Germany Meet-Up - First Stages of Planning

[ferny]

Do you think they'd actually allow me into another Country?

 

[LaFoto]

Start applying now and work on them and work and work. You still got over one year! You can make it, ferny! I am sure you can! But start NOW !!!

 

[Jeremy Z]

Corinna, I was going to ask this via PM, but I think there are maybe other people who haven't done much trans-continental travel and would like some guidelines.

With the cost of airfare, local travel and food for the week, I am having a hard time coming up with a realistic estimate of how much money to plan to bring.

Excluding airfare, do you think $100 per person per day would be enough? I know this depends on what souvenirs each person would buy, but I'm mainly thinking of bus or train fare to different cities, meals and lodging (if you can't find enough friendly homes to take us in). Hostels may be a good option; they are cheap & basic.

Having a range of daily prices would help a lot of us to know whether we can make the commitment or not. (and therefore, would help you with planning)

I talked to my wife yesterday, and she would love to come, and will have time off of classes and career-related activities. So it is just a matter of money management until then. If we can just sock away $50 or $100 here and there, I think we can make it. She almost drooled on the floor when she asked where we were thinking of going and I said: "Hamburg and some other places." She has always wanted to go there.

Thanks for organizing this.

 

[LaFoto]

Well, I still find it early to say how much it will be, but there will be costs, of course, other than air fare, accomodation and meals.

If I can make it possible to get ourselves a boat to tour Hamburg Port and hopefully the canals, too (on the same boat, usually they have two different types of boats for the two different tours, but I would love to stay on one and the same and have some catering on board), we would need to share costs for that since I can impossibly just INVITE you to go on a €1.000.- trip with me :shock: .

I have plans for going out for food nicely, too, such as to the restaurant beneath the Town Hall of Bremen, which is ancient, and a kind of vault, and very nice.

A carriage ride through Lüneburg Heath (that again is usually offered with some sort of catering) could be on the agenda, but would need to be shared, of course.

And I am thinking of hiring Canadian Canoes for a ride from right out of Lauenbrück towards Scheeßel, which is the place "down the road", maybe even Rotenburg, if we get that far (going to Scheeßel is a 3 - 4 hour trip normally, more so if we have a break on the way) ... and hiring those canoes and have them taken back to the canoe hirer's place here in Lauenbrück is also expenses for all, of course.

Of course I will always work towards bargain prices for large groups, plus I need to find out how many people will be interested in those activities and who would like to take advantage of the "alternative programmes" that I also mean to set up for families where the children might not be too fond of walking through a town, watching everyone take photos on end, themselves being bored to death...

I am thinking... :scratch: ... some things only work if the group is large (boat, carriage ride)...

I hope that if you calculate to spend U$100.-/person/day you should be safe, more so if I can find accomodation for you with families who would love to be your hosts for that one week.

But, you know, I haven't really gone into any serious planning, such as PHONING people up and TALKING about it. May 2008 sounds so awfully far away (still), though I know that it isn't. Not really.

 

[Corry]

I'd like to know what is going to be enough for the ENTIRE trip, really. I will hopefully have close to $3000 saved by then, so long as no major emergencies come up between now and then that will require me to use up the money in my savings. I HOPE that will be enough!

 

[Jeremy Z]

The challenge for me will be to save up enough for the trip and still have enough money to buy the lenses I will "need" for the trip,

Kate's parents are very excited about this, and are thinking of meeting us somewhere in Germany! (from Krakow, Poland)

 

[LaFoto]

Well, Corry, I fear it is as yet too early to really say ... it all also depends on the size of the group ... I can give you approximate numbers soon, "soon" meaning something like one year in advance or so ... would that do?

 

[Corry]

Well, Corry, I fear it is as yet too early to really say ... it all also depends on the size of the group ... I can give you approximate numbers soon, "soon" meaning something like one year in advance or so ... would that do?

That's fine....just thought I'd put it out there what I was worried about.

If it's more than $3000, I'm not so sure I can make it.

 

[LaFoto]

Well, of course I know nothing about air fare. That is what you have to find out for yourselves from wherever you set out. All I can say is that the airports for you to come closest would be Hamburg, Bremen, Hannover, and for the Ryanair Flyers Hamburg-Lübeck. But there also is the chance to find cheap connections to Münster-Osnabrück ... that is a 2 1/2-hour car ride from here.

 

[Corry]

Well, of course I know nothing about air fare. That is what you have to find out for yourselves from wherever you set out. All I can say is that the airports for you to come closest would be Hamburg, Bremen, Hannover, and for the Ryanair Flyers Hamburg-Lübeck. But there also is the chance to find cheap connections to Münster-Osnabrück ... that is a 2 1/2-hour car ride from here.

With just a quick check on airfare a while back, to get an idea of price (unless things change) I found it for around $500 or so per person. I REALLY hope that doesn't change, unless it's for the better.

 

[EBphotography]

Corry, you do a lot of travelling, what site do you use for your hotel/airfare. I normally use expedia to look up prices, but not sure if they are the best?

 

[ferny]

If I go I'd be tempted to drive there. I may even have a GT6 by then. If not I'll take the Herald. It'll cost a **** load in petrol, much more than a plane ticket. But think of the roads you can choose on the way. And I'd have the added advantage of being able to move about more freely when there and load up the boot on the way home.

 

[Parago]

I would so love to go.. but since I'll already be visiting the good old Taunus around Christmas time 2007 I doubt I can afford another flight only 5 months later. Dammit. Ich hab Heimweh!!! :mrgreen:

 

[clarinetJWD]

Things are looking very cloudy here in my camp at the moment, i'm deciding on going to Uni and doing this degree in sound engineering - it goes for 2 years that or keep hacking away at the job market.

If it comes to it i'll rob a bank or something.

Sound engineering, eh? I'm almost done with a pretty comprehensive program in it so if you ever need anything, drop me a line.


Oh, and i SO SO SO SO SO SO SO want to go.

 

[firemedic0135]

I would love to come to Germany.My family is from there.Came to USA in 1740's. btw do you think you could find me a nice Hostel to stay in.