Driving versus train in Germany
Feb 4th, 2008, 06:45 AM
#21
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Swan,
There is no link between freedom and the car.
Freedom's just another word for too lazy to plan.
People think that if they just "cruise" around aimlessly they will find thing not promoted on the web, but everything worth seeing (and some that is not) is promoted. "Cruise" the web, not the roads.
There is no link between freedom and the car.
Freedom's just another word for too lazy to plan.
People think that if they just "cruise" around aimlessly they will find thing not promoted on the web, but everything worth seeing (and some that is not) is promoted. "Cruise" the web, not the roads.
Feb 4th, 2008, 08:36 AM
#22
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I find that overplanning a trip takes quite a bit of enjoyment out of it. I used to be an anal planner and would have a fit if something was missed or a timetable not met. Now we travel without every hour filled and sometimes we don't book a room ahead. Travel should be an adventure filled with expectations and unknowns, waiting for the small things that fill a trip with enduring memories. We do a combo of car and train. Whichever suits the purpose. I've only driven into the heart of Munich once and that was to drop a German cousin off. He had been at Oktoberfest the night before and felt it would be better to walk and take the U-Bahn home.
Feb 4th, 2008, 08:59 AM
#23
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<b>Larryincolorado: </b>=D>
With the frequency and reliability of German trains, the only time we rent is if the destination is totally inaccessible by rail.
We typically base ourselves in the geographical center of a Federal State, and use Länder-Tickets to get all over it on day trips. (It should be mentioned that it is rarely necessary to buy a ticket for local transport on a day out, because most of the city operators are covered by the day tickets.)
We try to schedule moving from one base to another (usually in an adjacent State) for the weekends, because all 5 of us can get <u>anywhere in Germany</u> on a Happy-Weekend Ticket for less than fifty bucks!
With the frequency and reliability of German trains, the only time we rent is if the destination is totally inaccessible by rail.
We typically base ourselves in the geographical center of a Federal State, and use Länder-Tickets to get all over it on day trips. (It should be mentioned that it is rarely necessary to buy a ticket for local transport on a day out, because most of the city operators are covered by the day tickets.)
We try to schedule moving from one base to another (usually in an adjacent State) for the weekends, because all 5 of us can get <u>anywhere in Germany</u> on a Happy-Weekend Ticket for less than fifty bucks!
Feb 4th, 2008, 09:41 AM
#24
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Having a car doesn't mean cruising aimlesly in circles. You still have a list of places yuo want to see and a good set of maps.
You also have the option to see a small town or church or whatever from the road and just go have a look at it for an hour. Or have lunch at any cute place in a town along the way. And by having a plan (but not being tried to a train schedule) you can make any adjustments you want as you go. (We've probably all had the experience of having something we thought would be great just OK. If you driving you can just drive down the road and encounter a "no name" castle or manor house that is fascinating to tour.
You also have the option to see a small town or church or whatever from the road and just go have a look at it for an hour. Or have lunch at any cute place in a town along the way. And by having a plan (but not being tried to a train schedule) you can make any adjustments you want as you go. (We've probably all had the experience of having something we thought would be great just OK. If you driving you can just drive down the road and encounter a "no name" castle or manor house that is fascinating to tour.
Feb 4th, 2008, 10:00 AM
#25
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We have found just the opposite.
My husband loves to drive in Germany, especially on the autobahn.
He loves being able to stop and take photos along the side of the road or explore some little town on the spur of the moment.
While some of our drives may take longer than planned, it's OK because we are on vacation. We don't schedule our trip so that a little extra time on the road will be a problem.
My husband loves to drive in Germany, especially on the autobahn.
He loves being able to stop and take photos along the side of the road or explore some little town on the spur of the moment.
While some of our drives may take longer than planned, it's OK because we are on vacation. We don't schedule our trip so that a little extra time on the road will be a problem.
Feb 4th, 2008, 10:16 AM
#26
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Training to a destination and then renting a car combines the speed and economy of rail with the ability to go anywhere we want to on the spur of the moment. Its attraction for us is that it avoids those mind-numbing all-day cross-country drives.
In general, we don't use train schedules when we're exploring a region - we just get on the next train going our way*. Most of what we have seen in Germany has been at a rail stop with an accessible transport system, and the other 10 percent (the serendipitous part) has been from a car. So the argument that a car offers the ultimate flexibility is valid - but only for a few hours a week. The rental fee, insurance, mileage, and fuel cost goes on every hour.
* I use http://mobile.bahn.de to keep track of the next departure from where we are to where we're going next - so we don't waste time sitting in train stations.
In general, we don't use train schedules when we're exploring a region - we just get on the next train going our way*. Most of what we have seen in Germany has been at a rail stop with an accessible transport system, and the other 10 percent (the serendipitous part) has been from a car. So the argument that a car offers the ultimate flexibility is valid - but only for a few hours a week. The rental fee, insurance, mileage, and fuel cost goes on every hour.
* I use http://mobile.bahn.de to keep track of the next departure from where we are to where we're going next - so we don't waste time sitting in train stations.
Feb 4th, 2008, 10:34 AM
#27
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It just depends on what you want to do on your vacation, how many people you have, how "sensitive" you are, time of year traveling, where you are going, and probably another dozen factors.
Some vacations we have rented a car for the entire trip, others we've used the train, others a combination of the two. Again, it just depended on a variety of factors.
Our most fulfilling trips have been those that did involve a car for at least part of the trip. We were able to get to a lot of places we would not have visited without a car--and usually more quickly than by train. It depends on your personal driving style, but we generally get places faster than viamichelin.com and other mapping guides estimate.
Some vacations we have rented a car for the entire trip, others we've used the train, others a combination of the two. Again, it just depended on a variety of factors.
Our most fulfilling trips have been those that did involve a car for at least part of the trip. We were able to get to a lot of places we would not have visited without a car--and usually more quickly than by train. It depends on your personal driving style, but we generally get places faster than viamichelin.com and other mapping guides estimate.
