Dortmund

[bluesteve1964]

Where are the best places to go for bars/pubs in Dusseldorf?

Altstadt. Loads of bars, you'll be spoilt for choice. Xmas markets are on too.

Cheers. Is it all trendy bars or are there some proper pubs round in that area too?

Everything. Irish bars (don't bother). Proper German bars. We spent a lot of time in one called Konig bar. Glass never got within a couple of inches of the bottom before the German serving wench was over insisting we had more, would of been rude to refuse.

 

[Maldeika]

Plenty are staying at the A & O place by the sounds of it.

Sold out now thou but this looks a cheap alternative

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.booking.com/hotel/de/djh-jugendga-stehaus-adolph-kolping.en-gb.html?aid=340315;label=hotel-64400;sid=c0f030a04f931db1dc8ad78f76245d96;dcid=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.booking.com/hotel/de/djh-jug ... d96;dcid=1</a>

What is an A & O place?

Just a normal youth hostel. Usually you have to be a member of the German Youth Hostel Association or the Youth Hostel Association. Could be that you have to pay yourself a tempory youth hostel membership in addition to the price of the hostel. That happened to me when I first visited something similar in Milan. It seems like there is no age requirements.

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The youth hostel membership costs 21 EUR a year - could be that you have to pay that in addition to the price of the room...

http://www.jugendherberge.de/en/terms/use/index.jsp

http://www.jugendherberge.de/en/hostels/search/portrait/jh.jsp?IDJH=641

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In that link you find an A&O in Dortmund: http://www.aohostels.com/en/dortmund/dortmund-hauptbahnhof/ - and if I recognize it right there is still rooms in all dates in December...

No mention of this when booking on UK hotel booking site.

Are you so sure about that. The above link that you posted just says the same:


Important information
Guests staying at the DJH Jugendgästehaus Adolph Kolping must be a member of the Deutschen Jugendherbergswerk or the Youth Hostel Association. Temporary membership can be purchased on arrival at the property.

The DJH Landesverbands (German Youth Hostel Associaton) Westfalen-Lippe's terms and conditions will be sent to you separately by the property following reservation.

This is an additional policy specific to the property, in addition to the standard policies.

The youth hostels are cheaper when you use them frequently and have a membership - but not if you just use them once and have to buy a membership. I loved to use them in Germany and abroad in the big cities as they are great places to meet young people from all over the world when I was young - and later with my son at city trips as they might be less convenient but have a special flair.

 

[Maldeika]

Where are the best places to go for bars/pubs in Dusseldorf?

Altstadt. Loads of bars, you'll be spoilt for choice. Xmas markets are on too.

Cheers. Is it all trendy bars or are there some proper pubs round in that area too?

There is one pub next to the other.

I guess there is something for everyone. Düsseldorf is the fashion city in Germany with the highest rate of Japenese firms. You have stylish stuff but a lot of traditional pubs, too. I once spent a whole week in Düsseldorf because of a business meeting in Cologne - only the hotels in Cologne were all booked. We were a group of people so we spent each evening somewhere around. There is one pub next to the other and you will find one for your own taste very fast.

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The same is with Cologne. There is one pub next the other one, too, if you are in the inner city.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

I am not staying at that one but am staying at

A&O Dortmund haubtbahnhof

It said nothing about being a member of a hostel organisation on my booking.

Can you clarify? It says hotel/hostel on their page.

 

[Maldeika]

I am not staying at that one but am staying at

A&O Dortmund haubtbahnhof

It said nothing about being a member of a hostel organisation on my booking.

Can you clarify? It says hotel/hostel on their page.

The A&O Dortmund Hauptbahnhof is a normal A&O

But the link that you posted above to DJH Kolping Dortmund

Plenty are staying at the A & O place by the sounds of it.
Sold out now thou but this looks a cheap alternative
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.booking.com/hotel/de/djh-jug" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.booking.com/hotel/de/djh-jug</a> ... d96;dcid=1

is a normal youth hostel. No normal hostel. It costs about 21 EUR extra if you do not have a youth hostel card.

 

[schfc6]

I'm hearing conflicting stories on Dortmund...
Some say it's best to stay in Dusseldorf, some Dortmund.
I'm in Dortmund for one night, so staying in Dortmund.
I'm assuming like every other German City Dortmund will have plenty to do for 1 night?
Any recomendations, I'm in the A O thingy hotel.

 

[mancitymick]

I'm hearing conflicting stories on Dortmund...
Some say it's best to stay in Dusseldorf, some Dortmund.
I'm in Dortmund for one night, so staying in Dortmund.
I'm assuming like every other German City Dortmund will have plenty to do for 1 night?
Any recomendations, I'm in the A O thingy hotel.

I stayed here for the Schalke game. Compared with Duss and Cologne it is the smaller out of the 3 however during the day you will not be dissapointed with the Xmas Markets. Plenty to eat and drink. There is the token Irish bar "Limericks" (If that is your thing) as you come out of the station across the main road, up some steps and it is on the right. After the game Dortmund itself was quite however come all day on the piss you will probably had enough

 

[Bluearmy]

I'm hearing conflicting stories on Dortmund...
Some say it's best to stay in Dusseldorf, some Dortmund.
I'm in Dortmund for one night, so staying in Dortmund.
I'm assuming like every other German City Dortmund will have plenty to do for 1 night?
Any recomendations, I'm in the A O thingy hotel.

I stayed here for the Schalke game. Compared with Duss and Cologne it is the smaller out of the 3 however during the day you will not be dissapointed with the Xmas Markets. Plenty to eat and drink. There is the token Irish bar "Limericks" (If that is your thing) as you come out of the station across the main road, up some steps and it is on the right. After the game Dortmund itself was quite however come all day on the piss you will probably had enough

If your going for longer then the one night then Duss or Cologne would be worth staying in. More to do, better bars etc. However, if your just there for one night (game day), then messing about with trains after the match is a pain in the a$$, and you wouldnt get back to either of the other cities until 1am at best...... Possibly after 2am, if it takes you longer than an hour to get back to the station after the game.

Were goin for one day, so staying at the ibis dortmund city... However got friends who are going for 3 days and are staying in Duss... Hope this helps...

 

[schfc6]

I'm hearing conflicting stories on Dortmund...
Some say it's best to stay in Dusseldorf, some Dortmund.
I'm in Dortmund for one night, so staying in Dortmund.
I'm assuming like every other German City Dortmund will have plenty to do for 1 night?
Any recomendations, I'm in the A O thingy hotel.

I stayed here for the Schalke game. Compared with Duss and Cologne it is the smaller out of the 3 however during the day you will not be dissapointed with the Xmas Markets. Plenty to eat and drink. There is the token Irish bar "Limericks" (If that is your thing) as you come out of the station across the main road, up some steps and it is on the right. After the game Dortmund itself was quite however come all day on the piss you will probably had enough

Cheers.

Any chance it has a dirty underbelly?

 

[Ruhr]

There are some Dortmund fan bars of course, though i don´t know how welcoming they are, after City kicked them out of the Champions League on the night.