How to Schwarzfahren – A Guide to Train Travel in Germany Without Paying

Firstly, as a disclaimer I would like to say I do not encourage anyone to get on a train in Germany without paying,  if you choose to do so I take no responsibility for what happens to you.

 As a warning now I will tell you that if you get caught on a train in Germany without a ticket you will be fined 40€ or double the train fare (whatever is more) and the fine increases the longer you don’t pay it.

That being said, if I WERE to give it a go …. I probably would follow these guidelines.

Do have your excuse ready. READ MORE>>

The Vaterland vs The Land of my Fathers – Thoughts of an Ex Ex-Pat

I have been in Germany 2 days now and all I keep thinking is boy do I miss living here. I miss good, cheap beer, I miss pizza and ice cream for lunch and most of all I miss every weekend catching a train and exploring a little bit more of Europe. But where would I rather live Germany where I spent the best year of my life so far, or Wales where I was born and raised. Like many others I made a pros and cons list.

Food

Plenty of vegan food on offer at the all  you can eat Chinese, Cardiff YUM!

I’m a pretty lazy vegan. READ MORE>>

5 Strange Things About Germany

1.       Access to Medicine

People regularly cross the tracks (left) despite the fact that the 300kmph ICE passes through here many times a day. Yet you can’t buy paracetamol.

Germany is a nation known for its no speed limit autobahns, where the German citizens happily zoom up and down at 100+ miles an hour, all day every day, while moaning about our motorways like we’re the mental ones. Yet you can’t buy paracetamol in the supermarket because of the government’s fears that you might top yourself. When I was in a pharmacy and I asked for the medicine. The sale assistant showed me an aisle full of herbs and honey. I stated “No the REAL medicine” she looked at me intensely as if she was checking that my eyes were functioning properly. “This is the REAL medicine” and she walked off shaking her head. To get paracetamol you have to go to the Apotheke and describe your symptoms to see if you are deemed fit (or unfit as the case is) for the product. It’s only open during school hours and even then it is 5€ a box. I had my mum to send it over; it was substantially cheaper and more convenient.

2.       Girls school wear

Girls in Dirndls show more individuality than the average German girl day to day!

As Germany is situated between France and Italy home to two of the biggest fashion capitals of the world, it baffles me how German girls only have the one look. As in Germany there is no such thing as a school uniform, day in day out girls all across Germany squeeze into their skinny jeans, hike into their converse and slap a T-shirt on top. In school we were dying to express ourselves and from a fashion forward place like Britain I really find it hard to comprehend their lack of desire to spread individuality (she types in her sweatpants). Their banal fashion could possibly be down to the fact that the only cheap, fashionable young girls clothes shop they have in Germany is H&M, but even they, I believe, sell dresses, skirts and all manner of items of clothing. Come on ladies mix it up a bit. READ MORE>>

Blast from the Past: Munich Oktoberfest

Coming somewhere in almost every drunkards bucket list is the world famous Munich Oktoberfest and yes ladies and gentleman for the famous fests 200th birthday I was there in very inappropriate faux German attire.

Not willing to spend 100€s in dirndls we opted for the fancy dress ones with COLD consequences.

Unfortunately the lengths of our dirndls (dresses) did not correspond with the freezing weather outside but we powered through regardless. We were camping because all the hostels were full and anyway they were around 100€ a night so instead we paid 15€ a night to freeze to death in a tent (not that we slept). 

Our tent was COLD

The first night only having three days at the fest we headed straight out READ MORE>>