have since been established in Düsseldorf, Stuttgart and a group of smaller communities in the
Stuttgart area. Many other cities are scheduled to come on board in 2008 and early 2009.
Foreign plated cars, and those of the US forces in Europe, are also required to have the stickers. They
can be had, for €5, at vehicle registration offices and vehicle inspection stations (TÜVs) on presentation
of your car's registration, which usually has data on its pollution level. Authorized garages also supply
them, but possibly will charge more than €5. It's also possible to order one online.
Among other places, you can order the sticker online from the cities that have environmental zones.
Your car doesn't have to be registered in the city to which you apply, and a sticker, once obtained, is
good for all of the environmental zones nationwide. Even a foreigner can get a sticker online, and it is
advisable to seek it at least three weeks before a planned visit to Germany.
German cities, under a law passed in 2006, are acquiring environmental zones (Umweltzonen); areas
into which you can't drive your car unless it bears a windshield sticker certifying that it has an
acceptable emission level.
There are three different stickers: a green one certifying that the vehicle is environmentally acceptable; a
yellow one for less acceptable vehicles and a red one for those that are still less acceptable. Yellow
and red stickers will eventually be phased out, after which all vehicles permitted in the environmental
zones will need a green sticker. The stickers are hard to counterfeit and would be destroyed in any
effort to remove them from the windshield.
Gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles without catalytic converters will be unable to get any kind of a
sticker and will not be permitted in the environmental zones. All gasoline-powered cars with catalytic
converters will get a green sticker. So will the best of the diesel-powered vehicles. Diesels, however,
present a greater pollution hazard, and many will only get yellow or red stickers.
Signs that tell you you're entering an environmental zone will picture the stickers that are allowed
beyond the sign. If you have a red or yellow sticker and that sticker is not pictured on the sign you must
turn around. Cars found in an environmental zone without an appropriate sticker are subject to a €40
fine. The fact that your car is eligible for a sticker is no excuse.
The first environmental zones were established on January 1, 2008 in Berlin, Cologne and Hannover.
Others have since been established in Düsseldorf, Stuttgart and a group of smaller communities in the
Stuttgart area. Many other cities are scheduled to come on board in 2008 and early 2009.
Foreign plated cars, and those of the US forces in Europe, are also required to have the stickers. They
can be had, for €5, at vehicle registration offices and vehicle inspection stations (TÜVs) on presentation
of your car's registration, which usually has data on its pollution level. Authorized garages also supply
them, but possibly will charge more than €5. It's also possible to order one online.
Among other places, you can order the sticker online from the cities that have environmental zones.
Your car doesn't have to be registered in the city to which you apply, and a sticker, once obtained, is
good for all of the environmental zones nationwide. Even a foreigner can get a sticker online, and it is
advisable to seek it at least three weeks before a planned visit to Germany.
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