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PLANNING YOUR TRIP - BEFORE YOU BOOK ANYTHING
So you want to go to the next WGT, then there are a few things you need to think about before you go. Depending on how close it is to
the next WGT will depend on what you really need to do and how quickly you need to do it by. However a general rule would be to book
accommodation then arrange your travel details. This will ensure you have a place to stay when you get to Leipzig.
Planning your Trip will largely depend on your starting location country of origin and your available budget...give yourself an upper limit
for what you want to spend and try to stick to it, else the total cost can quickly spiral out of control.
PLANNING STEPS - THE BASICS
1. RESEARCH - THIS AND OTHER WEBSITES
The first thing to do is research Leipzig and the WGT Festival, as you are reading this I will presume you have thought about this and
have found one of the best guides to WGT...there are others, and you will find Links to them on the Links page.
2. SPEND - HOW MUCH WILL IT ALL COST YOU
Work out how much you want to spend, its is so very easy to overspend and then ruin your trip (normally once you get the bill when you
are back home). Set your budget and try to stick to it.
3. ACCOMMODATION - INSIDE OR OUT
Now for the doing, sort out your accommodation. You have a number of choices you can stay in a Hotel, a Pension* (B&B), a Hostel or
you can Camp. I have no experience of camping in Leipzig, I’m far too old for that, but I know others that have camped and I will quote
from their experiences, see the page on Camping for more details.
* Pensions (guest rooms) are accommodations of private landlords, particularly in tourism regions. A pension is usually a private house,
by which some rooms are rented regularly for overnight accommodation. Since pensions usually have no own kitchen, there is usually
only breakfast. They are equipped usually lower-priced than hotels and substantially more simple. Services of all kinds are reduced to
room cleaning only. The prices for an overnight accommodation generally range from between 20 and 50 Euro for a room (although the
actual cost will be dependent on the location and room size/grade).
4. HOTEL OR CAMPING - MORE ADVICE
If you decide to stay in a hotel then you have two things to consider before you book, location and cost, although the location will drive
the cost, central Leipzig will be the most expensive and the best place to stay. I have listed 57 Hotels on the Leipzig Hotels page
together with a map of all the Hotels.
If you decide to stay in a Hotel I advise you to book early, up to a year in advance (it’s free to reserve a room (in most cases) and you can
always cancel a week or two before the event if you can’t actually make it). The best place to book your hotel is on the Internet. The
Leipzig City website is very good and can point you in the right direction; you can also make your booking through them. Or use any
other travel website such as Expedia (although you will have to pay when you book if you use Expedia). Look to the Links page on the
website for more information and helpful links.
My personal advice was to stay at the Leipzig Renaissance Hotel (now the Pentahotel) because this is where the majority of the bands
will stay and it’s interesting to hang around downstairs in the lobby bar and people (band) watch, however its now over expensive and
not worth the extra money. My advice now is to stay in the Seaside Park Hotel (4 star) or the Holiday Inn (3 star) or even the Ibis (2 star) if
you want an even cheaper WGT. There are loads of Hotels in Leipzig primary because Leipzig is a conference city and holds many
events each year. The best location for hotels is around the Train Station / Hauptbahnhof and the city centre; this is the most central
location for all the WGT venues and also the best place to jump on board the Trams.
Hotel Prices vary from year to year; in 2006 Leipzig was one of the Host Cities for the World Cup and prices went up, and seem to have
stayed up although in 2010 prices are significantly cheaper. There is also a large Bach festival (Bachfest) that sometimes takes place
in Leipzig over the same weekend as WGT and this has an influence over the price of Hotels eg for 2011. If you are reading this after
January then I would suggest that you need to book very quickly, and then you may struggle to find a room in the centre of Leipzig. If its
later than January I would suggest that you will be staying in a hotel outside of the City Centre, or paying a premium price.
If you decide to Camp then you will need to get yourself down to the Agra Messepark. This is the main location of the Festival and also
the location of the camp site. I advise getting to the camp site as early as you can on the Thursday, it’s going to fill up very quickly and all
the prime sites will go very quickly. There is enough room for thousands of tents so the later you turn up the further you will have to walk
across fields. If it rains you’re fucked, the campsite is known to flood (in places). Security seems to be present around the camp site
and you must have a different colour armband to enter the campsite. Toilets are portaloo/dixie style and are scattered around the site.
There are also some showers that cost a few Euro's to use, however you will need to get there early to get hot water and avoid the long
queues. If you are camping you are permitted to take food and drink on to the Agra site, however NO Glass is allowed on site, and it will
be removed from you. It is also advisable to ensure that your tent pegs are firmly buried as people will be wandering around late at night
in the dark, drunk and the last thing you want is for somebody to fall over on your tent (especially if you are asleep), take ear plugs too if
you actually want some sleep.
If you decide to stay in a Hotel, simply book one that does not require a deposit. Its free to book most hotels (although you normally
need to confirm your identity with a credit card) and so long as you inform the hotel within a few days of WGT that you cannot make it you
wont get charged. NOTE: You can opt to book and pay for a Hotel now if you are 100% sure that you are going, this may save you quite a
bit of money (personally I have saved just under £200 in 2010 by booking and paying 6 months before WGT).
If you decide to camp then you simply have to wait till tickets go on sale (via the official WGT website) and then purchase the 'Obsorge'
ticket, this is the camping WGT ticket and it gives you the same access to the festival but also allows you access to the camping site.
5. WHAT TO TAKE - LUGGAGE ALLOWANCE
So you have decided where you’re going to stay, the next thing to do is decide is what you are going to take with you (it may seem
stupidly early, however you need to seriously think about this, it could cost you lots of money if you take too much. Plan well). Decide on
what you want to take to Leipzig before you book your flight. If you have heavy stuff to take over then don’t book a budget airline, Ryan Air
has a limit of 15kg whilst Easyjet and Air Berlin both have limits of 20kgs (if you are flying from the UK). It may seem silly but if you pack
a pair of New Rocks then you have just lost 6kgs of your weight, added with the actual weight of your suitcase (normally about 6kgs) it
can all add up to your total baggage allowance. We have heard stories of people being charged €100 for extra baggage, and that’s one
way (and only adds up to a few extra kilograms). Also remember that if you go shopping you will need some space to pack the added
weight. I have also noted that many airlines now have a maximum suitcase weight of 23kgs (due to health and safety concerns of those
that have to load the aircraft).
I advise taking a suitable suitcase (preferably an upright one with a decent handle that extends. You may need to haul it from the airport
to the train station if you go via Berlin, and then from the train station to your hotel. Can it handle cobble stones?). Think about what you
want to take, outfits, boots, toiletries etc, don’t take ten outfits when you may only need five (you will find that most people go out at lunch
time all dressed up and don't come back to the hotel). If you can get away with one pair of boots don’t take any more (its common sense
really, but some of the things we have seen proves that not everybody thinks about this important factor). Wear all your heaviest clothes;
you can always take them off once you have checked in at the airport. Take a rucksack as hand luggage but try to keep it empty, this will
be your shopping space on the return flight.
I also advise taking a different pair of shoes or boots, 'Treffen Foot' sets in after a few days and your feet will ache like mad (after
standing, dancing on concrete for a few days)...Its quite common for a variety of non goth boots/shoes to appear on feet on the Monday
of WGT (apart from providing some comedy value its vital to remember to have additional shoes to wear when you don't need your
biggest meanest goth boots, its that or end up with very sore feet, blisters and a longing to sit down whenever you can).
6-9. GETTING TO LEIPZIG - TRAVEL ADVICE
You will find information about the various options about getting to Leipzig here
I AM TRAVELLING ALONE, LIVE IN THE UK AND HAVE A TOTAL BUDGET
OF ABOUT £1000 - WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
So you want to go to the next WGT, then there are a few things you need to think about before you go. Depending on how close it is to
the next WGT will depend on what you really need to do and how quickly you need to do it by. However a general rule would be to book
accommodation then arrange your travel details. This will ensure you have a place to stay when you get to Leipzig.
Planning your Trip will largely depend on your starting location country of origin and your available budget...give yourself an upper limit
for what you want to spend and try to stick to it, else the total cost can quickly spiral out of control.
PLANNING STEPS - THE BASICS
- Do your research via this and other websites / forums.
- Decide on how much you want or can spend on your WGT trip.
- Decide on what type of accommodation you want to stay in (Hotel, Hostel, Pension or camping).
- Reserve or book a room.
- Think about what you want to take to WGT and how much it will weigh.
- Decide how you will get to Leipzig (Fly or Drive if possible).
- If you are flying, decide where to (Direct to Leipzig or via Berlin).
- Book an airline with the correct luggage allowance.
- If you are flying into Berlin, pre book your train ticket to get you to Leipzig
1. RESEARCH - THIS AND OTHER WEBSITES
The first thing to do is research Leipzig and the WGT Festival, as you are reading this I will presume you have thought about this and
have found one of the best guides to WGT...there are others, and you will find Links to them on the Links page.
2. SPEND - HOW MUCH WILL IT ALL COST YOU
Work out how much you want to spend, its is so very easy to overspend and then ruin your trip (normally once you get the bill when you
are back home). Set your budget and try to stick to it.
3. ACCOMMODATION - INSIDE OR OUT
Now for the doing, sort out your accommodation. You have a number of choices you can stay in a Hotel, a Pension* (B&B), a Hostel or
you can Camp. I have no experience of camping in Leipzig, I’m far too old for that, but I know others that have camped and I will quote
from their experiences, see the page on Camping for more details.
* Pensions (guest rooms) are accommodations of private landlords, particularly in tourism regions. A pension is usually a private house,
by which some rooms are rented regularly for overnight accommodation. Since pensions usually have no own kitchen, there is usually
only breakfast. They are equipped usually lower-priced than hotels and substantially more simple. Services of all kinds are reduced to
room cleaning only. The prices for an overnight accommodation generally range from between 20 and 50 Euro for a room (although the
actual cost will be dependent on the location and room size/grade).
4. HOTEL OR CAMPING - MORE ADVICE
If you decide to stay in a hotel then you have two things to consider before you book, location and cost, although the location will drive
the cost, central Leipzig will be the most expensive and the best place to stay. I have listed 57 Hotels on the Leipzig Hotels page
together with a map of all the Hotels.
If you decide to stay in a Hotel I advise you to book early, up to a year in advance (it’s free to reserve a room (in most cases) and you can
always cancel a week or two before the event if you can’t actually make it). The best place to book your hotel is on the Internet. The
Leipzig City website is very good and can point you in the right direction; you can also make your booking through them. Or use any
other travel website such as Expedia (although you will have to pay when you book if you use Expedia). Look to the Links page on the
website for more information and helpful links.
My personal advice was to stay at the Leipzig Renaissance Hotel (now the Pentahotel) because this is where the majority of the bands
will stay and it’s interesting to hang around downstairs in the lobby bar and people (band) watch, however its now over expensive and
not worth the extra money. My advice now is to stay in the Seaside Park Hotel (4 star) or the Holiday Inn (3 star) or even the Ibis (2 star) if
you want an even cheaper WGT. There are loads of Hotels in Leipzig primary because Leipzig is a conference city and holds many
events each year. The best location for hotels is around the Train Station / Hauptbahnhof and the city centre; this is the most central
location for all the WGT venues and also the best place to jump on board the Trams.
Hotel Prices vary from year to year; in 2006 Leipzig was one of the Host Cities for the World Cup and prices went up, and seem to have
stayed up although in 2010 prices are significantly cheaper. There is also a large Bach festival (Bachfest) that sometimes takes place
in Leipzig over the same weekend as WGT and this has an influence over the price of Hotels eg for 2011. If you are reading this after
January then I would suggest that you need to book very quickly, and then you may struggle to find a room in the centre of Leipzig. If its
later than January I would suggest that you will be staying in a hotel outside of the City Centre, or paying a premium price.
If you decide to Camp then you will need to get yourself down to the Agra Messepark. This is the main location of the Festival and also
the location of the camp site. I advise getting to the camp site as early as you can on the Thursday, it’s going to fill up very quickly and all
the prime sites will go very quickly. There is enough room for thousands of tents so the later you turn up the further you will have to walk
across fields. If it rains you’re fucked, the campsite is known to flood (in places). Security seems to be present around the camp site
and you must have a different colour armband to enter the campsite. Toilets are portaloo/dixie style and are scattered around the site.
There are also some showers that cost a few Euro's to use, however you will need to get there early to get hot water and avoid the long
queues. If you are camping you are permitted to take food and drink on to the Agra site, however NO Glass is allowed on site, and it will
be removed from you. It is also advisable to ensure that your tent pegs are firmly buried as people will be wandering around late at night
in the dark, drunk and the last thing you want is for somebody to fall over on your tent (especially if you are asleep), take ear plugs too if
you actually want some sleep.
If you decide to stay in a Hotel, simply book one that does not require a deposit. Its free to book most hotels (although you normally
need to confirm your identity with a credit card) and so long as you inform the hotel within a few days of WGT that you cannot make it you
wont get charged. NOTE: You can opt to book and pay for a Hotel now if you are 100% sure that you are going, this may save you quite a
bit of money (personally I have saved just under £200 in 2010 by booking and paying 6 months before WGT).
If you decide to camp then you simply have to wait till tickets go on sale (via the official WGT website) and then purchase the 'Obsorge'
ticket, this is the camping WGT ticket and it gives you the same access to the festival but also allows you access to the camping site.
5. WHAT TO TAKE - LUGGAGE ALLOWANCE
So you have decided where you’re going to stay, the next thing to do is decide is what you are going to take with you (it may seem
stupidly early, however you need to seriously think about this, it could cost you lots of money if you take too much. Plan well). Decide on
what you want to take to Leipzig before you book your flight. If you have heavy stuff to take over then don’t book a budget airline, Ryan Air
has a limit of 15kg whilst Easyjet and Air Berlin both have limits of 20kgs (if you are flying from the UK). It may seem silly but if you pack
a pair of New Rocks then you have just lost 6kgs of your weight, added with the actual weight of your suitcase (normally about 6kgs) it
can all add up to your total baggage allowance. We have heard stories of people being charged €100 for extra baggage, and that’s one
way (and only adds up to a few extra kilograms). Also remember that if you go shopping you will need some space to pack the added
weight. I have also noted that many airlines now have a maximum suitcase weight of 23kgs (due to health and safety concerns of those
that have to load the aircraft).
I advise taking a suitable suitcase (preferably an upright one with a decent handle that extends. You may need to haul it from the airport
to the train station if you go via Berlin, and then from the train station to your hotel. Can it handle cobble stones?). Think about what you
want to take, outfits, boots, toiletries etc, don’t take ten outfits when you may only need five (you will find that most people go out at lunch
time all dressed up and don't come back to the hotel). If you can get away with one pair of boots don’t take any more (its common sense
really, but some of the things we have seen proves that not everybody thinks about this important factor). Wear all your heaviest clothes;
you can always take them off once you have checked in at the airport. Take a rucksack as hand luggage but try to keep it empty, this will
be your shopping space on the return flight.
I also advise taking a different pair of shoes or boots, 'Treffen Foot' sets in after a few days and your feet will ache like mad (after
standing, dancing on concrete for a few days)...Its quite common for a variety of non goth boots/shoes to appear on feet on the Monday
of WGT (apart from providing some comedy value its vital to remember to have additional shoes to wear when you don't need your
biggest meanest goth boots, its that or end up with very sore feet, blisters and a longing to sit down whenever you can).
6-9. GETTING TO LEIPZIG - TRAVEL ADVICE
You will find information about the various options about getting to Leipzig here
I AM TRAVELLING ALONE, LIVE IN THE UK AND HAVE A TOTAL BUDGET
OF ABOUT £1000 - WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
- First, I would read this site well and join the various WGT related forums and message boards.
- Second, I would book a hotel in central Leipzig, with this budget I would go for the Seaside Park Hotel, the Novotel, The Leipzig
Marriott or the Ibis...varying prices but they are all in the central area close to the Hauptbahnhof. - Third, I would book my flight with a budget airline (and then manage my baggage weight) with either Easyjet or Air Berlin from
Gatwick or Stanstead (depending on the lowest price). I would book the car park at the airport at the same time. - Fourth, I would book the train from Berlin to Leipzig so I knew I had a seat
- Fifth, I would read as much as I could on the various sites, print out various details and make myself aware of how to get the
most out of my trip. I would also post questions if I had any on one of the various forums. - Sixth, I would purchase my WGT ticket when they go on sale.
- Seventh, I would sit back and wait for one of the best weekends of the year
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