Booking on German RailWay Website
 

I am going to Germany during Christmas holiday and have purchased a railpass. I want to make a reservation for the Night train from Berlin to Munich, but it indicates that pricing information is not available and I have to pick up at Service Center. If I proceed online, will I be charged for the ticket, and why does it not post an amount? When I go to www.raileurope.com, it does not show the times that I wish. HELP!

I don't think you can proceed if they don't post a price, but it might be worth a try. You can wait to buy the ticket at the train station when you arrive. I don't know if there is an availablity issue for night trains, I've only done that once and got the ticket the day before the trip. The German rail site timetable should be accurate, I've used it a lot for planning and never found a discrepency. Germany at Christmas sounds like a lot of fun!

You can send e mails or make phone calls to agents for estimates and bookings for the reservation charge. The agents are taking bookings now, and these two have direct use of the German Rail internal computer system. Germans do much family travel at Christmas, so you are right to book ahead. When you book you can ask the agent how early you can board the train and go to bed, to get a long enough time in bed. The Pluto Express leaves Munich main station at 2303. In the same way, you can ask the conductor when is the latest time you can leave the train. It stops at Berlin Zoo at 0714 and Berlin Ost at 0728, but it ends at Berlin Lichtenberg at 0747, and I think you can stay in bed half an our or so.

Euraide in Florida, E-mail [email protected]. Phone 1 941-480-1555. http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...e/homepage.htm, fax 1 941-480-1522

German Rail UK in Surbiton. Phone 0044 8702 43 53 63, E-mail: [email protected] http://www.deutsche-bahn.co.uk,

RailEurope take a thirty percent markup on standard prices so are better avoided.

Ben Haines, London
[email protected]

Thank You for the euraide information. I was able to make my reservation with them and got additional tour information as well.

As for RailEurope making a 30% mark up - Ben you may be referring to RailEurope UK but in this forum we think of Raileurope US - at least americans do and it's totally unfair to say that they mark up 30%

I searched German rail site and compare with RailEurope US:
Berlin-Frankfurt 98 euros or $117 vs RailEurope price of $107 - RE not 30% higher but in fact is less
Munich-Berlin - some trains at 96 euro but many at 110 euro ($115 or $132) vs RailEurope flat fare of $128 - so $4 cheaper on some trains and $13 more on some - in no case 30% higher

There may be some 30% higher but not the way you say always

There are many times RailEurope is in fact cheaper - their $90 return fare on Eurostar is often much cheaper than fares available in UK.

Sincerely