I looked at the Eurail site for a price quote but I would have to call them. So, I'm hoping some knowledgeable Fodorite may come to my aid once again. It seems I will have to connect in Munich, but what would such a trip cost?

In short, I hope to travel from Boston to Amsterdam in either March or April (depending on cost) and then travel to Leipzig all the while avoiding the hassle and expense of air travel while in Europe. My plan is to return to Boston from Leipzig. As of now I am very flexible as to dates.

Thanks and Happy New Year to all!

Amsterdam to Leipzig via Munich would be a detour and twice the actual distance.

Forget the Eurail site. They are an agency, add hefty surcharges to the actual fares, and their timetable is far from complete.

Check train connections on http://www.bahn.de, the website of German Railways.

Train takes from 7:22 to 8:11 with at least two changes. Regular fare starts from 106.80€, but you can get specials. I understand that there are no direct flights, so the train seems to be the best option.

Eurail is a marketing name for a rail pass, that's all. The Eurail site is about using that pass, not for a regular trip.

I agree with quokka, forget about Dutch rail, book directly from Deutsche Bahn. Take the nearest station in Germany to the Dutch border. All you have to do is buy a Dutch train ticket to this first station in Germany. Book online at DB, the sooner you do the better. It is possible to get a single for as little as €19. Book online, your tickets will be sent to your home address.

Sorry forgot to say that you buy a ticket to Amsterdam to Emmerich (in Germany) from Dutch Rail. and a ticket Emmerich - Leipzig from Deutsche Bahn

Thanks, quokka, Echanton and everyone. I see there is a special Deutsche Bahn rate of 39 E, but my limited German language skills prevent me from understanding what the conditions are for that price. Would it depend on how early I book?

iwent, I'll check the Dutch Rail site too.

€39 of Deutsche Bahn means you can only travel on the trains that are stated on your ticket.

>but my limited German language skills prevent me from understanding what the conditions are for that price.

Basically: No change, no refund.

>Would it depend on how early I book?

Yes. There is a limited number of low fares and when they are gone they are gone.

Sounds reasonable to me. Thanks, iwent and altamiro!

and do not neglect the efficacy of a Germany-Benelux Railpass, good for hop on at will unlimited rail travel in Germany,Belgium,Netherlands and Luxembourg - for fully flexible rail travel - just show up and hop on the next train the pass would probably be cheaper than paying for two long train rides. For lots on trains in those countries and passes i always point out these info-laden sites that are a great primer on using trains in those places: www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com + www.ricksteves.com- you can go cheaper if only doing a few trips by bahn.de's online low fares, which you may have to book weeks in advance to get and then can't change or refund but if wishing to hop just any of the zillions of trains in those countries then such full fares are often really really expensive (as bahn.de clearly shows)-so it depends on what you require in terms of flexibility and also how many days you will be using the rails - the more days the cheaper per day the pass becomes so after five or so even the cheapest online discounted fares may be more than the pass.

Rebecka,

You can book on the bahn.de site up to 90 days in advance and print your own ticket. Click on the drop-down flag menu for English. As others have said, the Europa-Spezial Niederlande fares (the lowest being 39 euro) are for a specific departure date and time and are non-exchangeable and non-refundable.

I just took a train from Amsterdam to Germany and the train back was cancelled - yup cancelled - wonder what that does to the Europea-SpezialNiederelande fares - use them on the next train without formality? Curious if anyone knows. Danke

>I just took a train from Amsterdam to Germany and the train back was cancelled - yup cancelled

Ah, yes, the snow. We are not really used to deal with the stuff beyond an occasional flurry.

> wonder what that does to the Europea-SpezialNiederelande fares - use them on the next train without formality?

Have a conductor or the ticket desk staff scribble a couple of words about that on your ticket, then it is good on the next train. It definitely doesn't mean that you won't get to your destination. The DB is not THAT strict.

With so many ICE trains running domestic routes twice an hour or so getting on the next train would be fine but with the Duisburg to Amsterdam train that goes only every 2 or 3 hours it makes it more problematic- and what insurance the next train would not be cancelled.

That said DB did provide a bus link to Arnhem, the first Dutch station but i wonder if this is even insured.

Anyway rail travel in cold snowy weather can be very chaotic in Germany and Netherlands too it seems.

ICE technology needs tuning up - Regional trains seemed to be running just fine.

Thanks, TimS. Apparently I'll be making the Leipzig journey a round trip after all because r/t airfare to Amsterdam is so much cheaper than multi-city fares. So, now I have my $608 ticket from Icelandair and will travel March 1! I'll check the DB site again for trains.

Yes, I see that you are the Amsterdam expert, Palenque! It is clear that the Amsterdam hotels are a good deal more expensive than the Leipzig ones. Some of the B&B's also look great although many of them are rather expensive. I'd love staying in one of those canal houses! Any recommendations are welcome.