Hanover hit by influx of World Cup fans

The World Cup in Germany this summer will bring with it an additional 3-4 million visitors to Germany this June. The twelve host cities have been preparing in earnest for the event since the announcement of the host country in 2000. Each host city has seen investment in infrastructure and development to accommodate the influx of visitors and prove worthy hosts to the festival of football.

Hanover, one of the 12 German cities selected to host the tournament is one city which has seen a great deal of preparation gone underway for some months in anticipation of World Cup 2006. With a significant swelling of Hanover’s half million residents expected over the month of June, the city has seen the development of additional accommodation and of the transport systems in and around the city to adequately handle the global community this summer. Although accommodation will be thin on the ground with the tournament just around the corner, the official website of the local authority in Hanover, (http://www.hannover.de ) might be able to help out with some suggestions. Similarly, some of the large hotel resellers may yet have availability for rooms in and around Hanover.

Hanover although not of Germany’s largest or most familiar of cities to outsiders is a city of history and culture. Somewhat overshadowed in the short break and international flight (http://www.britishairways.com/findaflight/europe/gb/flights/from/london-to-hanover.html ) market to neighbours and fellow World Cup hosts such as Berlin, Munich and Hamburg, the visiting football fan will be impressed by a compact and aesthetically good city. Hanover, as with other northern German cities such as Hamburg and Cologne, is stacked full of historic buildings and points of interest for the visitor. Getting around Hanover should be relatively simple as it is a pedestrian friendly with decent public transport facilities.

Although Hanover has a well served airport, the city is a central hub on Germany’s autobahn network so getting to and from the city for World Cup fans travelling the length and breadth of Germany is best by road. For those moving on from Hanover to follow their teams’ progress, car hire is easy and abundant with the major car rental firms (http://easycar.com/aspx/car-hire/location/GermanyAirports.aspx/EN ) have a presence in Hanover.