patandhank

Thanks to all who answered my previous post with info and the suggestion to get a Bayern Ticket for our day trip to Munich. Here's couple of follow-up questions please:

We will be turning our rental car in at the Munich Train Station on a Saturday and then taking the S Bahn to Marienplatz which is the closest stop to our hotel. Next day (Sunday), we will be taking the S-Bahn back to the train station and then the train to Salzburg for a day trip and back.

1. Trip from the train station to Marientplatz - since we will only be using the S Bahn 1 x that evening to go to our hotel - would it be better to do a single trip ticket for each of us versus the Partner Tageskarte?

2. Is it possible to buy the Bayern Ticket on Saturday (for our trip to Salzburg the next day). Can we validate it at the S Bahn at Marienplatz to go to the HBF and then on to Salzburg without further validation?

Advice appreciated. Thanks!

Cowboy1968

1. From Hauptbahnhof to Marienplatz you need just a "short distance" ticket for 1.30 (the German word for it would be "Kurzstrecke") per person. It is only good for 2 stops with subway or S-Bahn, but that is all you need.

2. Yes, just the procedure can differ depending from which vending machine you get it. The most modern type of machines ask you for your date of travel, so it is automatically validated for that day. You must write the names of all passengers on the ticket before you start your trip. As I have not bought tickets from the older machines, I do not know if those still need to be validated. A good hint is that the pre-validated tickets will never fit by size into the validation machine to stamp them.

In any case, you validate (if applicable) any ticket only once at the beginning of a trip, regardless how often you transfer.

Cowboy1968

P.S. You can also buy and print your Bayern Ticket for that day (unless it's more than 3 months in advance, I guess) before your triip at home on www.bahn.de

patandhank

Thanks Cowboy1968 - very helpful!

patandhank

I looked at the bahn.de site, and could easily enter our "from" location which would be Munich Marienplatz to the Salzburg HBF and back, but if I'm reading it correctly if you purchase in advance you have to specify the train time your taking. Is that correct? Our plans aren't that firm yet on our departure and return times to and from Salzburg.

So to avoid having to specify which train now, Plan B looks like it's still to wait till we get there on Saturday 7 Jun and hopefully they'll have the newer machines at the Munich HBF so we can buy the Bayern ticket on Saturday for use on Sunday, the 8th.

patandhank

O.K. Disregard my comments about a specific train - I found the site on the DB Bahn where I just bought the ticket on line and I just printed it here at home. The instructions say to present it to the train attendant with my identification card (the credit card I used to purchase it).

Do I do this before getting on the subway at the Marienplatz on the day we head to Salzburg?

Cowboy1968

No, you do not have to actively present your ticket to anyone.
Just when a conductor or ticket inspector asks for it on the train or subway you have to present the ticket and the card you have chosen as ID when you bought the ticket online.

By the way, when you go to Salzburg, it will be more convenient to take any S-Bahn towards "Ostbahnhof" (Munich East) and change to the train to Salzburg there.

At Hauptbahnhof, it is a much longer treck from the underground S-Bahn tracks to the main hall for the trains.
It makes sense on weekends or holidays as the trains to Salzburg originate at Hauptbahnhof.
So, for any 7-10am departure on a weekend or holiday it will be easier to find empty seats at Hauptbahnhof. Same for the first two "legal" departures (past 9am) on weekdays during the summer school break in Bavaria (July 30- Sep 15).

patandhank

Thanks Cowboy -

Yes it will be a Sunday so looks like we will go to the Hauptbahnhof.