Travelanni

Hi Travelanni. My family and I are planning to spend a few days pre-cruise in Amsterdam and Berlin before embarking in Stockholm. What are the best options for travel between Amsterdam and Berlin? We would like to maximize our time in both cities so would prefer not to spend too much time traveling from one to the other if possible. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Hi,

The train service between the two cities is very good. A direct daily Inter City train every two hours;

6:36, 8:36, etc. until 16:36 from Berlin Hbf to Amsterdam Centraal

9:01, 11:01 etc. until 15:01 from Amsterdam Centraal to Berlin Hbf.

The journey takes about 6 hours. The standard fare is around 116euro but there are specials, which sell out fairly quickly, from as low as 49euro available on-line from 92 days in advance of travel. Seats can be reserved for an extra 4euro per seat.

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query2.exe/en

Several major and budget airlines fly between the two cities but even though the actual flight only takes 1hr:15mins when you factor in the time to reach the airport from the city centre, mandatory check-in times, waiting for luggage on arrival and the time to reach the city at the other end the time difference is not so much. Air fares vary but the lowest I could find was 49.50 euro with one cabin bag only ie. there is a surcharge per kilo for hold luggage.

There is also the cost of transport to and from the airport at each end which can add up to as much as the budget air fare.

Hope this helps with your planning

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Oki - we are docking in Warnemunde in May. We have been there before so have one Wrnemunde and Rostock. I think we took a boat to/from and just walked around the towns enjoying the places.

 

This time we are looking at doing something different around the local area.

 

What would you suggest??...Wismar..??....Schwerin..???

Hi, It depends on your taste. Wismar - great medieval architecture; Schwerin - baroque architecture and a beautiful castle/palace. Then there is Stralsund - very well preserved medieval buildings, some great museums and a world class Oceanarium. All within 1 hours travel time.

Bad Doberan is closer - the Munster is one of the biggest and most beautiful churches in NE Germany, set in the grounds of the ancient monastery where some of the monastic buildings still exist. It is also the start point for the Mollibahn - the small, privately operated steam train which is still an important part of the transport system on the coast.

All these towns and the addresses of web sites where you can learn more are on my web site.

If you hire a car it is possible to drive to the island of Rügen - Königstuhl National Park and the white cliffs made famous by the artist Caspar David Friedrich, ancient beech forests and Kap Arkona, the most easterly point in Germany.

Other ideas anyone?

Happy planning and cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Thanks Anni. I think it was your statement that was misleading - at least to me. ;) I thought you were offering help to cruisers for these cities. My mistake.

 

 

I am sorry that my statement was misleading, I am not sure how else I could have phrased it. However, to clarify:-

 

Quote from my post -'As I have moved house and am no longer a 'Rostocker' from now on I will be posting as 'Travelanni'. Still living in the area though and happy to help Cruisers docking in Warnemünde, Lübeck, Kiel, Hamburg and Bremen to enjoy your visit'

 

I am a self-confessed travel addict and history buff, have lived in NE Germany for nearly 10 years and have made regular visits to and studied all of the places likely to be visited by passengers of cruise ships docking in the above ports, especially Warnemünde. As I am retired I also have plenty of time (and enjoy) to research the answers to questions. I love the area and my aim is to help others to enjoy their visit here.

 

Quote from my post -'I am also happy to offer advice re. travel to Cruisers embarking Warnemünde, Copenhagen, Amsterdam or Rotterdam and planning to visit Berlin either pre- or post-cruise'

 

Many more cruisers are spending a few days pre- or post-cruise in Berlin. I travel extensively around Europe by public transport and am very familiar with European transport systems and how to navigate around their timetables and fare offers which can be confusing, so my intention was to help cruisers find the most efficient, cost effective way between Berlin (which city I know well, having lived there) and their port of embarkation/disembarkation.

 

I would not presume to offer advice on cities which I do not know when there are such excellent 'locals' (eg. Danish Viking on Copenhagen) and people who have visited there posting on this forum.

 

Anni

 

 

 

Hi, I am starting to do research on a place to stay in Amsterdam, one night, pre-cruise. Your post came up with the search function. Do you have any recommendations? Most of the smaller places that I have found will not allow a one night stay. They want 2-3 nights stays. :(

Thank you!

Hi, the search function is a bit misleading as I offered to help with travel between Berlin and embarkation ports for cruisers visiting Berlin post- or pre-cruise,, I am not familiar with Amsterdam itself.

However, we too have been researching for a one night visit there later in the year using http://www.booking.com which offers everything from back-packer dormitory accommodation to 5+ star hotels. We have used this site for over 10 years and never been disappointed: their descriptions are very honest and the prices are usually the best you will find on the net.

We have not decided on a hotel yet but there seem to be plenty to choose from with no restriction on the number of nights booked. In fact it is a condition of booking which I have never come across.

Hope this helps, :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Thanks for the pier info on Warnemunde. It was very helpful in planning for our cruise next summer.

We will be taking an SPB tour to Berlin and back during our one day in Germany on the Royal Princess. Hopefully this will work out well, although we know it will be exhausting. We've never been to Berlin, and we think this will be the best option for us.

Any additional advice (including a museum we might be able to squeeze in if there is any free time) would be appreciated.

nisky

Hi, thank you for your appreciation.

If you look at the thread 'Is Berlin worth 6 hours on a bus', post #6 by 'dogs4fun' you will find a description of how they took a tour and arranged to be dropped at the Pergamon museum while the others had lunch. I would be interested to know how they managed the tickets as I understood that,during the high season, you have to book in advance and be given a time slot but maybe I'm wrong. I am fortunate in being able to visit out of season.

It all depends really on how much time you have and where you have free time. If it is in the Kurfurstendam area for shopping then there is not much in the way of museums. If, however, it is in the area of the Jewish Holocaust Memorial where there are souvenir shops and cafes then there is a fascinating little exhibition on Hitlers plan for Berlin after the war. It was truly amazing.

The most important museums are on Unter den Linden and Museum Island and really require more than a couple of hours.

It might be an idea to discuss this with your tour company, they may be able to suggest a museum which would fit in with the tour and make best use of your time.

Happy planning and cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

The planning and getting there is half the fun of the holiday.

Hello all,

 

I'm hoping that you may be able to offer a little advice.

 

I am sailing on MS Eurodam on the 23rd May on their Baltic Tour stopping in:

Copenhagen

Talinn

Helsinki

St Petersburg

Kiel

Warnermunde

 

I am a fairly experienced traveller but this will be both my first cruise and my first solo trip. I don't intend taking up the cruise tours in most places, partly because they seem over priced and partly because I quite like looking around independently. I will book tours for SP mainly because there is so much to see, but haven't decided between the cruise organised or a private tour yet.

 

Are there any tips that you can offer for a solo traveller for any of the above locations?

 

Many thanks,

 

Bev

Hi Bev, I have been travelling solo all over the world for over 20 years and can honestly say that I have never had a bad experience in Europe so don't let worry spoil your holiday. I have never really thought about it but now realise that I do take a few precautions, even at home ie. stay in well-lit areas where there are other people; keep your bag in front, never on your back - a back pack leaves your hands free but it is inviting trouble; don't carry any more cash than necessary - I withdraw a small amount of the currency from an ATM and carry a chip-and-pin debit card which is acceptable just about everywhere. On holiday I always have two cards with me, one of which I leave on the ship or in the hotel, then if the worst happened I would still have access to money.

Have fun, I always do.

Happy cruising, :)

Anni

Hi everyone, welcome to the Forum.

As I have moved house and am no longer a 'Rostocker' from now on I will be posting as 'Travelanni'. Still living in the area though and happy to help Cruisers docking in Warnemünde, Lübeck, Kiel, Hamburg and Bremen to enjoy your visit. I am also happy to offer advice re. travel to Cruisers embarking Warnemünde, Copenhagen, Amsterdam or Rotterdam and planning to visit Berlin either pre- or post-cruise.

The official Port of Rostock list of cruise ship calls is now available on

http://www.rostock-port.de/en/cruise-shipping/port-calls/2014-port-calls.html

Piers P1-4, P7 and P8 are at the Warnemünde cruise terminal. Piers LP41 and LP31 are in the commercial port on the other side of the river.

I am now in the process of updating the web site. Hopefully it will be finished by next week.

Looking forward to your questions.

Happy planning and cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Hello,

 

 

 

My plan was to fly in to Amsterdam 2 days pre cruise and then take the train to Berlin post cruise, great advice about Delta, i didnt know Amsterdam was a hub, will chk out the flights on Delta then. It will make my chioce of flights out easier.

 

Jason

Hi Jason,

Great plan - Berlin needs more than the 6 hours you get with even the best tour.

The train service between the two cities is very good. A direct Inter City train every two hours; 9:01. 11:01 etc. every day from Amsterdam Centraal to Berlin Hbf (main station). The journey takes around 6 hours. The standard fare is 116 euro but there are specials as low as 49 euro if purchased on -line from 92 days before the date of travel. http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query2.exe/en

These go very quickly. It is advisable to book seats at the time of purchase (4 euro per seat extra) and to choose the open seating car where there is more room for luggage.

Delta also flies between Berlin and the USA so you would not need to return to Amsterdam.

Hope this helps with your planning. Berlin is a fantastic city but to see it properly does need time.

For ideas on where to go and how to get there while docked in Warnemünde see my web site.

Happy cruising :)

Anni (ex Rostocker - changed my CC name when my location changed but still more than happy to help with NE Germany)

www.travelanni.webs.com

We will be in Kiel from 8-5 in May and would like to go into Hamburg to visit the Miniature World display. It doesn't look like HAL offers a just transportation to Hamburg excursion. What would be the best way to do this? Is it feasible in the time we have available? Thanks.

Hi,

There is a good, direct, hourly train service in both directions departing Kiel at 21mins past the hour and Hamburg Hbf at 20mins past the hour. The trip takes approx. 1hr 15 mins.

There is also a train,with one change in Neumunster, departing Kiel at 55mins past the hour and Hamburg Hbf at 43mins past the hour.

As to feasibility - you would have to be pretty slick to catch the 8:21 so working on the 9:21 you would arrive Hamburg at 10:36. Using the u-bahn you should be able to get to Miniature Wonderland by 11:00. Assuming that on-board time is 16:30 you would need to catch the 14:20 back from Hamburg giving you just about three hours there. Alternatively if you caught the 8:55, changing in Neumunster, you would have an extra half hour in Hamburg.

Hope this helps with your plans.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Hi -we are cruising the Baltics on Royal Aug22, 2014.

Princess charges 198$ pp for the transfers from Berlin Airport to/from

cruise port-- 3 hour trip one way.

Has anyone used alternate means of transfers??

I will try and use my miles & go in the day before & maybe spend

another nite in Berlin-post cruise.

 

thanks Donnakg:confused:

Hi, as Bruce says there are a couple of threads on this topic but the latest information is that on August 22ndc 2014 there will be two trains direct from Berlin Hbf (main station) to Warnemünde:

CONNEX (private company) dep. 10:59 arr. 13:51

ICE (DeutscheBahn) dep.17:23 arr.19:45.

The Regional Express service which requires a change in Rostock to the local train (s-bahn) departs Berlin Hbf. every two hours at 44 mins past the hour, total travel time around 3 hours.

The standard fares at present are:

CONNEX - 27 euro pp. ICE - 54 euro pp. RE - 39.10 euro pp.

Connex tickets at this price can only be bought on the train.

ICE and RE tickets for 22nd August can be bought on line after 23rd May, from a ticket machine or on the train. Special offers available on line from 23rd May.

There is a very good bus service from the airport to Berlin Hbf.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

We are staying precruise in Berlin on our own with friends.What is the best way to get to cruise port? This will be next September.

Wondering if there is a tour company that could take us(we could increase the size of our group to satisfy a tour company if necessary.

If not, has anyone taken Princess transportation from airport (go back to airport to pick up Princess bus day of cruise). What time would the bus leave?

Thanks

Hi, sorry I can't help with the tour company question as I use the train on my frequent visits to Berlin.

The train is an excellent option. September 2014 is too far in the future to predict the train schedules which only run to December after which the new timetables, along with fare changes, will appear but here is my information re the train service from the thread 'Berlin (TKL) - Warnemünde' started on September 20th. by a cruiser also spending time in Berlin before embarking here.

'At the moment, and this has been the case for a while now, there are only two trains direct from Berlin Hbf to Warnemünde on a weekday, the Connex (private company) dep. 10:57 arr. 13:47 and an ICE (DeutscheBahn) dep.17:26 arr.20:10. All other services require a change in Rostock to the local train (s-bahn)

Of course this may change when the 2014 schedules are announced.

The provision for luggage on both these services, as on all German trains, is excellent.

I will be updating the schedules for the Berlin trains on my web site when they become available, including those to Warnemünde for the benefit of passengers embarking here.'

There is more information on the above thread.

Hope this helps with your planning.

Enjoy Berlin,

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

p

I wish I could edit the heading for this thread.

 

Let's try this. A few people who post on this forum do live in northern Germany near Rostock and have some idea as to traffic conditions in the evening between Warnemunde and Berlin. A few.

 

However, any number of people who post on this forum have made the cruise excursion from Warnemunde to Berlin and have experience with traffic conditions as they were leaving Berlin to return to Warnemunde.

 

How long did the return trip take? How bad was the traffic? Did anyone make the trip on a Friday during the summer? What hour did you leave Berlin?

 

I am thinking that the worst hours for leaving Berlin because of traffic are those between 4 to 6 pm, and that the traffic begins to dissipate after 6 pm. Apparently, traffic jams in Germany can rival those in some major US cities. I am just trying to get some idea, to catch a ship leaving Warnemunde at midnight, by what time one travelling by car should leave Berlin.

Hi, I am one of 'the few' living in Northern Germany but much as I would like to, I'm afraid I can't help you with first-hand experience as I never travel by car.

However, I have asked around and the general opinion seems to be that it is not so much the volume of traffic that causes jams as roadworks which close miles of one side of the autobahn and accidents which close whole sections.

You are right about the time of heaviest traffic although my friends would say that it continues until later, around 8pm, in summer. It is also agreed that Friday is the very worst day to travel from Berlin, everyone is either getting away for the weekend if they live there or going home if they only work there. I know that this applies to the trains and avoid Friday and Sunday evenings like the plague.

One friend who drives regularly between Rostock and Berlin told me that if she had a specific arrival time she would never risk the journey on a Friday evening without at least a 1 to 1.5 hour extra allowance on the 2.5 hour drive, ie allowing at least 3 to 4 hours. She pointed out that this applies if you are driving all the way from the centre of Berlin but if you have parked your car in the suburbs and taken the s-bahn into the city it would not be quite as bad. As she says, the tour drivers always have 'time up their sleeves' and also a 'route B' in case of a major hold up but this, of course, requires local road knowledge and listening to the radio reports all the time. Having said all this she admits that she has often done the Friday evening run with no problems in the normal time but...... it only takes an accident which closes the road and you could miss the ship.

I do hope you receive some rather more positive feedback from others who have 'been there, done that'.

Happy cruising, :)

Anni

I didn't realize that the closest city was so far! I thought it was about an hour and a half. Is this city scenic or have interesting things to do? Thank you.

Hi, I agree that it would be a good thing to see your 'homeland' as it were but to answer your question re Szczecin the answer, sadly, is that it is not scenic and there is very litttle of interest. It is a bit of a forgotten town, no longer German but without any real Polish history. I went there as I too have a family connection and was very disappointed.

However, if you just want to go somewhere in Poland I would suggest Swinoujscie, a coastal city on the German border.

http://www.swinoujscie.pl/en/contents/content/227/2874

It is very easy to get to from Warnemünde, through some of the prettiest country in Mecklenburg and across the island of Usedom, around 2 hours drive. For a detailed route etc. see

http://www.dlinaputi.ru/en/Rostok/Svinoujsce

You could return to Rostock, via the A110 from Anklam. through Demmin, an old medieval town, and Dargun where there is a wonderful semi-restored monastery

A couple of points about hiring a car.

If you want an automatic you have to order early as they are not standard in Germany and most hire firms have only a limited number.

If you tell them you are going to Poland it may cost more as Poland is renowned as a place to lose your car, especially a late German model. . There are secure, attended parking lots which are well worth the cost for your peace of mind.

Hope this helps you make up your mind. I, personally, would still do it in preference to Berlin. The time you would get to see that wonderful city, either on a tour or by driving, is much too short for such a long day.

Happy cruising, :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Friends: Thank you all for such wonderful information about your great country and cities. It has been very, very helpful. One question: Please tell us all the differences (besides price) between 1st and 2nd class on the trains from Warnemunde to Schwerin? Is it worth the value? Thanks again. - Paul :)

Hi Paul, thanks for the appreciation.

The short answer to your question is NO.

On the Regional Express trains there is only half the upper section of one car for 1st. class and the only difference that I can see is slightly nicer fabric on the seats and head-rest covers! The layout of the cars is exactly the same and all are air conditioned; the actual seats are the same, very comfortable, just the fabric is different. There is no difference in service, you still have to buy snacks and drinks from a machine in the service area. 1st class is usually empty, locals certainly do not think it is worth the price.

On German ICE and IC long distance trains there is very little difference either except that in 1st class seats are 1 & 2 across rather than 2 & 2. Most 1st class passengers seem to be either tourists on Eurail passes (you can't buy 2nd class if you are over 25!) or business men on expense accounts :rolleyes:

Happy cruising, :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

NB. I have changed the 'How to buy tickets on-line' page and updated the info on trains to Berlin.

Hi Anni,

I hope that I have purchased the correct ticket. I had all of your detailed instructions for purchasing the Lander ticket on line. The process seemed easier. Has the website changed? I just had to enter the region (Mecklenburg), date and number of people. I paid 26 Euro for two people. We plan on going to Schwerin on Wednesday. Will the ticket I bought work? Have used so much of your info to plan our day in Warnemunde for which I thank you.

Hi Gail, you are quite right, the web page has changed - and for the better too! Thanks for alerting me. One of the first instances I have come across where a page is less complicated than before. Good old DB, done something right.

You do have the correct ticket, I can assure you that it will work to go to Schwerin but please remember that if you leave Warnemünde before 9am (to catch the 9:07 from Rostock to Schwerin for instance) you will also need single tickets to Rostock.

I wish you a very pleasant day in Germany

Happy cruising, :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Hi Anni,

 

I came back from my cruise to the Baltics. It was a great trip! I used the information you provided on your website and they were very helpful. Thank you very much!

 

Just one thing I wanted to clarify:

When taking the train from Warnemunde to Rostock and change from train to tram at Marienehe, should turn right (not left) down the slope to the tram platform.

 

We have enjoyed both Rostock and Warnemunde completely!

 

Cheers,

Clara

Hi, thank you for your appreciation. :)

Re the change from train to tram at Marienehe. I will clarify the instructions. I thought the right turn at the top of the steps onto the overhead bridge was self-evident as the tram lines are on the right but the bottom of the bridge is a t-junction with a slope going either right to the bike path or left to the tram-way crossing and is where a stranger could go wrong. Not a big deal but those few extra metres of back-tracking could miss you a tram.

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

You have been most helpful but I am somewhat confused with the Lander ticket. My husband ad I will be traveling to Schwerin castle from Warnermunde. Do I purchase the Lander ticket at a machine in Warnermunde, on line or in Rostock? Which one do I purchase (the MV?)? Does it cover the trip from Warnermunde to Rostock? Thanks.

Hi,

The MV Lander ticket can be purchased at a machine or office on any station or on-line. Directions on my web page.

The ticket will cover you between Warnemünde and Rostock if you start your journey after 9am on weekdays or any time on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays. On weekdays, if you leave Warnemünde before 9am (eg in order to catch the 9:07 from Rostock to Schwerin) you will require a single ticket for each person between Warnemünde and Rostock.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

I know children ride free with parents but if they are over five years old do they count as one of the five members of the lander ticket.

 

For example. If there were 5 adults and two children aged 12, which one of these scenarios would apply.

1. We could buy 1 lander ticket for the 5 adults and the 2 children would ride free.

2. We would need to buy 1 lander ticket for 3 adults and the two children and a second lander ticket for the other 2 adults.

 

Thanks

Hi, neither of the above scenarios applies.

Children only ride free on a Lander ticket which is purchased for either the parent/s or grandparent/s with whom they are travelling.

In this case you would need to purchase one Lander ticket for the one or two people related as above to the children and one lander ticket for the rest of the adults in the party.

Be aware that you may be asked to prove the relationship when the tickets are checked during your journey. Passports will cover this.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Thanks for the help. I wish we were docking in Warnemunde but we are docking in Rostock where it is not nearly as convenient to get to the train station. Anni had mentioned something about Bus 45 and then a train from Lutten ... to Rostock Hbf. It seemed that the bus does not run that often and I was wondering if it was possible to get to Rostock Hbf by 11:07 using the bus and train.

Hi given your time of arrival it would not be possible to catch the 11.07 using the bus and train although it could be done easily by taxi.

It would be possible to do both Schwerin and Wismar but once again, to maximise the time available you would need to take a taxi back from Rostock to the ship. If using the train and bus you would need to leave either Schwerin at 5.53pm or Wismar at 5.42pm. Taking a taxi from Rostock would give you an extra 2 hours.

If you decide to do both towns a possible schedule using a taxi to and from Rostock would be

11:07 to Schwerin arr. 12:03

Trains from Schwerin to Wismar run roughly every hour, check exact times in Schwerin.

7:42pm from Wismar to Rostock.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

Hi to all my friends out there in CC land.

Firstly I would like to give a big thank you to all those kind people who take the trouble to acknowledge our replies to your queries. I'm sure I speak for all the 'regulars' (Len, Terry and co.) and the 'local experts' who contribute here.

I leave on Tuesday for my annual visit to family in Australia. Not by my transport of choice, a freighter, unfortunately as the journey takes too long. This time I must fly as the plan is to stay 7 weeks. However, my trusty notebook will be with me and I shall sign in to CC regularly so please keep the questions coming. The answers may not be quite as prompt as usual but I will do my best.

Watch out for a couple of new towns on the web site, working on them now. I know many people are 'doing' the Baltic for the second or third time so I have researched another two destinations within two hours travel of Rostock. One of them has strong connections with the US military, the 82nd Airborne and General James Gavin to be precise, at the end of WWll. Hope it will be of interest.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

Hi Anni,

 

I have read most of this thread but as some things are now three years old and it changes regularly, I thought I would make sure I understood things.

 

We are a family with two adults and 2 children under 14. My husband and I have been to Berlin before so we would like to see the Rostock/Warnmunde area for the one day our cruise ship is in town. We arrive on June 25, 2013. It appears that we are the only ship in port that day.

 

My plan is to go to Schwerin in the morning and return to the town of Warnemunde in the afternoon. My understanding is that we will need to buy a ticket to get from Warnemunde to Rostock. We can then take the train from Rostock to Schwerin and back. If we buy Lander tickets online, they will not cover the initial trip to Rostock because they do not start until 9. We will only need for two people as our children are young and travel free with parents.

 

Am I understanding all of this correctly? Does that sound like a reasonable day?

 

Thank you in advance to anyone who can tell me if I am on the right track...

 

Dee

Hi Dee,

Thank you for your appreciation. You are quite right about the age of some of this thread but I try to keep timetables, fares etc. on both the posts and the web site up to date.

Your understanding of what you require is absolutely correct but if the children are over 6 yrs you will need tickets for them on the s-bahn from Warnemünde to Rostock, half price.

I did exactly what you are proposing with friends last week and we had a wonderful day, hope yours is just as good.

If you have not already read them, my directions for the nicest walk to the castle are on the web site.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

PS for others who read this post - when reading any thread be aware of the date of the posts. As noted by veravin things change so it is best to use only specific information (times, fares, opening hours, entrance fees etc.) from the current year. The same applies to blogs and web sites - one in particular which I know is frequently consulted has not been updated since 2009 :rolleyes:

Anni, does bus 45 or 49 run everyday?

We will be there on Sat. July 6. I typed from Seehafen Rostock to Shwerin on http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en . It always makes me to take taxi to a train station. but if I change the date to Friday July 5, it would give me bus 45 or bus 49 to a train station.

Hi, since the closure of the rail line the bus timetables have been altered slightly and the No. 45 bus now also runs on Saturday and Sunday. Departs Seehafen at 7:46, 8:46, 9.59 and hourly thereafter, departs Lutten Klein at 29 mins past every hour to 19:29.

Bus No. 49 runs Monday to Friday only.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Thanks so much, post 739 and 759 were very helpful. The link you provide shows Marina arrival at LP 31 which I will assume is near LP 41 so your advise in post 759 still applies. I only found out about the change by accident when one of the tour guides replied that the tour would have to be out of Rostock. The 2nd tour company who comes very very highly recommended said since there is a change in berths, he could do Rostock for me only if I could put a group together. If the 2 locations are so close I don't know why it is an issue. My last question is if we end the day at the Warnemunde festival, is there a lot of traffic getting back to our ship? It doesn't leave until 9:00 pm Thanks again for your help and your amazing website

Thankyou for your appreciation.

LP31 is just on the other side of the pier from LP41, slightly further to walk to the bus stop. It was not mentioned because it is not often used for cruise ships but on that day there are 4 big cruise ships in so two must use the Seehafen.

You will have seen my comments about cruise lines and tour operators pretending that there has been a sudden change of berth, it makes me very angry. I know how a port operates and with cruise ships being on schedules arranged far in advance the Port Authority can assign berths in advance too and be pretty sure they will not have to be changed. It is a luxury they do not get with cargo ships!

I am not sure why but some of the tour operators are very reluctant to cross the river preferring to operate out of Warnemunde.

By road, if you take a taxi, the trip through the tunnel from Warnemunde to the Seehafen takes about 15 mins. There should be no problem with traffic. By train and bus, if your all-aboard is 8.30pm, then the 7.02pm train to Lutten Klein and the 7.20pm bus to Seehafen is the last possible to get you there in time.

Enjoy your day :)

Anni

Sorry if this had been asked before but there are now over 30 pages on this thread and I have really tried. Our ship arrives in Warnemunde on Saturday July 6th (so there will be stores open according to this thread). I did contact a couple of tour companies and they advised that my ship is now arriving in Rostock instead so they cannot do a tour for us after all. Since we will have 12 hours at the Rostock port can you suggest what we can do or who to contact for a tour. We are 4 adults and we can do a lot of waling if need be. Thank you

This is a sample of a tour we were offered. Is this the best we can do?

City of Rostock Tour

Itinerary:

08.45 am meet with guide in front of ship /terminal

walk to bus stop (approx. 10 min)

09.05 am take bus & tram to Rostock City Center

09.45 am arrive in Rostock

guided tour of the old town incl. inside visit to St. Marien church

snack

12.00 pm time at leisure in Rostock

01.00 pm return journey to ship with tram & bus

02.00 pm arrive back at ship

Hi, You did not mention which ship you will be on, Carnival Legend or Marina. Both are scheduled to berth in the Seehafen on the other side of the river on that day. For your tour company to infer that this is a late change is quite simply not the truth. The berthing schedules are arranged at least a year in advance and I have never known them to change after publication in February each year.

For a complete explanation of the different berths in the Port of Rostock please see post 739 on this thread.

Rostock is a very easy port to DIY. The easiest way to get into the city from the Seehafen is by bus and train or by taxi. How to do this is covered on post 759.

I would recommend spending the day in Rostock and the late afternoon/evening in Warnemünde at the festival. The half day suggested by the tour company is not enough to see everything.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

We are on Eurodam Kiel stop on June 19th. Will we have ample time to train to Lubeck, visit and return to ship by 4:30 without feeling rushed?

 

I know you mention day pass, but timing is very important. Are there vans at the dock that could take 6-8 people? Would that be better?

 

Much appreciated. Travelers depend on generous people like you!!

 

BBerbs

Hi,

If you want to go by train:-

The train service between Kiel and Lübeck is fast and frequent.

RB departs Kiel 8:04 arrives Lübeck 9:32

RE departs Kiel 8:44 arrives Lübeck 9:52

and so on at hourly intervals throughout the day.

to return to Kiel

RE departs Lübeck 12:06 arrives Kiel 13:15

RB departs Lübeck 12:28 arrives Kiel 13:55

and so on until 21:06

As you are scheduled to dock at 7:00 the first possible train would be the 8:04 and the last possible train to return from Lübeck and be on-board by 16:30 (taxi from the station to the ship) would be 15:06. As you see this would give around five and a half hours in Lübeck. The journey by road takes about the same time as by train.

For 6-8 people you would need two Schleswig Holstein Kleingruppenkarte, cost 32.70 euro -unlimited travel for up to 5 persons after 9am to 3am the following day.

On trains before 9:00 the standard fare applies so Monday to Friday you would need single tickets to cover the time between departing Kiel and 9:00 as well as a day ticket. (Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays the day ticket covers the whole journey.)

For 6-8 people:-

Departing Kiel 8:04 you would need single tickets to Pönitz (dep. 9:08) @ 11 euro pp. + 2 day tickets

Departing Kiel 8:44 you would need single tickets to Preetz (dep. 9:00) @ 4.30 euro pp. + 2 day tickets

All the tickets can be bought at the same time before departure in Kiel and shown together to the inspector on the train. There is no need to leave the train before Lübeck.

Happy cruising, :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com