My First Self-Planned Trip, Multiple Countries TRAIN Questions

I won't chime in on the last four journeys, 'cause I would have to do some research on the Austrian Rail website, I'll let someone who knows it off the top of their head advise you. However, I can answer the first three, MUC to Munich Hbf to Berchtesgaden to Salzburg. Unless you are planning to take an IC from Munich to Salzburg or Freilassing (no particular time advantage), advance purchase will give you no price advantage. All of the first three tickets can easily be purchased at the departure point (station or bus stop) on the day of travel.

The best price for MUC to Munich Hbf would be an MVV point-point ticket (zones M-5 for 11,90€), unless you plan more local transport later in Munich later in the day. In that case, you best choice would be an MVV Tageskarte (all day pass) for the same zones, M-5, for 13,20€.

For Munich Hbf, use a Bayern-Ticket, again, an all-day pass for all of Bavaria (for 25€, solo) including the line from Freilassing to Berchtesgaden, and any bus transportation in Berchtesgaden that day.

For Berchtesgaden to Salzburg, I would take the Watzmann Express, bus RVO-840, from the Berchtesgaden Hbf to Salzburg Hbf. Buy your ticket from the bus driver. When I did it in 2009, the cost of the one-way ticket was about half of the cost of an RVO Tages-Ticket, which today is 10,40€.

Have you familiarized yourself with the man in seat 61 website? The info there is invaluable. Once you get a few real train trips under your belt, you'll find them very unintimidating.

We have traveled through Europe a lot, and we always travel by train (or the occasional bus). Personally, I like to buy my train tickets a few weeks or longer ahead of time. I already know my normal routine of getting up early for breakfast and taking the train to the next town between 8-10am on the days I’m switching locations. Having the tickets ahead of time makes it easy for me, and I don’t have to make decisions last-minute.

If you buy a paper ticket at the station, be sure you validate the ticket before boarding to avoid a fine.

One comment: you might want to consider taking the train from Salzburg to Melk and then taking a boat ride down the Danube river to enjoy the scenery and catching a train again around Krems to head to Vienna.

MUC to Munich Hbf

See Lee's post. The machines should look similar to this:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/MVG_Fahrkartenautomat_neu.jpg

Munich Hbf to Berchtesgaden

A "Bayern Ticket" day pass is valid on local and regional trains (and many buses as well) all around Bavaria and will get you there for €25. Purchase from a ticket machine at Munich's main station. Do not board long-distance trains (like ICE, IC, EC, RJ etc.) On weekdays it's only valid from 9 am onward.

Berchtesgaden to Salzburg

Bus 840 - the Watzmann Express - takes 50 minutes. Schedule. Pay the driver. You may get a discount if you show your Berchtesgaden Guest Card (comes free with your room and is good for certain limited bus routes in the area as well as discounts.)

As for the validation, called cancelling or "entwerten" (to take away the value) of the first three tickets:

The reasoning behind having tickets requiring cancellation is so you can purchase tickets in advance without knowing when you will use them. Then you cancel, or time stamp them when you actually use them.

As long as you purchase the MVV ticket before boarding at the airport S-Bahn station, it will have the date and time printed on it and will be valid for a specific time span (M-5, 3 hrs). No need to validate it. If you buy the Tageskarte, it will be for the entire day printed on it and needs no time stamp.

I think I read that if you purchase tickets from Bahn machines, they will give you the option of having the ticket time printed on it or needing cancelling, but I've never encountered that option. I probably have always bought a Tageskarte.

The Bayern-Ticket is valid all day for the date printed on it, and does not need to be validated. If you purchase a Bayern-Ticket in advance, make sure it is for the correct date.

If you use the RVO bus, the driver validates the ticket when you purchase it.

Any ticket purchased in German that requires validation will be narrow, to fit in the cancelling machine, and have the words, "Hier entwerten" printed on one end and arrows (triangles) pointing to the end you insert it in the machine, which prints the time on the ticket. In my experience, the "pre-validated" tickets are too wide to fit in the cancelling machines.

For Puchov to Prague, from the Slovak Rail site the anytime fare is 21.50 EUR, but you can buy a Europa Express ticket on-line for 14 EUR. Perhaps a such a low anytime fare for a nearly 5 hour direct train journey will not break the bank to take the trouble to go on-line.

Prague to the airport is best with Airport Express Bus from the main train station.
https://www.pragueairport.co.uk/airport-express-bus/

Two very simple answers - as far as Germany goes - , and no need to freak out. :-)

Can I purchase these tickets at kiosks on day of travel?

You can buy tickets at machines at even the smallest train station. Larger train stations usually also have counters with real live people behind them if you prefer to get advice from a real live person. They will print out your tickets at no extra charge. Knowledge of English may differ.

Do I need an app on my phone?

No, you don't. Some people find it helpful, and sure, go ahead and try it. Whatever works for you.

The long and the short of it is: It all depends on your degree of spontaneity. If you are traveling on a very tight schedule or want to catch all the special offers, by all means, book ahead of time and have your tickets all ready. That also makes sense if you have a lot of luggage and want to make sure you have seat reservations (on the fast trains only).

If you are the spontaneous type, go to the station, get your ticket, and get on the train. It's what I do 90% of the time, and things don't go wrong any more often than with a pre-booked connection.

The only thing you might want to look out for is to try and avoid connections that have a little warning sign letting you know that this train is going to be particularly crowded, or that there is construction work going on somewhere along the route.

Wow!

The mild freak out has been calmed!

Thanks for the valuable information presented so clearly!
Also thanks for the links to the photos!

I am looking forward to comparing a self-planned trip to an RS trip. I will definitely hire a private guide or do a guided walk at each destination.

In Germany, when you book in advance, there are two kinds of tickets you can book.

The first kind are discounted (Sparpreis) tickets for long distance trains. These ticket offer a discounted price, often substantial, in exchange for committing to a specific train (date and time). Sparpreis tickets have to be purchased in advance.

I understand that you can now get seat reservations for a few regional trains, but, in general, you can only get seat reservations for long distance trains.

The second kind offer no price reduction for advance purchase. Some of these tickets, when purchased in advance, also come with a time limitation. Länder-Tickets, are all-day passes for one or more German Land (or state) and can often be far less expensive than buying point-point tickets all day long. Whenever you buy a Länder-Ticket, it comes with the date of validity stamped on it. If you buy it on the date you want to travel, no problem, but if you buy it in advance, you must use it on the date printed on it, or lose it. There is no exchange or return of Länder-Tickets. I would guess that at least half of all tickets I buy in Germany are Länder-Tickets, bought when I arrive at the station that day.

Getting back to Sparpreis tickets. There are Super-Sparpreis ticket that offer the biggest discount; they are non-refundable, non-exchangeable. They can only be used for the long distance train specified on the ticket. Regular Sparpreis ticket can be exchanged for a different date or train, but at a penalty.

So my advice, at least in Germany, is to buy discounted advance purchase tickets only for long distance trains (Sparpreis) when you know you can commit to that specific train. In almost all other cases, buy the tickets at the time of travel. Unless it is an uncommon regional train that offers reservations, advance purchase of a regional train ticket offers no advantage. The tickets for those trains never sell out. If the train is crowded, you stand until a seat becomes available, no matter when you bought you ticket).

I did once make an exception to that rule. Years ago, I was arriving at FRA on a trans-Atlantic flight. The train connection I really wanted to take was leaving a little too soon after my arrival to be able to make it, but if my flight arrived early, I could make it. However, with an early arrival I might just make it, and having to buy a ticket might mean the difference. So I made an advance purchase (no discount) of an open ticket that showed that train. As it turned out, my flight was a little late, so I didn't make the train on the ticket, but since it was a full price ticket, I just caught the next train two hours later, no penalty. Today, some airlines, like Lufthansa, offer Rail 'n Fly tickets, usable on any train (even long distance) to your destination that day or the next, for a low price of about 33€/P.

I am looking forward to comparing a self-planned trip to an RS trip.

We'll be curious to hear the results of that comparison. :-)

My guess would be that there are going to be two main differences: no annoying co-travelers except for the ones you brought along yourself, and no one to do the organizing for you. In a group, you can just sort of play "follow the leader" and trot along with the herd without even thinking. That's not going to work on a solo trip.

Note that if you do end up with a travel companion, you can buy a Länder ticket for two people for very little more than for one person -- just remember to write passenger names on the back of the ticket.

Lee and Laura,

Thank you for the additional information, it is very appreciated.

Anna,
Anyone on a tour that plays "follow the leader" only and does not prepare for the trip will get a substandard experience.

Oh, I just meant that in regard to organizing everything. :-)

I am looking forward to comparing a self-planned trip to an RS trip.

OK, here's my take on it.

With an organized trip (I'm not limiting it to just RS trips), you won't have to do much planning. Your accommodations and transportation will be provided.

You will have an informed guide, who will tell you all about what you are seeing.

But

You might spend some (or a lot of your time) seeing what the trip organizer thought was important for you to see, not what you would have planned to see on your own. Rarely would you do exactly what you would have planned to do on your own.

You will spend a lot more money. On trips I have planned myself, doing exactly what I wanted to do, I have spent a quarter to a third of what an organized trip like an RS on would have cost me. I could spend almost two months in Europe for what one 13 day tour would cost, and see exactly what I wanted to see. Sure, doing it myself, I might miss out on some things for lack of an experience guide, but I'll have over a month to make up for it.

Don't get me wrong, for someone who doesn't like to plan, or can't, these organized tours have a value, just not for me.

@Lee, like backpack vs roller, carry your passport vs leave it in the hotel, rental car vs public transportation, tour vs self-planned has been discussed ad nauseum.

I appreciate your views, certainly.
We each should travel the way we want to.
I personally find a lot of value in a well guided, high quality bus tour. If you haven't been on such a tour, you might not be able to make the comparison fairly.

I didn't really mean to start a new discussion regarding the comparison, other than to say that after my trip I will be able to make the comparison as it pertains to each method's individual value to me. I have no doubt that I will take more tours as I don't want to travel completely by myself when a travel companion is either not available or not desired. Will I take more self-planned trips? I hope so! I expect I will learn something valuable during each trip and they will get better and better!

Sorry, but when you said,

I am looking forward to comparing a self-planned trip to an RS trip

I thought you were asking for a comparison to other people's opinion.

If you haven't been on such a tour, you might not be able to make the comparison fairly.

And you will be comparing a 3rd party trip to one you planned, not to what someone could plan.

People are always saying this for various more expensive things they want to do. I haven't been on a 3rd party Dachau, Neuschwanstein, or Eagles Nest tour, but I feel strongly it would not be worth the money, at least compared to a trip I planned. I haven't been on an 3rd party tour in Europe, but I feel strongly it wouldn't be worth 4 times the cost. I haven't drank acid or sky-dived without a parachute either, but I'm still pretty sure I don't want to.

@Lee,
I am extremely grateful for your informative response to my question about train travel, it was very helpful. I apologize if you feel my reaction to your negative comments about traveling on a tour were defensive. I agree I could have left out the comment about you not being able to reliably compare the two without experiencing both. I don't want it to seem like I am trying to talking you into taking a tour, because I am not trying to do that. I don't think it would work anyways. Similarly, I don't think you are trying to talk me out of taking one; it wouldn't work anyways.