THE (semi) DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO GETTING TO WACKEN

[Radek]

What is the best way to get from Hamburg to Wacken today at 6 pm? Or maybe there is anyone who is heading to WOA by car and has some free seat.

 

[Quark]

Train to Itzehoe and then the shuttle bus to Wacken.

NBE trains once an hour, or from Hamburg Main Station, the train to Kiel Hbf, and change in Elmshorn (track 1) to the NOB train to Weaterland, and get off at Itzehoe.
From Altona, a direct train to Itzehoe by the same NOB train.
SH ticket or just a single trip SH rate also works.

 

[agresionpower]

What is the best way to get from Hamburg to Wacken today at 6 pm? Or maybe there is anyone who is heading to WOA by car and has some free seat.

Train to Itzehoe and then the shuttle bus to Wacken.

NBE trains once an hour, or from Hamburg Main Station, the train to Kiel Hbf, and change in Elmshorn (track 1) to the NOB train to Weaterland, and get off at Itzehoe.
From Altona, a direct train to Itzehoe by the same NOB train.
SH ticket or just a single trip SH rate also works.

the shuttlebusses go at 20:30 and 21:30 tonight:
https://www.wacken.com/fileadmin/user_upload/WOA2018-shuttlebusplan-englisch-180515.pdf

a taxi from itzehoe to wacken was about 35 euro the last time I toke one.

 

[Quark]

But you probably won't be the only one, going to Wacken. So a cab is easily shared.

 

[Quark]

We announce, that as from 2019, the train ride TO Wacken Open Air will be advanced by ONE day. The departure will start on Monday 29/07/2019, arriving in Wacken on Tuesday 30/07/2019, in the morning. The return ride will take place as usual on Sunday morning (04/08/2019).

More info shortly on www.metal-train.de

Thank you for your support.

So instead of a departure on Tuesday, it's on Monday!

 

[Amarus]

Is the camping open that early before the festival?
And would there be anything to do there (aside from the traditional beer drinking) to pass the extra two days before the festival?

2019 will be my first time at Wacken (largest I've been to so far is Hellfest), so I'm trying to figure out things in advance to avoid last minute panic.
(Especially since I'll be going alone und Ich kann nur ein bisschen Deutsch sprechen/verstehen. )

I'm currently trying to decide between grabbing a bus ticket (Paris - Wacken) or waiting to get a Metal Train ticket from/to Essen where I have some friends and a place to crash midway.

 

[agresionpower]

Is the camping open that early before the festival?
And would there anything to do there (aside from the traditional beer drinking) to pass the extra two days before the festival?

2019 will be my first time at Wacken (largest I've been to so far is Hellfest), so I'm trying to figure out things in advance to avoid last minute panic.
(Especially since I'll be going alone und Ich kann nur ein bisschen Deutsch sprechen/verstehen. )

I'm currently trying to decide between grabbing a bus ticket (Paris - Wacken) or waiting to get a Metal Train ticket from/to Essen where I have some friends and a place to crash midway.

The campgrounds open on Monday at 3PM.
There won't be anything special to do until Wednesday, which is when the pre party starts with the metal battle bands.
But I can assure you those day's are lots of fun. I usually arrive on Tuesday afternoon.

 

[Quark]

Is the camping open that early before the festival?
And would there anything to do there (aside from the traditional beer drinking) to pass the extra two days before the festival?

2019 will be my first time at Wacken (largest I've been to so far is Hellfest), so I'm trying to figure out things in advance to avoid last minute panic.
(Especially since I'll be going alone und Ich kann nur ein bisschen Deutsch sprechen/verstehen. )

I'm currently trying to decide between grabbing a bus ticket (Paris - Wacken) or waiting to get a Metal Train ticket from/to Essen where I have some friends and a place to crash midway.

Tu ne peux pas comparer Hellfest et Wacken! Ce sont 2 festivals qui sont complètement differents l'un à l'autre.
Le Hellfest est plutôt orienté vers le FESTIVAL, tandis que le Wacken est également orienté vers le camping, et autres par du fest, ainsi que le village.
Et le Metal-Train est à considerer, c'était vraiment génial en 2014. Mais le dimanche matin....

 

[Amarus]

Looks like they'll start selling tickets for 2019 Metal-Train in a couple more weeks (01/09/2018).

Verkaufsbeginn der Metal-Train Tickets 2019:
01. September 2018

But for some reason they removed the news about the earlier departure. Not sure if that means anything.

The campgrounds open on Monday at 3PM.
There won't be anything special to do until Wednesday, which is when the pre party starts with the metal battle bands.
But I can assure you those day's are lots of fun. I usually arrive on Tuesday afternoon.

I was't aware that concerts started Wednesday, now that you mentioned it and I took a look at this year's running order it seems like arriving Tuesday with the train isn't so bad.

Tu ne peux pas comparer Hellfest et Wacken! Ce sont 2 festivals qui sont complètement differents l'un à l'autre.
Le Hellfest est plutôt orienté vers le FESTIVAL, tandis que le Wacken est également orienté vers le camping, et autres par du fest, ainsi que le village.
Et le Metal-Train est à considerer, c'était vraiment génial en 2014. Mais le dimanche matin....

Aha, je vois. C'est un point de vue intéressant.
J'ai entendu que l'experience n'est pas du tout pareil entre les deux fests, et ça fait partie des raisons pour lesquelles j'ai envie de faire Wacken. Même si je sais qu'il y a forte chance que je me sens trop seul/accablé là-bas vue que l’élément social semble être bien plus important qu'au Hellfest et je ne suis pas exactement le genre de personne extrovertie et douée à faire des connaissances rapidement.

 

[Quark]

Aha, je vois. C'est un point de vue intéressant.
J'ai entendu que l'experience n'est pas du tout pareil entre les deux fests, et ça fait partie des raisons pour lesquelles j'ai envie de faire Wacken. Même si je sais qu'il y a forte chance que je me sens trop seul/accabler là-bas vue que l’élément social semble être bien plus important qu'au Hellfest et je ne suis pas exactement le genre de personne extrovertie et douée à faire des connaissances rapidement.

T'inquiètes! Si ce n'est pas toi qui vas vers les autres, les autres vont vers toi. Donc...
En plus, moi je suis pas non plus si extrovert, mais là-bas, on change.

 

[Darkfang]

Aha, je vois. C'est un point de vue intéressant.
J'ai entendu que l'experience n'est pas du tout pareil entre les deux fests, et ça fait partie des raisons pour lesquelles j'ai envie de faire Wacken. Même si je sais qu'il y a forte chance que je me sens trop seul/accablé là-bas vue que l’élément social semble être bien plus important qu'au Hellfest et je ne suis pas exactement le genre de personne extrovertie et douée à faire des connaissances rapidement.

T'inquiètes! Si ce n'est pas toi qui vas vers les autres, les autres vont vers toi. Donc...
En plus, moi je suis pas non plus si extrovert, mais là-bas, on change.

Bien d'accord. Je ne suis pas extrovertie mais à Wacken, tout change

 

[Quark]

First post adapted and updated. (new prices, all bus travel partners in ONE link. )

 

[smf4ever]

First post adapted and updated. (new prices, all bus travel partners in ONE link. )

Thanks!!! I start planning out early.. (way too early).. lol.... So knowing all the options is a good thing.. Thanks again!!!

 

[Rammsoldat]

Is it still a pitched battle to get on the shuttle bus? ive not been since 07 but i remember we were trying to get a seat on that bust for what seemed like forever until a local came up and offered us a ride for a small fee. 1 bus for all the people arriving seemed like it wasn't enough.

only a small issue mind, the festival is well worth the hassle. Hell id suffer the coach trip but my mates are all very much against it lol.

 

[CylonKing]

We used the shuttle last year it sounds like it was the same. Train arrived into Itzehoe and they squeezed everyone on the bus. You could not move. Luckily for us, we got a fairly early train on the Wednesday from Glückstadt so it wasn't as busy as I'm sure it would be later on. 30 minutes of a hot, sticky pretty uncomfortable journey but, as Rammsoldat said, well worth it in the end.