Boot Dusseldorf

R

roblpm

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 Mar 2012
Messages
7,310
Visit site
Due to terminal boredom here in the dark in Scotland I have booked a flight to dusseldorf. Well actually 9.99 single to weeze on ryanair which is nowhere near dusseldorf and then I have to come back via London!

But assuming I actually make it to the show I thought I might take a few videos and stick it on YouTube. Will look at the Viko 35.

Not really sure why I am going really as there will be lots of expensive things Im not going to buy.

Anyone who wants me to look at anything post it up and I will whizz round!
 
Its a really interesting boat show, undoubtedly the best in Europe - i will be there on Thursday next week. If you purchase your entry ticket in advance you can use it for free travel to and from the show on the local VRR transport network. I am going for the multihull hall - yes, a whole hall for multihulls!
 
I'll be interested to hear your opinions as to what Boot is like.

I've heard from one of my mates that it's a great show, and with such cheap flights, it might well be a good shout.
 
Frogmogman said:
I'll be interested to hear your opinions as to what Boot is like.

I've heard from one of my mates that it's a great show, and with such cheap flights, it might well be a good shout.
Click to expand...

Easy from London I think. The flight times from Edinburgh are lousy! If you wanted to stay for 3 days I think it would be cheap but as the flights are every other day if i came back on ryanair I would only get one day at the show!
 
Hi all, first post here on YBM. we flying in to Boot this weekend. I missed Southampton unfortunately and just by chance stumbled on their website that the show is in Jan. Looking for a 'moored' 8 / 9 mtr Merry Fisher style for overnighting and fishing having had a trailerable cuddy fisher at Portland WPNSA a few years back. Have a good show.
 
I’m not going, but those on the South Coast should be aware that FlyBe go direct from Southampton to Düsseldorf. Not as cheap as Rob’s Ryanair ticket, but very convenient if you’re local - in my case 20 minutes from my living room to the boarding gate.

Pete
 
prv said:
I’m not going, but those on the South Coast should be aware that FlyBe go direct from Southampton to Düsseldorf. Not as cheap as Rob’s Ryanair ticket, but very convenient if you’re local - in my case 20 minutes from my living room to the boarding gate.

Pete
Click to expand...

I'm going from Southampton on Friday evening - Never been to Boot before so looking forward to it.
 
Angele said:
Ummm! That was 2018, although I suspect many of them are going again this year (as, indeed, am I).
Click to expand...

Given that they were discussing handing round the free tickets from vendors and probably flying on points acquired on business I should have realised they'd be re-using last year's thread. That diesel doesn't pay for itself :)
 
I'm usually pretty good at spotting who on the DLR is going to the the boat show. I presume the same rules apply at the airport. Is the phrase MAMIMs
(Middle-Aged Men In Musto...) A Thing?
 
laika said:
I'm usually pretty good at spotting who on the DLR is going to the the boat show. I presume the same rules apply at the airport. Is the phrase MAMIMs
(Middle-Aged Men In Musto...) A Thing?
Click to expand...

Lol. It is now.

I'm heading over to Dusseldorf middle of next week, and staying until the following weekend. It sounds like Terrier (welcome to the forum BTW) and Barbican are going to the show this weekend, so sadly we won't overlap. Laika, when are you going to be there?

If anyone who will be there between Wednesday 23 and Saturday 26 fancies meeting up for a drink in the evening, I would be up for it. Brauerei Schumacher on Oststrasse anyone? https://www.schumacher-alt.de/
 
If anyone needs a hotel room for any or all of 18-20th Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights please PM me as one of our party is unwell. £40/night, no breakfast booked, near to U-bahn line to Messe and about 10 mins walk to Altstadt.
 
Well, so far we have had a fab weekend without even getting to the show. Spent the day in the city exploring using the excellent public transport without getting lost! Quite an achievement for a country bumpkin who never ventures into London and can't speak German!
Having a relaxing eve and doing the show tomorrow and Mon, so can only get better.
 
I went for the first time this week. Two days was barely enough, it is vast and covers pretty much every aspect of water based sport, recreation etc. I think I visited 5 of the 17 Halls. Bought some stuff, made some decisions about other purchases. Looked at all sorts of boats, could have looked at many more. It is so so far ahead of what London Boat Show was - even when London was good. Also better than Southampton in that there is just way more of everything on show. Though Southampton is sort of fun, and has the mixed blessing of boats afloat and outdoor areas.
It really brought home to me the differences between UK and Germany, not just in the marine leisure industry. Dusseldorf is I think the 6th largest city in Germany, so in UK terms something like Newcastle or Bristol. Maybe Liverpool. It has a sparkling, large and international airport. It has a brilliant, cheap and integrated public transport system (free to use if you have a Boot ticket, but not expensive if you have to pay). I am sure there are poor and deprived areas which I didnt see but the city has a palpable air of prosperity and a sort of low key confidence or pride which I found attractive. I know this is a superficial impression, but I also know that quite a few young British people in their 20s and 30s who I know personally from the UK either have moved or want to move there to work . . .

Back to the show: it is extremely well laid out and so spacious that even though busy it didnt feel crowded. One exhibitor told me that he always fancied doing Southampton, but it was "twice the price for 20% of the customers" even with GBP being so low. All in all a very good two days in Dusseldorf, I recommend the show and will go again I hope.
 
Here's the experience of another first timer. You can't compare the cost of flights and accommodation for a weekend in Dusseldorf with a return to Southampton, even at the price South West Trains charge, but for a 2-night "mini-break" it's pretty reasonable if booked far enough in advance. Via LCY it was super-quick and easy to get there. It **is* massive but most people will only be interested in part of it.
The Good:
* Great transport (including free bus direct from the show to the airport for your journey home)
* Very International: Many exhibitors and visitors not from Germany and you're hearing English at the show as much as German
* Big boats indoors
* boats and products which you may be unfamiliar with. The Scalar 40 had far too much wood for me but was a thing of beauty I was totally unaware of.
* Huge!
The less Good:
* We weren't allowed on any boats without making an appointment which meant keeping a calendar of where you had to be when. Sometimes this was more than 24 hours later (the ovni). I don't actually mind this if it avoids everyone wasting time queuing but it was a bit disappointing when your appointment came up and there were *still* too many people looking round at once. The Garcia they wouldn't let me make an appointment and kept saying "come back after xx o'clock" where xx always increased to yy whenever I went back (never did look round that boat).
* Only some of the halls will be relevant to most people. Yes they have hot tubs and marine art and non-boaty tat
* A lot of stuff which would be relevant at a uk show is less so here: sailing schools, sailmakers, marinas etc which are exhibiting don't tend to be uk-based.
* Language *can* be an issue. My German is good enough to ask questions with a reasonable accent but not good enough to understand a technical answer so where I want some detailed info I'll start by politely asking in German if anyone speaks English. Not everyone speaks english of course. The guy who looked like the head honcho on the Raymarine stand (suit, folder of documents, apparently telling others what to do) curtly told me in German they had no-one who spoke English then sat down and ignored us with no further discussion. Actually that was abysmal customer-facing attitude in any language, especially given my question was about an expensive product I am actually considering buying
* Anything you buy you have to take home. The friend I was with would have bought a fast mooring hook thingy but postage to the UK would have been 50% of the price and BA would have charged us for extra baggage.
* The dealers representing suppliers are obviously German so not local to us in the uk: Some people might like to arrange supply and fitting of new toys rather than being referred to the uk distributor
* People say there are no bargains at UK shows any more. There seemed to be no better bargains here.
* You have to consider the exchange rate (and transaction fees) on any purchases
* Refreshments don't seem cheaper than Excel (although having spent upwards of £250 on the weekend you probably care less)

I had a great weekend and would definitely consider going again. Especially nice to meet up with Anglele for a few (very reasonably priced :-) beers. However I think I enjoy southampton a little more, certainly if I'm looking to buy stuff. It's good to make contact with and keep in touch with your suppliers and have no barriers to buying things other than "How am I going to manage this on the train?"
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top