THE (semi) DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO GETTING TO WACKEN

[Quark]

It actually depends!
I took the Metal Train 5 years ago, and had no worries! (Attention! They have their OWN shuttles! Separate from the "normal" shuttles, where you have to pay!)
But also, the train arrived relatively early in Itzehoe, about 5, 6 in the morning.

But... if you travel from Hamburg, I reckon you'll be stuck on crowded buses again, as almost EVERYONE, coming by train, has to take that small line! I guess, only the people from Neumünster, and up north till Westerland, Heide are luckier, because they ride in "the opposite direction".

Which reminds me, as soon as the NEW schedule is online, I'll post a link here! (and with Zombi's permission, in the 1st post as well)

 

[Professor Ears]

"But... if you travel from Hamburg, I reckon you'll be stuck on crowded buses again, as almost EVERYONE, coming by train, has to take that small line!"

That sounds like SO much fun. And with everyone trying to get their camping gear onto the bus as well...

 

[Quark]

"But... if you travel from Hamburg, I reckon you'll be stuck on crowded buses again, as almost EVERYONE, coming by train, has to take that small line!"

That sounds like SO much fun. And with everyone trying to get their camping gear onto the bus as well...

Yep! It is!
Though, from my experience, most train travellers tend to travel light. Apart from pop up tents, that take a lot of space.

 

[Amarus]

Is there any hope of Metal Train tickets getting resold or should I just forget about it and plan differently?
I hesitated for too long and missed my chance to get a ticket.

 

[Quark]

If I'm not mistaken, there are some (small number) left! But better be QUICK! (www.metal-train.de)

Otherwise, I'd suggest www.bahn.com (and choose your own language) and check there. Station to go to is Itzehoe (short: IZ)

 

[Amarus]

The shop only seems to have t-shirts and tickets for Werner Rennen/KISS Open Air Iffezheim. Thanks anyway!

I'll probably end up doing as you said and getting normal train tickets, I was just holding on to hope since they said this:

Sollten sich bis zum Frühjahr 2019 Veränderungen ergeben (Stornierungen, Änderungen im Wagenpark, etc.), kann es ggf. noch Plätze geben, die gebucht werden können.

 

[Quark]

I'll probably end up doing as you said and getting normal train tickets, I was just holding on to hope since they said this:

Actually, on Facebook they did! About a month ago. But it could well be that it's sold out (again)!

Edit Piaf checked: Indeed, they're sold out (again).

 

[Mattia]

Hello,

this will be my first year at Wacken. It's gonna be four of us and we'll land in Hamburg. We were planning on taking the normal (regional?) train from there to Itzehoe, but I'm not sure how to get from there to Wacken. Do we have to book in advance with some cab company?
Or is the info about shuttlebuses still valid? Can we buy our tickets right there and then? We were planning on getting there on the 30th.

And, just to be sure, german train stations have ticket machines right? We can just buy our ticket at the station before taking the train?

 

[Quark]

No need to book, unless you want maybe a cab.

And there are machines that sell tickets for the train.

Info should be valid. Haven't found an update yet.

 

[CylonKing]

What we learnt last year:

German stations and ticket machines are easy! All machines can be set to a variety of languages. You can buy a group ticket to Itzehoe for up to 5 people, making it cheaper.
If your ticket hasn't got a date\time stamp on it, you need to validate it at one of the little validation machines, usually as you get to the platform or on the platform. Can be red or yellow in colour.

The platform for the Itzehoe train at Hamburg Hbf is long and the train small, make sure you check the whole platform for the train. We ended up guiding a load of Wackeners to the train last year as they hadn't spotted that it was in and about to go.

The Shuttle bus leaves Itzehoe from just outside the station, turn right as you walk outside. Ticket stall is set-up next to the leaving point where you can buy tickets there and then. Do not expect a seat, the bus will be rammed. We found that buses were normally timed with incoming trains. The journey to the Wacken site is about 30 minutes. Once you step off the bus, the non-car camping is right there, meaning no long walk to a different camping area, all really easy and calm.

It is about a 10-15 minute walk from the non-car camping to the wristband area, passing the showers, shops and lockers. Grab a beer, stroll across the site to get your wristband and soak up the Wacken atmosphere. The town is literally next to the site. Take the time to wander the main street. It is amazing and you can pick up food, drinks or use a cleaner toilet.

Enjoy, it's a great experience.

 

[Mattia]

What we learnt last year:

The Shuttle bus leaves Itzehoe from just outside the station, turn right as you walk outside. Ticket stall is set-up next to the leaving point where you can buy tickets there and then. Do not expect a seat, the bus will be rammed. We found that buses were normally timed with incoming trains. The journey to the Wacken site is about 30 minutes. Once you step off the bus, the non-car camping is right there, meaning no long walk to a different camping area, all really easy and calm.

Enjoy, it's a great experience.

Ah, the shuttle buses to wacken use ticket machines? That makes it much easier then. Thank you very much for this useful info!

 

[CylonKing]

Ah, the shuttle buses to wacken use ticket machines? That makes it much easier then. Thank you very much for this useful info!

Nope, the Shuttle bus tickets are bought from real people but do not worry, it is really obvious. They are experienced in assisting people every year and it won't be any hassle at all. Seriously, the trip from Hamburg to the Wacken site could not be much easier and is nothing to worry about. I should know, I worry about everything!

 

[Mattia]

Nope, the Shuttle bus tickets are bought from real people but do not worry, it is really obvious. They are experienced in assisting people every year and it won't be any hassle at all. Seriously, the trip from Hamburg to the Wacken site could not be much easier and is nothing to worry about. I should know, I worry about everything!

Wonderful, thank you very much for the info!

 

[Quark]

Official info on the site:
"Our official bus shuttle form Itzehoe to Wacken and back isn't only a viable option for campers, but also for communters. The bus is active round the clock from Itzehoe train station to the entrance of W:O:A and back and is bookable with a flatrate available for the whole time."

 

[Quark]

The shuttle bus timetable is online.
It can be found here: https://www.wacken.com/fileadmin/us...uttlebusplan-englisch-20190627_compressed.pdf

Note that the trip costs you €10 for ALL DAYS, AS MUCH AS YOU WANT!

Also updated the 1st post.