Hi,

my name is Thorsten, I am member of the ETC Münster 2009 organisation team and my responsibility is transportation and flights to and from the event. If you have any questions concerning these topics, please post them in this thread or send a PM to me if you don't want to make it public.

August 2009 is a long time ahead, but if you and your team don't live as close to Münster as in Belgium you might want to take a flight. Planning flights more than three months in advance is usually a good idea. The aim of this thread is to figure out which airport and which flight suits best for each of you and how you could travel from the airport to the venue in Münster. Please keep me well informed about your latest plans concerning transportation and flights throughout the next year.

The structure will be like this:
1.) First I would like to know the preferred means of transport of your team. You plan to come by car? You would like to take a flight? Let me know.
2.) Those of you who need a flight have to check which flights they prefer. Please let me know your results. I will give you a list of airports close to Münster.
3.) I check which airport or which airports most people would like to take a flight to. If several teams arrive at a single airport the same day, we might arrange some kind of shuttle transport (if necessary) from the airport to the venue. If it's not enough people for that day at this airport I will give you advice on how to get to Münster using public transportation.

List of airports close to Münster
in order of increasing distance to Münster

Münster-Osnabrück FMO
---very close, but small airport
Dortmund DTM
Düsseldorf- Weeze NRN
---that's the Ryanair one, it's of course not at all close to Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf DUS
---first real international airport
Köln-Bonn CGN
---also international
Bremen BRE
---the second Ryanair one
Hannover HAJ

I have to admit that I left out some smaller airports in order to make you concentrate on just a few airports.
Especially Team Australia might have difficulties reaching one of these airports. If you don't find a connection to Düsseldorf you should prefer Amsterdam over Frankfurt, because Münster is nearly in the Netherlands.

The following list will be updated regulary:

Team Australia
means of transport: ?
prefers to fly to:

Team Austria
means of transport: ?
prefers to fly to:

Team Belgium
means of transport: car
prefers to fly to: -

Team Czech
means of transport: car
prefers to fly to:

Team Denmark
means of transport: car or train
prefers to fly to: -

Team England
means of transport: part flight & part by car
prefers to fly to: Münster-Osnabrück FMO

Team Finland
means of transport: flight
prefers to fly to: Düsseldorf

Team France
means of transport: ?
prefers to fly to:

Team Germany
means of transport: ?
prefers to fly to:

Team Greece
means of transport: flight
prefers to fly to: Düsseldorf or Berlin

Team Hungary
means of transport: car
prefers to fly to: -

Team Ireland
means of transport: ?
prefers to fly to:

Team Italy
means of transport: ?
prefers to fly to:

Team Netherlands
means of transport: car
prefers to fly to: -

Team Northern Ireland
means of transport: flight
prefers to fly to:

Team Norway
means of transport:?
prefers to fly to:

Team Poland
means of transport: flight
prefers to fly to: Düsseldorf, at least part of the team

Team Russia
means of transport: ?
prefers to fly to:

Team Scotland
means of transport: ?
prefers to fly to:

Team Slovenia
means of transport: ?
prefers to fly to:

Team Sweden
means of transport: ?
prefers to fly to:

Team Switzerland
means of transport: car
prefers to fly to: -

Team Wales
means of transport: ?
prefers to fly to:

I'm looking forward to read your answers.

Hi,

Thanks very very much for your concern, I do hope that your enthusiasm lasts until August

The best (cheapest) flights I found, for some 500 PLN (150 EUR) both ways are to Dusseldorf International DUS. Flying directly to munster costs double that and requires a transfer, so if there is a bus option from Dusseldorf - we're happy.

So at least a part of team Poland will be hitting Dusseldorf

Hello,

Team Greece prefers to land Dusseldorf but Berlin might be the cheapest solution for us.

Near Feb-Mar we will be able to give you all details . Jan' team will be announced and then 1 month to fix everything possible for our "travel" . But this 2 airports will be our "portals" .

PS. Thanks alot ; )

Cheers, George.

@Tzortz:
Berlin is a long way from Münster. We will not be able to organize a cheap bus transfer from Berlin to Münster. There are of course train connections between Münster and Berlin, but it takes around 4:15 hours and costs 71€ per person and direction. Take this into account when deciding which flight is cheapest.

Hi Thorsten,

Team England will mostly be flying London Stansted - Münster-Osnabrück FMO via AirBerlin.

I think a few of our group are talking about driving but for the most part it will be flights.

The timetable is not avaliable yet for August but as soon as it is i will post our arrival dates.

Thanks for the early arrangements.

Hey, you forgot about Team Northern Ireland. We'll be flying over but I'm not sure where from/to yet.

Hiya Thorsten
Skönt att se att ni fixat någon som tittar på transporten redan, känns tryggt

The two swedish teams will probably split in two groups, those from the southern part of sweden will probably get there by car and from the northern part will probably fly.

Since you have pretty good knowledge of traveling from Sweden to Germany, what do you recommend?

Since my parents live just 20km from Münster I am in fact kind of a specialist for the Stockholm - Münster connection. I preferred to fly with Ryanair from Stockholm-Skavsta (NYO) to Bremen, which was very cheap. In Bremen one can take the tram to the main station, from the mainstation there are trains to Münster regulary.
There are also Ryanair flights from Skavsta to Düsseldort-Weeze.
Another option is to fly from Arlanda to Hannover with Tuifly. From Hannover there are also train connections to Münster, in this case the trains depart within the airport.
A fourth option which i never tried is to fly with Germanwings from Arlanda to Köln-Bonn CGN. Advantage here would be that I expect more than one team arriving in Köln-Bonn.

Ze Belgians will road trip

Klaw

I think Team Hungary will travel by car.(ime afraid from flying... )

Cool, good choice in making you responsible for transportation
Thanks for all the options.
How much longer is the Ryanair to bremen tripp?

I didn't really get the question. How much longer compared to which option?
Glöm inte att min svenska är bättre än min engelska.

@all:
I will be on vacation the following week until 2nd november. So please don't expect me answering too fast.

Team Denmark, we will most probably be coming by car, or train.

Polle

For Team Switzerland, it will surely be by car.

Cheers,

Biboun

Most probably Cologne-Bonn or Dusseldorf for team Russia (as Germanwings are available)

Not for all Team Russia

I will give info from teams when they will be formed.

Mmm... I believe this is the right spot to ask a few Qs

Is Munster Airport really in... Munster?

We found air tickets for Berlin-Munster-Berlin and we are seriously considering that option...

It is not really in Münster but indeed very close to. It is located at about half the distance from Münster to Osnabrück (north-east), which means it is 25km from the airport to Münster.

Team England is flying to Munster in variours groups. Whats the best mode of transport from the airport? Bus/Taxi/Train?

I'll be on a business trip in Celle just before the ETC. What is the best way to get to Munster from Celle (train, bus) and how much time will it take? Thanks in advance.

The Train will do it in 2.5-4,5h depends on when u can catch it. Price Range is between 25-50 Euro. All Trains and stuff can be checked out on
http://www.bahn.de/international/view/en/index.shtml
Bus isn't a real option in Germany.

I see 4 Munster there -.- What's the correct to see how much will cost from Dusseldorf by train ?

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query. ... crollDir=1

This is a Link with the trip from Düsseldorf Main Station to Münster Main at some random date.
Takes about 1 Hour and 45 Minutes and costs 26-30 Euros

There is no train station in or close to Münster Airport (FMO). But there are busses from Münster Airport to Münster central station every 30 minutes on daytimes.

The correct Münster is called "Münster (Westf)". Its train station is called "Münster (Westf) Hbf".

Thanks

Team Czech will been transported via car(s).

Team Finland will fly to Düsseldorf and either rents cars or takes the train.

What's this?
http://www.bahn.de/international/view/e ... reis.shtml

Taking 25% or 50% off the ticket price seems too good for the trouble, simply booking a few days in advance. Are there some restrictions or extra prices or something I'm missing here? Only available on specific routes?

Yes, you are missing something.
It is usually very difficult to get such a ticket, because the number of tickets sold at this price is typically very low. This means, they are sold out quickly. If you really want to get one you have to book three months in advance, not just three days.

Sweden will probably fly to Dusseldorf, is there any chance there will be a shuttle ride from there to Munster?

For just one team we will definitely not arrange a shuttle service. But I will provide good advice on how to get from Düsseldorf Airport to Münster using public transportation.
In case it turns out that many teams arrive in Düsseldorf the same day the shuttle service might become an option.

Feel free to PM me for more information on train connections from Düsseldorf airport to Münster.

I can't deny one disadvantage of Münster compared to Gorzow is that it has many airports of roughly the same size close to it. This might sound as an advantage, but when thinking of a shuttle service this is in fact counterproductive. To Gorzow everybody took a flight to Berlin, so it was just picking up everybody at Schönefeld airport. To Münster every team prefers to take a flight to a different airport, we got many small groups on different spots and presumably none of them is big enough to make a shuttle service worthwhile.