Hi, I am planning to take son on another river cruise from Nuremberg to Vienna in December of 2019. What would be the easiest/closest way to get to Nuremberg from US, to fly to Frankfurt or to Munich? I think to fly to Munich, then take train to Nuremberg, right? I think it would be too costly to get connecting flights direct into Nuremberg , I may be wrong about this. I assume train is at airport, and wonder about the time to get to Nuremberg from airport. Thanks. Sue

I'd recommend Frankfurt. In MUC you would take the S bahn from the airport to the main station in town where you transfer to a train to Nuremberg. At FRA you pick up the train right at the airport. Transit time from FRA is only about 30 min longer than from MUC, probably nearly balanced by the extra time to fly to Munich, and no need to transfer.

Hi sue81,

You can find this information very easily, using the German rail site

www.bahn.com

You just input

from Munich airport
to Nürnberg (or Nuernberg)

From Frankfurt airport (or Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen)
to Nürnberg (or Nuernberg)

You'll find that the travel times from Munich airport run around 2h or 2h48, with 1 change, and from Frankfurt airport around 2h22 with 0 changes.

Munich airport is connected to the main station by S-bahn, not a long-distance train, though they look just like a regular train. So you have to use the S-bahn to get from the airport to the city, and then hop onto a train from there. At Frankfurt, as Seamus notes above, the airport is a regular stop on the long-distance (Fernbahnhof) trains.

So, yes, if it were me, I would choose the airport that offered the best connections from the US.

Have fun as you plan!

s

If prices are same fly to Munich as it could be much cheaper to get to Nurnberg from that airport due to the Bavarian Lander Ticket which lets you take any regional train - both of you and up to several folks for around 35 euros and no advance planning needed - justbuy at airport and then hop any regional train. for lots on German train check www.seat61.com; BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com.

>>> I think it would be too costly to get connecting flights direct into Nuremberg , I may be wrong about this.
The best way to find this out is not to assume, but actually feed proposed itinerary into booking sites. I think it looks like it is an open-jaw itinerary:

From somewhere - NUE
VIE - to somewhere you are from.

NUE is connected to downtown Nuremberg by a tram. It is an easy airport to navigate.

After all-night flight always nice to end up by air in destination city - would be worth a lot to me.

I have no idea which way is easiest, but this is what we did, which was pretty darn easy, even after an overnight flight:

Arrived Munich Flughafen, took bus 635 from Flughafen Terminal 1 to Freising, and then connected with a train to Nuremburg - all using a Bayern Ticket (43 Euro for up to five adults).

OK thanks, I think I will just compare the cost from ATL to Frankfurt, and ATL to Munich, since the time for the train time is so close for each to Nurenberg.. Will also check direct flight to Nurenberg, which I do not think is available on Delta. We do depart a different airport/Vienna. Palen ,I agree on preferring to end up in the city we plan to spend a few days at, but complicated.....got lots of time to figure this out. I also get a teensy bit antsy flying in December into Germany, been on a couple scary flights into Frankfurt in snowstorms...so maybe less changing planes?

I pulled dates in December 2018 out of hat to do a rough comparison. December 2019 prices are not yet available for individual travelers.
ATL-FRA, VIE-ATL is most expensive. ATL-FRA is non-stop
ATL-NUE, VIE-ATL is next
ATL-MUC, VIE-ATL is the cheapest. ATL-MUC is non-stop

Flying to NUE seems to get you earliest into Nuremberg, at least for December 2018. This is easiest to get into Nuremberg once you land. The train to Nuremberg just a hop on with validated tickets. It is just a commuter train.
FRA to Nuremberg is next easiest as there are at least hourly ICE trains from the airport without having to change train to Nuremberg. The FRA airport train station is smaller and less hectic than the Munich Hbf main station. However, you cannot use discount passes on ICE trains. You can get advance purchase discount tickets, but that commits you to a specific train.
MUC to Nuremberg, once you land there, is faster than from FRA if you take ICE train from the Munich Hbf startion. If you do this, you have the same ticket issue. If you want to use discounted advance purchase ticket, you are locked into taking a specific train. If you want to make sure you can use discounted ICE train tickets, you need to pad time between your scheduled flight arrival and the ICE train departure time. This lengthens your overall trip time.

I have flown into NUE via AMS in December for the Christmas market. It was a snap going through the airport, buy train ticket from a machine, hop onto the next train to Nuremberg. From ATL, it looks like common layover is either AMS or CDG if you are taking Delta. You need a longer layover at CDG. The plane flying into NUE are usually smaller planes. It looks like from AMS or CDG, it is Boeing 737 size on the upper end, but more commonly Embraer regional jets. If you are nervous about flying in smaller regional jets, either choose an itinerary using B737 size plane or skip flying into NUE.

Hi again,

The problem with catching a specific train can be fixed by using the DB's Rail & Fly option, where you buy an open ticket, and then you catch the next train, even ICE, to your destination. Information here:

https://accesrail.com/products/db-rail-fly/

You can simplify the process by doing it using Lufthansa --
https://www.lufthansa.com/uk/en/rail-and-fly-in-germany

Have fun!

s

OK I am going to use Delta FF miles for at least one of the tickets so I am locked into Delta. I am trying to check costs and this is for 12/19 not 12/18, so lots of time. I will fly Atlanta to Frankfurt or Atlanta to Munich with Nurenberg as the destination (no direct flights to NB). Not wild about changing planes in December in Germany, so train to NB. will get on cruise and end up in /Vienna so open jaw flight, will deal with Vienna later. just trying to figure out the Atlanta to Frankfurt or Munich part for now. I think the direct train from Frankfurt might make sense, as no train change , will check cost comparison again vs the hassle of train change with luggage.. Is SBB the fast train, I used to know this? Used to fly in to Frankfurt to visit friend working there, maybe 12 X so I am antsy about the crazy Winter weather/snow/ice/sleet/ very bumby rides on landing/my issue, little snow here in South. So want a direct flight, no changing planes in Germany in December. OK? Thanks for the help so far. Also I am allowing 3 days before the river cruise, to get to Nuremberg, in case of bad weather, so train time is not critical. Sue

>>> Not wild about changing planes in December in Germany, so train to NB. will get on cruise and end up in /Vienna so open jaw flight,

For NUE, if you are flying on Delta, you will not be changing planes in Germany. Delta=Skyteam. Skyteam does not have code share carriers that operate between German cities. They fly into German from some other European country. Coming from ATL, you will be changing planes at CDG or AMS. AMS does not get hit with snow issues as much as German airports.

>>> I am allowing 3 days before the river cruise, to get to Nuremberg, in case of bad weather, so train time is not critical. Sue

The issue is the time BETWEEN landing in FRA and taking train to Nuremberg. If you want to buy a discounted ICE ticket, you need to commit to a particular train leaving FRA. The DB Rail & Fly mentioned is integrated into online booking process if you are flying Lufthansa. I have not located how I could do this using Delta.com. Delta is "supposed" to be a partner of the program, but it seems only way to do this with Delta is using a TA paying a big commission - negating any ICE discount or perhaps book your tickets using Delta call center - at additional fee.

Greg, I don't think that Lufthansa is still a partner with Delta, they used to be. I don't want to have to change planes, so think I will do the direct flight to frankfurt, as I am used to that airport, and then get the train to NB. Again I am going to use FF miles for Delta, I am fixed on that part. Delta does fly direct to Frankfurt, so that would make life easier, and I will hope for an easier landing, and that was on Lufthansa as I recall, using some automatic pilot thing that they wanted to "try out" pilot explained, and said it "needed adjusting" after a bit of a quite abrupt landing. Is ICE the fast train? Sue

OK Greg and others, I note that Delta has a direct flight over to Frankfurt, so I think that will be my choice going over, but the return from Vienna, again on Delta (FF miles) has no direct flight from Vienna to Atlanta, so has to stop somewhere like Amsterdam or Paris, and use KLM or Air France or etc. Not happy about that. CAn't I purchase thediscount train tickets at the Frankfurt airport to Nuremberg. Maybe there is a site on Internet for that? www.seat61.com....think that is safe to do ahead of time and does that lock you into date/time? Need to check that site out.

swanday, can I fly on Delta and use this site access rail? I don't see Delta listed in the airlines at the bottom. Want to get a discounted train ticket from Frankfurt to Nuremberg if I can for myself and son. Do you know? I do see a phone # and should call them. Sue

Hi again,

No, you can't purchase discounted train tickets for immediate travel -- discounted tickets are advanced purchase, as greg noted in response #9. Discounted tickets are sold for advance purchase, and, yes, they lock you into a specific train at a specific time. If you miss your train, you have to buy a new ticket at the full, walk-up fare.

Those are not airlines at the bottom of the DB Rail & Fly information page; those are train companies. The information for how to book the Rail & Fly tickets is under the button "booking information." It seems that it is a purchase through iata, so something your airline booking agent can do for you, using the codes listed there. But, yes, it would probably be best to call them and ask how to do it easily.

If you don't want to get a Rail & Fly ticket, you can take your chances and buy a discounted ticket for 3h or longer from the time your plane is scheduled to land. It will *probably* be okay, and you may have time to grab a cup of coffee or something before your train leaves. But if your flight is late, or there are long lines at immigration.... well, you just never know. If you want to be certain, you can always buy a full-fare flexible ticket.

Hope you work it all out!

s

If you could buy discounted tickets at ticket window then there would be no discounted tickets! Full-fare tickets can be used on any trains - yes discounted tickets are train-specific as train companies want to better know how many seats on trains are needed - thus you don't see all those empty seats you did years ago. Do as swandav says put a fudge factor in and say a 3-hour window for plane to be late, long lines at Immigration- delays getting bags and walking to the long-distance station in Frankfurt Airport - about 15 minutes beyond the Regional Train Station right in the terminals.

OK I hope I understand this. Will have son to push the cart and I recall that is is under the airport, right? Will write to rail companies/DB. Will allow fudge factor of 3 hrs at least. How is the train ride view from FF to NB? Seems that it was quite pretty from FF to Amsterdam, but have not been the other direction.

Hi I notice that there is quite a difference in cost on the ICE train from Frankfurt to Nurermberg from first class to second, double the cost. For those of you who travel this train, do you think it would be worth it? We will have one suitcase each, probably mid size. Thanks.

Hi again,

Where did you see those fares? Looking at the DB site for 7 Dec, it shows the second-class fare as 29,90, and first class as 45,90... so not quite double.

You may want to know that it is possible to cancel the discounted train tickets, though it will cost 19€ to do it. If the flight is delayed by a long time, or if you're standing in a very long immigration line, you could cancel your tickets and get the rest of the fare back. You'd need a smart phone to do it, and it would help to have the DB app downloaded on the phone too. Of course you'd then need to buy the full, walk-up fare for the journey.

But to answer your question -- no one can really say if first class would be worth it to you. I can say that second-class wagons are usually more crowded, with more families, and also usually louder. I've been on wagons with boisterous sports teams, a rowdy group of young men, a small group of chatty teens.... and a crying baby. Not all the same train, thank goodness. You may find it difficult to find a place for your suitcases, too. Though ICE trains have luggage racks in the middle of the wagon, they can get full when the train is crowded. When I'm travelling long distances, it is worth it to me to travel first class on trains.

There are also "quiet" wagons, and I often reserve a seat in one of those. I'm afraid I don't know if they are offered in second class though -- hopefully someone will post and let us know.

Hope you get it worked out!

s