Essen

Splinter skrev:Blir väl bra med bil. SKRIK

Humza skrev:Bara jag slipper köra:Þ
Nä kör gör jag, kostar antagligen xtra med fler förare
Läste en faq på BGG om essen:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/120409/essen-faq-essen-what-the-gosh-darn-heck-is-that-a

11 How to get a ticket for the show? Can you get a ticket in advance? Do you have to get a ticket in advance (pre-booked)? Does the show sell out of tickets? Can you re-enter the show? What kind of tickets are available?

WARNING A new ticket system was introduced at Spiel2010 which resulted in very long queues. Reports of 2 hours waits to get into the halls were common. Therefore, buying a ticket in advance may be advisable for overseas travellers.

You do not need to buy a ticket in advance. You can buy tickets from booths at the show halls from the first day on of the show.

You can buy tickets in advance at cost of a few extra euros for this though. There are several places you can obtain advance tickets, here's a map showing locations: http://goo.gl/maps/gtXQ
The tourist office next to the main railway station in town which sells them (just to the right of the Moevenpick Hotel).
Where the Galeria Kaufhof escalator goes up into Willy Brandt Platz, at the base is a ticket shop, open till 8pm.
At the halls themselves there is a tiny office that pre-sells tickets, just across the yard from the Messe, underneath the overhang of the Grugahalle (the big concert hall).

You can buy tickets online. The Messe website includes these links:
http://www.messe-essen.de/index.php?lang=en&content=04020100
Buying a ticket in advance costs 2 euros extra. For 1 more euro (yup, a total of 3 euros) you can get a show ticket which includes a Kombiticket that lets you travel free on local transport (although that may be just for the purpose of getting to/from the show halls).

One of the online sellers is here as an example: http://www.ticketcorner.com/eventstore/co454/researchresult?...
This link is to a live ticket agency, so the actual page will change over time.
4 day Ticket: http://www.ticketcorner.com/eventstore/co454/requestcard?id=...
1 day Ticket with local travel: http://www.ticketcorner.com/eventstore/co454/requestcard?id=...
1 day Ticket without local public transport (1 euro cheaper):
http://www.ticketcorner.com/eventstore/co454/requestcard?id=...


They've never sold out of tickets as far as I can tell. The halls do get very crowded, but they keep to safe numbers.

In previous years, you could not re-enter the show. But in the past two years, they've introduced a pass-out. As you approach an exit, you show your ticket to a security person and say you want to come back in today, and they tape a printed band around your wrist, letting you leave. When you return, show the band AND your ticket, and you should re-enter with no problems. This is done to stop people swapping or transferring their used ticket to someone else outisde the show.

There are a variety of tickets you can buy (more info needed please) , individual tickets, family or group tickets, day tickets and 4-day tickets. You can also buy a show guide (all in german) which has info on the publishers stands and hall lay out.

The queues to buy tickets can ramp up at opening time. If you can get to the halls early, you don't have to queue long to get a ticket. You can then enter the main reception area, having your ticket clipped as you enter. You can pay to put your coat in a cloakroom, and pay for a large locker (which it turns out you CAN keep the key overnight).

The internal doors to the halls don't open till 10am, and show workers and press are admitted early through a side door. If you really really want to get on a publishers stand, you have to get to the front of the queue and sprint your way in. But you'll find all the tables gone anyway.