Part Two
For those of you who have missed me talk about Wombat’s Hostel, the accessible
accommodation in Munich where I stayed with my friend and our husbands, the
first part of the review is here. Thank you so much to the Wombat’s Hostel team for
hosting us within your Munich site; we had an absolutely wonderful time. Just to
reiterate that all views to follow are entirely authentic and genuine throughout.
Munich has given us so many memories and moments we will cherish; clinking
beer steins whilst traditional Bavarian music played, touring historic Roman &
Grecian artefacts at the Glyptothek museum or even experiencing the poignancy
of honouring those who lost their lives at Dachau Concentration Camp. We fitted
so much into our stay but there remains so many more things we could have done
if we had the additional time.
The Wombat’s Hostel that we stayed at was in Werksviertel, Munich, but there is
another hostel in the Wombat’s group in Hauptbahnhof within the city centre. We
didn’t tour or experience the Hauptbahnhof hostel but it is within a very close
walkable/ wheelable distance to the festivities of Oktoberfest in Munich city centre.
The official Oktoberfest (Munich) website has a section all about accessibility and
how to experience the fun in a barrier-free, disabled-friendly way.
One of the things I loved about the Werksviertel site that Richard and I stayed at
with our friends was how easy it was to use the public transport to go into the city
and surrounding areas. Plus, it meant we could easily pop back to the hostel
midway through the day and have a rest. Our nearest station was Munich Ost but
the elevator to the platforms was unfortunately not in working use for most of our
stay. It was a short fifteen minute, accessible, walk to the nearest station of
Ostbahnhof. All of the trains in Munich had an accessible carriage at the front. This
was marked by a wheelchair icon on the train door exterior and interior. It showed
that this particular S-Bahn or U-Bahn train carriage was wheelchair-friendly.
Inside, there was a specifically marked wheelchair sear where you can pull up with your
brakes on. Any passenger already standing in the designated wheelchair zone
should offer to move unless they have a mobility aid themselves.
The main concern I had with boarding the U-Bahn and S-Bahn with a wheelchair
was that there could often be a varying gap between the platform and the open
train doors. This could be as small as three inches, where my wheels could easily
roll over without doing a “wheelie” and raising my front wheelchair casters (wheels)
off of the ground. When the gap was larger than this, I definitely had to have my
husband raise me off the ground at the front or do this myself. Just to be aware of
this if you have a powered wheelchair which would not cope with this gap of up to
six inches.
However, a much easier way to travel around for a power wheelchair user in
Munich would be to use the bus services. These run frequently and have electronic
signs within them to showcase the bus stop you are approaching. Almost all of the
buses travelling around Munich are wheelchair-friendly, the only ones you may have
concern with are the coaches that travel further afield over longer distances
such as to Neuschwanstein Castle and Salzburg in Austria. Some of these long
distance coaches are wheelchair friendly but you need to check in detail prior to
booking an excursion.
When using a bus within Munich centre in a wheelchair, you board at the centre of
the bus where there is a specially adapted door. You can alert the driver by
flagging them down or pressing the button at the centre of the bus exterior,
marked by a wheelchair icon. This way, the driver can release the electronic or
manual ramp which would allow you to board the bus easily in either a manual or
powered chair. From Ostbahnhof, near to Wombat’s Hostel, there is a busy bus
hub that can take you to most places around the city without having to worry
about working lifts or six inch platform gaps.
Whatever form of disabled public transport you choose to use, I would highly
recommend downloading the MVV App which is the official Munich public
transport for accessibility and also general travel. You can check if any lift is out of
order or any public transport is delayed or cancelled.
I’ve talked about the wheelchair friendly public transport we used to travel around
Munich but what we really need before a day of multiple trains, buses or trams is a
good, filling breakfast.
Luckily, Wombat’s Hostel Munich had the perfect solution for four travellers about to
brave the mid-July heat! Their breakfast could be pre-bought at the hostel reception
at check in or could be bought from the breakfast desk on the day.
For €6.90, you can get a breakfast buffet from 7-10.30am from the WomBAR at the
very ground floor of the hostel. The lifts were easily accessible from our adapted 6
person dorm room (Room 213) and could even fit two wheelchair users alongside
their tired, abled husbands. The vast majority of the WomBAR was really
accessible for both Mary and I as wheelchair users. There was one very small area
up some steps at the very end of the breakfast area so I couldn’t access those
tables.
However, we found plenty of tables always available at every time we went for our
breakfast during our stay. I loved that many of the table areas were large
communal dining tables so you often found yourself sharing breakfast with another
person/ group and were able to make friends quickly as you talked about your
upcoming days. There were plenty of smaller tables for specific group sizes of two
or four if you would prefer a quiet breakfast in your hungover or sleepy morning
state!
The fun thing about breakfast at the WomBAR in Wombat’s Hostel was that non-
residents of the hostel could dine there. It meant that Munich residents, fellow
travellers from other parts of the city or your new Bavarian besties you met at the
bar the night before could all dine together if they so wished. This also applies to
the things I’ll talk about later – the WomCAFÉ which is what the breakfast area
turns into during the day (for coffee, toasties, hot drinks etc) and the WomBAR
where you can have all sorts of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks as you attend
the weekly events or just chat or play pool.
All of the gaps between the tables were wide enough for me to go through with my
standard self-propelled manual wheelchair and I found no problem in removing a
dining chair if I wished to remain seated in my wheelchair rather than transferring. I
could also reach all of the self-service breakfast buffet items very easily. The staff
were all really friendly throughout the Wombat’s Hostel we stayed at but
particularly within the WomBAR breakfast area. Although my abled husband often
carried my coffee to the table as self-propelling a wheelchair takes two empty
hands, it was so lovely that the staff came over and asked if I needed help. My
husband (or Tim, Mary’s husband) often did the task of putting away our
breakfast used crockery in the racks by the exit. However, staff would have
been more than happy to help with this too!
For hot drinks during the buffet opening hours, there was a great selection of
coffees, hot chocolates and teas (including fruit/ peppermint teas). Some coffees/
hot chocolates you could select to already include milk or you could make your
own tea/ americano and add the homogenised alpine milk or oat milk available.
There was also honey, brown or white sugar if you like a little sweetness in your
drink.
The buffet area had clearly labelled foods on English labels. You could contact a
staff member if you had allergies or intolerances but there was a great selection of
food types available. This included vegan porridge for those who require no dairy
in their diet. There were little pots of jam available if you’d like to add that, or honey
alongside the tea selections. Other guests were making their own jam sandwiches
for breakfast with the bread slices or cobs available, alongside adding butter or
margarine to this.
Natural yoghurt pots topped with granola seemed like a crowd favourite and most
people had this on their trays. The tray underneath the plate allowed me an easier
time when carrying my own breakfast food as it remained on my lap as I self-
propelled. I also saw many of the guests had the little pots of mixed chopped fruit
on their tables; a refreshing and zingy moment in the morning.
As an English visitor, it was slightly unusual for me to find chopped vegetables and
fresh hummus on offer at breakfast but I genuinely loved having this healthy option
alongside the wider selection on offer. The vegetables included carrot sticks,
chopped pepper, radish and cucumber and the hummus was individually
portioned so there was a lessened risk of cross-contamination with the other
breakfast items.
The only thing I think may be more of a concern is if you are a strict vegetarian/
vegan or didn’t eat ham for religious reasons. There was a toastie machine
available to make your own delicious toasties with the bread, butter/ margarine,
creamy gouda cheese and fresh ham available. Wombat’s Hostel had tried to
lessen the risk of other food items being left on the hotplate from other guests’
toasties by giving little greaseproof paper sleeves to place your toastie in. This
kept the hotplate much cleaner and definitely reduced the risk of food being left on
the hotplate but just worth noting. There were plenty of other options though for
those with dietary requirements such as the vegan porridge, vegetables with hummus
and bread.
I loved making toasties with the light, creamy gouda and sliced ham. It was
definitely a hearty accompaniment to set us up with lots of energy for our days of
exploring Munich!
We really did burn all of the calories we consumed; it was really warm and we
walked (or wheeled) around so many sights, definitely getting our steps counted
up! One of my favourite things we did whilst staying at Wombat’s Hostel in
Werksviertel was going up the accessible lift in the New Town Hall within the Old
Town and Marienplatz. It was only a five minute accessible S-Bahn train ride from
Munich Ost to Marienplatz stations. Just check the lifts are in working order on the
MVV app but it was such a quick and easy journey. You can take the S1, S2, S4
and S8 trains and all had the above wheelchair access.This dominating,
architecturally stunning building hosts the glockenspiel at the front.
This features large figurines which dance and animate three times a day
during the summer months. However, a more hidden gem of Munich is the fact
that there is an accessible lift within this stunning building, despite its age and
historic setting!
The lift was definitely compact so only one manual wheelchair user could fit at
once. You just had to flag the worker at the desk down as you enter as they
needed to open the metal turnstile gate. Carers were free and disabled visitors had
a significant reduction in ticket price; you could pay at Tourist Information under
the ground floor arches of the New Town Hall or at the ticket desk by the lift.
However, the views were absolutely breathtaking. You could see as far as the
Allianz Football Stadium. Mary’s husband, Tim, visited there on a tour as he is very
interested in all things football-related. I actually found out that they do an
accessible Allianz football stadium tour for those with mobility aids – the only
problem is that it only runs once on a Thursday and is also only in German.
From this viewpoint, we could watch as people moved around in Marienplatz and
see the spires/ domes of all of the famous church buildings. We found that the
majority of these churches has a side entrance for step-free access if you want to
visit these. St Peterskirche (St Peter’s Church) was stunning inside and did have a
famous tower (Alter Peter/ Old Peter) if you can climb 306 steps.
I genuinely think Munich had something for everyone, whether you are travelling
for sight-seeing and cultural enrichment, for a stag do/ hen party (bachelor party/
bachelorette to my followers across the pond) or even as a couple to sample the
culinary delights of Germany. It had easy access to lots of other famous cities too.
I think Wombat’s Hostel did very well at catering to all group sizes and types. For
example, Richard and I were allowed to explore the other room sizes during our
stay. We stayed in the adapted six person dorm room but there were also twin (or
double) and four person rooms. Within the twin room (which can be converted to a
double on request), there was a comfy set of beds, a clothes hanging area with
shoe storage compartments and a large fan available upon request.
From this room’s window (Room 203), you could see the ramped access to the
shops next door in Werksviertel. You could also see the disabled car parking
spaces for visitors to Werksviertel and watch as people walked through this cool,
trendy area. The bathroom was plentifully big enough for a couple/ a pair of friends
to use.
It contained a standard toilet and sink, alongside a shower with a small 3 inch step
to enter. You again couldn’t fit mobility aids (wheelchair/ rollator/ walker) within
the bathroom but if you were able to mobilise a couple of metres then this
would be a perfect base to explore the city from.
The four-person dorm room was really fun to see as you could choose to hire the
entire room privately solely for your group of up to four people, or you could book
your required number of beds in a shared room. This means that Wombat’s Hostel
would allow other guests to book the remaining beds and you may end up with a
fun drinking buddy to visit the WomBAR downstairs with, or even a travel
companion for future trips. Again, you can also choose to have a female-only dorm
room if that is a more comfortable dynamic.
Within this four-person room, there were two bunk beds with the same amenities
as those within our six-person adapted room. For example, there were curtains
around each bed for privacy whilst reducing the light whilst you sleep. There were
also lockable small safes within the bed with a EU plug socket inside, a shoe rack
shelving area to share between two people and larger storage spaces with the
same four digit pin lock system in place. Within each bunk, there was a small
phone-sized shelf, a bedside lamp, a USB charging port and an adjustable fan to
control the temperature of your own bunk space. These little additions made the
room seem so much more user-friendly. Plus, they would be really useful for safety
and privacy if you were sharing the room with other travellers outside of your party.
The bathroom area was a similar size to that of the twin/ double room and had
everything you would need for your stay. Again, you wouldn’t be able to get your
wheelchair within the bathroom door, but it would be perfect if you could mobilise
a few steps.
On our final night, we had a drink at the WomBAR which is in the same area that
you have breakfast. There was a vibrant energy with a bustling crowd of people
drinking, playing pool and catching up. I loved that the WomBAR (and WomCafé
during the day) are open to non-residents of the hostel as it allowed you to make
local friends or to bring along friends who may be staying elsewhere. During the
day, the WomCafé serves toasties and barista style hot drinks. You can even buy
bags of the coffee beans the Wombat’s Hostel chain uses as gifts for friends,
family or even to yourself!
The breakfast buffet, WomBAR and WomCafé are all in this main hub at different
times of the day. Even when the area was busy, I managed to wheel my wheelchair
between tables and go to the bar/ breakfast service area so there was no problem
with that. Also, there is an accessible toilet right beside this area. There was a toilet
with two foldable grab rails on either side. This allows for a side transfer from a
mobility aid if needed. There was also a red emergency grab handle on the end of
one of these rails. As always, when travelling to a different country, I would highly
recommend learning a few words that are useful to you. I learnt words such as
“emergency”, “hospital”, “wheelchair” and “carer”, amongst others.
It had a lowered sink, mirror and hand-dryer right beside this. Having a hand dryer
right beside a sink is very helpful as it allows a wheelchair user to self-propel
without wetting their wheelchair push-rims through, having an effect on grip. For
those who don’t know these terms (which is perfectly ok!), the push-rims are the
metal bars a wheelchair user grips to move. Mine are pink on this holiday!
Sadly, all good things must come to an end though, so we ventured down to this
area to have our final breakfast buffet. We were lucky that our flight was in the late
afternoon so we still had the majority of the day to explore the city of Munich a
little more. After check out, we decided to leave our bags in a secure locker within
the locker room. This was such a reassuring experience as I didn’t want to leave
my medicines or expensive medical equipment out in a public area, as lovely as
every guest was.
The lockers were in small, medium and large sizes. We managed to get our large
aeroplane hold sized suitcase and a backpack within the same locker in a large
size. You could also choose to secure your luggage for two, eight or twenty-four
hours. I’ll pop the price levels down below but unfortunately no small lockers were
available when we visited this area so you can’t see the pricing of these.
These were the “little extras” that just felt so helpful in Wombat’s Hostel in
Werksviertel, Munich. I think they had really thought about the guest experience in
everything from the bunks’ privacy curtains to the reasonably priced drinks and
toasties. It felt such a social, communal experience and many people (even solo
travellers) had found others to natter to if they wanted that vibe. As a base, it was
easy to access wheelchair friendly Munich public transport and it was accessible
throughout. It is really unusual to find accommodation that has this high level of
access for this reasonable price point!
Thank you again to Wombat’s Hostel, Werksviertel Munich for allowing us to stay
with you on our PR trip. We will absolutely be back to visit yourselves, or to
another Wombat’s Hostel in a different European city.
You can catch up on Part One of my accessible hostel review here. I appreciate
you all reading this far and I hope you have a joyous time in Munich should you
choose to visit.
