Sadgoth's Guide to Wave gotik treffen / leipzig 

Your journey to Leipzig will depend on your home location. Most of us who require the services of this website and who live outside of Germany will fly into Germany and then use public transport to get to Leipzig. If you live in Europe you are well served by various airlines (many of them budget), if you live elsewhere your flights will be more restricted and I throughly recommend extending your stay to see other parts of Germany and or Europe. Fortunately Public transport in Germany is second to none, and runs efficiently and to time (mostly).

Most of us that live outside of Central Europe will fly into the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport. There are generally various options from each country, and you should explore all before booking a flight, eg a few extra miles travel to a minor airport can sometimes save you a small fortune. As for flying into Germany the normal options are to fly to Berlin Brandenburg or Leipzig Halle airport

If you fly with a budget airline you may find you cannot take as much clothing / boots etc, and you may be stung with extra weight baggage allowances (about €15 per KG for RyanAir), therefore it may be better to pay the extra and fly with a national carrier such as Lufthansa or British Airways (or do what I do and pay extra for baggage when I book my flight)

For those of you who live in the USA it maybe cheaper for you to fly to the UK and use a budget airline to get you to Germany, again think about your luggage allowance and the extra hassle...Slimelight the weekend before WGT is normally a good way to start the party...

If you dress in your biggest boots when you go to the Airport you will find that you will attract the attention of airport security. Don’t worry they are just doing their job, be pleasant and you will get through (be an arsehole and be prepared for the rubber gloves).

Your boots will have big soles, big enough to house explosives, you will be asked to take them off (You might want to think about the silly socks you wear) and they will go through the scanner with your coat and any hand luggage. (Undo your boots when you are waiting in the queue to get to the security gate), it’s normal for them to have a joke at your expense. Don’t wear or take anything that looks like a spike or anything that is sharp either as part of your belt or necklace (no mini sword pendants or fake  bullets), and be careful if you have big rings that could be used as a weapon. Don’t put anything sharp in your hand luggage either; it needs to go in your suitcase in the hold of the aircraft. You will be forced to part with your sharp objects if you have any. If you have spikes on your boots you may find that they have to go in the hold of the aircraft, and you will have to board the plane in your socks! Not a problem, although you might find the terminal before boarding a little embarrassing (It has been known, so be warned).

If you fly via a Large international Airport they may swab your boots with a chemical cloth. This will then be put in a small machine that can detect explosives. Again be helpful and you should be OK. This is a much better system it saves a lot of hassle and unbuckling of boots. On the way home German security is normally more strict, and taken far more seriously (don’t forget Germans don’t have a sense of humour, they don’t make jokes at your expense they just go straight for the rubber gloves! Use your common sense and you will get through OK)

Flying to Germany could not be easier from the UK, various budget airlines fly to Berlin (unfortunately the direct flights to Leipzig ceased a few years ago, but you can get a connecting flight that takes you to Leipzig, although many people have reported that this is greatly increases your chance of luggage not arriving with you!). The most popular route is between Stanstead and Berlin (although there are now a number of services from Gatwick and Heathrow), however there are many other routes. Your route will depend on where you live, when you want to fly, how far you want to travel in the UK before you fly, and how far you want to travel in Germany once you have landed. Cost and Airline preference may also influence your choice of route. If you fly with EasyJet, RyanAir or another budget airline the cost of a return flight should be about £200 depending on your preferences. Fuel surcharge may increase the price, book early. If you are driving to airport you will need to park your car, the Long Stay car Parks all run an bus service too and from the terminal, costs are normally £60-120 depending on the airport and the carpark you use, if you just turn up and park you will end up paying more. My preference is Gatwick to Berlin, Easyjet have an established route that takes just an hour and forty minutes, although  you do have to put up with always using the terminal furthest from the check-in desk and be prepared to be treated like cattle when you board (as per all budget airlines).

 

From North America there are just too many airports to mention, and the list seems to change each year...there are plenty of sites out there that can help you. From the USA, it's useful to use websites such as Skyscanner, but it's also worth a few minutes to check the airline's website.  And if you live in a smaller "large" city (Portland, Boise, Salt Lake City, Reno, etc.), it's worthwhile to check even somewhat-nearby airports for flights. People have reported saving up to $250 (and several hours) flying from Seattle to Glasgow via Reykjavik, and saved a considerable amount of money (as well as avoiding the hassle of major US airlines!) flying from San Francisco to Helsinki via Copenhagen when compared to booking direct from Portland to the same end destinations.  Yes, even taking into account the cost of separately-booked "commuter" flights from Portland to those cities.  It may also be worthwhile to arrive a day or two earlier than "needed" to adjust to the time difference and learn important things about getting around in Germany, such as not crossing the street mid-block, staying out of the bicycle lanes, and not crossing when the light is red.

Wherever you are flying from my advice is to use the Skyscanner website to get the best deal...
 

Post Covid flights are generally available over a year from when you fly (having previously only been released about 9 months in advance). Book as early as possible, get a flexible ticket if you can afford it and make sure you have done your research...