Can we talk about Germany for a bit?

[Hugo a Gogo]

we don't have any of that up here in the Landeshauptstadt ...

[br d]

scherzkeks said:

Similar to Cologne, aside from cleanliness. Many parts have vastly improved in the last 10 years or so, but it remains a particularly ugly example of postwar rebuilding efforts.

Cologne is also not a dangerous city, but we too have experienced an uptick in beggars.

Stayed in Cologne at the end of last year. Sorry for being vague but we stayed in a Hotel across the river and walked over the bridge with all the padlocks closest to the Cathedral (our Hotel was just the other side of the bridge). At the end of the bridge as you come across was a gang of very unsavoury looking guys who were getting up close to people and hassling them, jabbering away in peoples faces in an intimidating manner and standing across the bridge in groups so you had to push past them.
At a guess I'd say they were North African but I could be wrong.

It didn't bother us much, I'm far from scary but the guy I was with is a big bloke and his missus and mine aren't the sort to be intimidated but I was very surprised that this was going on at 6 pm on a Saturday night so close to the tourist area without any Police taking an interest.

[dromong]

br d said:

Stayed in Cologne at the end of last year. Sorry for being vague but we stayed in a Hotel across the river and walked over the bridge with all the padlocks closest to the Cathedral (our Hotel was just the other side of the bridge). At the end of the bridge as you come across was a gang of very unsavoury looking guys who were getting up close to people and hassling them, jabbering away in peoples faces in an intimidating manner and standing across the bridge in groups so you had to push past them.
At a guess I'd say they were North African but I could be wrong.

It didn't bother us much, I'm far from scary but the guy I was with is a big bloke and his missus and mine aren't the sort to be intimidated but I was very surprised that this was going on at 6 pm on a Saturday night so close to the tourist area without any Police taking an interest.

Coming to a town near you, might already be there!.

[Hainey]

dromong said:

br d said:

Stayed in Cologne at the end of last year. Sorry for being vague but we stayed in a Hotel across the river and walked over the bridge with all the padlocks closest to the Cathedral (our Hotel was just the other side of the bridge). At the end of the bridge as you come across was a gang of very unsavoury looking guys who were getting up close to people and hassling them, jabbering away in peoples faces in an intimidating manner and standing across the bridge in groups so you had to push past them.
At a guess I'd say they were North African but I could be wrong.

It didn't bother us much, I'm far from scary but the guy I was with is a big bloke and his missus and mine aren't the sort to be intimidated but I was very surprised that this was going on at 6 pm on a Saturday night so close to the tourist area without any Police taking an interest.

Coming to a town near you, might already be there!.

It sounds a lot like Paris then. A certain common denominator I can't quite put a finger on?

Ah, bridges, that's it. Bridges.

[rovermorris999]

Celebrate the diversity!

[scherzkeks]

dromong said:

Coming to a town near you, might already be there!.

This sort of thing happens in every major city. Cologne is quite safe compared to the American metropolises I grew up in, where a few unsavory guys hanging around a bridge are often the least of your concerns.

[irocfan]

scherzkeks said:

This sort of thing happens in every major city. Cologne is quite safe compared to the American metropolises I grew up in, where a few unsavory guys hanging around a bridge are often the least of your concerns.

I think that the point being made is not that it is suddenly worse than Detroit or you'll suddenly stumble across "The Warriors" in the Bronx, rather that up until recently post-war Germany has been seen as a very safe place to be/visit and the change seems to be quite sudden and rapid. Just because the current (or projected) levels of criminality are exceedingly mild by US standards doesn't make it OK to be experiencing this

[pim]

Haven't been to Germany for many years.A cousin lives just outside Frankfurt.

Some of the villages reminds me very much of the U.K.Similair style of housing.I like the way their system works for employees,the big companies use works councils where there can be a input from the workers.

[Bodo]

Trabi601 said:

We often stay not too far from main stations when travelling - especially have done in Germany and Austria, as you can guarantee you're close to the centre of the city - Accor, in particular, name hotels 'xxxx city' when they're miles out!

Frankfurt was by far the worst place we'd been. The drive in, the drive out, the messing about checking in, then complaining and leaving. I did wonder if my car would be there when I returned!

Maybe we've been spoiled - we've been to lots of German cities (off the top of my head, Bonn, Berlin, Dresden, Brunswick, Cologne, Koblenz, and a good number more) - but never felt anywhere was as dodgy as what we saw of Frankfurt.

My German ex-colleague was really puzzled when we said we were going there!

So you've booked the cheapest central hotel, and wonder that it's in the most central dodgy area?
Next time you plan to visit Frankfurt, open a thread in the Germany forum http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/forum.asp?h=0&a... , and get some hotel recommendations from the at least four Frankfurt PHers.

[Trabi601]

Bodo said:

So you've booked the cheapest central hotel, and wonder that it's in the most central dodgy area?
Next time you plan to visit Frankfurt, open a thread in the Germany forum http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/forum.asp?h=0&a... , and get some hotel recommendations from the at least four Frankfurt PHers.

That sums it up - whilst Ibis Styles aren't 4*, they are a popular choice for those travelling who don't feel the need for a fancy hotel. They're very often full of American and Far Eastern tourists on organised touring holidays.

I've not had to seek advice when staying anywhere else - so was surprised to find myself in a really dodgy area, the likes of which I've not experienced in any other German City. Including the former Eastern bits of Berlin.

[steveT350C]

European Parliament President Martin Schulz confirms that he stands down to run as German MP in next year’s federal election...
https://www.ft.com/content/3ecf840e-b21a-11e6-9c37...

[JMGS4]

steveT350C said:

European Parliament President Martin Schulz confirms that he stands down to run as German MP in next year’s federal election...
https://www.ft.com/content/3ecf840e-b21a-11e6-9c37...

That heap of ste should stay in Brussels with all the ste producers... he's as big an onanist as Juncker

[richie99]

Murph7355 said:

Much longer ago since I last went but my overriding impression was that it was a dump, especially compared to places like Munich and Berlin. But...

....stations always attract dubious characters in big cities IME. Cheap/crap hotels, hookers, drug sellers etc. Potter round the London stations and you'd find the same thing.

Have you actually been to areas like Kings Cross in the past few years? Liverpool Street or Waterloo have never been as you describe. Victoria? Not really.

I was recently unfortunate enough to visit the Gare Midi in Brussels. I have never been around a UK station which is even close to as horrible.

[Puggit]

steveT350C said:

European Parliament President Martin Schulz confirms that he stands down to run as German MP in next year’s federal election...
https://www.ft.com/content/3ecf840e-b21a-11e6-9c37...

Rat leaving the sinking ship!

[Liokault]

richie99 said:

Murph7355 said:

Much longer ago since I last went but my overriding impression was that it was a dump, especially compared to places like Munich and Berlin. But...

....stations always attract dubious characters in big cities IME. Cheap/crap hotels, hookers, drug sellers etc. Potter round the London stations and you'd find the same thing.

Have you actually been to areas like Kings Cross in the past few years? Liverpool Street or Waterloo have never been as you describe. Victoria? Not really.

I was recently unfortunate enough to visit the Gare Midi in Brussels. I have never been around a UK station which is even close to as horrible.

I stay in Munich for a few nights most weeks.

I stayed near the main train station last week (NH Hotel). Drunks fighting out side, piles of vomit, people asking for money...it was quite grim.
Apart from that one location, I almost never even see a vagrant, let alone a begger.

[Digga]

Liokault said:

I stay in Munich for a few nights most weeks.

I stayed near the main train station last week (NH Hotel). Drunks fighting out side, piles of vomit, people asking for money...it was quite grim.
Apart from that one location, I almost never even see a vagrant, let alone a begger.

If you think Munich station is bad, take a trip up to Stuttgart.

[Mothersruin]

Liokault said:

I stay in Munich for a few nights most weeks.

I stayed near the main train station last week (NH Hotel). Drunks fighting out side, piles of vomit, people asking for money...it was quite grim.
Apart from that one location, I almost never even see a vagrant, let alone a begger.

You should try Zurich station, they have Fragrants. Nice smelling tramps...

[souper]

Liokault said:

I stay in Munich for a few nights most weeks.

I stayed near the main train station last week (NH Hotel). Drunks fighting out side, piles of vomit, people asking for money...it was quite grim.
Apart from that one location, I almost never even see a vagrant, let alone a begger.

Is this German folks puking and fighting I thought they were all generally orderly, or are they Stag/Hen type tourists?

[Liokault]

souper said:

Is this German folks puking and fighting I thought they were all generally orderly, or are they Stag/Hen type tourists?

No, proper down and outs. German I think.

There was a whole row of them along one wall of the building before the hotel. Maybe 30 or so.

[eyebeebe]

Mothersruin said:

You should try Zurich station, they have Fragrants. Nice smelling tramps...

Living in Zürich, it's always a shock to the system when I visit Manchester! I think I see a beggar twice a year in Zürich and I'm convinced they aren't homeless.