Some travel tips
Dortmund is in the Ruhrgebiet. This is basically an industrialized area with an enormous cultural mix. Happily transport is good. There are some big towns fairly local.
Trains
For trains you will see a machine at the foot of the stairs of the small stations. It usually has an English language alternative. Mostly, in a city you need an 'A' ticket, which costs you about 1-80 Euros but you can simply type in the destination and it will tell you the price. I wouldn't bother with a return as it doesn't save any money and usually gets lost in the pub. Happily the ticket works for the bus too, so you can mix train and bus in town if necessary at no extra cost. The big mistake is not to stamp your ticket. Usually, at the foot of the stairs there is an orange box and some incomprehensible German writing. Basically, this is saying that your ticket is invalid unless stamped. Stick the ticket in the box and you are on your way. You are not required to show this ticket to anyone official for the rest of your journey unless an inspector, often plain clothed, comes on and asks. If you don't have a ticket he fines you pots of money on the spot.
Occasionally, you may have stumbled onto the wrong train. In Germany there are numerous different trains for numerous different reasons. If you are on a 'different' train you inevitably have to pay a supplement. Short journeys will not break the bank but best to pay happily as the German official will be confused when you get upset.
This is the central site in English for train times and costs:
www.bahn.de/pv/uebersicht/die_bahn_international_guests.shtml
I believe that if you have a ticket for the game you can use it as a train ticket free.
The trains run on time. (Three years here and I still can't get used to it; bringing memories of the train stopping in Germany before the Spanish World Cup, nipping to the toilet and coming back to watch it leaving on time carrying my brothers, belongings and all my comrades with it.)
Cars
Driving is something of bizarre experience in Germany. On the motorway particularly you will see
numerous signs of an apparently contradictory or dubious nature. This appears to be useful site for the keen.
www.german-way.com/german/driving.html
For lazy, inept and careless characters the following might help
Autobahn (motorway)
Speed
It is a myth to say you can drive as fast as you like. Usually signs will say 120, sometimes 130. Best to stick to that as a top limit when in doubt with the following exception:
80 'bei Nässe' means 80 only when raining or wet. So don't worry if it's dry.
Ausfahrt
Ausfahrt means exit. These are kind of backwards to Scottish slip roads and always problematic to the psyche.
Coming out of an ausfahrt you are almost always presented with an immediate choice: You have to make sure that you are not going back on to the same road you were on before so have a close look as you exit. I found that making an intuitive decision on the roads is almost always wrong and it's at these exits that the mistake is made which costs you two hours re-navigation.
Place names
BO is short for Bochum
DO is short for Dortmund
ESSEN is just Essen
Place names often disappear briefly on German road signs and only return later for obscure and
incomprehensible reasons. The trick is to keep going and ask no questions. The Germans have a kind of
mentality of telling you a thing once and (in direct contradiction to the entire Scottish culture) expecting you to remember it.
Local Driving
Pedestrians, Green Men and Being Rude
Yes, utterly beyond any stereotype the Germans do wait until the red man goes green before crossing. This is to set an example for little kids and they treat any digressions seriously. In Germany loads of little kids still walk the streets and ride along on tiny colorful bikes and skateboards. Heart warming for the pedestrian and worrying for the driver.
You have to take great care when you have a green light at a junction as pedestrians still have right of way. This is so embedded in the social framework that pedestrians will literally ignore you when you virtually kill them by trying to sneak round. It also has a by-product in that they do not acknowledge your existence. For a long time I put this down to simple rudeness but then I began to reflect that they have a very functional attitude. The rules say they have the right to cross so why bother making a fuss about it. Don't expect them to smile.
(This incidentally applies to other aspects of German culture. Many German drivers will not acknowledge that you have stopped to let them out of a street and they will flash there lights when racing at 180 kilometers an hour behind you simply to tell you that they are going faster than you and you are in their way. No animosity is generally intended.)
Right of Way
In small roads sometimes the traffic coming out on the right has right of way. I've heard horror stories of broke Germans sending an ambassador out to the little road who waits until you speed down it, signals his buddy who crashes into you and reaps the reward of the wicked. Never seen it happen though.
The funny yellow triangle means you have right of way.
Accidents
If you are unlucky enough to have an accident always call the police even if you are blocking the entire motorway. They always measure everything in sight. Speaking of the Police (polizei) they seem to be remarkably friendly in Germany. They wear green.
German Humor
It does exist. The Germans (like the rest of the world') have an enormously wide range of people who defy their general stereotype but I have noticed if a German does something he really does it. If he decides he likes Scottish folk music within six months he will know more than a Scottish folk musician. If he repairs cars he will fix your car. Even at the garage people seem trained to know where places are, a skill long since defunct in our land.
You'll probably see a lot of kilted Germans. It is inevitable that they will be wearing them 'properly'. This isn't an aspect of humor for Germans. It's a bit like having a hobby, which is taken a stage further than the Scottish idea of hobby into realms of obsession (unless its football).
And, a German joke.
Klaus and Hans have being going to the same pub (kneipe) for 50 years.
Klaus says, "Mind if I bring a friend tomorrow."
Hans replies, "No."
Next evening Klaus brings his friend. They sit for four hours in silence and then Klaus says
"Yep."
Hans says "Yep"
The friend says "Know what you mean."
Next evening Klaus pops into the bar. He says to Hans "Like my Friend?"
"No," says Hans. "He talks too much."
Parking
Three years in Germany and I can park my car without fear and loathing. If you are new to it advice will not help you much. There seems to be about three systems but perhaps reading this will put you off altogether.
www.jpoc.net/dotorgsite/jpocorg/countries/germany/Parking.html
I admit I haven't come across such rigid inflexibility but there have been a few moments of despair. Here's a site that explains it better than I ever will.
home.att.net/~texhwyman/parken.htm
Best of luck and don't forget the Germans are worse than Mounties for getting their man.
Oh, and how do you get to the game on the day. As far as I remember you walk out the train station and go right, following those members of the tartan army with orienteering qualifications.
All the above expressed opinions and statements are mine. If I have made any unwitting errors I apologize. If the link to your site is objectionable Let me know and I will remove it. Sorry about the American spelling. Too lazy to correct the speller.