Does anyone know the best site to purchase one way train tickets from Munich to Paris? I am traveling with my family (spouse, 3 kids, and mother-in-law) this spring for two weeks, working our way from Rome to Paris. I think I've figured out that my cheapest option is to purchase point to point tickets in advance, rather than a rail pass. From my research (with a lot of help from the Rick Steves forum) it looks like the best place to purchase the tickets for trips within one country are on that country's rail site. But I'm a little confused, with all the options, about where to buy tickets for the trips going from one country to another. Thanks for your help!
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5493 posts
Bahn.de
This is the website of Deutsche Bahn, national rail carrier of Germany.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32345 posts
Chris,
One method you might use is to research which rail trip you want on the bahn.de website, and then purchase your tickets using the Capitaine Train website. Their goal is to have customers spend as little time as possible on the website, so the process is very easy. Their customer service is also excellent.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
Try both of the two recommended sites, and see which has the cheapest fare. The seats will be identical.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
I'd use DB site for anything that it sells, including Venice-Munich and Munich-Paris, because it gets relatively few complaints and you are going to the source. It's easier to use than the French or Italian site, and probably issues print-at-home tickets in both directions. If you ever see any notes that you have to pick up tickets in a particular country or station, then don't ignore that point. Of course, some credit cards may add fees for European charges, but you'll have that issue though out your trip.
Posted by
1221 posts
DB is indeed print at home tickets. There's something on there about using size A4 paper for that, but US standard letter format works just fine- they scan a bar code or something off the printout. Note that if you buy from them online, you will be asked to present the credit card used for the purchase to the conductor along with the ticket as a fraud prevention measure.