Train from Franfurt airport to Wurzburg
 

I am new to arranging train travel in Europe, and have a pretty simle question. I have found tickets on the RailEurope web site. I am looking at 2nd Class seating (I assume for a trip this short, it is the way to go?). There are two catagories, though, and I cannot sort out the difference. The first is "Economy Restricted 2nd Class" and the other is "Freedom Flexible 2nd Class". What is the difference and is one better than the other? Any other advice on this?

economy restricted means no change

freedom flexible i believe means can be used on any train

As RailEurope charges $25 to talk to someone on phone and answer such questions - according to their web site - i always suggest calling BETS 800-441-9413, a RE agent whose knowledgeable staff will answer questions like these and also book. That said if it's Frankfurt Airport to Wurzburg tickets you're talking about you'll have absolutely no problem booking these trains upon arrival at a cost somewhat less than RE - especially since here you have a handling fee and mailing fee.

Go to www.bahn.de - The German Rail web site and you should be able to print your own ticket at home - again cheaper usually (not always) than RailEurope. A good way to reach the English schedule page of the Wunderbar www.bahn.de site, which will give you all the train connections and even which platform to stand on, go to BETS home page www.budgeteuropetravel.com and click on the link All European Railway Timetables and this brings you to the German site's English page where you just put in Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof (airport long-distance train station) and Wuerzburg and you'll get all the connections, which are hourly or more. You can also look for SPAR fares online discounts to save a bundle if available on this route that day.

Forget the Raileurope cr**, and simply buy the tickets from a railway site. The German Railway is found under www.bahn.de
This "Economy restricted" and such are some inventions of RailEurope which don´t exist in this form on the trains. Still easier, just buy your ticket when you arrive. At such short distances there are not much money to save by buying in advance

Thanks for the help!

I agree with Altamiro that the restricted ticket is an invention of Rail Europe because they don't want to go through the bother of refunding your tickets. And, apparently, DB won't exchange them over there, either. Obviously, the "Freedom flexible" ticket doesn't apply here, but leaves open the opportunity to charge you EVEN MORE for a ticket that would be refundable if not used.

It should be noted that tickets (not reservations) purchased from DB counters are fully refundable at a counter if not used, but those purchased online cannot be refunded at counters. You have to mail the unused ticket, along with a form that you find somewhere on the DB website, to Germany for a refund.

That said, the $54 (plus S&H) ICE tickets on RE are the same ones that you can purchase either online or from a counter over there for €33 (~$46).

The $50 (plus S&H) RE tickets are via IC (actually a few minutes faster to Würzburg because they spend less time in the Frankfurt Hbf). These tickets go for €27 ($37) online or over there.

At a counter over there, you would pay €3,50 for a reservation (included with RE). The reservation would cost €1,50 if included with an online order. Reservations are not refundable. By avoiding RE, you save the handling and shipping charges.

Also note that there are regional train (RE) connections from FRA to Würzburg. These connections take 2:22. That is only about 1/2 hour longer than by express train when you account for the extra time to get from the terminal to the Fernbahnhof, where the ICEs leave. The fare by regional train is €23,40 ($32).

If there are two or more of you, the least expensive way to get to Würzburg is to buy individual tickets from FRA to Kahl am Main, the first stop in Bavaria, for €6,60 per person, and use a Bayern-Ticket from Kahl to Würzburg. A Bayern-Ticket is valid in 2nd class on regional trains after 9 AM weekdays (you are not likely to get to Kahl before then) and costs €27, total, for up to five people traveling together. So, for two people, FRA to Würzburg, the fare would be €20,10 ($28) using the Bayern-Ticket.

OK.

It sounds like I can be confident in arriving at the station at the airport and purchase a ticket on the spot? There are 8 traveling in the party.

A second travel question: We are spending the first few days in Wurzburg for a wedding and then traveling on to Rothenburg, then to Hohenschwangau (near Fussen), then to Munich and flying out of there. I was originally thinking of renting a car, but in looking around for tickets, it appears that I could do this by train as well. Any thoughts on whether we should drive it or take the train?

DH and I have driven the Wurzburg-Rothenburg-Fussen route a few times, most recently this past June with both our families in tow. It is a lovely drive.
The train station in the FRA airport is well marked (follow the signs) and buying a ticket there from the self service ticket machine couldn't be easier. Just press the English flag button for English. Or, there is a ticket office at one end of the station and the folks are very helpful. We always take the direct train from FRA to Wurzburg Hbf and it takes about 1.5 hours. We normally pick up the rental car in Wurzburg. There is a fee for picking up at the train station but we normally do it anyway because it is so convenient. Otherwise, grab a taxi (10€) and pick up the car downtown.

The drive down the "romantic road" is very scenic and we always really enjoy it.

>OK.

It sounds like I can be confident in arriving at the station at the airport and purchase a ticket on the spot? There are 8 traveling in the party.

Of course you can do that without any problem, but with 8 people you are eligible for group discounts. You cannot buy them online, however you can call DB (somewhere on the site there will be a number) and order them to be sent to you. Even the fully flexible group tickets (>6 persons) are usually significantly cheaper than if bought separately for each person. But of course it means that you can only travel as a group, together.

Eight people. How many are adults? Children under 15?

It's five adults (one senior citizen) plus three children.

Looks like your best bet is the Gruppe&Spar 50 fare. You can purchase that up to one hour before travel time.

As I read it, it would be 50% off of (5 adults, and 3 children at half of adult fare). For the Intercity (IC) train, which is the fastest trip between FRA and Würzburg, that would come to 50% of (5 x €27 + 3 x €13,50) = €88,75. If it turns out you just missed the IC, you can get the same thing on an ICE for €107,25.

Using regional trains, two Bayern Tickets are €54, and you can get to Kahl with a Preisstufe 5 Gruppetageskarte for €22 for the adults, plus three childs single trip tickets for €3,95 each. That's €87,85 total.

Depending on the scheduled wait for other trains, the regional trains might be just as good as the IC, and better than the ICE.

As long as you travel in this group, it appears you will always be able to get 50% of (5 x full fare plus 3 x 1/2 of full fare) or 3-1/4 times full fare for your group.

Full fare from Würzburg to Rothenburg is €10,60, so that trip should cost your group €34,45.

Thanks for everyone's help on this...as always, you all are a great guide to travel.

Larry, as I read your thoughts, we should not do advanced reservations but simply show up at the station, seek the group rate you are recommending, and basically get on whatever train will get us their first? I just want to make sure I have this right. I will have a four yr old and six yr old on thier first transatlantic flight -- and tired adults as well -- so I would like this to be as smooth as possible.

Thanks again.

This is jst the right information for us too, but need to ask the below:

We're going to be on the same route this mid-Sept. We'll arrive in Frankfurt at 8:30 p.m. Can we still get to Kahl this late and how easy it check-in to a hotel this late at night there? Should we just take the direct train to Wurzburg? We're going the Romantissche Strasse route. It'll be 2 adults and 1 three-year-old.

Thanks!