I am going to Hochheim Germany in October (during Octoberfest) for business and am not looking forward to it (although I think I should be). I have never been ANYWHERE other than Dallas, TX and Fairhope, AL.
I have all sorts of unwarranted fears and concerns about the trip, ranging from my first airplane flight, to being able to communicate with the natives.
Could anyone who has been to Germany offer any suggestions as far as what to see while I am there? And can someone please tell me if I can expect to not be able to talk to anyone due to the different languages? Any suggestion on getting rid of my first flight butterflies would also be welcome.
The first time I went to Germany, I also flew by myself and didn’t speak a word of German. It was no problem at all.
Everyone in Europe speaks English. This is not exactly true but I guarantee you that you will have better luck speaking English in Germany than a German person would having speaking German in Dallas. You will meet many, many people that have no problem at all speaking to you and will do so willingly as long as you are polite about it. If you have trouble finding someone to speak to in English, find a teenager. They really all can speak English because they study it in school. Likewise for the flight crew, waitstaff, and staff at your hotel.
Flying is a blast. Just look at it as a mild amuzement park ride with a movie in the middle. You have been to Six Flags lately haven’t you? Just look at it as an adventure and bring plenty to read. It is Ok to be nervous but you shouldn’t be scared at all.
The Munchen Octoberfest is the biggest party in the world, a definate must see. Hochheim will most likely be haveing it’s own scaled down version.
Trains can get you to vertually any city or town you’ll want to see. I found them to be clean, quiet, comforable, and quite scenic.
For some true culture shock visit the Frankfurt Redlight District. It’s about three squre blocks situated right outside of the Frankfurtmahnbohnhoft (main trainstation).
Europe is small, don’t rule out visiting other countrys.
I suggest getting some guide book, or looking at the Germany travel guides at a book store or library. Also, review a map of Germany to see where else you may want to go by train or plane if you have the time.
To avoid the flight butterflies, you might want to research the airline and type of jet you will be on to be more familiar with it and what they offer. Also, look at their seating plan and select your preference (aisle, window, etc.).
Looks like a wonderful experience. Germany has many beautiful sights. Those castles!
But to address your main concern, the more you study about your trip, the less anxious you should be. Rick Steves & others have videos you can rent or buy, that show you Germany for tourists. Steves is pretty down to earth.
Actually, you might well end up missing the “Oktoberfest”, since it actually ends on the first weekend in October. The “Oktoberfest” starts on the second weekend in September. Also, since I assume you are talking about Hochheim am Main (near Frankfurt a.M.), it would be about a four hour drive or train trip to Munich. Since I have been to an Oktoberfest, not to mention a lot of other festivals in Germany (I grew up about 50 kilometers from Hochheim), I wouldn’t really recommend it. It is highly overrated in my opinion (unless you’re into seeing a lot of drunk foreigners at the same time).
Since Hochheim is right smack dab in the middle of the Rheingau, you’re in wine country. And since October is just about the time the grapes are harvested, there should be some kind of wine festival going on in the area. You should especially try something called “Federweisser” and “Zwiebelkuchen”.
“Federweisser” is basically wine that is still fermenting. It still tastes almost non-alcoholic, and it is slightly carbonated and a little murky, but it can have a nasty kick (especially if it’s a nice day, and you start drinking it as if it was grape juice.) “Zwiebelkuchen” can best be described as a pizza topped with nothing but onions (and maybe a little white sauce like Bechamel.) The combination of these two at a nice Wine festival is absolutely fantastic, but can be very dangerous also.
Ooooh, I just checked this website, and it contains no less than nine winefestivals in the Rheingau in the month of October. Almost all of them feature “Federweisser” and “Zwiebelkuchen”. I personally would recommend going to the “Weinmarkt” at “Schloss Johannisberg” on the 18th and 19th. Here is the homepage (also in English) for “Schloss Johannisberg” . Well, most important of all, I guess, is the following: HAVE FUN!!!
Agree with Violet’s recommendation of the Eurotrip site (you might want to check out the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree as well) and her suggestion that you get to a library. In addition to the usual guidebooks, look at some coffee-table type books with pictures of cool places in Germany. When you see something that looks interesting, read up on it. You’ve got three months, so get some language tapes as well. You can get along with English only, but it’s nice to be able to say some basic stuff in German, and it’ll give your confidence a big boost. Remember, people do this for fun. You’ll enjoy it.
How long are you going, and how much free time will you have apart from business?
I will be busy with work during the day Mon - Thurs while I am there. I should have the evenings and all day Fri, Sat, and Sun to do what ever I want.
I can’t believe I forgot about the castles. :smack: I am really starting to get ampped about this. My son asked me to see if I could find a Sponge Bob toy with German writing on the package, and my Ex-wife requested a shot glass or beer stein (I think that’s what they are called). My office gave me 2 extra batteries for my laptop so I can watch DVDs during the flight and keep my mind off the flight.
Thanks for all the suggestions. Please, keep 'em coming.
Also, I always get some foreign currency (like euros) before leaving the U.S. In your case, it might reduce the stress factor to have some cash on hand before your arrival. You can also get cash from ATMs. Make sure your ATM card uses a 4-digit code. I heard about people having problems with 7 digits, etc.
Well, my fun time is over for now. I hope you have a wonderful trip.
