Need advice on Germany and AMS
 

I've got a conference coming up at the end of July in Schwarzenfeld Germany (Schloss Schwarzenfeld Hotel). The conference is Wed/Thurs and I plan on additional meetings back at our offices in Regensburg for Fri. I would like do to some more exploring of Europe, so I am planning on staying over Saturday, saving the company airfare and getting a mini vacation for myself. I've only been to Germany once (Regensburg via MUC), and did not get to explore much. I'm originating DTW and prefer NW and their partners (Silver Elite).


Editing since I think I have a plan. I can work out flights that will fit the budget to leave MUC at 6:45 AM Saturday, arriving in AMS at about 8:00. So...

I plan to finish working Friday in Regensburg and head to Munich for the night. I would like to drop the rental car and take the train into the city - I hear driving can be a pain, and I am sure a biergarten would be in the plans anyway. Is there a reasonable price hotel in MUC airport that would be convenient to the train? I have stayed at the NH near the airport, and think there is a Sheraton next door, but I am not sure of a good way to get back and forth without a car. Taxi cost? The hotel shuttle did not start until 5:30 or 6:00, so it was tight for making a 6:45 flight. Any recommendations for a hotel near a train stop to stay in the city that will allow me to get to the airport by train very early?

Arrive AMS at 8:20. Again I would prefer to stay IN the airport, or close to the train station in the city center. Any recommendations? Departure would be 8:05 am Sunday.

Thanks...

There is a Hotel Mercure in the airport -- you do not need to go outside. In fact, I believe you must go to the hotel before you even reach the immigration officers. If you need to, you can call them at: +31-(0)20-6041339. The airport also has trains beneath the ground level and a train ticket counter in the main entrance hall. Trains between Schiphol and Amsterdam central station run about every 10-15 minutes during the day. The train ride to the city is about the same length of time.

From the central station in Amsterdam, you have directly before the door, a tram and bus station. If you plan destinations, you can go to the GVB (public transport office) in the station (tram/bus station), buy a ticket and ask for route information.

For return to the airport, one of the latest trains leaves central station at 00:43 (12:43 am). The next train is at 01:54. Between 11-12 at night, there are four trains. If you plan accordingly, getting back to the airport should be no problem.

As far as I know the Mercure is intended for transit passengers (who are remaining airside), not for those who are actually enterering the Netherlands.

There are two hotels opposite the airport building, a Hilton and a Sheraton. You don't need a shuttle for those, you just cross the road!

If you want to stay in the town centre Hotel De Roode Leeuw is a five minute walk from the station. I haven't stayed there for some time but quite liked it when I stayed there a few years ago.

Certainly guests must be allowed to go through customs and leave (the hotel mentions external parking, so there must be a provision for this). Whether you will need to go in and out as a regular passenger, I don't know. However, if the OP is just coming for the day and flying out early the next morning, I cannot imagine a more convenient location.

The hotel web site mentions public outdoor parking - a euphemism for "we don't have a car park but you can park nearby". It also mentions that you need a flight ticket and passport to get in. What it doesn't mention (but what I believe to be the case) is that you can't take your luggage with you, other than a carry-on bag, as the hotel is airside.

Coming from Germany (=Schengen) the OP would have to go through outbound passport control to check into the hotel, queue up for passport control again to leave the hotel to go into town, and go through the whole rigmarole again each time he wants to return to his room for any reason. If he has checked baggage he would have to go landside to pick it up and then either try to check it straight in for his onward flight (if they let him), or put it in a baggage locker (and leave it there until the next morning because each time he accesses it he would have to pay again).

The Mercure is great if you're in transit - but not really a practical proposition if you want to leave the airport.

This is what tripadvisor.com has to say about the hotel.

Thanks for the info.

I've checked the Hilton and Sheraton. Hilton was a little expensive at around 150 Euro. I think the Sheraton is around 100, which I can probably justify. I spent some time fighting with the corporate travel site today to get the NW routing I want, but think my plan will work. For some reason it does not seem to see the 23:45 in AMS as a legal connection, but a more expensive stop. NWA.com has no problem with it.

Any advice on the Munich stay? Might end up with both nights there if I can't work out the flight.

I have stayed at the Sheraton twice - very nice (good restaurant) and there is an elevated walkway from the terminal directly to the front door of the hotel, so you need not go outdoors.

At MUC, I have stayed twice at the Kempinski MUC, which is adjacent to both T1 and T2 (no need for a shuttle):

http://www.kempinski-airport.de/en/hotel/index.htm

Very nice modern decor, comfortable rooms, nice bathrooms :)
Not inexpensive, but worth it IMHO (especially if you can snag one of their frequent specials / promotions).

I was satisfied with my stay at the Crowne Plaza Schiphol on the last night of an Amsterdam vacation. Although a few miles from the airport it has a free shuttle leaving at the top and bottom of the hour 6 a.m. through midnight. I booked a 21-day advance purchase through the Six Continents website for €69 but this was off-season and in 2003. The advantage of staying here (or near the airport) is that most flights bound for North America leave in the a.m. and when staying in the city centre you have to get up before 6:00 in the morning to catch your flight. This cuts short your last night in mecca. You may also want to consider the Victoria which is a 4* hotel in a prominent building across from Central Station. The room rate includes 2 r/t train tickets to Schiphol. This can sometimes be booked for under €100 but I personally did not like the staff at this hotel. Try bookings.nl for hotel deals in Amsterdam. If you like beer be sure to check out In De Wildeman (Indewildeman.nl) which has been ranked one of the best pubs in the world by beer gurus Michael Jackson and The Juiceman.

I'm still working on the "work" details of my trip, but I am now thinking that the early morning flights may not be the best idea, plus nwa.com does not seem to be able to price them for some reason. I am probably better taking the early afternoon flights and still end up with about 22 hours in AMS on the connection.

Pubs would be on the top of my list. Thanks for the tip.

Here's what I booked:

Friday night stay in Munich at the 4 Points Sheraton (trying to build my SPG status anyway). About 70 euro.

Depart MUC at 1:30 Saturday, arrive AMS around 3:15

Saturday night at the BW Bastion Airport. Free shuttle will get me to hotel, back to airport to catch train to city center and so on. About 75 euro.

Depart AMS Sunday about 11 am.

Both hotels look like they got pretty good reviews on trip advisor. Anything I am missing here or should change?

Sounds like a plan. I would only do the trip into town once since you're there such a short time and each r/t will eat up the better part of an hour door to door. Check into your hotel, put on some comfortable shoes, take the train to the city centre and return on one of the last trains back. Keep alert around CS late at night. There are a lot of pan handlers and riff raff lurking about. Be sure to try the beer from the local micro called t'ij (pronounced brewery eye). They have an ostrich as their logo. There is also a great beer store near the southWEST corner of the dam square area called the Bierkoning (beer king). Lot's of beers and glassware and shirts etc. Have a blast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was my plan. Drop my bags in the room and head into town ASAP - guessing I can make it by 5:30 or 6:00 if flights are on time. How difficult/expensive would a taxi be back if I don't want to mess around with the train/shuttle combo?

Thanks!

I think a cab may run you around €35. Per your hotel's website the shuttle stops running at midnight so you'd have to catch a train shortly after 11:00 in order to make it on time. You may want to consider a hotel closer to centrum so you'll have more time to explore. There is a shuttle service, Connexxion (formerly called KLM), that will get you from Schiphol to town for around €20 r/t. or you can take the train to CS and ride the trams. Since your flight is intra-Europe I imagine you would only need to get to the airport an hour early. If you stayed in the city centre and are an early riser that would give you a little more time to look around in the a.m. There is an Amsterdam forum, Channels.nl, that has a very detailed database of restaurant and hotel reviews as well as a red light and coffeeshop forum. It's mainly frequented by the dope smokers who go to AMS for that but a wide range of people post there including Flyertalk legend Doc.

Did some more searching on hotels in the city center and can't find anything decent anywhere near the price I have by the airport (76 Euro). If I miss the last free shuttle, I am guessing that a taxi from Schiphol would not cost too much. I'm heading back to DTW Sunday morning, so I figure I have to be heading to the airport by 8:30 or so, so probably not time to do anything in the morning anyway.

Thanks again.