Stuttgart for the summer?
 

Hi Everyone!
I'm going to be spending my summer in Stuttgart and was wondering if there was anyone out there that could help me out. I am doing a program called Camp Adventure where they send a group of college students to military bases all around the world to work with the kids on the base at a summer camp. I was placed in what they called Patch, Stuttgart Germany. I looked up some info and found the 6th area support group. I'm not sure if that's where I will be or not. I was wondering what the housing is like, and what there is to do. I want to travel on the weekends and want to know about how much that will cost me. Any help would be wonderful! Thanks!
Katie

I recently returned from working for 6 months as a civilian contractor on an army base about 2 hours from Stuttgart. I never did visit Stuttgart, just 'cause I ran out of time seeing the millions of other things. It might be a little "scary" right now, but you will have a BLAST, and make memories that you will cherish for the rest of your life.

Email me, if you wish. I will give you as much advice as I can.
How old are you?
Do you speak any other languages (not really important).
Will you have a car?
Will they provide housing for you? On base?
[email protected]

hi there,

the Patch Barracks are a little out of Stuttgart near the district Vaihingen (take care, there is annother Vaihingen just 30 km in the west, to different this is called Vaihingen /Enz).
To go arround You will find an excellent bus and train net, but it is not so cheap. To go oneway to Stuttgart center is (m.k.) 2.70 Euro, not so shure for this is not my direction. But You can get a week or a month ticket. Perhaps You will get a student card or something like that, this will make it cheap to go arround the area. Ask Your organisation about this. The cost are rising up since the Dollar is that low.
Here You can find all about Stuttgart, they got a good english site.

http://www.stuttgart.de/sde/menu/frame/ns_top_11021.htm

If You are interessted in something special just give me a line.

have fun
Gar

My work takes me to Stuttgart every other year for a week. Alot of tourists will not go there because it is an "industrial" town. I love Stuttgart, the people are nice the downtown is lively and there are good places to eat everywhere!!!!

I have taken the train from the main station (downtown), to many places easily. You will not run out of things to do. Have fun!

Lily

I agress with LilyLace, I used to go to Stuttgart a few times a year for work. It is not the industrial city I imagined. It was beautiful in the summertime and there was loads to do. In August there is a winedorf (wine house festival) in the city and little houses are set up cafe style that serve their own wine and traditional swabian food. Its a fun evening and goes on for a week I think. There is lots of shopping and beautiful parks as well as outdoor activities. It reminded me a lot of home compared to Ireland. Lean a little German as you can't ecpect people to know english. I had a hard time finding my train because my German is Brutal and people could not speak English. You can easily get around germany at the weekends by rail. I would find out how far the base is outside stuttgart. I would not think it was actually in the city. Enjoy and you will meet a lot of people so don't worry.

I've been to Germany plenty of times, always on vacation.

I'll be there for 2 months, from May 23rd to July 17th. I'll be around the Wurzburg area.

I'd be happy to give you some thoughts about Germany. Like someone else said, try to give us some more info about yourself and what you like and I'll be happy to help.

I am sure you'll have a great time. It's a great time to visit Germany and some of the surrounding countries.

Hi Everyone! Thanks for the replies! I can't wait to get over there! I will try and answer some of these questions for you. I am 22 years old, I'm not sure if we will have a car or not available to us because it depends on the military base itself. I am pretty sure we are staying on the base but I am not sure about the housing situation. But we will be provided with that, we will not have to do it ourselves. I do not speak any German at all and am going to try and get some of hte basic stuff done before I leave. I should be there in early June. I am interested in the nightlife around there since I will be with a pretty big group of college students. I do like to go out a lot and I love to dance. I am sure we will make our own fun anyways. :) I really would like a chance to see Rome and other places in Italy. I'm not sure how far and how much that will cost. I was told I should look into getting a Euro-rail pass??? Any suggestions are always helpful! Thanks!

hi there,
going with a group always has two sides. One is You are not alone and the others will help You in the new unknown area. The other is You dont explore too many things and You will stay in Your group mostly.
Stuttagrt is not that big nightlife town, but there are a lot of clubs (Prag, Zapata, Boa, and others which I dont know too good, guess I'm too old for that). Spend 2 Euro and buy the newspaper "Prinz" when arriving, there You will find a detailled programm on a lot of things happening in the area. Also most of the needful adresses (clus, bars, restaurants ...).
Rome is about 1200 km away, it is about 20 hours to go by train, maybe longer. Eurorail passes You must buy in Your homecountry (as far as I know, perhaps someone knows better). You cant get in Germany when You are not a resident. But there are other cheap ways to go by train, for ex. the happy weekend ticket, cheapest way, for its is a group ticket (guess up to five for the price of one). The other thing is to fly to Rome (or Pisa). Ryan Air has cheap tickets, starting from 15 Euro. But they are very tricky. Aou have to book up to four weeks in advance and then they tell You, sorry, the cheap tickets are sold out, and so on. Also they put on a lot of tax and sometimes they dont carry You back (happend about four weeks ago to a group from Stuttgart) and just give You back the price You have payed for the ticket. But those guys stranded in Pisa and they told them shure they will take them back to Germany ... in four days. Ok, short sidestep to Ryan Air.
If You are a group, perhaps YOu can rent a car - there are small buses which can carry up to nine persons, and that will cost from about 60 Euro a day. A daytrip from Stuttgart could be to the Lake Konstanz, to the Black Forest, Strassburg, Karlsruhe, Munich, Valley of the river Saar, Neuschwanstein, Rothenburg, Heidelberg ... Lot of things to go around.
Have fun
Gar

gargamel - 20 years ago there used to be this great series of clubs underfround not too far from the Scloss...I can't recall the name...you paid one price and eneterd an underfground city of bars and clubs...is it still there????? What is/was it called?????

hi there,
I remember that, but this dont exist anymore. I guess the name was something with "Koenigsbau" or like this. Now there is a Moewenpick restaurant.
Gar

There was not too long ago a HUGE nightclub sorta up on a hill in Stuttgart. The club had several rooms with various themes....one was a large "dancehall" room and another was kinda dark and sultry with sunken sofas and such it was great fun, we stayed out until 5 or 6 - does anyone know if it's still there or a name for Katieann?

I've been looking for accomodation during the festival in Sept-Oct. Has anyone stayed at the IB-Gastehaus at 14 Cottastrasse? It looks like a good find, but I think we will have to book soon. I've been having fun imagining our visit to a city with vineyards coming right down into it's limits.

hi there,

guess that dance club is "Perkins Park". REal nice, but expensive, and on weekends it is sometimes not so easy to get in. Right oposite there is a nice open air café where one can have dinner and look over the city.

have fun
Gar