I haven't found a pattern to the cheapest deals but what I know is that the prices just go up up and away with each passing day if you're booking within 3 weeks from the date of travel. From the many articles I've read, 92 days in advance seems to be the golden rule. But since, we're kinda last minute, this doesn't help. Also, if you're booking flights, try changing the country of residence. You might get a better deal if you enter from the UK website as opposed to the SG website. However, some airlines are smart enough to redirect you to the country of departure to cover this loophole. No harm experimenting though!



So anyway, our travelling boots brought us to the home of Mercedes Benz and Porsche, that is, Stuttgart, Germany. See, even the train station has the famous Mercedes Benz logo. A direct train from Zurich to Stuttgart would take you 3 hours 5 minutes. But if you're adventurous (and cheapskate) like us, you'll opt for the the one with changes. We had to change trains 4 times so we felt like we were on the amazing race because the gaps are about 3-10 minutes each and the platforms are on different ends of the train station!

If your have several connections during your journey, here are some tips to help you catch the next train on time:

1. Have your train schedules on the home screen of your phone so you can check the timings, platforms easily
2. Check (if possible, know by heart) what platforms you'll arrive and depart at 
3. Calculate the gaps between your arrival and departure so that you know you don't have time to waste
4. Google the layout of the train stations you're disembarking at so that you know where to run to catch your next train on a different platform
5. Most importantly, please be on your train 2 minutes before the train leaves (or you'll risk getting depressed over seeing the train leave right before your eyes and waiting 30 minutes or more for the next connection. NOOOOOOO!)
6. Pray that your the train you're on doesn't get delayed (so you have enough time to catch the next one)
7. May the odds be ever in your favour!

Things to do in Stuttgart

1) Mercedes-Benz Museum

A trip to Stuttgart wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Mercedes-Benz Musuem. The museum documents 125 years of automobile history and showcases some of the world's coolest cars! The museum is HUGE so you'd need to dedicate half a day to see all the exhibits. There's a showroom connected to the museum so you can swoon over and sit in the uber cool cars and wish you were staying in Europe. The E220 CDI Cabriolet (my favourite of the lot) is only 77,000 euros! Sighhhh.

Museum information
The musuem is opened on Tuesdays-Sundays from 9am to 6pm. The entrance fee for an adult is 8 euros and children up to the age of 14 enter free. They also provide factory tours on certain days. More information here.

How to get there
From Stuttgart HB, take the S-bahn of the S1 line in the direction of Kirccheim (Teck) to NeckarPark (Mercedes-Benz) (about 7 minutes away). From the NeckarPark station, follow the signs to the museum.

2) Porsche museum

The Porsche museum is home to more than 80 vehicles and showcases the iconic 356, 550, 911 and 917 amongst others. The museum takes you through the Porsche history since its 1948 history.

Museum information
Opening hours: 9am to 6 pm , Tuesdays to Sundays
Entrance fee: Adult/concession 8/4 Euros

How to get there
From Stuttgart HB, take the S-Bahn S6 line towards Leonberg/Weil der Stadt and drop at Neuwirtshaus. The museum is located next to the train station


3) Metzingen Outlet City

A shopping paradise with more than 70 luxury brands. Metzingen also happens to be the hometown of Hugo Boss. So expect bargains!

Opening hours
Monday to Friday 10 am to 8 pm
Saturday 9 am to 8 pm
Other info here 

How to get there
Take the DB train from Stuttgart HB to Metzingen (Wurtt). Train leaves every 30 minutes and the journey takes about 40 minutes. From Metzingen (Wurtt) follow the signs to the Outletcity at Lindenplatz (10 minutes away by foot)

Sadly, I didn't get to smell the Metzingen air because I totally forgot that shops are closed on Sundays! Nangis tak berlagu you know! I will make a comeback Metzingen, watch me!

4) Take a stroll along the Stuttgart city and grab the city map from the tourist office opposite the train station. Afterwhich, discover all of Stuttgart's iconic attractions like the Schlossplatz, the Schlossgarten and many more!


Where to eat?

We found Arslan's Kebap, a Halal Turkish restaurant in the city and what's special about it is they serve chicken! Do you know how rare it is to find chicken meat at a kebab shop. So needless to say, I was a very happy girl with a warm and filled stomach on a cold windy day. It's really amazing how the Turkish kebap is the epitome of halal food all over the world. And how food can be a form of dakwah. So amazing masya Allah

It's located at Marienstraße 28, just 10 to 15 minutes from the train station. The kebabs are reasonably priced (much cheaper than in Switzerland).


Where to pray?

There's a mosque at Fangelsbachstraße 11, near the roundabout in Stuttgart City. It took us about 25 minutes on foot from the station. You really need to read the street signs and be observant, or else you'll miss it.

You can visit this website for the list of mosques in Stuttgart.


Where to stay?

I highly recommend Arcotel Camino, located about 5-10 minutes uphill from Stuttgart HB. Though not located right in the middle of action, its location near the train station is very ideal for getaways. Besides, the city centre is located across the train station so the city is a mere 7 minutes away. The hotel is rather majestic and rooms are lovely and we only paid 89euros a night! Trust me, this is a steal because everywhere else is north of 100 euros a night. Here's their website for more information.

Incase your checkout time is earlier than your train timing (which is most likely the case), you can deposit your bags at the lockers provided at the train station so that you can explore the city without having to lug your luggages around! Small lockers are for 3 euros and big ones are for 5.
Here's how much you need for this trip:

Return train tickets from Zurich HB to Stuttgart HB - CHF 119
Return train tickets from Stuttgart HB to NeckarPark - EUR 6.60
Return train tickets from Stuttgart HB to Metzingen(Wurtt) - EUR 20
Entrance fee for Mercedes Benz museum - EUR 8
Entrance fee for Porsche museum - EUR 8
Hotel stay - depends on where you're staying, the better the location, the more expensive
Shopping - Please increase your credit card limit just incase you go crazy at Metzingen