Train station near Spangdahlem?

Author Message   John D. Moderator Username: John_d Post Number: 4657 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 95.208.80.143 Posted on Saturday, June 12, 2010 - 04:20 pm:    Part of Bitburg is still being used by Spangdahlem as a housing annex - the rest is closed. According to DoDLodging there is no lodging at Bitburg. As far as exchange, the list of locations from AAFES.com will give you info on what's there along with a map.   L Greer Junior Member Username: 141fe Post Number: 6 Registered: 05-2010 Posted From: 81.242.67.178 Posted on Saturday, June 12, 2010 - 07:25 am:    I tHought Bitburg had closed some time ago but apparently from this thread it has not. Can someone summarize what's there i.e. lodging and exchange. I picked up from the thread that there is europecar outside the gate. We are inBelguim and heading back to Spang or Ramstein tomm for a ride home. Thanks   Mark Arnold Junior Member Username: Maxl Post Number: 6 Registered: 05-2009 Posted From: 71.62.181.37 Posted on Thursday, June 10, 2010 - 01:20 am:    I wonder if the "Fred Milton" is the one I knew in the 80s, in the PAO arena. Possibly I will soon try what I think may be the best local transportation from Spang to the rest of Germany. If this happens, I will report. - Mark   Joseph Knight Jr. Intermediate Member Username: Cougarfan45 Post Number: 79 Registered: 11-2006 Posted From: 68.59.33.213 Posted on Friday, May 21, 2010 - 04:06 pm:    The Bitburg shuttle goes inside the Bitburg front gate, you get off there...do a right face and walk straight ahead for a "few" blocks, the Europcar office is visible on a street to the left, lots of little colored flags, etc. It's not that far, easy bag drag. I had my own GPS, didn't inquire about one...here is the Europcar link: http://www.europcar.com/EBE/module/booking/FirstStep.do   Lyle D. Member Username: Yellowstone Post Number: 44 Registered: 01-2009 Posted From: 74.176.236.61 Posted on Friday, May 21, 2010 - 02:57 pm:    Joeseph, Please give me a few more specifics on the Europecar outside the Bitburg front gate. Does this Bitburg shuttle from Spang go near the front gate? Will they let you off near the front gate and how far a walk to the Europecar Rental? We were at Spang about a year ago and took the Bitburg Shuttle over just to see what was over there but had no reason at the time to check on the rental car as we had other plans back at Spang. When we were there the Hertz was in operation. Did not use a rental car as we flew out on Ryan Air from Frankfurt/Hahn for Edinburgh, Scotland. But now since auto rental have closed at Spang, we will need to make other plans for a rental. This Bitburg seems doable. Does anyone else have experience with another auto rental in the area of Spang? How about a GPS, was that available with your "peppy small Opal?" I will have to have that. Thanks.   Joseph Knight Jr. Intermediate Member Username: Cougarfan45 Post Number: 77 Registered: 11-2006 Posted From: 68.59.33.213 Posted on Sunday, May 09, 2010 - 12:48 pm:    You are right, it was Enterprise...but they still would not rent to retirees as of the end of March.   Fred Milton Member Username: Fmmagyar Post Number: 31 Registered: 01-2007 Posted From: 212.200.122.250 Posted on Sunday, May 09, 2010 - 07:22 am:    I am confused now. I thought that Hertz had departed Spangdahlem and that Enterprise had taken over and is trying to get permission to rent to retirees. Joe is your information based on a current visit and if so then perhaps you could contact Neal Floyd and give him the latest update for his Europe Car rental project.   Joseph Knight Jr. Intermediate Member Username: Cougarfan45 Post Number: 76 Registered: 11-2006 Posted From: 68.59.33.213 Posted on Saturday, May 08, 2010 - 03:36 pm:    One more thing...Hertz on base at Spangdahlem does not rent to retirees and Sixt is no longer there. I caught the shuttle to Bitburg and took my business to Europecar. It is a few minutes walk from Bitburg's front gate. Got a very peppy small Opal, and all of the Europecar people I dealt with were very nice. I forget the rate but thought it was good. Dropped the Opal off 2 weeks later at Landsthul, caught a taxi (9 Euro) to Ramstein terminal and a ride back to CHS. Gas is expensive, over $7 gallon. On every Space-A, I learn something new to help me on my next trip. There are lots of car rentals in Bitburg, most if not all are closed on Sunday. Joe   Leland Senior Member Username: Leland Post Number: 6207 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 98.218.147.237 Posted on Friday, May 07, 2010 - 01:43 pm:    Joseph, a nice useful summary. Thank you.   Joseph Knight Jr. Intermediate Member Username: Cougarfan45 Post Number: 75 Registered: 11-2006 Posted From: 68.59.33.213 Posted on Friday, May 07, 2010 - 01:37 pm:    Spangdahlem has a "Bitburg Shuttle" van that runs every 2 hours or so from the VQ to the Bitburg base front gate. Taxi from there to the train station, which is full-service. The Speicher train station is several miles on the other side of the town. It is not walkable, too far and no shoulders. There is no attendant but the ticket machine is very easy to use. I left my rental car at the Speicher station and caught a local directly to Cologne and back. If you're going the other way (Paris), you go the opposite way to Wittlich and connect. Nobody cares of you leave your car for a few days at the Speicher (pronounced Spiz' er) station but it is out in the middle of nowhere. The driving distance from Spangdahlem to Speicher is about half the distance to Bitburg, so the Speicher station is within taxi reach. It's sort of six of one, a half dozen of the other. Also, the Bitburg Shuttle is more sporadic on weekends because of manpower needs.   Joe Reele Member Username: Pippo Post Number: 15 Registered: 10-2008 Posted From: 72.88.39.110 Posted on Wednesday, May 05, 2010 - 09:21 pm:    We took a train from Geilenkirchen to Spangdahlem. The station is not too far from the base. We took the local bus to the base, however, it let us off about 1/2mile from the base. We found out later that when the bus returns on it's route, it goes right by the base. We just asked the bus driver"flughaven? He stopped when we got near there.   Marita Marcano Member Username: Joluma Post Number: 17 Registered: 03-2010 Posted From: 74.170.108.155 Posted on Monday, March 29, 2010 - 12:51 pm:    I checked the same thing the other day. It seems that Speicher is the closest train station to Spangdahlem. Speicher is closer than Bitburg or Wittlich (I am from this area and know the area by car but not by train and did not know that Speicher had a train station). From Speicher there are local trains to Trier (just checked at www.bahn.de) and from Trier you can take a fast train to Paris. Please check www.bahn.de.   John D. Moderator Username: John_d Post Number: 4188 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 95.208.80.143 Posted on Monday, March 29, 2010 - 04:00 am:    Russ, Welcome to the world of Space-A Travel. According to what I've heard Speicher is the closest rail access to Spangdahlem AB. Please see the www.spacea.net info on the Spangdahlem Wiki Page for more details.   Russ Hamel New member Username: Russhamel Post Number: 1 Registered: 03-2010 Posted From: 71.200.0.245 Posted on Monday, March 29, 2010 - 12:43 am:    We're trying to get to Paris from Spangdahlem... I have heard about Bitburg-Erdorf, Wittlich, and Speicher Bahnhofs...any recommendations? Thanks!