sisterk: P2P: The cheapest, capacity-controlled tickets begin selling out as soon as they are offered (92 days in advance.) You don't usually need these for short distances or daytrips within a region, as daypasses like the Bayern ticket are available. Their value is for long-distance travel on the fast trains, and they can save you a bundle. The cheapest price available for a given connection will always appear if you use the DB itin. search page:

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

The Bayern ticket may also appear as one cheap option, but there is no reason to buy it or any of the other "Länder Ticket" daypasses in advance, or to buy any local P2P tickets in advance; there is no discount offered for these online. You can buy a Bayern Ticket or a Rheinland-Pfalz ticket or a ticket from FRA to Mainz 5 seconds before you leave or 5 weeks before you leave, but you'll pay the same price. These tickets will be available for the same price once you are in Germany as they are online.

Example: Let's say you want to go from Würzburg to Munich on August 18 You use the default setting "ALL" for means of transport, which will give you the fastest connections and includes the IC, ICE, EC, and other long-distance trains, in addition to some of the slower regional train connections. For the 6:03 departure, the standard fare for the ICE direct train comes up as 64 Euros; the savings fare of 49 Euros is still available, so it also comes up. When I click on that price, another page pops up to show me that the 29-Euro fare for that connection is already sold out. If I had checked exactly 92 days in advance, the 29-Euro fare would likely still have been available. I'd rather pay 29 Euros than 64, but if I wait until I'm in Germany, the price is 64 Euros.

With "ALL" selected, you'll still get some of the regional train connections, but to get all of them, select "only local transport" instead. Either way, if the Bayern ticket (or other Länder ticket) is possible for your connection and represents a better price than the regular fare, it should pop up. This is exactly what happens for the 6:07 connection on that same date. But the Bayern ticket and the regular fare for the non-Ic, ICE, EC etc trains never sells out. You can just buy it once you're there.

Hope this helps.

Hope that helps

Yes that helps tremendously! Many thanks for your help.

Hijack over :)

I would like info on local daytrip options on the Rhine and Mosel>

well for the Mosel from Cochem here are two outstanding IMO possibilities - one take the train or boat or rent a bike and pedal the about 10 miles downstream from Cochem to Moselkern and then either hop a mini-bus or take a sweet few-mile hike up thru a forest to Burg Eltz, one of Germany's most famous castles and about the only one along with Marksburg on the Rhine not decimated by Napoleon or other marauders - it is so famous it was formerly pictured on the 500 Deutsche Mark banknote until the euro notes came along.

And you could either pedal a bike upstream or take a boat or bus to Beilstein - a small village situated at one of the most awesome points of the awesome Mosel Valley - again abot 10 miles.

another great day trip from a Cochem base or even any Rhine Gorge base is Trier, one of the very oldest cities north of the Alps still around. Trier is a so-so city for Germany, which means really delightful but since it was bombed so much in WW2 it does not have the old-world look and feel of cities not blitzed in the war.

Anyway Trier is known for its awesome Roman relics and ruins - foremost being the Porta Negra, a huge city gate from Roman days when Trier was the capital of half of the Holy Roman Empire and the gate was 'the gateway to the eastern part of the empire' (or some such thing!)

Trier also has traditional Roman ruins like a stadium and an in tact Roman temple that was converted in the 4th century or so to a Christian basilica which it remains - being one of the very oldest Christian churches in all of Europe. Trier also has the Karl Marx Haus, where the philosopher was born - the house still stands and is a museum and study center devoted to Marx and Marxism. And there is also the Wine Teaching Path that wends its way thru a large vineyard right near the Roman Stadium - teaching you all about the nuances of the vaunted Mosel white wines. Trier is about a 30 min or so train ride from Cochem with about hourly or more trains.

Well, I finally took the plunge and bought my 5 day German Rail Pass through Rick Steves. It was great to get 5 days for the price of 4. I always like a bargain. However, I decided to treat myself well and bought the 1st class pass. I haven't received it yet, and I am looking forward to actually having it in my possession.

And, I have all of my lodging booked for the entire trip, which feels great. I wouldn't normally make reservations, but in light of my present circumstances it felt like the best option for me.

Thanks for all the help I have received. I am so glad I found this website.

I hope you have a great trip. We are a little more than a month out from our trip, so I am almost counting the days :)

IMO the first class choice was a smart one - not that 2nd class is a cattle car though on some regional trains I have indeed seen that was so - but just hopping on the train you will surely IME find adjoining empty seats and often the better IMO window and aisle - isolated seats with one seat in a rown - facing each other with a table in between - empty seats are much fewer IME of taking zillions of German trains in 2nd class and y ou always have someone sitting next to you so if you have a window seat you have to say 'excuse me' to get out and you have to watch where you put your bags so they do not bother the person next door - in the isolated seats it is only yourself you'll bother.

Me, too, I'm glad you finally decided on the Pass and on 1st class.

The one thing about 2nd class that bothers me and hasn't been mentioned (haven't read everything in this thread) are families. Families tend to travel in 2nd class and I'm really not a fan of LL (Lusty Lungs). Of course, not every family has an LL, but enough and then there are the SCREAMERS!!!

Also groups. Lots of loud young people crowding in and I really dislike it when they deliberately take every empty seat around me, thus, making a very overt attempt to force me to move.

The physical/amenities difference between 1st and 2nd class can be huge or not very much, depending on the type of train you're on, nevertheless, 1st class - for the minimal difference in price - is a MUCH BETTER choice any day, IMHO.

Sounds like you have a wonderful trip coming up!

and on German trains there is one perk about first class - that the conductor will also act as a waiter and bring drinks and snacks to your seat - equipped of course with a folding tray - but only in first class. First class cars are also often IME located right next to the dining car on trains with dining cars - bord bistro I believe they call them!

I feel good about my choice of a first class pass. Can't believe how quickly this trip is coming up. Hope I can get it all together.