Live in Rostock/Warnemüde - happy to help you enjoy.

[Travelanni]

Since my husband is quite tall, we thought it would be more comforatable in first class.

 

Forgot to say that it is generally agreed among travellers that 2nd class on an ICE is far more spacious and comfortable than Economy on an airplane. ;)

Anni

[dakacz]

I may have missed it but what time is the historical society tour in Rostock?

[World Gallery]

Thanks Anni for the great info.

I have a question. Part of our family is going to spend the day in Warnemunde (we'll rent a strandkorb part of the day).

I have heard that you can take a ferry to see the seals. Do you know what this is exactly, what time of year you can see the seals, and where to catch this ferry?

Edited April 28, 2012 by World Gallery

[8 Bells]

Hi, thanks for the title! My favourite fruit, I'm flattered.

It is a matter of personal opinion of course but I have travelled in both 1st and 2nd class on ICEs and really cannot see a lot of difference. The main space difference is width, 1+2 seats across in 1st, 2+2 seats across in second. Leather seats in 1st and upholstered seats in 2nd, both very comfortable.

Compartment seating is 6 or 8 seats in an enclosed space, two sets of 3 or 4 facing each other which cuts down on leg room. OK for a family or group of friends but the chances of getting one to yourselves is virtually nil. Compartment seating is often used by families with children and does not have luggage storage other than overhead racks.

When you book choose 'open saloon', not 'open saloon with table'. The table cannot be moved which makes getting in and out awkward and you have 2 other seats facing across the table so the leg room is cramped. The 'open saloon' seats are in pairs so you have more privacy and can stretch your legs under the seat in front. In both 1st and 2nd class these seats are airline type, good recline with fold away arm rest and a let down table in the back of the seat in front plus electric outlets for laptops etc. You will automatically be given a pair of seats, side by side if you leave the other choice as is. I'm afraid that you cannot choose the exact place within the car or the direction in which you face but that is immaterial as the train changes its direction of travel at least twice between Rostock and Munich.

This web site has some nice photos of ICE interiors.

http://europeforvisitors.com/germany/trains/ice-trains-photos.htm

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

 

Many thanks for the website -- it's exactly what I was looking for!

[Travelanni]

Thanks Anni for the great info.

I have a question. Part of our family is going to spend the day in Warnemunde (we'll rent a strandkorb part of the day).

I have heard that you can take a ferry to see the seals. Do you know what this is exactly, what time of year you can see the seals, and where to catch this ferry?

 

Hi, the place you are thinking of is the Seal Research Station, part of the University of Rostck. Here is their very good web site which gives all the details:

http://www.cams2010.uni-rostock.de/program/visit-of-the-seal-station/

 

To get there you take the cross river ferry , which is next to the Cruise Terminal, and walk along the East Mole towards the river mouth. The Seal Station is on the right at the end of the mole.

 

Did you know Strandkörben were invented in Rostock? The children might be interested in this web site seeing as you are going to use one, then they can show off their knowledge along with the photos.

www.bartelmann.com/historie/strandkorb-anno-1882/beach-chair-history.html

 

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

[Travelanni]

I may have missed it but what time is the historical society tour in Rostock?

 

Hi,

The Walks start at 11am from the Kröpeline Gate.

I have added a page with more details to the web site.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

[jlrob]

Anni,

Have beenenjoying your thread, it has great information. Thanks.

[Travelanni]

Anni,

Have beenenjoying your thread, it has great information. Thanks.

 

Hi, Thanks for the appreciation. Have a great time in Germany.

 

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

[RuthJH]

Hi, With the exception of seaside/tourist towns like Warnemunde and some shops in large railway stations there is no Sunday shopping in Germany. Museums and tourist attractions are open Sunday, if they have a day off it is usually Monday. Cafes and restaurants are open of course.

 

A day ticket is always the best option if you are going further than Rostock. However, if you buy a Mecklenburg Lander Ticket (eg for Schwerin) you will still need local transport tickets for the tram journey from the Rostock central station to Rostock city centre. For more information and prices please see pages 'Tickets - Deutsche Bahn' and 'Tickets - Local Transport' on my web site.

 

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

 

thanks, Anni. I'm thinking about going to Rostock for the 11 a.m. walking tour (does it operate on Sundays?), and then moving onto Schwerin to visit the Palace. Finally, returning to Warnemunde for the evening (our ship is in port from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.). Does this itinerary make sense? And if so, I assume we would take the train to Rostock with the tram into the city centre, and then return to the train station to travel to Schwerin, correct? and in Schwerin we can walk to the Palace?

thanks again for all of your help.

 

Ruth

[World Gallery]

Hi, the place you are thinking of is the Seal Research Station, part of the University of Rostck. Here is their very good web site which gives all the details:

http://www.cams2010.uni-rostock.de/program/visit-of-the-seal-station/

 

To get there you take the cross river ferry , which is next to the Cruise Terminal, and walk along the East Mole towards the river mouth. The Seal Station is on the right at the end of the mole.

 

Did you know Strandkörben were invented in Rostock? The children might be interested in this web site seeing as you are going to use one, then they can show off their knowledge along with the photos.

www.bartelmann.com/historie/strandkorb-anno-1882/beach-chair-history.html

 

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

 

Thanks Anni! This maybe the best thing to combine with something else Rostock. I am the person on the other thread also interested in a tour about the Cold War and reunification.

For the Seal Station, is this trip completely walkable, meaning, walk to the ferry by the cruise dock, then walk to the Seal Station when we get off of the ferry? How far of a walk? It would be great if no taxi were involved. It would make for an easy day.

Thanks for the website. The seal pictures are adorable! My kids love animals.

Also, thanks for the link about the Strandkord! This is great info!

 

Update:

One more question. I was just on your website and I see the Rostock Historical Society tour at 11AM (also mentioned above). Is this close enough to the Seal Station to walk from one to the other? For example, if we did the tour first, could we still take the ferry, walk to the tour site, then walk back to the Seal Station?

Edited April 29, 2012 by World Gallery

[dakacz]

Hi,

The Walks start at 11am from the Kröpeline Gate.

I have added a page with more details to the web site.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

 

Thank you for all your help in planning our time in Rostock

[Travelanni]

Thanks Anni! This maybe the best thing to combine with something else Rostock. I am the person on the other thread also interested in a tour about the Cold War and reunification.

For the Seal Station, is this trip completely walkable, meaning, walk to the ferry by the cruise dock, then walk to the Seal Station when we get off of the ferry? How far of a walk? It would be great if no taxi were involved. It would make for an easy day.

Thanks for the website. The seal pictures are adorable! My kids love animals.

Also, thanks for the link about the Strandkord! This is great info!

 

Update:

One more question. I was just on your website and I see the Rostock Historical Society tour at 11AM (also mentioned above). Is this close enough to the Seal Station to walk from one to the other? For example, if we did the tour first, could we still take the ferry, walk to the tour site, then walk back to the Seal Station?

Hi, thank you for your appreciation.

The Seal Station is in Warnemunde and the Historical Society Walk is in Rostock. Details on how to get from one to the other are all on the web site.

 

The ferry dock is a ship's length from the entrance to P8, literally under the bow of the cruise ship on P7. The Seal Station is about 500yds from the ferry dock on the other side.

 

An easy day would be to go into Rostock on the train, do the tour then spend a little time looking around, maybe have lunch. Return to Warnemunde on the train, take the ferry and visit the Seal Station, cross back to town, walk along Alter Strom (street along the waterfront) to the beach and spend the rest of the afternoon and evening there. The sun does not go down until 8-9pm in summer.

 

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

[Travelanni]

thanks, Anni. I'm thinking about going to Rostock for the 11 a.m. walking tour (does it operate on Sundays?), and then moving onto Schwerin to visit the Palace. Finally, returning to Warnemunde for the evening (our ship is in port from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.). Does this itinerary make sense? And if so, I assume we would take the train to Rostock with the tram into the city centre, and then return to the train station to travel to Schwerin, correct? and in Schwerin we can walk to the Palace?

thanks again for all of your help.

 

Ruth

 

Hi, thankyou for your appreciation.

As far as I know the tour operates on every day when there are cruise ships in port, including Sunday.

The tour finishes in the Market Place from where you will be able to get a tram back to the main station in plenty of time for the 13:07 to Schwerin. The walk from Schwerin Hbf. to the Schloss takes about 20mins. For details of the best route please see the web site.

Happy cruising, :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

[falootin]

Hello I was just wondering if there is a store close by the terminal where I might get some beer steins if so do you know about how much I might be looking at to spend?

Thank you in advance, Kelly

[jlrob]

My DH is limited in his ability to walk long distances. Are there taxis that meet the cruise ships?

 

Do you know of local tours that do not have walking has the major part of there tour. We want to stay in the Warnemunde or Rostock area while in port, but do want to be able to see what is there. Thank you.

[Travelanni]

Hello I was just wondering if there is a store close by the terminal where I might get some beer steins if so do you know about how much I might be looking at to spend?

Thank you in advance, Kelly

 

Hi, In Warnemunde you can buy beer steins in almost any souvenir shop at varying prices depending on the size and quality you want. The closest place would be 'Karls Pier 7' which as the name suggests is right on the pier, next to the berths. The shopping area of town is 10 mins walk away. For further details about Warnemunde and how to walk into town from the ship please see the web site.

 

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

[Travelanni]

My DH is limited in his ability to walk long distances. Are there taxis that meet the cruise ships?

 

Do you know of local tours that do not have walking has the major part of there tour. We want to stay in the Warnemunde or Rostock area while in port, but do want to be able to see what is there. Thank you.

Hi, there is a taxi rank right outside the cruise terminal and another in the railway station, 10 mins walk from the ship.

 

The central areas and main areas of interest in both Rostock and Warnemunde are pedestrian precincts so it is difficult to see the sights without walking. I do not know of any tours, except some of those offered by the ships, which do not include a lot of walking in their tours for this very reason. Those which whiz around the outskirts in a bus are really not worth it. The one exception is a mini-bus tour offered by the Tourist Office but last year it only operated in English for a party of 8, pre-booked. Details here

http://rathaus.rostock.de/sixcms/detail.php?template=seite_tourismus_citytours_en&_sid1=rostock_01.c.13291.de&_sid2=rostock_01.c.39228.de&_sid3=rostock_01.c.39792.de

 

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

[World Gallery]

Hi Rostocker - I wanted to ask your opinion about the Seal Station tour that was offered to us. I email them and they have two tours but they seem expensive. I was wondering, can you see the seals without the tour or do you think the tour is worth it?

here is the info:

A guided tour will cost 120,- €, takes one hour (but it’s planned for groups). We can arrange it for you and your family too, if you like it.

I will propose you another one; I think, it will be the better one for you and your children. It names “Harbour Seals close up”, takes one hour and will cost 250,- €. At this offer you will come in to our work area. My colleague will give you a lot of information’s about our work, you can ask a lot of questions, take some pictures and the whole time you be with the animals…

[Travelanni]

Hi Rostocker - I wanted to ask your opinion about the Seal Station tour that was offered to us. I email them and they have two tours but they seem expensive. I was wondering, can you see the seals without the tour or do you think the tour is worth it?

here is the info:

A guided tour will cost 120,- €, takes one hour (but it’s planned for groups). We can arrange it for you and your family too, if you like it.

I will propose you another one; I think, it will be the better one for you and your children. It names “Harbour Seals close up”, takes one hour and will cost 250,- €. At this offer you will come in to our work area. My colleague will give you a lot of information’s about our work, you can ask a lot of questions, take some pictures and the whole time you be with the animals…

 

Hi, the tours are expensive as they are designed for Educational Groups such as schools etc. which usually have around 30 people in them and want an in-depth, lecture-type tour of the whole facility rather than just to watch the seals. It is not a tourism tour.

As described in their webpage (part of the main University site)

http://www.marine-science-center.de/frame/msc-frame_eng.html

the public are welcome to view the training etc from the sun deck of the facility. Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm, entry fee 6€ adults, 4€ children. There is no need to book.

It is a nice 10 min walk along the mole from the cross-river ferry and a fascinating experience to watch the seals working and interacting with the researchers.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

[roothy123]

Hi Anni. Just a quick question: I will be buying a Schoenes Wochenende ticket, as I'll be in Berlin on a Sunday. If I wanted to go back to Warnemuende on the ICE train instead of the RE train, there's no discount for having the weekend ticket, is there? Would I simply buy an ICE ticket at the quoted price? Thanks.

Edited May 6, 2012 by roothy123

[Travelanni]

Hi Anni. Just a quick question: I will be buying a Schoenes Wochenende ticket, as I'll be in Berlin on a Sunday. If I wanted to go back to Warnemuende on the ICE train instead of the RE train, there's no discount for having the weekend ticket, is there? Would I simply buy an ICE ticket at the quoted price? Thanks.

 

Hi, unfortunately you are quite right, there is no discount but even using the Schönes Wochenende one way is cheaper for 2 people than the standard RE price.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

[roothy123]

Hi Anni. Just a quick question: I will be buying a Schoenes Wochenende ticket, as I'll be in Berlin on a Sunday. If I wanted to go back to Warnemuende on the ICE train instead of the RE train, there's no discount for having the weekend ticket, is there? Would I simply buy an ICE ticket at the quoted price? Thanks.

 

Never mind about my previous post, Anni. I played around more with bahn.de and answered my own question, I think! It looks like a Schoenes Wochenende ticket to Berlin combined with the ICE train back would be 69 euros for the two of us, and I can go ahead and purchase the tickets in about a week if I want. (The prices are not expected to go up, disappear, sell out, right?)

 

If for some reason we need to get back sooner on RE trains, it's my understanding that I can pay 15 euros to change it, although I didn't get as far as figuring out how that would affect the weekend ticket I had just purchased - whether I can simply use that to get back to Rostock/Warnemuenda or if I need to do anything further.

 

69 euros for the two is us is a good deal, and will give us more time in Berlin, unless there's a HUGE problem (we will have to be back on board the ship at 10:30PM).

[roothy123]

Oh, you replied before I could type the previous email. I guess my only remaining question is the one above - the ICE train never "sells out," right, so I can wait to purchase my tickets until early August before I travel? Thanks.

Edited May 6, 2012 by roothy123

[Moose Tracks]

Hi, the tours are expensive as they are designed for Educational Groups such as schools etc. which usually have around 30 people in them and want an in-depth, lecture-type tour of the whole facility rather than just to watch the seals. It is not a tourism tour.

As described in their webpage (part of the main University site)

http://www.marine-science-center.de/frame/msc-frame_eng.html

the public are welcome to view the training etc from the sun deck of the facility. Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm, entry fee 6€ adults, 4€ children. There is no need to book.

It is a nice 10 min walk along the mole from the cross-river ferry and a fascinating experience to watch the seals working and interacting with the researchers.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

I thought I had all my ports researched and my notes finalized and now I find out about the Seal training station!! To fill the day we had thought about going to the Rostock Zoo, but think we'll see Rostock town, come back to Warnemunde and take the ferry across and see the seals! Thanks for the information, Anni.

Lynn

[Travelanni]

Never mind about my previous post, Anni. I played around more with bahn.de and answered my own question, I think! It looks like a Schoenes Wochenende ticket to Berlin combined with the ICE train back would be 69 euros for the two of us, and I can go ahead and purchase the tickets in about a week if I want. (The prices are not expected to go up, disappear, sell out, right?)

 

If for some reason we need to get back sooner on RE trains, it's my understanding that I can pay 15 euros to change it, although I didn't get as far as figuring out how that would affect the weekend ticket I had just purchased - whether I can simply use that to get back to Rostock/Warnemuenda or if I need to do anything further.

 

69 euros for the two is us is a good deal, and will give us more time in Berlin, unless there's a HUGE problem (we will have to be back on board the ship at 10:30PM).

Hi, I think you have calculated the ICE price for only one person. My calculations IF you can get tickets at the special savings price are as follows:-

Schönes Wochenende Ticket for 2 people on RE = 40 euros

Savings Fares on ICE one way @ 29 euros per person = 58 euros

Total price for 2 people = 98 euros.

If you miss out on the savings fares or want to make the decision to come back on the ICE while in Berlin then the ICE tickets would cost the standard fare of 53 euros pp and can be bought on the train.

Standard tickets on the ICE never sell out but the special savings fares do sell out quickly at holiday times, there are only a limited number. They can only be used on the train you nominate when purchasing and can only be changed or refunded before the day they become valid, not on the day of intended use. So in other words you would have to decide either to change or apply for a refund on your ICE savings fare tickets before you got to Warnemünde or lose your money, you could not make that decision in Berlin on the day. There are no refunds on Schönes Wochenende tickets.

The two types of ticket are entirely separate. What you do with one has absolutely no effect on what you can do with the other.

Hope this has clarified things for you

Anni

Edited May 6, 2012 by rostocker