Wolfsburg recommendations, what to do?

Hi AK Krew,

I’m off to Wolfsburg later this month from Sunday lunchtime to Monday lunchtime.



What do you recommend doing over that time? Best value for money? How do I get to see as much as possible? Something not to miss out on? Any paraphernalia to purchase? Bits to avoid? Where to eat (obviously I want to get in a VW currywurst!)?



Let me know what you recommend…

Oh my word - you'll have so much fun...but so little time

We camped at the Camping platz Allersee which is walking distance from the factory, guessing you'll be in a hotel?

http://www.camper-carlos.de/englisch/

The Autostadt: - took us all day to go around but was great. Spent most of the time in the Zeithaus. Could have spent longer.

We ate in the factory area - pizza, didn't eat out as we BBQ'd. Please buy from the factory shop some of their VW ketchup - it's fab, I wan't to get a crate load next time. You can also buy their worsts from there too

http://www.autostadt.de/en/

Book the glass towers before you go, pre book the factory tour in English before you go (unless you can speak German) as you avoid the queues and the English tours were pretty well booked too when went.

There's a small museum on Diesel Strasse: just looked not open on a monday

http://automuseum.volkswagen.de/agb0.html?&L=1

Hope you have fun though despite the shortness of your stay



Dear Mrs. Wheatley,



thank you for your interest in the Autostadt.



During your visit to the Autostadt, you have the opportunity to participate in a factory tour of the Volkswagen production plant. The panorama trams run regularly approx. every 15 minutes from Monday to Friday. The factory tours are conducted dependent on the current production. Factory tours are not available at weekends, on public holidays and during factory holidays. There is no legal claim to participation.
We offer a factory tour in the english language on the production days at 12.45 pm.

You can visit the Zeithaus without reservation.



Also you can park your car in the autostadt for 3 € per day.



Autostadt admission charges 1-day ticket 2-day ticket


Adult 15,00 € 22,00 €

Concessionary rate* 12,00 € 18,00 €

Children (6 - 17 years) 6,00 € 9,00 €

Family ticket 38,00 € 57,00 €

(2 adults + all family children till 17 years)



(These were 2011 prices)



Helen

Cheers Helen,

I’ll be in a hotel right next to Wolfsburg ICE station and the Autostadt.



So, looks like I can go to the Autostadt on Sunday and the Werk tour on Monday morning before my meeting. How can I get in the glass towers? Are they part of the Autostadt? Do you know if I need to book a separate ticket?



I’m excited already and have started my shopping list with ‘VW ketchup’!

Get down the canteen, purchase 6 brats, make a VW sign and apply ketchup.
Enjoy!

Don't know how to book the glass tower, best to email them and ask. Everyone who was on the glass tower tour had pre booked tickets....whether they booked them earlier in the day or weeks before I can't say. They had no availbility when we were there so could not take a booking from us, but Carl sweet talked the manager and managed to blag their way on. The 'carriage' holds approx 10 people and takes about 15 minutes. Well worth doing. If not you can go in the reception of the glass tower and look up it and see the lifts working moving cars up and down. A seperate charge applies (? 10 ish euros)

You will probably need a 48 hr ticket as the glass towers are within the complex, don't know if you can just gain access for the towers only.

Don't bother with the Lamborghini pavillion, just noise & smoke

TurmFahrt (CarTower Discovery): During the opening hours of the park, the CarTower Discovery takes place up to three times every hour and lasts approx. fifteen minutes. The lift seats six, children taller than one metre are welcome. The CarTower Discovery attraction is suitable for all, with the following exceptions: pregnant women, people with heart disease, people with limited use of their legs (Wheelchair). Tickets are available from the WelcomeDesk on the piazza.
Adults: € 8, Reduced rate: € 6, Children (6-17 years), scholars: € 4



Tours


Two-hour guided Tour: € 11
45-minute Tour: € 5
Tours are available in 13 languages. Special tours i.e. around the ZeitHaus and tours for groups can be arranged.



Contact


Telephone: 0800 288 678 238
from abroad: +49 (0) 5361 400

Telefax: 0800 329 288 678 238
from abroad: +49 (0) 5361 401 959

E-Mail: service@autostadt.de



I would email them to make sure you get a glass tower tour.

There is a pedestrian bridge over the canal from the train station to the autostadt.

Hope this helps

Helen

That's excellent, thanks. Will drop them an email.

Also, have to keep my eye out for 99ml bottles of ketchup so I can take them home in my hand luggage!

Cool
if the bottle has a friend that wants to travel to England too, we'd be very happy to fund it

This could be an interesting trip through customs. 10x 99ml VW ketchup bottles in a sandwich bag and no toiletries!



I'll see what I can do...

Don,t worry about customs, just go through nothing to declare & tell them is only ketchup.

Say this...dies ist mein Ketchup du Scheiße

Rob, you naughty boy.....schweinehund
You won't be able to leave Germany if you say that

Have you been yet Andrew?

How did it go?

Wolfsburg was great thanks



I went to the Autostadt on Sunday afternoon and had prebooked the 2 hour Autostadt tour in English, turns out I was the only English person there so had a personal tour guide!



He was a great guide and we spent most of the time in the zeithaus looking at the old cars of all marques, hearing his stories and car facts and visiting a couple of the pavilions (Audi and Porsche). I was slightly surprised by just how much of an advert for the current VW group it was, rather than a history of the company. I guess I shouldn’t have been so surprised, but it was a pity there was no mention of anything that happened between 1936 and 1950, obviously they don’t want to link the brand to the war but it was a pity that there was no mention of rebuilding the plant or the history and development of the people’s car. Also, nothing to do with campervans (OK, I know VW never made them themselves but still, they’re part of the history) and not a single bay window. A nicely restored Samba but that’s not really different from any Volksworld show.



The site itself was great to walk round in the sun, liked the landscaping and some of the art installations (loved the globes in the massive hall). Also was very impressed by the ‘top marque’ pavilion, mirrored inside with the mirror finish silver Veyron. Not the sort of thing I’m normally too excited by but thought it was seriously impressive as a work of art.



I didn’t go on the tower tour (thank goodness) just stood in the bottom while on the tour of the site. Glad I avoided that as going on a tour on a lift to look at a new Passat estate etc doesn’t thrill me



Would have liked to go on the works tour but it’s not available on Sundays and I was pressed for time on Monday, plus it was in German only.



Never found any ketchup or wurst, I guess there was a ‘parts’ shop in the customer car collection area which was closed on Sundays, I thought there would be loads of souvenirs but hardly saw anything, no ‘exit through the gift shop’ like in the UK. The Zeithaus shop was interesting though, picked up a little model bay window and almost bought a camping cutlery set from the ‘70s!



Think I’m going back next week so might be able to go on the work tour then…