Train Reservations or Pass - Germany
 

Hello - I will be traveling by train in Germany/Austria in October. The itinerary is set:

1) Fly to Frankfurt, stay several days with friends near Karlsruhe.

2) Train Karlsruhe to Munich, stay 3 nights

3) Train Munich to Salzburg, stay 3 nights

4) Train Salzburg to Rothenburg, stay 2 nights

5) Train Rothenburg to Frankfurt, overnight and fly home the next day.

Questions -- for four journeys, should I buy point-to-point tickets or a railpass? If point-to-point, when and through whom should I purchase tickets? I already checked RailEurope and some tickets can't be purchased yet. If I have a pass, can I really just jump on any train that's convenient?

Thanks for any and all help!

Hi azzure,

Please don't use Raileurope to see point-point ticket prices; their prices are always higher than the actual fares.

Instead, use the German rail site to see the fares --

www.bahn.com

Make sure that you get your tickets early; the discounted fares go on sale 92 days early, but the cheapest fares sell out fast. It's best to mark your calendar and be ready to buy.

You can generally find fares around 29 Euro -- and getting those discounted fares will make a Pass unnecessary.

Have fun as you plan.

s

Munich to Salzburg and Salzburg to Rothenburg can be done on a Bayern-Ticket (21 € for each trip) if you stick to regional trains: http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/pr...r-ticket.shtml

Hi - as swandav2000 suggests, I'll be waiting until 92 days before to purchase my point-to-point tickets for my October trip. Unfortunately, I just looked at my calendar and I will be away from home, and thus unable to book my tickets, until about 80 days before my trip. Do the cheap point-to-point tickets sell out THAT FAST, or am I safe in waiting until I get home?

Hi again,

Well, it really varies according to the route. Sometimes you can still find the 29 Euro fares as late as the week before you travel, but sometimes not. Sometimes you'll find fares a bit higher but still not as high as the walk-up fares.

If you have a laptop, you can buy the fares online. If you have a smartphone, you can download the DB app and buy them with your phone.

Otherwise, you'll have to wait until you return. You'll probably still be able to get a decent deal.

s