Travelanni
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I have at last finished updating the timetables and fares on the web site!
Have also changed a few things on the home page and added separate pages for those docking in Warnemunde -berths P1-4, P7 and P8; and those docking in the Overseas Port - berths LP31 and LP41.
I do intend to add more to the Hamburg and Lubeck pages and create one for Kiel but the research etc. takes time so please bear with me. Hopefully it will be finished in time for the start of the season.
If you can't find the answer to your questions on the web sit please ask here on the forum and I will do my best to answer and also add the info to the web site.
Many thanks to all of you who have expressed your appreciation. :D. It makes it all worthwhile.
Happy cruising :(
Anni
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we were staying in hotel hafen which the HOHO buses started at the base.You could see the cruise ships across the river and when the ELBE tunnel is open probably a 10 to 20 min walk
Taxi from ship to harbour takes a lot longer as it's a more circuitous route
The cruise terminal is new and bound to get busier with more ships so I wonder if the HOHO operators will do as they have in other cities and start the buses from cruise terminal to cater for ships passengers
There are now three cruise ship terminals in Hamburg, spaced quite far apart. The above post refers to the newest, Steinwerder, across the river from the city. As suggested you can walk through the Old Elbe Tunnel but for those who do not fancy a 15min walk under the river there is a ferry terminal quite nearby and most lines will offer shuttles.
The oldest of the three, Hafencity City, is as Hlitner says only a walk from Minatur Wonderland, the Speicherstadt (old warehouse and canal area) and the historic waterfront. It is also served by public buses into the city centre and Hoho buses.
The third, Altona, is only a short walk along the waterfront to the above and is also served by public buses and the Hoho buses.
Happy cruising :(
Anni
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Just for those docked in Rostock, don't forget Rostock port is very far from the railway station (about 13 kms), with only one bus operating every 60mn, last trip at 7p.m. I keep my fingers crossed for a shuttle!
I have added a new page to the web site especially for those cruisers docking in the Overseas Port in Rostock giving all the alternative transport, timetables etc. Also some extra info on the home page and an update of all train times and fares.
Happy cruising :(
Anni
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It's nothing new. It's been a requirement for many years.
We were not required to do this. Legend of the Seas, May 2013. But maybe it is a requirement of Princess if you are on one of their own tours.
Anni
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Hi, I am not German but have been there. I don`t know what the tipping practices in Canada are but I would not tip more than 10% in restaurants anywhere.
Searching for tipping practices in various countries doesn`t work. I know many taxi drivers in Britain who were never tipped by Americans, maybe because they have read that British do not tip, which is not the case. I really hate seeing signs up in the US telling me how much I must tip. I still feel the tip should be for good service, and certainly not for bad. Europe is more relaxed about tipping. It is not always expected.
Don`t worry about it.
Hi, I agree with caber. N. Europe and Scandanavia are much more relaxed. Wages in the tourist and hospitality industries are high enough for workers not to need to rely on tips to give them a living wage.
Tipping in cash or leaving a tip on the table is not usual, if you want to tip a waiter or cab driver you simply round up the bill but not more than 10%. Eg bill for 8:30 and you are paying with a 10 euro note you would just say 'take 9'. This only applies to cash, when paying with CC tipping is not normal. It is one of the accepted downsides of taking payment by CC.
In hotels you would only tip for special service over and above what you would reasonably expect. Porters, especially on rail stations and airports, are not a problem as you would be lucky to find one!
Tour guides are a bit different. If you enjoy the tour and consider the guide was good then tip by all means. The best way of letting the guide know he/she did a good job. No tips and hopefully they will look at their performance and do better next time.
In the end tipping is a personal choice. No one should expect a tip and no one should feel obliged to give one.
Happy cruising :)
Anni
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Do you need to pre purchase the rail pass? Presumably you can buy it at the station?
Sent from my iPod touch using Forums mobile app
You do not need to pre-purchase. You can buy at the ticket office or from a machine but pre-purchase just saves time and hassle. There are often long queues when everyone is getting off the ships at the same time and sitting at your own computer figuring out the system out is probably less stressful than standing on the station with a queue breathing down your neck or trying to find the ticket office on an unfamiliar station.
Anni
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Thanks for the information. As we are docking in Rostock we plan to split our time between Schwerin & Rostock. How much time do you think we should allocate to Schwerin, so that we can book our train tickets. BTW our ship sails late so we don't have to be under pressure. Do you know if Germany have senior concessions either for trains or museums?
Hi, you cannot book on the train between Rostock and Schwerin. The Mecklenburg Lander day ticket can be bought in advance but it is not for any specific train. Please see the relevant page on my web site for validity details, prices and how to purchase on-line. This is the most economical option.
Some museums do have Senior concessions but none that I can think of in either Schwerin or Rostock. The prices in most are quite moderate, the Castle entry is 6euro and the Rostock Town Museum has free entry. Most churches just ask for a donation.
Happy cruising :(
Anni
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Hi Keith
thanks for the quick reply :)
Paul
Hi Paul,
Keith is absolutely right. Given your ship's time of arrival it would be impossible to get to Berlin by train much before 2pm and you would have to leave again about 6:45pm to make your on-board time.
I'm afraid that the schedule of this line, late arrival and departure, is not very convenient for anyone wanting to go beyond the local area except on an organised tour and even then you would only have half the day and part of the evening in Berlin.
Have you looked into the private companies highly recommended on these pages by other cruisers? They also offer tours in other ports with discounts for several tours booked together.
Happy cruising :)
Anni
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I am thinking maybe we take the Hop on Hop Off bus for a complete round to see the city, and if time allowed, then get off at the city center to do some shopping.
Questions:
1. Is the HOHO bus stop within 10 minutes walking distance from the Hafencity cruise terminal?
2. Which stop is the closest to the city center?
Thank you.
There are several HoHo companies in Hamburg. At least one has a stop at the Hafencity terminal and I would think the others do also, too good an opportunity to miss :rolleyes:.
I have seen HoHo buses stopping at the Central Station and this is very close to the city centre but am not sure where else they stop. They probably have maps of the stops on their respective web sites.
Sorry my knowledge is a bit sketchy but as a local I do not have any experience of these buses.
As GradUT suggests, it would be a good idea to contact the Tourist Office to find out exactly what will be open if you plan to go shopping. Hamburg being a tourist destination, especially during the Anniversary festival, it may have different rules on public holidays.
Happy cruising :)
Anni
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Anni thank you so much for all this detail, it makes things very clear. Can I ask one more question, getting from the port to the hbf there may be 3 options ship transfer to the centre and walk; bus 49 to south entrance or bus 45 or 49 other direction to Lutten klein and then s-Bahn. Will all these take roughly the same amount of time in duration?
Sent from my iPod touch using Forums mobile app
There would not be much difference in travel time between the three but the big problem is the timing of connections.
The transfer by bus would take about 20 mins but a lot would depend on what time the ship transfer reached the city centre as the Hbf is a good 20min walk from there. You can take a tram but again if you just miss one it is a 10 to 12 min wait. If, however, the cruise line is providing a shuttle to the Hbf as some do then this would be the way to go
Bus 49 or 45 to Lutten Klein takes about 10 mins but the buses do not seem to co-ordinate with the trains too well and there is 20 mins between trains. Journey time for the train is another 20mins. Maybe when the new schedules come out they will have got their act together.
Bus 49 to Hbf Sud takes 40 mins so the 8:33 would not get you there in time for the 9:07 train and the 7:33 would mean a long wait in the Hbf.
There is a 4th alternative -a taxi from the ship to the Hbf. Journey time about 20 mins, stress-free and not really so expensive (around 20-30 euro) especially if you share with another couple.
The taxi would be my choice, the other three have so many variables! I would take the easy way out, be sure of catching the train, have a good day in Schwerin and give myself plenty of time to use the train and bus on the way back.
Hope this helps.:)
Anni
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Our cruise stop at Hamburg on May 5 will be from 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. We have visited Berlin in the past, so this time, we are thinking to just spend the day in Hamburg. I learned May 5 is a National holiday, and there will be a lot of people in Hamburg. Also, I heard starting after 4 p.m., there will be a lot of activities in the port area that are worth seeing.
I would like to get suggestions on what we can do/visit in Hamburg before 4 p.m.?
Thank you in advance for your suggestions. :)
Hi, 5th may 2016 is also the first day of the annual Port Anniversary Week. The city will be jumping! For the best information as to what is on, where and when just Google 'Hamburg Port Anniversary' and you will get several excellent sites.
Because of the festival I think you will find almost everything open, maybe with the exception of the big department stores, but certainly all the usual attractions. The above sites will give you info about those too.
Enjoy Hamburg, it is my favourite city.
Happy cruising :)
Anni
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Thank you so much for these details, Travelanni. You are absolutely right. I looked up the transportation map and indeed there are three small stations: Hbf Nord, Hbf Sud, and ZOB near the Hbf Central Station. Is it correct that all of them are located in the same building, just different entrances?
I did not mean to contradict what you said. This is my first time in Germany and I don't know the language at all so I just want to make sure everything is clear before getting there. From the Bahn web site, I got the timetable of the RE train to Schwerin after entering the date that our ship will dock at Rostock LP31 (June 17). Just like you said, they are not finalized yet. Nevertheless, Your valuable information help me organizing my trip much better because now I know that not all departures are the same, especially with the Mecklenburg Vorpommern Lander tickets. Thanks again!
Thank you for your appreciation but I am quite sure that I did not say that there are three small stations! As I explained there can only be one Hbf (Hauptbahnhof) as this translates as MAIN station and there can be only one MAIN station in any town. Hbf Nord and Hbf Sud refer to the North and South entrances to the Main Station and ZOB is the Central Bus station (Zentrale Omnibus Bahnhof) adjacent to the south entrance to the Main rail station.
The Mecklenburg Lander ticket is valid on ALL local and regional trains in Mecklenburg plus journeys direct to Hamburg and Luebeck. On timetables they are designated RE, RB and S. in the Products column. These trains are painted red.
The ticket is NOT VALID on trains designated IC, ICE and EC which are painted grey.
I just looked up the timetable for trains between Rostock and Schwerin using the official site DB web site in English
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query2.exe/en and your date, 17th June. The times are exactly the same as in my previous post. I also phoned the DB information in Rostock and they tell me that this is indeed the final summer schedule, out early this year as Easter is early.
You still seem to be confused and I am sorry if my explanations are not clear to you but I cannot find a clearer explanation. Maybe someone else can!
Anni
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Thank you so much, Travelanni.
I looked up the schedule of Bus 49 and looks like the last bus stop is Rostock Hbf Sud, not Rostock Hbf. These are two different train stations, correct? I'd assume the Visitor Center meant that the trains from Rostock Hbf Sud depart every two hour.
I also visited the web site of Bahn train and it shows that the trains from Rostock Hbf to Schwerin Hbf depart ...., 8:06, 9:07, 9:14, 10:06, 11:07, 11:14, 12:06, 13:07, 13:14, 14:06, ....
Please help me with this question.... If I buy the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern-Ticket online in advance before arriving Germany, do I need to validate it before boarding the RE-train from Rostock Hbf to Schwerin Hbf ?
The last stop for the no 49 bus is indeed Rostock Hbf. Sud but your assumption that they are two different stations is incorrect. To quote from my previous post - "Bus 49 in the opposite direction, 'Rostock Hbf Sud' ( stop on the opposite side of the road) takes you direct to Rostock main station, south entrance. " There can only be one 'Rostock Hauptbahnhof' as this translates to 'Rostock Main Station' in English. 'Sud' translates to 'South' in English and denotes the south entrance where the bus station is situated.
I do not know know which web site you were looking at but it was certainly not the official, current DB site. I have just looked up the train times for Rostock Hbf. to Schwerin Hbf. for April 2016 onwards and the times are as follows. 7:07, 7:14, 8:25, 9:07, 9:14, 10:25, 11:07, 11:14, 12:44, 13:07, 13:14 etc.etc.
The trains departing every two hours at 7 minutes past the hour (7:07 etc) are direct trains on which the Mecklenburg Vorpommern Lander ticket is valid. Travel time 1hour 3mins. These are the trains to which the lady from the tourist office and myself were referring.
The trains departing every two hours at 14 minutes past the hour (7:14 etc) require two changes, in Gustrow (24mins) and Bad Kleinen (16mins). The Mecklenburg Vorpommern Lander ticket is valid but the travel time is 2hrs 2mins.
The remaining trains (8:25, 10:25, 12:44) are Inter City Express on which the Mecklenburg Vorpommern Lander ticket IS NOT VALID. The return fare on these trains is 42 euro pp.
You do not need to validate your MVP Lander ticket if bought on-line but you do need to carry the ID which you nominated when buying the ticket. It will be inspected! Please remember also that you will need to buy a local ticket either from the machine or the office at Warnemunde if you intend to catch the s-bahn from there before 9am. This ticket does need to be validated.
Believe me, I do know what I am talking about. I have lived here for over 10 years and use the trains and timetables on a daily basis. However, I must stress that the information is as it appears now on the official web site. I cannot guarantee that it will not change although changes are unlikely. Travellers should check as near to their date of travel as possible.
Anni
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BAMA_BOY, Thank you so much for the great info.:)
Hi, I note that you are travelling in April which could make a difference.
There are no direct trains. All journeys involve a change in Rostock.
Until 29th April 2016 the trains between Rostock and Warnemunde terminate at Warnemunde Werft, one station before the cruise terminal. The short distance between the two stations is completed by bus or walking. The access from the bus to the cruise terminal could be difficult due to the building works.
The timetables between Berlin and Rostock have changed slightly. For up-to-date information see
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
To do the journey by train using Potsdamer Platz station would involve a taxi from the hotel, negotiating a large complex station, change of trains in Rostock, change to bus in Warnemunde and walk to the ship from the bus.
As you mention mobility problems and assuming you have luggage I would recommend taking a taxi from your hotel to the airport and using the Princess transfer which is more expensive but infinitely easier in your case.
Or, if you still prefer to use the train, using the main station in Berlin which is easier to navigate for a stranger and taking a taxi from Rostock main station to the cruise terminal.
I am all for using public transport as opposed to cruise ship transfers but in your situation I think a less stressful beginning to your cruise would be worth the extra cost.
Happy planning :)
Anni
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Hi we are in same boat [emoji851]
See my post 371 and Annie reply 372. I sent email to Rostock tourist info, she told me bus 49 takes you to the hbf station. Trains to Schwerin every 2 hours, 9.07 first one. But you say they are more frequent?
See info about going in a group (up to 5) is cheaper.
Sent from my iPod touch using Forums mobile app
Hi, just to clear up the confusion.
Either bus 45 or 49 running in the direction 'Lutten Klein HP' (stop on same side of the main road as dock) will take you to Lutten Klein station to connect with the s-Bahn to either Rostock Hbf or Warnemunde. The buses run every hour and the trains every 20 mins (at the moment, this could change in summer)
Bus 49 in the opposite direction, 'Rostock Hbf Sud' ( stop on the opposite side of the road) takes you direct to Rostock main station, south entrance. This bus runs every hour.
The trains from Rostock Hbf to Schwerin run every two hours starting at 7:09.
The summer timetables for both buses and trains usually appear during March and apply from Easter. I will be updating my web site ASAP. To look up timetables yourself you can use either
For trains
http://www.reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
For buses
Happy cruising
Anni
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Hi Anni
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thanks for all your contributions and I see from earlier posts you are a canetoad (I am a cockroach haha) although like you I am an afl fan.
I also wrote to the Rostock tourist centre and they immediately replied. Here is some of what they wrote (I hope they don't mind me quoting them)
"Sometimes there are shuttles from the cruise company that take the passengers to the city centre. If not, the Bus Nr. 49 (single ticket 2€ p.P.) will take you directly to the main station Hauptbahnhof Süd. I recommend going to Schwerin first and exploring Rostock later that day.
The train to Schwerin leaves every 2h from 09:07 in the morning and takes about 1hour ride. The stop you need to get off is named "Schwerin Mitte". From there you can walk to the city centre and Schwerin Castle. Don't forget the Castle Gardens ;-) Worth a visit as well is the Marstall-Peninsula just a few minutes north of the castle.
The timetable back is from 11:45 every 2h as well. You'd need to get the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern-Ticket for the ride. It is valid for up to 5 people. The first person pays 23€ and every additional person 4€. The ticket can be purchased at the main station ticket machines of the DB (Deutsche Bahn). It is valid from 09:00 throughout the whole day. You can even take the local train (S-Bahn) from Rostock main station to Warnemünde and back with that ticket. You should visit Warnemünde because it's a very charming fisher village with its narrow streets and alleys."
This seems to be mostly in line with what I have seen so far of your past posts except maybe about bus 49 and I have seen you recommend a different stop in Schwerin - is that accurate?
Also Anni, I have seen you mention advice about trains to and from Germany. I need to get from Berlin to Amsterdam on the 16th June, do you know when I might be able to purchase these tickets? and what is the best way to try and obtain one of those deals?
Many thanks for all the help you give us
James
Hi James, nice to meet a fellow Aussie even from too far South! I love living here but the one thing I really miss is the Gabba when the Lions roar.
Thank you for your appreciation and the quote from the Rostock tourist office. I did not know about the extension to the no 49 route (previously it only went to the tram terminal in the suburbs) It is obviously a response to the withdrawal of the train service on that side of the river.
Monday to Friday the bus leaves the stop outside the port gate at 33 mins past the hour. You would need to allow at least one hour for the trip. 10 mins walk to the stop, 40 mins on the bus and 10 mins walk at the Hbf. A lot would depend on the time of berthing and the connection with the Schwerin train. I will detail all this on my web page.
I do recommend a different stop in Schwerin, the Hauptbahnhof, for three reasons. Firstly it is the main station and therefore there are always other passengers getting off and on so you are sure to have time. Mitte is only two minutes after the Hbf and the train makes a very quick stop, sometimes there is no-one getting off or on. Very easy for stranger to miss it. Secondly, Hbf is a nice , modern station with elevators, information office and shops whereas Mitte is simply two platforms in a deep cutting with elevators that are very often out of order due to vandalism. Not a very nice introduction to Schwerin. Thirdly the walk from Hbf is along one of the many lakes, past interesting buildings including some lovely villas and the Arsenal, straight into the pedestrian only area of the Old Town. The walk from Mitte is through a car park, the main shopping mall and the modern part of town. I use Mitte for shopping trips but would never use it with visitors. The distance from either station to the Schloss is about the same.
I will do some research into trains from Berlin To Amsterdam but basically the special fares are available on-line from 90 days prior to your date of travel. For details on how to purchase please see the web site. The specials are limited so the earlier you buy the better.
Hope this helps,
Happy cruising,
Anni
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Luebeck is definately best from Kiel, its a nice o.
Since you are docking in Rostock you have an advantage. Actually it is also a great city to sightsee through. As for getting to Schwerin, you have it a bit easier than getting there from Warnemunde.
Sorry to disagree but it is actually more complicated and takes longer to get to Rostock Hbf. from LP31/41 than from Warnemunde unless you take a taxi or your ship is running a shuttle DIRECT to the station in Rostock. The buses to the nearest train station , Lutten Klein on the Warnemunde-Rostock line, only run once per hour. I am adding a page to the web site specifically for cruisers berthing on LP31 or LP41. It is a 'work in progress' so please bear with me, it will be completed before the season starts.
Please note that the train times and fares shown at present are those for 2015 but will be updated as soon as the new timetables and fares are available, usually at the beginning of April. There is seldom much change to the local services.
The 2016 Port of Rostock Cruise Schedule is now available showing dates and times for all ships berthing on P1-4, P7, P8, LP31 and LP41.
www. Rostock-port.de/en/cruise-shipping.
Happy cruising,
Anni
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Anni used to post quite often on this board, but she's stepped back a bit. BUT we do have the good luck to be able to use her website geared for cruise ship passengers and how to DIY for Warnemunde and environs.
http://travelanni.webs.com/ This is a wealth of information including train timetables and other ways to get around.
Thanks Sauer-kraut. I have 'stepped back a bit' over winter due to other commitments but am now back in harness.
In future I intend to expand the web site to cover most of the questions I have been asked and hope that people will look there first to save answering the same questions over and over again but I will still be happy to answer specific questions on my thread 'Welcome to NE Germany - Happy to help you enjoy' if the answer cannot be found on the web site.
To Donna_In_India.
Warnemunde is not a city, it is a seaside suburb of Rostock. For details see my web site.
Happy cruising,
Anni.
http://www.travelanni.webs.com
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Travelanni:
I have enjoyed skimming through your page and I apologize if you have answered these questions.
We are sailing on the NCL Escape in October when she makes her first voyage to Southampton. We will be arriving by overnight train from Zurich 4 days before and will be using Hamburg as a base for excursions.
Is the Hamburg Card the best way to get around the City using public transportation? We also plan to visit Berlin one day, what train gets us there the fastest?
Any other suggestions you have for our visit are greatly appreciated. We would love to see a "castle" of two, also.
Lynda
Hi Lynda, thank you for your appreciation.
Hamburg is a great city both for itself and as a base. There is plenty to see and do and it is well connected to the surrounding area. Just Google 'Hamburg Tourism' and a click on the pictures at the top which interest you will take you to the individual web sites.
The Hamburg card is very good value if you intend to use even just a few of their discounts.
http://www.hvv.de/en/tickets/day-tickets/hamburg-card/
If none of the discounts interest you then one of the transport only tickets
offered on the above site is also good value.
If you stay at either of the InterCity Hotels you receive a free public transport card valid on all buses, trains and ferries for the duration of your stay.
The public transport coverage of the city is excellent and, as Hamburg is based on the river, the ferries are a great way to sightsee and also to use as a means of HOHO transport.
As stated the quickest way from Hamburg to Berlin is the ICE train. The service is approximately every hour and the cost is 156€ return per person if you book on the day or around 135€ return for two people if you book one of the special offers, in advance (the sooner the better) on the internet.
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
The two 'castles' near Hamburg of which I am aware are in Plön
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plön_Castle
and Schwerin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwerin_Palace
Both are easy to reach by train.
Enjoy Hamburg and Berlin, they are my two favourite cities.
Happy cruising, :)
Anni
http://www.travelanni.webs.com
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Hi Anni,
I've visited your website and it's been a big help in my planning, so I thank you.
I sail in a couple weeks and plan to take the train to Schwerin. I know which tickets to purchase thanks to your website. My concern is validating the tickets.
Single ticket for Warnemunde to Rostock must be validated as you stated above.
Do all tickets (single, day, Lander) require validation?
The Lander ticket is valid after 9AM. If it requires validation, can it be validated in Warnemunde as long as it's used for train out of Rostock after 9AM?
Is the validation just a one time thing, or is it each time you board a tram, train, etc?
Lots of questions but I'm sure there's a simple answer. ;) I'm new to tram/train transport.
Separate topic: Schwerin Castle is closed on Monday (our port day) but we still plan to look around the grounds and town. Do you know anything about the 1.5hr lake cruises on www.weisseflotteschwerin.de/ ? If so, is there nice scenery and would you recommend? We're considering, weather permitting.
Thanks in advance!
Thank you for your appreciation, glad to have been of help
The lander ticket does not require validation as it is already dated but must be signed and it will be inspected, along with the signatory's ID, on the main line train.
Local transport tickets, single and day, require validation. Each ticket needs only to be validated once. In the case of the train from Warnemünde to Rostock the ticket must be validated in the orange box on the platform before getting on the train, in the case of trams and buses the orange boxes are on board.
BTW the price of a single ticket is now 2€ :(
The cruises you mention are very good. I took my Australian visitor on the 4-Seen Linie and she rated it as the highlight of her visit to Schwerin.
There are two types. The 4 Seen Linie cruises the 4 inner lakes; nice scenery, beautiful houses, quaint holiday homes, house boats and views of the interesting old harbour. The Heidenseelinie and the Grosseinselline cruise the main lake, the Schweriner See, viewing some of the islands and places around the lake, a lot of open water and I think take slightly longer than the first. All the cruises give the opportunity of some magnificent views of the castle.
My recommendation would be the 4-Seen Linie.
Happy cruising :)
Anni
www.travelanni.webs.com
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Immigration control is in the terminal.
You will need to complete a two-part immigration slip (similar to landing cards issued on airplanes). These are freely issued by the ship to all passengers by the night before, no charge. Will probably be issued with your tour ticket or distributed to cabins. Spares available at customer services on the ship or in the terminal.
Complete the immigration slip with the information on your passport (passport number, DoB, etc) - do it before you go ashore to avoid wasted time. Don't separate the two halves of the immigration slip.
JB :)
Disembarking from Legend of the Seas in May 2014 we were not given the immigration slips to complete and , on enquiry, we were told they had been discontinued. Have they been re-instated ?
To pass through immigration control we only required our passports and tour tickets.
Anni
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The drive was very nice and smooth just stick to the right , vehicles pass fast on left. I hit 160 kilometers (100miles ph). And felt smooth.
Hi, glad to hear you had such a positive experience driving at a reasonable speed on the Autobahn. :)
Although I would still not recommend DIY Berlin by train from Warnemünde and am sure that a bus tour is the best way to go for the majority, if you are really set on DIY then hiring a car is definitely the next best option.
To all those who choose to give it a go; good luck, just drive sensibly (like parmen123), allow plenty of time to get back and I'm sure, like his family, you will enjoy the experience.
Happy cruising (and safe driving) :)
Anni
www.travelanni.webs.com
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So I've seen conflicting reports on the web - do we change clocks when going from Tallinn to St. Pete or not? (For an August 2015 cruise.). Some sites say the time is the same and others say they are an hour apart. I did try to search the forum for the answer but came up empty.
Thanks in advance for answering my question.
Hi,
In summer (March to October) Tallin and St. Petersburg are on the same time ie. UTC (or GMT) + 3 hours. The reason being that, although they are one time zone apart, Tallin has daylight saving whereas St. Petersburg does not. So your clocks on the ship will not change between the two.
Most ships, and certainly all cruise ships, observe the local time for the next port, usually altering the clocks at 2am in the morning before docking.
A good site on which to check the times in all ports is http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock
Happy cruising :)
Anni
www.travelanni.webs.com
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How do you plan to get from Warnemuende to Berlin? Are you taking the train or does the ship offer transportation?
Right now the Deutsche Bahn website shows a train from Warnemuende leaving at 8:03 am and arriving at Tegel Airport in Berlin at 11:37 am. This train would work for you IF the ship arrives on time and IF you can be off the ship and at the train station with tickets in hand by 7:50 or so and IF you can carry your own bags off the ship. (This early debarkation time is reserved for those who do self-debarkation.) Unfortunately, that's a lot of IFs.
The next train leaves at 8:33 am but doesn't arrive until 1:17 pm which would be too late to make a 2:30 pm international flight.
If the ship offers transportation, I'd allow at least 3 hours for trip.
Not quite sure which web site you used but the German site quotes a trip involving getting off one station before the main station (Hbf) and changing buses twice. Probably the quickest overall but not a good idea if you have luggage and don't know the city well.
Also these are 2015 times and things may change, we may even have a new airport :rolleyes:.
Timetables can be a bit misleading if you don't know the conditions on the ground. Eg. they allow 10 mins transfer time in Rostock. OK if you know the station and but not so good if the train is only a couple of minutes late, you have luggage and need to sort out which platform you want, lift to use etc. They also allow 9mins walk time from the train to the bus in Berlin Hbf. I would doubt that this can be done by a stranger with luggage even if the train is on time and they are first off. The Hbf is huge (five levels), train come in on level 5, buses leave from outside level 2 and the lifts/escalators are notoriously slow. The TXL bus, the only one direct, runs fairly frequently but often there is such a long queue that half the queue has to wait for the next bus.
The ships shuttle may be OK depending on what time it leaves.
Another alternative would be a private car transfer and this would work, cruise terminal to airport around 3 hours.
Even with my local knowledge I would not risk trying for a 2.30pm flight unless travelling by private car and even then I would be nervous about it.
Happy planning,
Anni
http://www.travelanni.webs.com
Hamburg, Germany
in Northern Europe & Baltic Sea
Posted · Edited by Travelanni
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Sorry but I can't answer that one without dates. However, the web site below will give you the answer. It has all the information on dates, times and berths of all the cruise ships expected in Hamburg during 2016, even photos!
http://www.hamburgcruisecenter.eu
Happy cruising :)
Anni
http://www.travelanni.webs.com