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Stuttgart: travel
As one of Germany's biggest financial hubs it'll come as no staggering surprise that Stuttgart has a busy and well appointed airport.
A new speedy line from Paris to Stuttgart has pulled the city within reach of England by train.
The journey from St Pancras via the French capital sees you pull in at Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof in seven hours, with round trips starting from £142 return.
End of the line - sort of. Stuttgart main station.
Slightly oddly this modern and key European city is technically the end of the line. Stuttgart is a terminus, meaning all trains have to pull in to the Hauptbahnhof and the driver swap end to drive back out.
Apparently there are plans to make it a through station, going underneath central Stuttgart. 'What we need for the 21st Century,' proclaim the city chiefs. 'Waste of money' say a lot of others, apparently.
The main concourse of the station is small although there is one food hall, but there's more to be found below the station with scores of places to eat and drink.
Once you're in the city Stuttgart has the expected fine system of U-Bahn underground, S-Bahn overground plus buses. The centre is easily navigable on foot but many hotels are a good distance from the main station, and the stadium, indoor Porsche Arena and other attractions are too so the chances are you'll need to try out the public transport at some point.
Going underground: An unsurprisingly impressive system.
Click here to download a map of the network. Remember the football ground is still marked Neckar Park Stadion, rather than the Mercedes Benz Arena.
Three day public transport tickets come in at 10.30 euros each in 2009 and that includes the link to the airport. There's also the Stuttgart Plus three day ticket that costs 20 euros with the usual discounts for museums, tours etc. One day group tickets, covering five people cost 9.70 euros.
If you do want a quick wizz of the city attractions there are bus sightseeing tours taking in the key sights, including a jaunt up the TV tower, every afternoon at 1.30pm (Friday to Sunday only in winter).
That costs 17 euros and takes two and a half hours, From April to October there's a short walking tour round the park and palace at 11am daily, lasting 90 minutes and costing seven euros. English is provided where required.
More details can be had from tourist info in the Terminal 3 arrivals at the airport, and also at the top of Konigstrasse, first on the left after leaving the Hauptbahnhof. Or click here.