Buy and reserve point to point tickets in advance??
 

My husband and I are on a rather tight budget for our upcoming visit to France and Germany. We'll be renting a car for part of the way, but are also considering train travel in order to save a bit of time. The only rail pass available to over 27's in South Africa, is for first class, and turns out to be incredibly expensive, regarding the Rand - Dollar exchange rate. Now we were wondering - could we BUY AND RESERVE all seven of the tickets we'll be needing in Germany on the same day, when we'll be in Offenburg. This way we'll save time and insure peace of mind, knowing that our tickets have been taken care of, not so? <BR> <BR>(We'll be travelling by train around Bavaria, where a great many tourists are expected for the Passion Play, which we'll be attending as well. Eventually we'll travel by train from Munchen to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, then to Koblenz; from Koblenz to Mainz we'll be doing a trip on the Rhine; and our last train journey will be from Mainz to Frankfurt am Main.) <BR> <BR>Many thanks

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Hi Lydia, <BR>I would rent a car for the whole trip, especially for the routes you`ve mentioned, but that`s just my opinion. It`s convenient and much cheaper when you`re two people in one car than to pay for two fares. <BR>Anyway, of course it`s possible to buy and reserve the seats beforehand. One tip, only in the bigger train stations, like Frankfurt, there are "travel-centers" where someone will have the time to look up trains and deal with your planning. I don`t know how Offenburg is, but normally at smaller stations people behind you will get impatient, because they need to catch a train, go to work etc. Because of this I would advise to go to a travel agency with the sign "Deutsches Reisebuero". That`s a normal travel agency, but as well the official partner of German Rail, "Deutsche Bahn". They will make the reservations for you, you`ll get the tickets instantly and they have plenty of time. <BR>And enjoy your trip <BR> <BR>Miriam

Thanx, Miriam - appreciate your reply. The reason why we want to do these last stretches by train, is merely a case of saving time - we have to be back in SA on 30 May.

Hi Lydia, <BR>it`s up to you. But that was merely my concern-I don`t think that you`ll save time on trains...Being there in advance, finding the train station, being restricted to the time schedule of the trains and so on. The distances you`ll have to go aren`t long and you`ll miss much of the beautiful landscape and villages if you go by train. <BR> <BR>But have fun, whatever you decide <BR> <BR>Miriam