Hello everyone. Based on the kind advice of fodorites, I have planned my Dec trip. Initially I planned to spend 3 nights in Munich, then 2 nights in Salzburg. Now I can depart 2 days earlier, ie. I get to spend additional 2 nights. I am thinking of going to Nuremberg and spend 2 nights there before going to Munich. I will be arriving in Munich airport with my 3 kids. Would you advise me to take a train and go directly to Nuremberg or stay one night, leave my baggage at Munich Hilton and take the train to Nuremberg for 1 night? How easy is it to take the train from Munich airport? Is there direct train? I will arrive at 12.15pm on 18th Dec. Can I take the train directly from the airport to Nuremberg? Where do I buy tickets?
Thanks

Which Hilton are you staying in...Hilton Munich City or the other location?

You can take an S-Bahn train from the airport to the main RR station but if you are staying at the Hilton Munich City you can get there directly by S-Bahn as the hotel sits atop the Rosenheimer Platz S-Bahn station.

You will have to take the S-Bahn into the city in order to catch a train to Nuremburg. There is also a periodic bus service run by Lufthansa which can take you from the airport to the RR station as well.

I am going to try to attach an S-Bahn map for you.

http://www.toytowngermany.com/munich...ubahn_map.html

BTW, you can check train schedules here:

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

As others have said, you must take either the S-Bahn (suburban railway) to the main station or the Lufthansa bus. I prefer the bus myself and have taken it several times.

As for the ease of travel, there are numerous trains every day from Munich to Nürmberg. For example, starting at 11:56 and ending at 15:22 there are 9 departures requiring no change of trains.

IF you buy early enough and at the right time you can get a substantial discount.
For example, if you bought today for December 14, and could pick definite departure time, you can get a ticket for
€19 rather than €41. The cheaper fares are restricted to the date and train.

Now I am sure you are asking: "How?"
The Deutsche Bahn makes it rather easy.
I bought my tickets last summer without even leaving my keyboard. I first established an account complete with login data, address, name, and credit card number.

I then selected my train and paid with a credit card. The DB server sent me a pdf file containing my ticket. I printed it on an ink jet printer with standard A4 typewriter paper. The ticket has a scan field on it that the train conductor uses to identify your ticket. Your credit card is then checked for individual identify. You must present the same card you used to make the purchase.

The conductor then punches your ticket like any other train ticket and that is all there is to the matter.

The nice thing about the pdf file is that you can print a backup copy and take it along, too. That way the chances of losing your ticket during travel are greatly reduced. If two people are together, only one ticket is needed.

You can also travel with a Bavarian ticket, but it restricts you to the regional trains which are locals and make many stops. If you buy in advance you get a good price and a fast train.

You should look at the schedule on the DB web site and see what your best options might be. There are trains all day long and into the night.

Buy the tickets once you get there. Deutsche Bahn offers something amazing called a Laender ticket, which allows up to five people to travel anywhere in Bavaria for 25 euros total. Since you're going with three kids, you should definitely use that to go between Nuremberg and Munich.

You don't need to buy it in advance either. It's a really easy process. You don't need to get to the station more than a few minutes before the train departs. Just look for the red ticket machines, and select the British flag for English. The "Laender Ticket" is the second option on the next screen. Get it without the bike options and without the second strange thing they ask you if you want (can't rmeember). Just write your name on it and show it to the conductor.

Thanks so much and sorry for the late reply. Is the Laender ticket valid for the fast train? ie. That can take me from Munich to Nuremberg in 1 hour? Or does it make many stops in between? Hope to hear from you though I am not sure after 3 days.....

To Bob-brown: I checked with the train's website and my departure date is 19th Dec. How come the fare is 92 euro for specific time and date and 164 euro for flexible time? How do I find the 19 euro deal?

Thanks

The Bayern ticket is NOT good on ICE or IC trains. Here's a quote from the bahn.de site:

BAYERN-TICKET (Bavaria-Ticket)
Package price EUR 25 if you buy your ticket online or at the ticket machine. EUR 27 if you purchase your ticket at the ReiseZentrum. This ticket is valid from Monday to Sunday for one day of your choice from 9 a.m. until 3 a.m. of the following day (on bank holidays for the whole day) on Saturday and Sunday and bank holidays from from 0 a.m. until 3 a.m. of the following day. It can be used on all local trains (Interregio-Express, Regional-Express, Regionalbahn, S-Bahn) and the entire transport system in Bavaria as well as the Münchner Verkehrsbund (MVV) and Verkehrsverbund Nürnberg (VGN), Augsburger Verkehrs- und Tarifverbundes (AVV) and many more.

BAYERN TICKET SINGLE (Bavaria-Ticket Single)
EUR 18 if you buy your ticket online or at the ticket machine. EUR 20 if you purchase your ticket at the Reisezentrum. This offer is only for one person, same conditions as Bavaria-Ticket.