ruthruthruth

I worked out whether buying a Bahn 25 card would make sense economically with the traveling I will do. It does, however, now I'm not sure if I can purchase the card, since I live outside Germany. The general terms and conditions on bahn.de are in German only, so I can't read through them. My questions are:
1. Can an American purchase the card and have it mailed to an address in the U.S.?
2. If not, is there any other way to get the card? I know you can print out tickets on line, but the bahn card has your picture on it (which you can download or mail in), so I didn't know how that worked. If it matters, I'll be arriving in Frankfurt (airport).
3. The card automatically renews, as a poster here or on another forum told me. Is it possible to write to cancel it for next year after I get back from my trip, or how do you cancel it, and when is that required to avoid renewal?
4. Is there a way to email bahn.de to ask these questions? They've listed a phone number, but I'd prefer to email if possible.

Thanks to anyone who can help me out here! Vielen dank!

Mainhattengirl

Those terms and conditions should be available in English. I know over on Trip Advisor in the Germany forums, there is a huge discussion about this. Some one has listed the terms and conditions in English and said this was on the website too. You might want to see what others have to say about buying the Bahn card.

logos999

1.) Yes, you can order online, upload your picture and the card will be mailed to your home address. As country you habe to chose "Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika" http://www.bahn.de/p/view/bahncard/u...hncard25.shtml

2.) You can print a card, but the printout will expire after about 4 weeks. They mail you the card. If your card is in the US and your're in Germany, that's a problem

3.) You can cancel whenever you want up to six weeks before the cards is renewed. You need to send either a fax, Email or letter BUT make sure you get a confirmation!!

Bahncard-Service
60643 Frankfurt am Main
Fax 011 49 1805/121998

4) [email protected]
Phone 011 49 1805/340035 Mo-Fr 7am - 9pm CET

logos999

When you cancel, don't forget to send them your card number!!

http://kuendigung.my-guide.org/files/BahnCard.doc

Vorname, Nachname = first name, last name
Ort = town
BahnCard Nummer = BahnCard Number
Unterschrift nicht vergessen! = Don't forget signature!

quokka

Here is the page with the relevant info in English: http://www.bahn.de/i/view/DEU/en/pri...bahncard.shtml There is also the link to the order form in English.

Note the grey box saying something about "subscription". Like any subscription you have to actively cancel in time if you don't want it renewed.

PalenQ

I worked out whether buying a Bahn 25 card would make sense economically with the traveling I will do>

just curious as to what that travel is - would be of use for others with similar plans - thanks

ruthruthruth

Thanks, everyone. Quokka, thanks, but that info IS available in English, and I found it before. However, there's another link when you try to order that takes you back to the original page, so Terms and Conditions info doesn't pop up in English. However, you guys have provided me with everything I need to know, plus I'll go to Tripadvisor and check out what's there.

PalenQ, I'm going from Frankfurt Flughafen to Heidelberg (either Lufthansa bus or train), then Heidelberg the next day to Paris. Ten days later I go from Prague to Paris via Nurnberg. It's a bus from Prague to Nurnberg before getting on the train, but can book through Bahn.de. Although something I read implied that the card wouldn't give you a discount outside Germany except for travel to/from a limited number of countries, on the Bahn.de site, it does appears to give me a discount when traveling to France and from Prague. Then again, maybe I'm forgetting the details! If I buy a Bahn 25 and also take a chance and find non-refundable tickets, it really saves a bunch; obviously, less so if I purchase standard full-price tickets when I get to Frankfurt and Prague. I just used the site and put in all my likely trips, figured out the total, and then did the same with the Bahn Card 25 selection checked.

I suppose if you're doing a LOT of traveling, a rail card is better, but this one looks good to me! I just didn't want to get to Frankfurt with my printed out card and have a problem!

ruthruthruth

Sorry, PalenQ. I meant to say I would be traveling from Prague back to Frankfurt, not Paris!

PalenQ

Have you considered the 3-country Eurail Select Youthpass (for those under 26) - it would give you 5 days of unlimited travel in a 2-month period - days of your choosing and valid in all of Germany, France and the Czech Republic and except for trains to Paris you can just hop any train any time say going to Prague - the pass includes the Nurnberg-Prague bus.

Not sure what the Bahn25 card costs but seems $266 for the 5 day Eurail Select 3 country pass is a good deal in itself and it takes all the advance planning out - hop any train anytime - for more on trains in these countries and passes i always highlight these great sites - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com

ruthruthruth

That does sound like a good deal, even with the relatively limited traveling I will do by train, as I think most options I figured out came to at least 200+ Euros. However, I'm older than 26, so I can't buy it - unless I find the fountain of youth between now and late August!

PalenQ

ruth - sorry for my confusion that the Bahn 25 card was for those under 26 years old

and if you are over 25 then the only pass for a single traveler would be a Eurail Select Pass for 5 days in 2 months at $408 (unless traveling without someone else then a Saver Pass is $346

This is however for first class travel - if over 25 there is no second-class option - so if you are paying more than 200 euros or $325 or so then for an extra $80 you could go first class the whole way and still in Germany have the option of just hopping on any train anytime - lines at ticket windows in Germany that i have seen recently are ridiculous so i always say if a pass is close to regular fares go for the pass - especially if it gives you first class over second

In first class in decades of traveling on German trains i have never not seen empty seats in first class and usually lots of them - i can put my luggage in a seat next to me and the seats are bigger as well - second class can always be quite full and at times SRO - at other times it may also have lots of empty seats - you never can tell.

ruthruthruth

OK, the more I learn, the more confused I get! I've been looking at passes. I'll be only traveling 3 days (and only 2 if I take the Lufthansa bus from Frankfurt to Heidelberg), but I need to go from FF to Heidelberg, and then Heidelberg to Paris. Then I need to go from Prague back to FF, using the bus to Nurnberg. There will be 2 of us, traveling in late August. Questions are:

Can I use the 3 day Germany pass to do most or all of this? How do I include the part from the German border to Paris, and from Prague to Nurnberg?

Rail Europe's site mentions you get a discount on the express bus from Prague to Nurnberg if you show your card and purchase in Prague. It looks to be 20%, but that's a bit fuzzy.

Does Rail Europe charge for purchasing/mailing a pass?

If it matters, I don't qualify for a youth pass, and the special "summer" promotion won't work, as my travel is in late August, not soon.

Any help you can give me, or advice on which pass might be best, would be appreciated. I'm willing to work through various scenarios to get a total price, but I just have too many questions to do that.

With a Bahn Card 25, using non-refundable tickets, my total price for 2 people is about 140 euros. For regular point to point, totally refundable tickets, it's 420 euros for the two of us.

PalenQ

Rail Europe's site mentions you get a discount on the express bus from Prague to Nurnberg if you show your card and purchase in Prague. It looks to be 20%, but that's a bit fuzzy.

Does Rail Europe charge for purchasing/mailing a pass?>

For any RailEurope product and questions call Budget Europe (www.budgeteuropetravel.com; 800-441-2387)) and ask for Byron - i have bought passes from his company for years and if anyone knows the definitive answer it is he - they are a RE agent so sell all their products at the same price but service is far better. I should think you would look at the Germany-France Railpass as well as the Germany only pass - obviously if 140 euros for both total with non-refundable that would be cheaper than any pass i should think - but what does the Bahn Card 25 cost - that i do not know. I know when i am in Germany i do like the idea of just getting up and heading to the station and jumping on the next train - no planning far in advance, etc. but if you itinerary is set in concrete that may not be a factor.

ruthruthruth

Thanks. Actually I redid my calculations and the Bahn Card 25 (which costs around 70 euros if I remember correctly) is not actually going to save me money, though almost! What's really the best deal is the advance purchase non-refundable tickets, with limited availability - but obviously then you're fairly stuck to the itinerary you've chosen!

Yeah, I though the Prague bus discount was fuzzy, but I assume they mean that it is 20%!

Anyway, thanks. Maybe I'll call Byron and see if there's something that can beat what I've found so far.

PalenQ

It all depends on what value you put on sponteneity and just showing up at the station and hopping a train. That said if my itinerary was in stone and if i could save more than a few bucks i would do the SPAR fare discount and limited in number and conditions - but to my knowledge these tickets do not come with seat reservations and if in second class you may want to make one when you book it - second class on some trains at some times can quite full in my experience - not nearly always but not uncommonly either.

PalenQ

to be sure i was not talking above about the Germany to France ticket, via the TGV-Est as these trains have obligatory seat reservations before boarding and no ticket is issued without a specific seat reservation.

But i were talking about seats of the SPAR discounted fares inside Germany on domestic trains - i believe a seat reservation is option and IMO in second class advisable - if you look at bahn.de the German Rail Wite it will tell you on which trains 'Reservations are advisable' for.

ruthruthruth

I ended up just booking on bahn.de, and booking some mid-day, discounted (with restriction) fares (2 people 118 euros), with reservations included in the price. It looks like some ICE trains to Paris had the price of a reservation included and some didn't, which I found I bit strange - but whatever! I would have made a reservation anyway if it had not been included.

So I'm set. Hopefully I won't have to change my plans, but the discount was fairly significant, so I thought it was worth a chance, and worth giving up the chance to be flexible!

PalenQ

sounds like a good deal - seat reservations are always included on trains to Paris going over the new TGV-Est - even on ICE trains, which in Germany do not require reservations ever.

And to take the new TGV-Est high speed line will be a treat - i took it recently - the nicest of all TGV lines and the fastest at well, by a tad at about 190 mph.