Did you guy know I went to Germany during a layover? A lot of my coworkers then followed suit either to Munich like me or somewhere else. Even the ones who hated the long layovers in Dublin are looking forward to them. I feel like a trendsetter.
Anyways I had 3 days open in Dublin during a longer trip (I also spent a day Limerick and a day in Newburgh and I got sick from the hotel room in Newburgh). So unfortunately I spent my time in Munich a little sniffly and congested and with the weather getting colder and cloudy at the time it probably wasn’t the best for me. But I made it work.
We landed in the morning in Dublin as usual and quickly got into the shuttle to our hotel. Another of my coworkers, Ash, decided that she’d come along with me to Munich for the weekend. So we agreed to meet at noon in the lobby to catch the shuttle back to the airport for our early evening flight out. So we only got about 3 hours of sleep!
The good part about going on a little trip during a longer layover is the ability to keep unnecessary stuff (like make up, uniform, extra clothes) in the hotel. I was able to pack everything I needed for 3 days in my hobo bag, including the shampoo and body wash from the hotel, and therefore didn’t have to worry about RyanAir’s bag fees.
An hour and half or so from take off, we touched down at Flughafen München. From there we took the S Bahn for 40 minutes to Hauptbahnhof, where we only had to walk about a block to get to our hostel.
Wombats have hostels in 5 different cities in Europe; a friend of mine stayed at the one in Vienna around the same time I was in Munich and loved it as well.
The ensuite dorms have lockers with electronic locks (so no need to buy or rent your own) that are big enough to fit a backpack as long as it’s not overstuffed. There’s also a picnic table in the middle of the room if you feel like socializing with your roommates or looking at the maps provided at reception.
I love that the whole place is set up like the Australian outback (disclaimer: I have never been to Australia, so it’s how I picture the outback, but maybe not actually how it is…its closer to seeming real than Outback Steakhouse in my humble opinion). The lounge area in incredible with long, comfy couches, tables, outlets, and books. There is also a coffee maker for your caffeine and ramen needs.
Wombats offers a free walking tour as well as tours to Dachau and Neuschwanstein Castle for a fee. I did the free city tour and enjoyed it a lot. We were taken around for about an hour and a half, starting in Karsplatz and ending in Odeonplatz, seeing sites such as Marienplatz, the glockenspiel playing, churches, Hofbrauhaus, and the Munich Residenz. After walking with the group and learning our surroundings, we could get back to the hostel within 10 minutes.
Most of us on the tour then stayed together to find the surfers in the Englischer Garten. We had an Aussie guy who claimed he could smell the surfers, but we still got lost looking. It was a good time though with a new group of people to chill with.
Wombats is another hostel for young backpackers looking to have a drink or two (or more, I won’t tell) after a day of exploring. When we checked in we received a coupon for a free drink at the bar (behind the lounge and staircase at reception). The first night there was popping with people drinking and dancing.
This was also the first hostel I stayed at that had a stripper pole. Not entirely sure why it was there but if its your thing when you drink have at it!
My only complaint was that the rooms were incredibly hot. This may have been because I wasn’t feeling very well and was more susceptible to heat and cold but I was dripping sweat my first night there! But really, that’s hostel life for you, especially when you’re in a completely full dorm room.
But as I said, Wombats is great in at least 2 cities and probably 5, for those looking for a fun and creative place to stay with a fun and social environment. On my visits to other cities (Berlin, Vienna, Budapest, and London) I will definitely try to get a bed with them again.
My Life as Laur 