A couple of quick questions:
I'm going to be in Hamburg in June next year, and thought I might spend a night on Helgoland.
At the moment I can't only find limited accomodation available - certainly less than shows on maps and the Tourist Office website. Am I just too early?
Also, am I right in thinking that the ferry will cost twice as much as a day return?
I used booking.com to check June 16-17. Near the top of the page it says "71% of places to stay are unavailable for your dates on our site." I'd expect high demand in the summer.
If you want to see gravesite of Hoffmann von Fallersleben, the author of those words in a poem in the Romantic of German literature, it's in the little town of Hoexter / Westfalen located on the premises of the Schloss. I saw it when visiting the Schloss as a day trip from Soest/Westfalen.
A lot of places don't do one night only accommodations. So if you see anything at all for one night, snap it up now.
Yes, it's more expensive that way I think. But cheaper if you go on a ship other than the catamaran from Hamburg (the ship from Büsum).
You'll love Helgoland. My tip: upon arrival, do the bunker tour, even if it isn't available in English. Most of the local guides and other tourists will help with at least the big ideas, and it is WELL worth it. Then walk down to the beach. As the tourists start filtering toward the ferries to depart, head into town to explore the village and find a place for dinner. Then at sunset walk around the top of the island at sunset. Alternatively, do this first thing in the morning. Then when the day trippers arrive the next day at lunch, head over to the other island (Düne) and do a lap, looking at the seals. That will fill the time pretty effectively, and you will have seen most of what there is.
