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.
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