junior_uguccioni

Well, why is there 2 different fares on bahn.de?

As far as I could get it, if I get a Bahncard then I can purchase the cheapest ticket, is that right?

Thanks, J.U.

PalenQ

Nothing to do with Bahn Card I believe but one is full fare that you could buy at stations and use of any of the same type of train (different levels of trains - ICEs to regional ones have different fares for the same journey) - and the other fare is a discounted fare - usually saying "From xx euro - those fares are sold in limited numbers and can sell out way before the train.

Those fares also have restrictions and cannot be changed nor refunded I believe so are set in stone.

How much are you traveling around Germany on trains - if more than a few trips take a good look at the German Railpass - the more days you buy the cheaper per day it is - at some point rivalling the discounted fares but letting you board virtually any train anytime without formality.

For lots of great info on German trains and bahn.de check out www.seat61.com; http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id9.html; and www.ricksteves.com.

No reason to buy full fare ducats ahead of time - always available - there are no mandatory seat reservations on most trains so tickets do not come with a seat reservation even though like with the idscounts tickets may be train specific - seat reservations can be made at any extra few euro anytime after getting the ticket or with it - in 2nd class I would recommend a seat reservation.

Hans

You can also buy a Bahncard but this is only sensible if you plan more rail travels than most tourists do.

They offer 25% or 50% discounts on all tickets.

lavandula

I've had the introductory BahnCard 25, and the price just netted me a small discount on 3 fares from Stuttgart to Berlin and then Berlin to Frankfurt, if you factor in the cost of the card. The overall saving wasn't much, but would have been more interesting had we taken any more journeys or had we been travelling with more people. In any case the discounted fares are very good. Do go for a reservation, it will make a big difference.

Lavandula

michelhuebeli

Junior, if you give us an exact example of what brought up this question of yours, maybe we can be more specific?

Maybe you simply saw a "Sparangebot" - "savings offer" or such advance-discounted fare, of which there are many posted all the time. You see one, you grab it, you're good to go.

But before you book it online, let your credit-card company know you're about to do it so that the transaction will go through, otherwise it might get aborted for reasons of "suspicious foreign account activity" and you would think the German Railways didn't let you buy the tix when it was your financial institution's fraud prevention system that stopped you...

mjdh1957

If you do buy a Bahncard, be aware that it is a subscription that will automatically renew unless you cancel it.

For most visitors to Germany it makes little sense unless you are doing extensive travelling by train or are there for a long time.

junior_uguccioni

Thanks for helping, guys!

I'm having an out and a return ticket from Frankfurt to Hamburg, and the difference of prices comes to 270 EUR!!! As you told me, there is no reason for me to get the standart ticket since i'll be definitely at the station to take the train.

The Bahncard decreases the fare, however i think it won't be necessary. Like, i'd use it only twice.

In short, there isn't any requirement for purchasing a saving fare ticket, the Bahncard won't be usefull and i'd better get a seat reservation.

Any other tip (or correction), please, let me know!

Gratefully, J.U

PalenQ

Those savings fares can go quick - only so many at that price so when it comes on the system hop on it - if you are sure of your date and time - again non-changeable non-refundble - and in 2nd class do like junior above says also get a seat reservation, which is optional I believe and at a slight extra fee - the seat reservation can be done once in Germany - book the discounted ticket way in advance to guarantee that fare.

PalenQ

Any other tip (or correction), please, let me know!>

I think on weekends there is a special fare regardless of distance travelled but you are restricted to regional trains - but it could be really cheap if going both ways during the weekend. Not sure but check it out!

lavandula

>If you do buy a Bahncard, be aware that it is a subscription that will automatically renew unless >you cancel it.

I thought so too and was prepared to write and cancel the subscription but all that happened was that they sent me a form to fill out for the new one - I didn't automatically get a new one. So I am wondering if they did it differently because I'm not in Germany or not paying by direct debit from my bank account ....?

In any case, this was a one-time trick because the next BahnCard is a lot more expensive and it would be folly to buy one just for one or two trips by rail.

Lavandula

november_moon

Yes, the regional day and weekend tickets can be a great deal if you are good with regional trains and the time of day restrictions - these are an especially good deal for groups of 2 or more since the incremental difference to add people to the ticket is pretty small.

http://www.bahn.de/i/view/USA/en/pri...overview.shtml

michelhuebeli

Junior, what are your dates? And are they firm or will a day earlier or later still work?

Betsy

november-moon nailed it. Follow the link she posted.

There are Quer-durchs-Land-Tickets, Schönes-Wochenende-Tickets and Regional Day Tickets with significant reductions weekdays and weekends regionally, and most days anywhere in Germany. There's a bit of a learning curve, and it's very worthwhile to climb it. Take notice of how far out you can book these tickets and be prepared to book on the first day they're available.

PalenQ

but note the restrictions on things like weekend tickets - I believe only regional trains so go to www.bahn.de/en and see how say Frankfurt to Hamburg can be done on regional trains and how long they may take.

OTOH the regional trains probably take the old route north from Frankfurt along the Rhine and right thru the Rhine Gorge - ICE trains now go on a new rail route avoiding towns and IME views often obscured by windblocks and recessed rail lines - seeing very little of a rather hilly and scenic part of Germany.

regional trains IME are also much less comfy than ICE trains so a long ride on them could not be so comfy. But on regional trains you can easily get off and break your journey - throw your bags in a station locker and explore some lovely town en route - or like in Cologne get off at the train station and bop over to the world-famous cathedral right next door to the train station - one of the world's largest Gothic cathedrals!

PalenQ

Frankfurt to Hamburg by ICE - fastest trains - takes 4 hours or a little less on some - IC trains take over 6 hours usually and regional trains seems about 8 hours - factors to consider if the special tickets restrict you to regional and or IC trains.

junior_uguccioni

Thank you all! That helped me a lot!

PalenQ

Hans or others - I understand that there are special seats on fast trains reserved for Bahn Card holders and so marked and if empty anyone can sit in them but if a Bahn Card holder comes by and asks for that seat it is rightfully theirs.

A nice perk perhaps for business types (I hear these are in first class - not sure about 2nd class) who may have gto quickly board a train and don't have time for a reservation or need to just hop on.

Is this true?

Thanks for any info.

quokka

No it is not PalenQ.

quokka

You are probably thinking of those with BahnComfort status. That status requires achieving more than 2.000 points, i.e. having spent more than 2.000 € on reduced fares, whithin one year. There are a few seats reserved for holders of such status cards.

PalenQ

quokka - thanks a lot - clarifies a lot what I had heard!

Danke...