Wir lieben Deutschland!

by Amber and Michael Van Breemen

13th June 2013

The hospitality of the Germans, both Star Trek players and otherwise, is fabulous. Our previous flight was an overnight into Frankfurt, so we arrived early and jet-lagged. However, a quick call to the hotel found a helpful man at the front desk who let us know when the next shuttle would be there – this is a blessing to anyone flying in. Also, as a business-oriented hotel close to a major airport, the staff at Carathotel are used to being multilingual. Even if you don’t know any German, you can still get around in and near Frankfurt!

The location was important for our enjoyment of the trip. In addition to the hotel’s restaurant, which serves breakfast and then has other food later in the day, there are several options nearby for snacks. A gas station/convenience store is about 2-3 minutes from the hotel, and has a decent variety of food and drinks, perfect for a quick walk if your game gets done early. A few minutes further away is a small shopping area with a few cafes and a grocery store to stock up for the weekend. The train station that can take you to Frankfurt and beyond is a 15-20 minute walk away, through a quiet town that gives an idea of German life outside the big cities.

If you want to extend your vacation, there’s plenty to do in the area. For fans of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, the brothers were born in the town of Hanau, which is about a 30 minute train journey outside of Frankfurt. Of course, most of the sights are right in Frankfurt and easily accessible by train and bus. Last time, in addition to taking the train out to Hanau, we visited the Senckenberg Natural History Museum; for fans of dinosaur fossils, this can’t be beat! There’s also the Frankfurt Zoo, which we are planning a trip to this go-around… lions, tigers, and wallabys, oh my! These are of course in addition to the numerous other museums, churches, and historical sights (even clubs for nightlife) – there is something for everyone, and you could easily spend a week here even without Star Trek.

The Trek part of our last trip to Worlds was wonderful! Outside of the main events, there were usually relaxed side events happening, so there’s almost always something to play. I have a feeling the fuzzy Tribbles will be breeding like crazy this time as well… It was fun to meet so many new players from different areas, and also spend time with them outside of the games – debating game strategy, having dinner, talking about life. I hope everyone who’s able to will consider joining us for Worlds 2013 – there’s so much to experience!