Advice for newcomers moving to Bonn

Hi Everyone,

I am taking a new 3 month contract position in Bonn. I am currently living in Berlin and I love it here but I only found a job in Bonn, so unfortunately I will have to move.

Here are my questions:

1. I am looking to find a flatshare/roommates to start. Living with some students would be fun I think, also good to make friends and party. So far I have been using wg-gesucht.de mostly, what else would you reccommend?

2. Moving is going to be tough because I dont have a drivers license so I cant rent a van myself. I cant decide if I should just get rid of all my stuff since I will be moving into an apartment that probably is furnished with roommates things. I could maybe pack all of my personal things and close into two or 3 big bags and then take a train/plane. I suppose that would be easiest and cheapest?

3. Which areas are nice/reasonably priced? I will be working near the Schießbergweg stop on the U62/U65 so I would like to be in an area that is near those lines so my work commute is easy.

4. Does anyone know of ways to meet people (not necessarily Americans, but anyone) in Bonn/Koln? A friend suggested maybe I look at the university in Bonn for sports/activities for example. That is a good idea!

Thats all I can think of for now.

-Malcolm

Can't help you with most of your questions unfortunately, but mailing stuff to yourself may be an option for the move. Hermes for example charges 16.80€ for a large bag (door to door) or about 30€ for bulkier parcels:
https://privatpaketservice.hlg.de/wps/portal/PRIPS_DEU/PREISE
The cheapest way to get there would be to find a mitfahrgelegenheit. Shouldn't be too difficult for Berlin-Bonn, and you may even find someone willing to take larger items:
http://www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de/mitfahrzentrale/Berlin/Bonn.html?city_from=30&radius_from=0&city_to=37&radius_to=0&date=date&day=20&month=10&year=2009&tolerance=4&

Awesome! Good advice, thank you! Now I am just trying to find a roommate. I'm using wg-gesucht.de and ive sent messages to all of the flats available most area already rented. If I cant find anyone I might need to stay in a hotel for a little while. Any ideas on super temporary housing while I find a WG?

http://kleinanzeigen.ebay.de/anzeigen/s-Auf_Zeit_WG/Bonn/Anzeige:OFFER/c199l1038

If you speak German the above link might help.

zwischenmiete.de could be useful. Maybe try offering an extra 20€/month...comes out cheaper than staying in a hostel for a couple of days.

I would also try studenten-wg.de.

Thank you all for your comments and advice, very helpful! I was able to find a position in Berlin (which I wanted) at the 11th hour so I will not be moving to Bonn. However this information is useful to those who are, and I found wg-gesucht.de particularly helpful when looking for a roommate.