may we know what type of german rail pass must we buy which allows us to travel 9 days in three weeks for two adults and a 9 yr old kid? can the pass be used on night train with sleeping facility? (munich to berlin) Is there any limit on how many times we can travel per day? can we buy the pass only when we reach germany? <BR> <BR>mast

Your total should be $513 for second class, 9 days within 30 (2 adults travelling together on a twinpass and one child.) Here's the DB link: <BR> <BR>http://www.bahn.de/home/db_reise_tou...uropeans.shtml <BR> <BR>Buy it through Rick Steves in advance and get a free travel guide to Germany with your purchase: <BR> <BR>www.ricksteves.com <BR> <BR>There is no limit on the number of trips per day or on the type of train you use, but you'll have to pay some kind of supplement for sleeping accommodations.

Thanks Russ, but we are not staying in America and probably will buy it once we reach Germany. Hope they are selling the pass at the train station, and hopefully with the same price. <BR> <BR>mast

I don't know where you're flying into, but you can get the pass at major train stations -- Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, and a few others, and at Frankfurt airport too, I think. Go to the "Reisezentrum" inside these stations. I bought one in Frankfurt several years back. It was more expensive than if I had bought it at home because of the VAT tax.

Hi Russ! <BR>I managed to get the pass from Thomas Cook, but at a higher price---568 US dollars. <BR>As pass holders, are we gauranteed that we can take any train to any destinations in Germany at anytime? must we still book the seats before we take on any train? or can we just simply hop onto any train? <BR>I also noticed that sometimes we need to change 3-4 times of trains to get to a destination, will the operator announce when and where to change train or must we find out ourselves? <BR>lastly, as I have posted another mail, since there is no train station at Frankfurt airport Terminal 2, what is the best way to get to a train station with big luggages and tired bodies? <BR> <BR>thanks, <BR> <BR>mast

As far as I know, any train anytime is the deal. It used to be that some trains carried only first class cars, but I think that all now have 2nd as well. The Thalys is a new addition to European equipment and connects Brussels and Paris with Cologne and Duesseldorf, as I understand it. I know there are special supplements that one must pay in France to ride these, and I'm not positive that the Thalys is included on the German Rail pass. The EC, IC, ICE, IR and regional trains throughout Germany should all be fair game, however, and should not require a reservation (although if you're going somewhere on a heavy travel day, you might want one.) I've never reserved and never had problems finding a seat on a German train. Just watch out that you don't sit in someone else's reserved seat though, as you'll have to move once they get on. <BR> <BR>You will probably have no problem knowing when to get off and on the train. In the faster, long-run trains, there is often a printed timetable lying on or next to the seats for your use that lists the departure ("ab") and arrival ("an") times for each city on the route as well as connecting departure times from each city your train stops at. The fancy trains also have an electronic message board that lists the next stop and tells you how fast your train is moving. Unless you know German, you are unlikely to understand the names of the cities as they come over the loudspeaker, but they are announced. There are occasionally messages in English as well, but these are mostly unintelligible. On thing you may not know is that you can get a personal itinerary printed out at most train stations from the personnel that man the DB Service windows (usually faster) or from the regular ticket agents. This will indicate your changes, the departure times for your connecting trains, and even the platform number. It's a good idea to check the departure schedule in the station anyway (especially if the station has one that changes electronically) since platform changes occur when trains are late, which sometimes happens. The only other complication might be that in some cities, there is more than one station. If you are at a suburb station, the name of the main city will appear first, and then the name of the suburb station (Mainz-Gustavsburg, or Mainz-Sued, for example) so if you're headed for the main station (Mainz Hbf., or just Mainz) don't get off in the suburbs! This is mostly only a problem on the slower regional trains. To get to Deidesheim, you'll probably have to change in Mannheim and Neustadt. <BR> <BR>In Frankfurt Airport, you'll be leaving from one of two stations -- either the "Fernbahnhof" for long-distance trains, or the Regional Bahnhof for regional trains. Paths to both stations are clearly marked in the main hall (A,B,C) which I think is Terminal 1. For Mannheim, you might use either station, but I'm sure the Fernbahnhof is faster. From the #2 terminal, there's a monorail/shuttle that takes you into the main hall, where you can follow signs from there or ask directions. <BR> <BR>Enjoy your trip! <BR> <BR>

Million thanks to you, Russ!Your explanation is much more clearer and useful than any travel guidebook! <BR> <BR>mast