sla019

>Is there a big difference in ICE and IC ?y

IC's are slower and have a more traditional outlook, loco-driven and traditonal cars (where you can, btw, reserve seats in a traditional compartment). Not all IC's carry a dining car (you can look up that in the details on the time table by clicking on the train number), so bring your own food along.

chosebinne

Maybe will do it straight after all......

traveller1959

IC/EC are, as said, slower (just 200 km/h instead of 250 km/h). 95% of the IC/EC trains have restaurant cars. The IC/EC trains run through the Rhine gorge which is very scenic.

PalenQ

Maybe will do it straight after all......

that's what you kids may love - could be in the Cochem municipal swimming pool - a large nice one- by mid-afternoon!

The Cologne stop however would be easy - cathedral smack next door to the train station - off and back on and you have direct trains to Koblenz from there.

but if it were me - I'd - with kids that age - get to my destination and let them unwind a bit.

chosebinne

i'm dumb ! I made a mistake about our travel date. We dont leave Munich july 31 but july 30. Now all the good price are already gone (yesterday was the first day to buy them). I'm not very proud .

sla019

>Now all the good price are already gone (yesterday was the first day to buy them). I'm not very proud .<

I can see right now, 19:22 MET, tickets for ICE 726 dep. 7:55, change at Frankfurt to IC 2024 and at Koblenz to RE arr. Cochem 14:06 for 29 Euro. Not cheap enough?

sla019

And there are still tickets for 29 available for ICE 724 / ICE 1642 / RB leaving Munich at 8:55, arr. Cochem 15:06.

PalenQ

cheap tickets rarely sell out the first days on many trains it seems in my casual testing of such fares - and keep trying.
Q for sla109, who seems to be a real expert on German trains - once discounted tickets are gone for a certain train do they even come back as the train date approaches - say if lots of tickets remain unsold - or once exhausted they never get that cheap again?

chosebinne

We finally bought 58 Euro tickets for the whole family (+ 9 Euro seats reservations)last night. Leaving Munich at 9:55 arrival in Cochem at 16:06 (ICE 1112 + ICE 1026 + RB).

I Can't see that 8:55 departure.

chosebinne

And must have been the last ones at those price since right after the price jump to 90 Euro.

sla019

>I Can't see that 8:55 departure.<

>And must have been the last ones at those price since right after the price jump to 90 Euro.<

No, there are still tickets available for 29 E. One must play a little with that system to get the cheapest options. E.g., you can unclick the fast connections only option, or you can "offer" the system an alternative route. To bring up the 8:55 train (29 E.) I forced it to choose the route via Nuremberg, requesting a stop of 0 min there. Right now (22:32 MET time) it offers me: 30 JUL 2016 Munich dep. 8:55 (ICE 724) - Frankfurt arr. 12:04 dep. 12:42 (IC 2312) - Mainz arr. 13:15 - dep. 13:20 (IC 2312) - Koblenz arr. 14:11 dep. 14:17 (RE) - Cochem arr. 15:06

But 58 E. for the family is a good price, congratulations!

PalenQ

Sounds a lot cheaper than driving!

sla019

>once discounted tickets are gone for a certain train do they even come back as the train date approaches - say if lots of tickets remain unsold - or once exhausted they never get that cheap again?<

@PalenQ
Sorry, I cannot answer that. There is some restructuration of the price system under way and DB said recently that, depending on booking status, they are going to sell discouted tickets very close to depature. But I haven't seen details yet.

PalenQ

sla019 - thanks for your continuing education on German trains- I have not ridden any for a few years after decades of incessant riding so I like to know what's up- again thanks for all your seemingly inside knowledge. Fodor's is lucky to have you and a few others who really know what of what they talk!

Cheers!