By Jesse Lopez, USAG Bavaria Public Affairs Office
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany – The holiday season has officially begun in Germany, and your dose of winter cheer is just a short ride away.
Experiencing a bit of cabin or barracks fever? Expand your footprint. Break out of the routine. Explore all the fun Christmas and holiday events Germany has to offer. Here are five easy and affordable ways to do it.
1. Free ride to local Christmas markets
Yes, you read that right: FREE. Army Community Service is offering two free bus rides to all DOD community members. Buses depart from the Vilseck ACS, Bldg. 322 at 8 a.m. and from Grafenwoehr ACS, Bldg. 244 at 8:45 a.m. Register at least two days prior to the trip. For more, call DSN 476-2650, CIV 09662-83-2650.
- Dec. 2: Bayreuth Christmas Market
- Dec. 16: Weiden Christmas Market
2. Trips through Family & MWR
Family & MWR has tons of upcoming trips, including one-day Christmas market trips to Munich, Prague, Leipzig and Dresden, this holiday season. Register well in advance to reserve a spot. For more, call DSN 475-8529, CIV 09641-83-8529 for Grafenwoehr or DSN 466-2060, CIV 09472-83-2060 for Hohenfels.
Grafenwoehr and Vilseck:
- Dec. 3: Munich Christmas Market
- Dec. 3 – 4: Ski/Snowboard Trip to Sölden
- Dec. 4: Prague Christmas Market
- Dec. 10 – 11: Ski/Snowboard Trip to Stubai
- Dec. 11: Leipzig Christmas Market
- Dec. 17: Dresden Christmas Market
- Dec. 17 – 18: Ski/Snowboard Trip to Ischgl
- Dec. 18: Two Castles
- Jan. 7: Rothenburg
- Jan. 8: Prague, Czech Republic
- Jan. 13 – 16: Dolomite SuperSki Weekend in Italy
Hohenfels:
- Nov. 30: Ice Skating in the City (every Wednesday)
- Dec. 1: Nuremberg Christmas Market
- Dec. 3: Lauscha Christmas Market
- Dec. 8: Bamberg Christmas Market
- Dec. 10 – 11: Stubai Ski/Snowboard Weekend
- Dec. 10: Black Forest Christmas Market
- Dec. 15: Regensburg Christmas Market
- Dec. 17: Cologne Christmas Market
- Jan. 13 – 15: MLK Ski Weekend to Wilde Kaiser
3. Become a member of a local community club
Don’t be put off by the name —it’s open to everyone, and quite a fun group. The Bavaria Community & Spouses’ Club, or BCSC, has a few trips planned for the Grafenwoehr and Vilseck communities. Membership is required. For more, visit www.bavariacsc.com.
- Dec. 10: Dresden Christmas Market
- Dec. 16: Schloss Guteneck Christmas Market
4. Travel with BOSS
Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers, more commonly known as BOSS, represents the voice of the single service member. USAG Bavaria BOSS recently welcomed a new leader. Since then, the team has met regularly to improve the organization and plan events or trips for single Soldiers. In addition to trips listed below, BOSS has plans for many more events in the upcoming weeks. Want to be part of it? Send them an email on their MWR page or visit their Facebook.
- Dec. 3: Regensburg Christmas Market
- Dec. 23-26: Ski/Snowboarding Trip to Garmisch
5. Hop on local transportation
- Community Bus Services: Garrison shuttle buses run to and from designated areas both within the installation and to areas of interest off-post, including train stations. They operate Monday through Friday, including German holidays. Buses will not operate in red or black road conditions or on U.S. Federal Holidays. For the bus schedule or more information, visit the Transportation page.
- Taxis: If you’re taking a taxi, expect an average of 20-30 euros one way to and from the nearest train station or back on-post. Save money by riding with a group and split the cost. For numbers and more information, visit the Transportation page.
- Train: Your best bet on saving money on the train is by traveling with a battle buddy or group. Bayern Tickets (one day of unlimited travel in Bavaria) start at 23 euros per person. Tack five euros to the total price for each additional person, up to five persons max. In other words, a group of five can travel anywhere in Bavaria for 43 euros total. The Bayern Ticket also gives you daily access to buses, subways and trams. For more, visit the Bahn website.
Still not satisfied?
Check out what your unit’s Family Readiness Group, also known as FRG, or chaplains are doing. They often host tons of fun events during the holiday season.