Does anyone have any good tips on how to get the best pricing on train travel in Germany - should you book ahead - is pricing better when you buy at the gate? What if flight is late and you bought ahead?
Thanks for any info.

Hi marian,

>What if flight is late and you bought ahead?<

You turn your train ticket in at the station for one on the next train. There might be a small fee.

You can buy tickets online, for the same price as at the station, at http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

We recently bought tickets from Euraide.com. They have a toll-free phone, too, so you can talk with a live person in Florida. They charge the same price as at the train station, but add $45 shipping and handling flat-fee to any purchase. They have an office in the Munich train station.
Euraide.com was a lot cheaper than buying via other on-line sources, in my experience. We reserved first class seating, and still paid a lot less than second class would have cost through other on-line sources.
It helps if you research the schedules and know when and where you want to travel before you contact Euraide.com, though.
Personally, I just felt better having the tickets in hand before we flew to Austria, so it would be one less detail to mess with while there. Ask Euraide what happens if you miss your ticketed train.

Hi MaureenB

>We reserved first class seating, and still paid a lot less than second class would have cost through other on-line sources.<

Did your other online sources include the German National Rail site?

To be honest, I don't remember. I did it several months ago, and was looking for Vienna- Prague- Munich. I priced three other on-line services before deciding on Euraide.com for those fares.
Then, in Bavaria, the Bayern Pass is an unbelievable bargain. We used it for two day-trips from Munich, and it was only 22 Euros/day for up to five people. So much more comfortable and convenient than a car for us. That price even includes bus transport, like into town at Fussen.