Having seen a small ad for Travelsphere in the press, I sent for their brochure last autumn (2000), and decided to book a cheap coach trip to the Christmas Markets in Germany. There were a number to choose from: Aachen, Cologne and others. We opted for Cologne.
The brochure offered trips from £99 half-board, but a supplement of £20 was payable per room if private facilities were required. In the event, it seems that all the people who travelled on the same coach as us (and therefore stayed in the same hotel) had booked private bathrooms, because there were no rooms in the hotel without them! In a sense, it seemed that the £99 price was a "con", in that it was unobtainable - but perhaps others were staying at other hotels without them.
Our nearest coach departure point was Bolton, but we did not know this until we had started the journey from Preston. The traveller is advised by Travelsphere of the collection point, but not of all the pick-ups. Had we known that the coach was to stop in Bolton, we would have opted for it.
The coach was of high quality and comfort, and the driver drove
from Preston to Dover with appropriate stops - if motorway services can ever be called "appropriate". Pick-ups were made in Preston, Wigan, Bolton, Birmingham, Solihull and Banbury. However, I am sure that this could vary from year to year as demand dictates. It did, however, make for a long journey, compared to the six-hour trip by car.
Transfer to the ferry was efficient, and the driver and courier (sorry - "tour manager") made appropriate announcements, especially for the inexperienced traveller.
The driver opted to drive to Cologne via Luxembourg. This was, apparently, so that we could benefit from the purchase of cheap tobacco and alcohol at a petrol station shop just inside Luxembourg. In the event, no alcohol was available, and few people smoked. It would have been better to drive to Cologne using a more direct route. This would have allowed us to stretch our legs and explore our immediate surroundings before taking the evening meal on arrival at the hotel.
Rooms in the hotel were adequate: clean and of a reasonable size, but the bathroom (no bath, just shower) was tiny and awkward to manoeuvre in, especially for those who don't fit into a size 12 dress! There was a radio in the headboard, but I could not make it work, and it was in poor condition, having suffered some abuse at some stage.
There was a television in the room, facing the twin beds, but there was no remote. There was an English-speaking news channel.
Given that party members had paid only £119 for the entire trip, it is a wonder that there was any money to pay for our meals. It would not surprise the reader, then, to know that the meals were very basic. Breakfast was a buffet of orange juice, bread, butter and jam, plus cereal/milk, ham and tea/coffee. There were insufficient staff to serve the hot drinks, which were brought to the table. Some people waited long periods to be served.
Evening meals were very simple indeed, but provided three courses which were filling enough, though some guests were seated uncomfortably closely together. However, mealtimes were enjoyable as a social occasion. Some good local wines were available, and at reasonable prices.
Staff could be a little slow, or slightly surly. I sometimes had the impression from one lady member of staff that we guests were getting in the way of the smooth running of the hotel!
The lift did not appear to work, and elderly guests had difficulty moving their cases up and down the stairs.
However, the hotel is a rather unimportant part of this trip, which you make to experience the atmosphere and flavours of the traditional German Christmas Markets. Here, you will not be disappointed. Nevertheless, you may question why Travelsphere had booked a hotel 50-60 miles from Cologne, at Koblenz-Guls. Another hour was spent on the coach for both outward and return journeys.
But the markets were worth it! Traditional Black Forest-style chalets made up the market stalls, well illuminated and with a huge variety of products. Of particular note, we thought, were the Christmas decorations, especially the carved wooden light bridges; and the tablecloths and runners, which were delightful, different, typically German, and of excellent value.
Whilst there, you must not fail to sample the Gluhwein - mulled wine, served in a mug produced for the year. It seems that many people collect the mugs, and some from previous years may be bought from some of the bars. There is no seating, so be prepared to stand! But the wine is delicious, and it really warms you up! I do not advise consumption of more than three. But do bear in mind that you don't have to drive at all! Bliss! (By the way, you pay for the wine, and a deposit on the mug. If you hand the mug back, you reclaim your deposit. Otherwise, just keep the mug. Our tour manager said something about being entitled to keep the mug if you buy three drinks. This may be worth enquiring about).
We managed to visit two of the four markets in Cologne, and plenty of other shops in an excellent city centre. Do not miss a visit to the cathedral, which is adjacent to the biggest of the markets.
On the second full day, Travelsphere laid on a day trip by coach around the local vineyards, at extra cost (about £20 per person. Why shouldit cost about 20% of the entire trip? And why is the money collected in DM?). We opted out of this, and instead caught the bus, right outside the hotel, to explore Koblenz town centre. We found another Christmas Market, with a similar range of goods, but with slightly lower prices, we thought. We did buy more here than in Cologne, but perhaps this was because we had had more time to consider what we should have bought the previous day!
I worked out what the trip would have cost us if we had travelled by car. It came to over £500, including petrol, insurance, the hotel room, meals, ferry, etc., but not including depreciation on the car. On this basis alone, the ridiculously low price of £99/£119 for three nights half board ensures that you get superb value for money.
Will we do it again? You bet! We'll be doing again this year if we can get time off work.
Highly recommended in terms of value for money!
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Great Review! Aachen christmas markets certainly are excellent! I've been to them for the last 2 years on school trips! :) Emma
tommartin 08.03.2001 16:09
I was just about to write an opinion about the Gluwein and Christmas Market package but you covered everything excellently, so I wont bother. I went in Nov 1999 and was happy with the holiday and will probably use them again, if I ever get enough money and time to go on holiday!
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Feb 13th, 2001
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