Question about train tckts: Germany, Austria, Hungary
 

This will be my first trip to Europe. Even after a lot of research I am having a difficult time trying to figure out the best way to buy train tickets and if I should buy them here (in the US) or in each city when I arrive. My schedule is as follows:

Arrive Munich Sept 17
Depart Munich by train Sept 20 going to Vienna
Depart Vienna by train Sept 23 going to Budapest
Depart Budapest by train Sept 25 going to Salzburg
Then back to Munich for the flight home on the 28

Can anyone offer any tips/advice or any good websites to search for train schedules that far in advance?
Sorry so long and thanks in advance!

www.bahn.de

You can search Germany and Austria for sure on this website... have never tried Hungary.

P.S.
In the top left corner, you can click on the English option.
Look under the box entitled "Reiseauskunft - Tickets"

Thanks TexasAngie! I will try that website.

I think you can buy your tickets a day or so ahead with no trouble.
Unless the train has a mandatory seat reservation, there is no need to worry.
Trains are rarely full except on Sundays.
(TGVs in France and the Cisalpinos to Italy from Germany require a reservation as do Eurostars and Thalys trains.)

I think in Munich you could buy tickets all the way.

The best website for your purposes is the Deutsche Bahn. It is very good for Western Europe.
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/d
and click on English.

(Unless German is not a problem.)

Let me suggest you go to Budapest first, and then stop off in Vienna and Salzburg on your way back. Why?
You can take a no change train from Munich to Budapest at 9:27 and arrive 7:36 later.

Coming back, you can stop in Vienna and do the same for Salzburg.
Or you could reverse the idea.
Leave Budapest and return to Munich at 13:00
And you can play with it.
Go to Salzburg first.
Then Budapest.
Then Vienna
And back to Munich.

It all depends on how you want to break up the trip.

The route to Vienna goes through Salzburg, so it all depends on when you want to stopover and how much time you spend on the train at any one time.

I am sure you will get loads of opinions on how to get from the airport to town in Munich. I take the Lufthansa bus both ways. It originates at the train station and makes one stop at Nordfriedhof, which is near a stop on the U6 line.

I prefer the bus to the S bahn train because of the ease of handling luggage.
Also, if I want a taxi to take me to my hotel, the driver will radio ahead and the taxi picks you up about the time the bus arrives. Very convenient.

Better still no long escalators etc and the requirement to haul luggage up and down.
The trip takes about 45 minutes.
You can buy a round trip ticket from the driver when you board the bus. Just have euro notes handy.
He does not take US dollars.
I don't recall if Visa works or not.

Thanks Bob! Your info was very helpful! I can see now I will have to continue my research to make the best use of my time (trying not to spend to much time on a train).

As for getting to our hotel from the airport I had thought about the train since one of the stations is supposedly right across the street from my hotel. I have yet to find a good city map with all the street names labeled.

I'm sure this will be a very interesting trip since it will be my first to Europe and on opening weekend of Oktoberfest at that!!!

Thanks again for your help.

try www.onemapplace.com for maps.
I have a very good and very large and very comprehensive map of Munich.
I got it from one mapplace in Texas.
It was shipped Fedex.

If you don't have hotels lined up for Munich, better do it soon. Oktoberfest, which starts in September, fills place up something fierce.

I stay in a hotel in Schwabing, and even it gets full. Prices also rise during that time.

My only comment is that you might want to think of more time in Vienna.
Salzburg is worth about a day and a half.

I might add that the trains from Budapest to Salzburg all go through Vienna. Even the no change one stops at Wien West for 10 minutes.

You need to check schedules because some trains stop more than others.

Thanks again Bob!

I actually do have a hotel in Munich already booked...got that out of the way in early March. It was difficult to find something as I did not want to pay more than $150 a night.

Basically the only reason we are thinking of going to Vienna from Munich is so the train travel will not be as long and the whole day not wasted. Oh if I only had more vacation time!

One more question please...my flight leaves at 10:00 am, would it be best to stay closer to the airport or would city center Munich still be ok. We were hoping to enjoy our last night partying at Oktoberfest...hopefully that will make the long flight home easier.

You mau find the European East pass (five days in 1-month period, flexipass, for $162 in second class and $230 in first class) will be a good deal for the Salzburg-Vienna-Budapest-Salzburg portion. In any case as to your question of where to have your questions answered - call Budget Europe's European Rail Hotline where folks who have traveled for years on European trains will answer all your questions - the only such phone service i know of with a toll free number (800-441-9413) and able to speak to someone who will answer all your questions. I've used them for years - ask for their free European Planning & Rail Guide that gives a ton of info for novice European train users.

You can figure on 45 minutes to get to the airport via the S Bahn once the train was rolling.

Security at the airport is not the hassle it is here. Last year, there were two levels of security. It is gate specific and not of the one size fits all variety.

We got through the first gate with no trouble. Cursory check because flights within Europe are not as strictly screened.

When we got to the gate for US Airways, it was a different story. Security was very tight. The checking I got was more extensive and far more professionally done than anything I have experienced in the US. The security force members were with the Bundesgrenzpolizei. They not only x-rayed everything with high resolution equipment but they also did a pat search.

Sounds to me like you will fly home with a hangover and that doubles the misery in coach class. If your flight is 9 hours, it will seem like 18.
Enjoy.

Thanks Pal and Bob!

I beleive my actual flight time coming back home is around 14.5 hours with one stop...I'm thinking of staying up all night at Oktoberfest and then I will be able to sleep on the plane (hopefully no hangover). The bad thing is I will have to go to work the next day.

Thanks again everyone...you have been most helpful!!!

If you can sleep in coach class, more power to you. I cannot. The seats are too darned tight for any degree of comfort at all. I don't sleep when I am in pain.

If not hungover, you should be well jetlagged.