Reality Check 1 - I've got no one to blame....

I've got tickets.

How do I arrange the rest?

I need to be honest about a couple of things:

I speak fluent German.  I lived in Germany for almost two years.  I visited again while being deployed overseas.

I would not have dared buy tickets to a play in a foreign country without those little pieces being in place.

If you're going to do the Passion Play without a guided tour, you've got to face up to the fact that you're going alone:  You've got to arrange how to get there, where to stay, how to travel, etc.

As it turns out, I think you could do this trip without speaking fluent German ... in fact, any German.  Everywhere we went, there were enough people who spoke English that we did not need ours.  Most of Germany is bi-lingual.  I hate to say it, but, in this one area, we can ride the coat-tails of Germany's very effective school system.

As an aside, I found out that my "fluent" German was not nearly as "fluent" as it was 20 years ago.  Darn this getting old!

But... you do need some preparation:  If you're driving, get used to German road signs, and become familiar with German traffic laws.  They are different.

If you're using public transportation, start figuring out how to read schedules, make connections, etc.  You'll want to get a feel for how to plan your trip from point "A" to point "B." I have to tell you, there are few things as beautiful as a train trip through the German countryside!

(Ironically, and a story for another day, I like to listen to Rachmaninoff while riding those trains - I hope there's no treason in that!).

How much luggage?  We did straight carry-ons (more on that later).

How are your going to pay?  You'll want to carry more cash than you use in the States, but you can use credit/debit cards in many places, too.  Still, a few of the restaurants we ate in accepted only cash.  It's worth being ready!  We converted a certain amount of cash here, and got a card that did not charge fees for overseas transactions.  We used both.

Above all, I think you'll need that bit of intestinal fortitude to take all the responsibility for your trip:  if it succeeds or fails, it's up to you.


We took that leap... and had the time of our lives.  I wouldn't change it for the world.

Step 1: Tickets

We started talking late about attending the Passion Play.  I didn't know it, but many people plan their trip to Oberammergau years in advance.  We didn't seriously start until Spring of 2010.

One of the first things I discovered is that tickets here in the United States (and, from what I can tell, all of North America) are all sold as part of a package deal for a tour.

The next thing I discovered was that, by the time I started looking, we were too late: the tours were all sold out.

At this point, as a husband trying desperately to give your wife a wonderful gift, you have one of two options:  get creative, or get desperate.

I got creative.

I went to the Passion Play's official website,

Passion Play Site

 and clicked on "tickets":

"Tickets"

I read the notice at the top for the first time... with great interest:

"On Saturdays and on Friday, 1st October and Sunday, 3rd October, admission tickets are on sale without a package. These are intended for our guests who can reach Oberammergau conveniently in a day's journey."

It took a second for this to really dawn on me:  I could buy tickets directly for the play, and arrange the remainder of my trip by myself.  The package deals might be sold out, but the Passion Play wasn't.

I started stalking the website.

2010 Seating Plan and Prices


And almost gave up hope.  

It was late in the year.  The seats were all taken.  The occasional individual seat was available... but nowhere could I find two seats together.

Looking down on the Oberammergau valley from a mountain cable car

Now... I'm a person of faith.  I believe in Divine Providence.  After almost a week of daily searching, I was in need of some of that Providence.

And... one day in  August... I found two seats together.


My theory is that someone had reserved them, then changed their mind.  

Whatever the case, they were within our price range... so I reserved them.

Then I realized that I did not have enough money in my checking account to pay for them!



It's a six minute drive from my office to the Credit Union Service Center, where I could move enough cash from another Credit Union to the checking account we were using.

I made the trip in four.

Running back into my office, I hit the "purchase" button, and completed my purchase of the tickets.

I WAS THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL HUSBAND!  EVER!

My plan was to let the tickets arrive in the mail, and show them to my wife.  I figured I had 11-12 days to plan a great surprise.  I was going to get a little German flag, cook a German meal, and put some luggage out on the bed.

Ten minutes after my purchase, I got a call from my wife:  "YOU GOT US TICKETS!"

Just in case you did not know... an overseas purchase on your debit card is immediately flagged by the anti-fraud unit in your Credit Union.  I had barely completed the purchase before someone was on the phone to my wife, verifying the purchase.  By the time she sorted out the translation with the Credit Union employee, she knew exactly what I'd just bought.

So much for surprises...

But we were on our way!

The Oberammergau Passion Play... On Your Own!

Once every ten years...

In the picturesque Bavarian town of Oberammergau...

Oberammergau... Here's a bit more!

One of the world's most famous Passion Plays is staged.

2010 Passion Play Link

In October of 2010, as the Oberammergau Passion Play was winding to a close, my wife and I traveled to Germany to attend... fulfilling one of her "bucket-list" wishes (OK - I'll admit it... one of mine, too!).

We did it on our own.  No package tour, no group schedule.  We had the time of our lives... and I want to share with you what we did, and how we did it.

If you're interested in the Passion Play, and up for a little adventure, I think you can "go it alone," too!

What's a Passion Play?

This  is us, touring in Bavaria after attending the  Passion Play...  

Yes - that's Neuschwanstein Castle in the background!!!!

Official Neuschwanstein Page

Wikipedia Neuschwanstein Page

It's just one of the many great things you can do as part of your Passion Play adventure!