h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi,

I have long admired the Bundesliga, and I have been watching more and more of it on TV. It has also occured to me that I have never actually visited Germany which seem crazy.

So I have decided that when the new Football season starts I'm gonna go somewhere for the weekend and take in a Bundesliga game in the pink.

Didn't know if there are any particular places that are particularly good to go for the weekend. I'm also thinking in terms of getting to places in terms of travelling. Being from the sticks here in blighty going anywhere I have to fly from London massively adds to cost and travel time.

For footballing reasons I'd ideally like to see Dortmund, but also would be interested in Schalke, Bayern and Levurkusen (glory hunting I know).

I'm also interested to know how easy and cheap it is to move around on trains in Germany. Lots of time I see I can get flights to nearby cities from airports nearby the westcountry who either don't have Bundesliga teams, or do have teams I'm not interested in. Does it cost an arm and a leg on the train and are 50-100km journeys relatively quick?

I'm am just vaguely making plans at the moment and I don't have any real ideas just a firm decision I am definitely going to do this next season.

FB

In cost, convenience, speed and ease of use, trains in Germany leave Britain in the 19th Century, in my experience. There's a wide array of different ticket options, but I've never failed to find one that's a bargain.

FB where would you fly from? there are flights to Weeze (which is about 70km from Düsseldorf) for example, but there are loads of other destinations and as KB said the rail network here is fabby.

I know it's "my" German team but have you considered somewhere like Mönchengladbach? They have a really fab new(ish) stadium and the atmosphere there is fantastic.

For Schalke and the other big teams you're going to have to probably watch opposition like Hoffenheim - and even then it might be difficult to get tickets (but I've never tried to get footie tickets)

If you like, I can ask around among my footie going friends?

In terms of airport connectivity, Munich or Berlin might be your best guesses. Berlin's team (Hertha... hate them, but their stadium is huge!) is not in the top league this year, but chances are pretty good that they will return to Bundesliga next season. Of course, Berlin is always worth a visit. The same, I hesitate to add, is true for Munich, but Munich has two vast disadvantages: it is in Bavaria and thus hardly German, and its team is Bavaria Munich...

But basically, anywhere you end up landing at will not be too far out of the way of a decent footy team Good luck and enjoy the game.

Y.

and although not Bundesliega, St Pauli is nicely located in Hamburg.

I'm lurking to hear all the advice.

When I first read this, I was imagining somebody planning a holiday in Leverkusen. Or has it changed a lot since the 70s?

I gather St Pauli are THE trendy team to follow. Only in the second-tier, but renowned for being a 'Kult' club. Lots of punks, opens matches with AC/DC records, great atmos.

And, well, a trip to Hamburg can always be made a memorable day, can't it?

B

We don't have any football teams around here. Kaiserslautern/Mainz/Freiburg - the only dim lights on the football sky here in the South West. Mind you, they say that the crowd at the Betzenberg (Kaiserslautern) are really fantastic.

However, I would probably recommend Berlin if only for the currywurst.

Yelbakk is your man there. Let us know what and when you decide on. I have a son in Berlin and, while I don't care for , I am happy to come along for the extracurricular activities.

St Pauli are the trendy team to follow, that's right. I grew up near Hamburg and it's my favourite place in the whole of Germany and probably in my top 5 that I've ever been to. If you time it right and there is a Saturday game you can go clubbing afterwards and have breakfast at the fishmarket on Sunday.

Berlin is nice but I prefer München or somewhere a little prettier. Mönchengladbach has the fabby stadium and enthusiastic fans but the town is a dump. Anything in the Ruhr area is just a matter of personal taste, I think, but I'm not sure you could combine sight-seeing with footie if you went to that area.

Steer clear of Bayern. They're cheats. Cheats who nonetheless roll over for equally reprehensible teams in European finals.

I asked my two football mad colleagues. They said (after recommending their own teams, one of which is 'gladbach) that you'd get the best entertainment football wise, and the best atmosphere if you can get to a Schalke - Dortmund game.

Depends what you mean by 'atmosphere'. English football supporters go to matches to feel part of an angry mob. They pay good money to be forced to shout and sing things that they wouldn't dream of doing on their own. Nasty things. Things that don't stand up to scrutiny outside the context of mob behaviour. Desmond Morris wrote a book about it once, I think.

You don't need good football for a good atmosphere, but a sizeable crowd helps - you want to be in a fairly full stadium, even if it's small.

But if you're not a partizan supporter, you should become one for the occasion. Go to the home end for a derby match in a stadium that's a small cauldron. Learn a few of the chants. Wear the right colours.

well, I think if you want the angry atmosphere you can stay home and go to Millwall, can't you?

the point about Dortmund-Schalke is that their fans are very keen, there is the local rivalry, the footie itself is top notch and the stadium is always full. Either of them. Of course, I'm not sure if that makes it too difficult to get a ticket.

"English football supporters go to matches to feel part of an angry mob. They pay good money to be forced to shout and sing things that they wouldn't dream of doing on their own. Nasty things."

Yeah. That's the whole point. We don't go for the humour, or the passion. It's all so we can abuse strangers.

I really haven't thought much of it through. I live right down in the Westcountry so ideally would want to try and fly from Exeter or Bristol. But I realise that is probably overly hopeful.

One of the vague options I was thinking of was combining it with a trip to see my pal who lives in Brussels then catching a train to a city in Germany somewhere nearby to catch some footy and do stuff.

Got a fair old while to plan and think in the mean time though! Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions and that given already!

FB

I just checked train tickets from Brussels to a few places with top-league soccer teams. Prices are reasonable:
* to Düsseldorf: between 45 and 56 Euros. Prices for a football game range between 13 and 46 Euros.
* to Cologne (not in the first league): between 41 and 51 Euros. (Game: between 12 and 49 Euros)
* to Dortmund: 69 Euros (game: between 15 and 50 Euros)
* to Munich: 168 Euros (with plane tickets for a date in September starting at 133 Euros...) (game: between 15 and 60 Euros)

So that should give you an idea of the prices you are looking at.

Aha. That could be emminently do-able.

FB

how about a trip to London on 25th? that's a great Bundesliga game right there.

Isn't FB after a great atmosphere? You'll never get that at the new Wembley

I suspect getting hold of a ticket at this notice would cost more than an entire weekend trip next season!

FB