Welcome to NE Germany - happy to help you enjoy

[Travelanni]

Hi Anni. Thanks for posting so much helpful information on your web site.

 

Our ship (Marina) docks at Warnemunde on June 30 from 7 AM until 9 PM. We're interested in seeing both Wismar and Straslund, but they are in opposite directions from Warnemunde/Rostock.

 

Do you think we have enough time to travel by train and see both towns? Would you try to see both, or choose one over the other? What is unique about each town?

Hi, thank you for your appreciation.

To answer your question- trying to visit both towns would not be a good idea. When you look at the time you have in port (14 hrs) and the travel times involved (Warnemünde to Wismar 1hr:42mins, Wismar to Stralsund 2hr:13mins, Stralsund to Warnemünde 1hr:05mins) it seems feasible but once you look at the actual train schedules it becomes a nightmare!

My personal choice would be Stralsund. It has everything Wismar has and more besides. It is a bigger town which means more ancient buildings, there is a wider variety of museums and churches and in addition there is the world class Oceanarium and the German Navy sail training ship which is open to the public. It is worth the whole day with perhaps a stroll around Warnemünde in the evening.

However, a visit to Wismar could be combined with Bad Doberan, Rostock or even Schwerin.

Bear in mind that if you wish to use a Mecklenburg Lander ticket it is not valid until 9:00. There are trains departing Rostock for all the above at a few minutes past 9:00, you simply need to buy single tickets Warnemünde to Rostock in addition to the Lander ticket.

Happy planning and cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

[YoPhilly]

Hi, thank you for your appreciation.

To answer your question- trying to visit both towns would not be a good idea. When you look at the time you have in port (14 hrs) and the travel times involved (Warnemünde to Wismar 1hr:42mins, Wismar to Stralsund 2hr:13mins, Stralsund to Warnemünde 1hr:05mins) it seems feasible but once you look at the actual train schedules it becomes a nightmare!

My personal choice would be Stralsund. It has everything Wismar has and more besides. It is a bigger town which means more ancient buildings, there is a wider variety of museums and churches and in addition there is the world class Oceanarium and the German Navy sail training ship which is open to the public. It is worth the whole day with perhaps a stroll around Warnemünde in the evening.

However, a visit to Wismar could be combined with Bad Doberan, Rostock or even Schwerin.

Bear in mind that if you wish to use a Mecklenburg Lander ticket it is not valid until 9:00. There are trains departing Rostock for all the above at a few minutes past 9:00, you simply need to buy single tickets Warnemünde to Rostock in addition to the Lander ticket.

Happy planning and cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

 

Thanks for your feedback. It seemed like an ambitious plan! I'll look at the train schedules for Stralsund.

[Regguy]

Hi Anni. Do you know anything about renting a car in Warnemunde? According to the link you provided, we will be arriving at P7. Is there a car rental place nearby the port, and wiil it let us return the car in the evening? Our ship leaves at 20:00. Thanks.

[Travelanni]

Hi Anni. Do you know anything about renting a car in Warnemunde? According to the link you provided, we will be arriving at P7. Is there a car rental place nearby the port, and wiil it let us return the car in the evening? Our ship leaves at 20:00. Thanks.

 

 

Hi,

There are at two car rental firms offering pick-up and drop-off at the cruise terminal in Warnemünde. As they have located depots there specifically to serve the cruise ships I assume that they tailor their hours to suit the ships schedules. Both web sites are in English.

http://www.europcar.com/car-rental-ROSTOCK_CRUISE_TERMINAL_WARNEMUENDE.html

http://www.sixt.com/car-rental/germany/rostock/rostock-warnemunde-cruise-ctr

I do have personal experience of booking on-line and hiring from both these companies in various countries and have always been satisfied with their service.

Happy planning and cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

[luv2travel100]

Hi again,

 

You responded to me on your "other" thread. (Thanks again!)

 

My group of 6 has decided to hire a private guide who will have a van. Now the question becomes how best to spend our day in late August. The ship docks at 8am in Warnemunde and sets sail at 10pm. We'll have the guide for a "full" day. Not sure what "full" means yet. If we are getting along well, perhaps we can extend the day a bit.

 

The guide will have some excellent suggestions for our customized tour, but we wanted your thoughts, too. Like most travelers, we enjoy history, pretty landscapes and medieval architecture. And good food! Most of our group is north of 60 age wise and none of us mind walking. None of us has been to this part of the world.

 

I'm thinking we'll want to have a Plan A, which assumes good weather, and a Plan B in case the weather isn't particularly agreeable.

 

How would you structure our day?

 

Thanks!

[Travelanni]

Hi again,

 

You responded to me on your "other" thread. (Thanks again!)

 

My group of 6 has decided to hire a private guide who will have a van. Now the question becomes how best to spend our day in late August. The ship docks at 8am in Warnemunde and sets sail at 10pm. We'll have the guide for a "full" day. Not sure what "full" means yet. If we are getting along well, perhaps we can extend the day a bit.

 

The guide will have some excellent suggestions for our customized tour, but we wanted your thoughts, too. Like most travelers, we enjoy history, pretty landscapes and medieval architecture. And good food! Most of our group is north of 60 age wise and none of us mind walking. None of us has been to this part of the world.

 

I'm thinking we'll want to have a Plan A, which assumes good weather, and a Plan B in case the weather isn't particularly agreeable.

 

How would you structure our day?

 

Thanks!

 

Hi, given your stated interests, I would head North to the Island of Rügen - something which is not practical by public transport from a cruise ship.

 

1. A stop in Ribnitz-Damgarten for the Amber Museum

http://www.ostseebad-dierhagen.de/en/the_region/museums/amber_museum

 

2. Stralsund - medieval buildings, great museums, UNESCO listed city.

http://www.stralsundtourismus.de/en/welcome

 

3. Rügen itself - beautiful rural and coastal scenery, the web site is in German but the photos give you a good idea.

http://www.nationalpark-jasmund.de/

 

4. Königsstuhl - great visitor centre, massive chalk cliffs made famous by the artist Caspar David Friedrich, stunning walks - through ancient beech woods or along the cliff-top.

http://www.koenigsstuhl.com/startseite_11.html?&L=1

 

5. Kap Arkona - most easterly point in Germany. Interesting lighthouses, WWll bunkers, remains of a 12th century Slavic Fort.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Arkona This is the only web site in English.

 

6. Sassnitz - typical, small German seaside resort. No web site in English.

 

For a plan B in bad weather you need go no further than Stralsund. If you include a visit to the world class Oceanarium (which highlights life in the Baltic Sea) there is enough under cover to fill the whole day.

 

As to good food - any of the above places have cafes and restaurants of every standard and variety. The local speciality is fish - prepared, cooked and served in every way you can think of.

 

I am envious - I have no car but if I had this would be my perfect day!

 

Happy planning and cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

 

PS Have just re-read this and noted your time in port. Bearing in mind that nothing is open before 10am I would to go to the furthest point, ie Rügen first and work back.

Edited January 16, 2014 by Travelanni
Additional information

[luv2travel100]

Wow, Anni, what great information! Sounds like a wonderful itinerary for the day. Thanks so much. If I have any more questions, I'll be sure to check back in.

[Regguy]

Thanks very much for the info on rental cars!

[luv2travel100]

Hi Anni,

 

Need your help again. I heard from another prospective guide who suggested the following for a 10 hour day: driving to Gustrow and walking through the town; scenic drive to Waren where we'd have lunch; boatcruise on Muritz Lake; drive to Basedow to visit the church and castle; and then back to Warnemunde.

 

Sounds like these are the hidden gems that are away from the more touristy towns.

 

Have you been to these places and do you have any thoughts or comments on that itinerary?

 

Thanks!

[Travelanni]

Hi Anni,

 

Need your help again. I heard from another prospective guide who suggested the following for a 10 hour day: driving to Gustrow and walking through the town; scenic drive to Waren where we'd have lunch; boatcruise on Muritz Lake; drive to Basedow to visit the church and castle; and then back to Warnemunde.

 

Sounds like these are the hidden gems that are away from the more touristy towns.

 

Have you been to these places and do you have any thoughts or comments on that itinerary?

 

Thanks!

Hi, I can't be of much help here as although I am familiar with Güstrow I have not heard or seen anything of sufficient interest to make me want to visit Waren and Basedow is inaccessible by public transport.

 

Güstrow has a small Schloss, once the seat of a minor branch of the Mecklenburg ducal family, and a tiny but fascinating museum of nativity cribs. My feeling about the town itself is that it is a good example of a small town of the DDR era when they had just started to restore and renovate a little.

 

Waren - Muritz is a spa town and the centre of the Mecklenburg Lakes district. Although founded in the middle ages it has been destroyed by fire and war many times and also suffered in the 1970's when the regime of the time destroyed a lot of buildings to modernise the traffic system, so the majority of the buildings date from the 1800's and later. The biggest attraction is the biggest fresh fish aquarium and information centre in Europe. The boat cruise commentaries are in German only. The only info I can find in English is:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waren_%28M%C3%BCritz%29

 

Basedow is a renaissance Schloss. the gardens have been restored and are open to the public. The sheep barn and stables have been converted into a restaurant and farmers market.

http://www.alter-schafstall-basedow.de/ German only.

The schloss itself is privately owned and it was proposed to restore and open it as an hotel. I do remember that last year on the 'Day of the Open Door', when otherwise closed houses are open to the public, my friend made a special effort to go there so I assume that it is not otherwise open to the public. I may be wrong.

 

Sorry to sound negative but I feel that this guide is not being very imaginative or helping you to make the most of your visit, I would have classed this tour as for someone who had limited time and interests. With 10 hrs and a vehicle at your disposal there are dozens of more interesting places to go off the beaten track: little rural towns where time seems to have stood still, villages full of thatched houses and barns, monastic ruins, other great estates and hunting lodges which have been restored and are open to the public, forests like Ivanak which is famous for its huge oaks and connection with Napoleon's horse, megolithic tombs and stone circles, Slavic forts restored as living museums - the list goes on and on.

 

Hope this helps

Anni :).

Edited January 22, 2014 by Travelanni

[luv2travel100]

Thanks again Anni for your thorough and honest remarks. They are appreciated. Having never been to this region, it's hard to know where to spend a day. But it sounds like we have better options.

[steimey]

Hello Anni,

 

We (husband and I) will be boarding the Royal Princess June 6, 2014 in Warnemunde. We fly into Dusseldorf and we are going immediately to Berlin pre cruise. Post cruise we are going to travel to Munich and then back to Dusseldorf. I believe the cheapest way to do this is by purchasing the German Twin rail pass for 4 days for 333 Euros. I have priced the discounted fares on line and it totals 447 Euros. With the German Rail Pass, are we able to reserve a certain train or do we just show up and hope we will have a seat?

 

Thank you so much for giving of yourself and guiding us tourist. It is greatly appreciated.

 

Best regards,

Jill

[Travelanni]

Hello Anni,

 

We (husband and I) will be boarding the Royal Princess June 6, 2014 in Warnemunde. We fly into Dusseldorf and we are going immediately to Berlin pre cruise. Post cruise we are going to travel to Munich and then back to Dusseldorf. I believe the cheapest way to do this is by purchasing the German Twin rail pass for 4 days for 333 Euros. I have priced the discounted fares on line and it totals 447 Euros. With the German Rail Pass, are we able to reserve a certain train or do we just show up and hope we will have a seat?

 

Thank you so much for giving of yourself and guiding us tourist. It is greatly appreciated.

 

Best regards,

Jill

 

Hi Jill, thank you for your appreciation.

A German Twin Rail pass is certainly the way to go in your case, four days long-distance travel within one month.

With this pass you can use any type of train at any time and if you choose EC, IC or ICE to book ahead if you wish. You can just show up for most trains but for some, booking ahead is advised. This information (an R within a square) can be found next to the ticket cost on the timetable.

I would advise booking a seat on any long-distance train, especially those serving Berlin. You do not have to do this when buying the ticket, 24 hours ahead of the intended journey is enough. A seat booking can be made at any DB station office, cost 4euro per seat.

Happy cruising, enjoy Berlin :)

Anni

Edited March 24, 2014 by Travelanni
Missing words

[Biloxi Cruiser]

Hi, we're arriving at Hamburg airport midday on a Saturday and need to get to MSC cruise ship in Kiel by late afternoon. What is quickest, most reliable way to get there? Does Kielius have regular schedule on Saturday and are taxis available at station in Kiel to take us to cruise ship?

[DanL]

Anni, we are in Warnemunde on a Sunday & I understand we could go earlier than the 9:07 since not a weekday (using Lander billet). Are there better trains, earlier, faster trains since it a weekend?

 

Assume it will be more crowded but other than that any other advantages/disadvantages with being a Sunday. If like in USA, lunch is higher priced in most places on Sunday. Any recommend for Lunch in Schwerin for traditional German? I've found Cafe Prag & Altstadtbrauhaus. Any comment on those? We may be in a hurry with the full day so maybe a bratwurst will have to do.

 

Thanks for your great service.

[Travelanni]

Hi, we're arriving at Hamburg airport midday on a Saturday and need to get to MSC cruise ship in Kiel by late afternoon. What is quickest, most reliable way to get there? Does Kielius have regular schedule on Saturday and are taxis available at station in Kiel to take us to cruise ship?

 

Hi, the Kielius would be the quickest and most convenient way. It does have a regular timetable on Saturdays, departing Hamburg Airport every hour from 7:05 until 17:05.

http://www.bahn.de/autokraft/view/angebot/kielius/en-time-table.shtml

You can order a taxi from the bus station to the cruise terminal from the bus driver when you pay your fare.

Happy cruising :),

Anni

[Travelanni]

Anni, we are in Warnemunde on a Sunday & I understand we could go earlier than the 9:07 since not a weekday (using Lander billet). Are there better trains, earlier, faster trains since it a weekend?

 

Assume it will be more crowded but other than that any other advantages/disadvantages with being a Sunday. If like in USA, lunch is higher priced in most places on Sunday. Any recommend for Lunch in Schwerin for traditional German? I've found Cafe Prag & Altstadtbrauhaus. Any comment on those? We may be in a hurry with the full day so maybe a bratwurst will have to do.

 

Thanks for your great service.

Hi, thank you for your appreciation.

The only earlier train to Schwerin on which the Lander ticket is valid would be the 7:07!

Warnemünde itself and the local s-bahn trains are certainly more crowded on a Sunday but Schwerin is probably a bit quieter than on a weekday as the shops are closed although all the museums etc. are open. As far as I know there is no surcharge in restaurants and cafes.

It depends what you mean by 'traditional German' food. Every region has its own specialities and in Mecklenburg this is fish, prepared and served in every way imaginable. However, there are restaurants of every kind in Schwerin and I am sure you will find one serving the kind of food you are looking for. My favourite is in the Orangery at the Schloss. Sorry, I have no experience of the two you mention.

Just a word of warning if time is short. Europeans do not eat and run, they like to take their time in a restaurant and therefore table service is slower than in the US so allow plenty of time or go for an establishment where you order at the counter.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

[AussieCruise2]

Hi Anni

 

I have really enjoyed and appreciated your threads on this forum and "Travelanni Times" in preparation for our HAL cruise in July. I've made plenty of notes for our day in Warnemunde and plan to use your recommendation of visiting Rostock, Wismar and Bad Doberan...with a morning and evening walk exploring and enjoying Warnemude. I've got train/tram tips and prices from your excellent information.

 

My question is now what itinerary you would recommend for when we (4 fellow Aussie adults) dock in Kiel (8-5). I'm leaning toward spending the time in Lubeck rather than trying to squeeze in too much with a visit to Hamburg...but open to suggestions. Could you please advise on times, transport and places to see?

 

Geoff :D

[Travelanni]

Hi Anni

 

I have really enjoyed and appreciated your threads on this forum and "Travelanni Times" in preparation for our HAL cruise in July. I've made plenty of notes for our day in Warnemunde and plan to use your recommendation of visiting Rostock, Wismar and Bad Doberan...with a morning and evening walk exploring and enjoying Warnemude. I've got train/tram tips and prices from your excellent information.

 

My question is now what itinerary you would recommend for when we (4 fellow Aussie adults) dock in Kiel (8-5). I'm leaning toward spending the time in Lubeck rather than trying to squeeze in too much with a visit to Hamburg...but open to suggestions. Could you please advise on times, transport and places to see?

 

Geoff :D

 

Hi to my fellow Aussies (truly, I'm from Brisbane). Thank you for your appreciation .

The train service between Kiel and Lübeck is fast and frequent. If you wish to use the Schleswig Holstein Kleingruppenkarte, cost 32.70 euro -unlimited travel for up to 5 persons after 9am to 3am the following day, it is valid on the following trains.

 

RB departs Kiel 9:04 arrives Lübeck 10:32 Stops at every station

RE departs Kiel 9:44 arrives Lübeck 10:52 Stops only at larger stations

and so on at hourly intervals throughout the day.

 

to return to Kiel

RE departs Lübeck 14:06 arrives Kiel 15:15

RB departs Lübeck 14:28 arrives Kiel 15:55

and so on until 21:06.

 

With limited time a good walking itinerary might be:-

 

From the main station turn right into Konrad-Audenauer Strasse, across the park and over the bridge to the Holstentor, the most important city gate, now a museum and tourist information office.

Walk up Holstenstrasse, there are some good photo opportunities in the lovely little side streets, to the City centre. The main attractions are the Market Place, St Marien Church and the Rathaus; in Koenigstrasse St Katherines Museum and the Heiligen-Geist Hospital; further along Gross Burgstrasse is the Burgtor, second most important city gate and the Burgkloster, another great museum.

From there you can, if you wish, catch a 12 or 34 bus back to the train station or walk along the waterfront which runs parallel to the city wall all the way back to the Puppenbrücke.

A good page for information on the sights is

http://www.luebeck-tourism.de/culture/unesco-world-heritage-site.html

Happy cruising, :)

Anni

Edited April 1, 2014 by Travelanni

[Travelanni]

Hi Anni

 

My question is now what itinerary you would recommend for when we (4 fellow Aussie adults) dock in Kiel (8-5). I'm leaning toward spending the time in Lubeck rather than trying to squeeze in too much with a visit to Hamburg...but open to suggestions. Could you please advise on times, transport and places to see?

 

Geoff :D

Hi again, just another idea.

If you decide that a visit to Lübeck would be a bit rushed and wanted something nearer to Kiel a nice alternative would be to take the ferry to the small seaside town of Laboe further down the fijord. The ferry leaves fairly frequently from the landing stage right alongside the cruise terminal and the 1 hour trip takes you through sheltered water, close to the very pretty shoreline.

http://www.sfk-kiel.de/en/index.php

 

Laboe is a typical German seaside town but the main interest here is the Naval Memorial.

http://www.deutscher-marinebund.de/geschichte_me_english.htm

 

Part of the complex is a naval museum and the grounds feature various artifacts including the World War II-era German Submarine U-955, the world's only remaining type VII U boat, which is open to the public.

http://www.warmuseums.nl/gal/061gal.htm

 

Traditionally every ship passing the Memorial (and there are dozens every day going to and from the Canal) dips its flag in salute as this is the only memorial in the world to commemorate ALL sailors of ALL nations.

However it is by no means a grim place. The setting is beautiful, both the exterior and interior architecture is unusual and interesting and the view from the top of the tower is stunning! The little town is very pleasant with cafes and restaurants as well as the usual shops for souvenirs.

Anni

[AussieCruise2]

Thankyou so much Anni for your detailed suggestions (pretty good for a "Banana Bender":)).

I have put together our plans for both ports and are very happy with where and what we will be doing. I also enjoyed the extra info found in you webpage http://travelanni.webs.com/

I posted a link to your threads on our roll call so others could better plan their days.

Kind regards

Geoff (WA)

[Travelanni]

quote=AussieCruise2;42291049]Thankyou so much Anni for your detailed suggestions (pretty good for a "Banana Bender":)).

I have put together our plans for both ports and are very happy with where and what we will be doing. I also enjoyed the extra info found in you webpage http://travelanni.webs.com/

I posted a link to your threads on our roll call so others could better plan their days.

Kind regards

Geoff (WA)

 

Hi, we may be Banana Benders but we do have Sand Gropers in our family too. My son-in-law and all his family are W Aussies from way back although they did see the light and emigrate en-masse to Queensland a few years ago! :rolleyes: The best thing they brought with them was their love of Aussie Rules, they converted us all to the most exciting game in the world. How I miss going to the Gabba to watch the Lions roar!

Seriously, I'm pleased you have your plans in place and thanks for posting the link on your roll-call. Hope it helps others too.

Enjoy your time in this part of the world, I certainly do although I know that one day Oz will call me back.

Anni :)

[Travelanni]

Hi everyone, :)

 

The web site has now been updated to reflect the upgrades and new fares on the railways and the latest local transport fares. The main upgrade is the new rolling stock on the line between Rostock and Warnemünde (airconditioning, bliss!!) and the increase in frequency of the service to every 7-8 mins.

 

We have also added two new towns.

 

Güstrow - a good example of a small country town largely untouched by tourism and on a direct rail line from Warnemünde.

Ludwigslust - which is easy-to-DIY and, besides being interesting and beautiful, has an important place in US WWll military history.

 

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Edited April 5, 2014 by Travelanni

[ljrlaw]

Hi Anni

My husband and I are on the Royal Princess Baltic cruise departing from Warnemunde on Sunday, July 20/14. We are staying in Berlin pre and post cruise. I have asked our travel agent to look into trains to and from the port. She suggested taking a cab from Rostock to the port-but your advice on other posts has been to take the train from Rostock to Warnemunde-what are your thoughts? Also, since we are travelling on a Sunday, should we reserve our seats on the trip from Berlin? Finally, is there any price reduction for buying our train tickets for both pre and post cruise travel well in advance? Thanks for your help!

[Travelanni]

Hi Anni

My husband and I are on the Royal Princess Baltic cruise departing from Warnemunde on Sunday, July 20/14. We are staying in Berlin pre and post cruise. I have asked our travel agent to look into trains to and from the port. She suggested taking a cab from Rostock to the port-but your advice on other posts has been to take the train from Rostock to Warnemunde-what are your thoughts? Also, since we are travelling on a Sunday, should we reserve our seats on the trip from Berlin? Finally, is there any price reduction for buying our train tickets for both pre and post cruise travel well in advance? Thanks for your help!

 

Hi, Thank you for your appreciation.

Sorry I have given the impression that my advice is to use the s-bahn from Rostock when embarking/disembarking in Warnemünde, the intention was to give choices. Although the s-bahn is the obvious choice when visiting the port, in this case the travel agent is probably right as you will be travelling on a Sunday, with luggage, and that is the busiest day for the s-bahn. There are always plenty of taxis available at both exits from Rostock station and the fare is around 25-30 euros.

 

There are only two sensible choices of train on a Sunday, the RE departing Berlin at

8:44, 10:44, 12:44 etc to Rostock and the InterConnex departing at 10:59. direct to Warnemünde.

There is an express train direct to Warnemünde departing Berlin at 8:16 but I would not recommend it as it is a 'summer day trip special', using old rolling-stock and always packed !!

 

On the RE the best price deal is the Schones Wochenende ticket at 44 euro for up to 5 people travelling together. There is no limit on these tickets and they can be bought at any time;

on-line at http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/prices/germany/schoenes-wochenende-ticket.shtml

from a machine at any station, at a ticket office or on the train (on the last two there is a surcharge of 2 euro).

NB. Seats cannot be booked in advance on REs and the standard fare is 40.40 euro pp.

 

On the InterConnex the best price is 16 euro pp. plus 3 euro booking fee per seat. Tickets can be bought on-line or on the train, there is no difference in price. The web site is, unfortunately, in German only.

http://www.interconnex.com/tickets-tarife/aktionstickets

Of the two, my personal choice would be to go with the RE and buy the Schones Wochenende ticket either on-line or from the service counter at the main station while in Berlin pre-cruise, all the staff speak English. I would also tend to go with one of the later trains as the 8:44 is usually very busy in summer.

Just a word of warning, taking the InterConnex direct to Warnemünde may still involve a short taxi ride if you have heavy luggage as, although the train station and berth P8 are quite close, the walking route (around 500m) involves a subway with quite a lot of steps.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com