How to Travel like a German Local

I am going to be doing a lot of traveling around Germany next month and as my local German friend Hinako said, trains and buses are the way to get around! Although flights within Europe are super cheap, there is something calming about seeing the land zoom by on land transportation. A plane might be faster travel time, but by the time you add the transportation to and from the airport, the security check, the waiting, the delays, you have missed the sights by land. Hinako mentioned these three companies that I should use to get from city to city.

Thalys Train

Destinations 

Big cities within Germany, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, United Kingdom

Tickets

1. Flex (in Comfort 1)
2. Semi-Flex (in Comfort 1 or 2)
3. No-Flex (in Comfort 2)

• Board ticketless, with an ID.

Interview with Hinako from Dusseldorf

Since my trip to Germany is two weeks away, I’ve been in major planning mode. My main destinations are Berlin for the dance workshop, Stuttgart to visit my cousin, Heidelberg to visit my distant family, and Dusseldorf to visit my good friend. I am so grateful to technology for how easy it is to keep in contact through Facebook and Skype with family and friends across an ocean.

Hinako and me at a café in Rome, Italy (August 2012).

I am dedicating this post to my good friend Hinako in Dusseldorf. She and I grew up in New York. Although she was a few years older than me, we spent a lot of time together in school. We were close enough to call each other sisters. She moved to Germany six years ago to continue her career in dance. Unfortunately, time flew and we lost touch. 

Reeperbahn District in Hamburg

Reeperbahn Street, Hamburg, Germany

Although I’m not keen on strip clubs or erotic theaters, I still must mention the Reeperbahn District, Hamburg’s most visited Hot Spot. It is Europe’s biggest red light district and is home to the legendary nightlife mile. I seem to be reminded again of New Orleans’ Bourbon Street, as I did with Dresden’s International Dixieland Festival. (On the right, I have two comparative photographs of the two cities.) The street transforms at night with bars, restaurants, cabarets and clubs popular for locals and travelers.

You might be wondering where its name came from. In the 18^th century, heavy hempen ropes, that were used for sailing ships, were produced on this very street. So, Reep translates to “heavy rope.”