Germany-Passion Play
 

I've been reading about the passion play in Germany next year. If you have been to it, will you advise? I have never been to Germany so advice about visiting the country would also be appreciated. Best time of year? Best place to stay?
Thanks in advance,
Pam

You can read all about the Passion Play here: OBERAMMERGAU 2020 | Passion Play 2020 Tours

I have been twice (2000 and 2010). We ordered our tickets for the 2020 performances almost two years ago.

Be aware that the play is performed entirely in German and that it lasts around 6 hours with either a luncheon or a dinner break (approximately 3 hours long).

You can get tickets through a lot of tour operators but that usually means you HAVE to take a tour. You can get individual tickets as well as the more usual two-nights-in-a-hotel package which includes meals and play tickets possibly by using the Play's web site as a start https://www.passionsspiele-oberammergau.de/en/home

Germany is easy to visit for English speakers because it is so widely spoken, and you can guess many words. www.bahn.com is the country's rail website and you can search for trains across the whole continent on it - I have given you the link to the English site.

Shops are closed Sundays but many businesses at stations will be open to cater to travellers. Snacks can be bought from the many bakeries; in many places there is a bakery just about every block. The staple breakfast is bread rolls eaten with a selection of meats and cheeses. Food is generally in hearty portions.

It is hard to know what to tell you without more specific questions; ask away!

Lavandula

Thanks for the tips, Lavandula! Looking at a map, it looks like it would be best to fly into Munich and take the train to Oberammergau. Is this easy to do on your own? I'm thinking about going in September. How is the weather then?
Appreciate your help,
Pam

Hello Dukey,

Thanks for the info! Just wondering how difficult it is to get tickets alone if I plan the trip myself. Don't want to book flights and hotels and not be able to get a ticket!!
Thank you,
Pam

Pam, I will be there week so will see what I can find out. We love seeing everyone in the beard and hair growing mode before the play.

You need to start by going to the Play's website and working FROM there. A lot of play tickets are allotted to tour operators. Check the tour operator websites and see if any of them offer simply a play ticket WITHOUT the usual two-night hotel and meal arrangement. The play runs for about 6 months and the theatre holds about 5000 people. Not everybody who sees the production has the hotel package and individual tickets are available.

It is not hard to reach Oberammergau by rail from Munich although you will undoubtedly have to change trains in Murnau and that change is easy to make since the station only has a couple of platforms and the train for Oberammergau is usually on the next platform over waiting for passengers changing.

Do NOT expect to get a hotel IN Oberammergau for one night during the play season although you might get lucky.

Hi pamvs,

I live in Garmisch, about 12 km from Oberammergau. Unfortunately, I haven't attended the Passion Play, but I've been to and through O'gau a number of times.

Yes, It's very, very easy to take the trains and buses in this area. Use the German rail website to get all the connections you are looking at -- just note the times and the track numbers:

www.bahn.com

(The same site that lavandula posted above.)

And note that they use military date format -- day.month.year. So 12 Sep will be 12.09.20. Be very careful with that! Also it may be helpful to know that you can change the connection times of your train journey; you can change it from "fastest" to 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, etc. I like to have some extra time just in case my arriving train is late...so I don't have to fly up & down stairs hauling a suitcase to make the connection. There is a train station at the airport, so just use "Munich airport" as your departure, and the journey will show up.

If you have to use a hotel outside of Oberammergau, be sure to check what kind of transport is available after the end of the play. There should be a special connection... but just make sure.

There is no way to know in advance what the weather will be. It could be cold and wintery, or it could be summery. You'll need to pack layers and be prepared for rain. But yes in general, Sep and Oct are my favorite months here.

Have fun as you plan!

s

Hi pamvs, maninseat61.com is another helpful website for novice rail travellers.

Lavandula

https://www.passionsspiele-oberammer...s-arrangements I saw your other post and wanted to get you more info but office was closed for holiday. We did go eat lunch at our fav butcher shop. He had a man bun and scraggly beard in prep for performance. If you look for the butcher shops you can buy the best lunch in Germany.