Hi, I'm want to go to Colonge Germany with a 3 friends of mine (age 17-20) all from The United States.
I want to stay for roughly one month (June)
-- Arrival: Airport GCN
-- Is a hostel the best place to stay during this time
If you want to stay for one month look at www.wg-gesucht.de. It is a German site for students looking for rooms in shared appartments. If you are lucky you might find a place that is empty for one month.
Note that you'll have a better chance finding something in August or September when students from the university have already graduated and moved out of their flats, but the new students have not arrived yet.
It also might be cheaper to fly into Frankfurt, Stuttgart or Düsseldorf and take the train than fly directly into Cologne.
Job
--Is it possible to get a "summer job" during this time
VERY FIRM NO. Unless you hold an EU passport you need a work permit to get any kind of job inside the EU.
Money (Per Person)
-- Comfortable not luxuries though, lower the better (Obviously)
-- Daily Spending (Average in US Dollars)
---- Food
---- Transportation
If all you do is stay at the hostel, take public transport in the city and eat food from the supermarket expect to spend around 40-50 EUR per day. Food will be around 10 EUR per day, the hostel around 15-25 EUR per day and the monthly ticket from KVB that allows you to ride the public transport network 60-200 EUR, depending on where you need to go to. If you party a lot and travel around push that up to 70 EUR per day.
Travel
-- Best transportation train, boat, car, etc.
-- *Would like to go to Amsterdam
-- Local transportation: bike / walking?
Inside Germany: train
To Amsterdam: train
Inside Cologne: bicycle or KVB (public transport: bus, tram, s-bahn, etc)
Social
-- Things to do
-- Alcohol (recommend or not)
-- Not Tours
-- How would people our age (17-20) Get along with locals of similar age (Anti-U.S.)?
Cologne is a big city, you won't be lacking for partying options. In Germany the drinking age for beer is 16, btw. For harder stuff (rum, vodka, whisky) you need to be 18.
Don't worry about Anti-USA sentiments, it has gotten a lot better since Obama got elected. Just think before you open your mouth - telling locals that in the USA everything is bigger and better and more modern is not a smart idea.
Safety
-- What problems would we face if any
-- Precautions?
Same precautions as in any larger city in the USA. Don't go anywhere alone unless you know the area. Pickpocketing is a problem, especially around the train station and the cathedral. Have copies of all important documents and leave a set with relatives in the USA.
Ideas
-- Stay at Youth-Hostel Cologne-Riehl - City Hostel ($27 Per Night = $837)
Make this your last option. Before you go there try Couchsurfing, HelpX, www.wg-gesucht.de, www.zwischenmiete.de as well as some independent hostels and private pensions which might offer cheaper rates if you rent for a month.
[ 04-Jan-2010, at 08:55 ]
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