Travelling through Germany proved to be remarkably eventful. Although I had flown with the airline before, it had never occurred to me that I could have booked a seamless connection straight through to Berlin or Munich. Instead, I booked a direct flight from Lagos to Frankfurt, leaving myself to arrange—and pay for—a separate road trip to my final destination in Berlin.
- +Reporter’s diary: Lessons from my first trip to Germany
- +He shook his head: “No, not the airport.”
At Frankfurt Airport, I met a responsible-looking Nigerian man travelling with his family.
At Frankfurt Airport, I met a responsible-looking Nigerian man travelling with his family. He explained that he was heading to Hamburg and asked if I would like to join him, noting that the journey from Hamburg to Berlin takes only a few hours and costs approximately €15. Although he appeared trustworthy, I declined the offer, reluctant to travel with a stranger and unsure how I would explain such a decision to my family back home.
He did, however, introduce me to Deutsche Bahn (DB), the German railway network, which I needed to consult for train travel times, destinations, and fares. Nevertheless, I decided to check the nearby FlixBus service at the airport, particularly since the initial FlixBus booking I had made while still in Lagos had been cancelled.
I found a bus to Berlin priced at €24, but it wasn’t scheduled to depart until 2:00 pm. The terminal area was quiet, offering very little seating space to kill seven hours.
I decided to walk back towards the main airport area. On my way, I crossed paths with two friendly Kenyan ladies who were out evangelising; they kindly helped me navigate my way to Frankfurt Central Station.
Once at the station, I decided to book another FlixBus to Berlin. Because I failed to book online in advance, I paid a staggering last-minute price. In the future, I will ensure I book well in advance to secure fares as low as €25. To add to the frustration, I still faced a wait until 3:00 pm. In hindsight, I should have taken the train to shorten the journey, though it remains unclear how expensive that option would have been without planning. While waiting at the station, I felt the sharp pinch of European pricing: a simple bottle of Coca-Cola cost €3.50, while a small bottle of water was €2.
The saving grace of the subsequent nine-hour journey was the European summer. The days were much longer, the nights shorter, and the weather was pleasantly warm. Even at 9:30 pm, darkness had not fully fallen. I spent the following day sightseeing at the iconic Brandenburg Gate alongside my cousins.
During my stay, I noticed that Germany was in the middle of its summer break, the Sommerferien. With half the population away on holiday, the transit system felt remarkably relaxed. Ticket checks at the train stations were practically non-existent, allowing me to move around freely without purchasing train tickets, relying on Google Maps to navigate the stops. For one quick journey, I simply opted for a €14 Uber ride.
Fortunately, while still in Lagos, I had booked my return journey from Berlin back to Frankfurt for €31. My departure from Berlin was set for 5:30 pm, featuring a midnight drop-off at Nuremberg Central Bus Station (Willy-Brandt-Platz) before finally reaching the airport at 3:15 am.
The bus arrived precisely on time. Interestingly, its final destination was Rome, Italy, whereas I was due to alight at Nuremberg Station at half past midnight. The station had quite a few rough-looking individuals, but fortunately, it was not deserted.
I faced an hour-and-a-half wait for my connecting bus to Frankfurt, whose ultimate destination was London. I quickly realised how vital it was to remain vigilant; had I fallen asleep on the first bus, I could have ended up in Rome, and if I slept on the connecting one, I would have found myself heading towards London.
On the final leg to Frankfurt Airport, unbeknownst to me, the incoming bus had three separate stops within Frankfurt alone. Thinking we had arrived at the airport, I alighted at the first stop and retrieved my luggage from the hold, but decided to confirm with the driver.
He shook his head: “No, not the airport.”
It was a complete lifesaver. I scrambled back onto the bus with my bags, breathing a massive sigh of relief as we finally pulled into Frankfurt Airport.
