KARNEVAL
2023
This is the 200th anniversary of the official Köln Karneval committee and Effzeh USA's first organized trip to The Most Beautiful City in Germany!
Join us for Karneval in Köln
We are going to the Kölner Karneval in 2023, and we want you to join us! Karneval officially starts at 11:11 on November 11 and culminates with the "crazy days" in February. Our trip will be centered around Rosenmontag on Monday, February 20th and will end with a home match against VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday, February 25. We have a ~1 week itinerary as well as an extended trip. The one week itinerary will be a condensed crash course in Cologne, Effzeh, and Karneval. If you want to arrive earlier, maybe check out a nearby city, and see more that Cologne has to offer, we highly recommend taking the time! Signups are now closed! Thank you to everyone who has signed up. Keep an eye on your emails for more information!
Basic Package: $70
The Basic Package includes the match against VfL Wolfsburg and a guided tour of the Kölner Dom! See details of each event below. We are also scheduling a behind-the-scenes tour of the FC training facility, Geissbockheim, which will be included in the package. The ticket to the match is $40, and the guided tour of the Dom is $20. We are also adding a $10 buffer to this package to account for any unexpected costs so we don't get in a bind (transferring money fees, service fees, price changes, etc). We will be upfront with everyone about the final cost of each item, and any money that is leftover after all purchases are made will be donated to a charitable organization.
Tons of other events will be added as we get closer the trip. Some will be completely free, others will be events you can join, but need to pay for individually. We'll have those details added online, and email itineraries closer to the trip, but most hard deadlines won't be available until much closer to the date of the trip.
Away Match at VfB Stuttgart - $35 add-on
On Saturday, February 18, 1. FC Köln travels to Stuttgart and you have the opportunity to go to the match! Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30pm. If you do purchase this add-on, please make sure you arrive on or before Friday, February 17 so you can attend the match.
1. FC Köln vs. VfL Wolfsburg
FC plays Wolfsburg on Saturday, February 25th at 3:30pm. As long as you book through us, you will have a ticket to the match against Wolfsburg at the end of the trip! We'll have more details about our daily schedule as we get closer to the match.
Tour of Geissbockheim
We are going to get a behind-the-scenes tour of the FC training facility, Geissbockheim! In addition to seeing the training facility, we will be meeting some of the staff who keep things running. Because of the busy schedule, we do not know when this will happen until closer to the event.
Tour of the Kölner Dom
The Cologne Cathedral is the most iconic site in the city. Even if you've been a hundred times it never gets old. We will organize a guided tour of the inside of the Dom for anyone who is interested. The interior is free to explore, but we will have a guided tour included in our package. Exact date will fall between February 19 and February 27.
Where to Stay.
There are plenty of great neighborhoods in Cologne to stay in. Although we don't want to limit you to a specific neighborhood, hotel, or part of town, we do have some recommendations.
Because it is Karneval, hotels, hostels, and Airbnbs are all going to book up very early! We really recommend you book your place well in advance. Also, keep in mind that there is a lot of drinking around Karneval, so if getting lots of restful sleep is important, a hostel might not be the best option with people coming in and out. If you are ready to party all week and don't care about that, by all means have fun, save some money, and stay in that hostel!
Most of our activities will naturally be centered around Die Altstadt, Südstadt, and other neighborhoods on the west bank of the Rhine River. Take a close look at public transportation as well. We do not recommend you rent a car during your stay. We will not have parking recommendations for any of our activities, so if you do rent a car and drive to events, you will have to figure that out on your own.
FAQs.
Q: Do we buy tickets to the Köln - Wolfsburg match through you?
A: Yes! The club is setting aside enough tickets for us to purchase as a group. These tickets will likely be above the supporters in the Südkurve. We are finalizing the price and will have these available for purchase soon!
Q: What is the deadline to RSVP?
A: The deadline has passed. Thank you to everyone who signed up!
Q: I already have tickets to the match or don't want to go to the match. Can I RSVP without purchasing a ticket through you?
A: Absolutely! Please RSVP so we can email you itineraries for our various events.
Q: I'm not sure if I can go or not, should I still RSVP?
A: We have a newsletter that you can sign up for, which is not an official RSVP to this event. You can find that newsletter here! Once you are ready to pay and RSVP for the event, you can do so. We will send out an email to everyone on our newsletter several times before the deadline.
Q: Is this event family friendly?
A: Absolutely! Kids are welcome at all of the events. Some events will be centered around alcohol, but kids are welcome to join us to just about any event you feel comfortable taking them to.
Q: I don't know much about the team, is that ok?
A: Everyone started somewhere with their Effzeh fandom. Some of us were born into it, others adopted it this year. We really hope you'll feel welcome regardless of your background. You don't have to be a diehard fan to join us.
Q: Who is organizing this, and who am I paying?
A: This is a group effort. The folks behind FC Fan Clubs in Chicago, Cincinnati, and Providence are the primary organizers. We are organizing this in conjunction with the club, who is giving us access to tickets, tours, and more. You will be paying Ryan Lammi from Cincinnati, who will make all of the group purchases.
Q: You really didn't answer my question. How do I contact you?
A: You can email us at fckoeln.us at gmail dot com or tweet at us here. We're happy to answer any questions you might have!
