I want to travel between Goteborg Sweden and Berlin Germany in July. Rick Steven uses Rail Europe, I think. I logged onto the sight and found that often the transfer times are 11 minutes or 15 minutes. Is that enough time to get from one train to another, assuming the first train is on time?
Posted by
Seattle
4637 posts
It is enough time. Actually more than enough. Sometimes it's only 5 minutes. As long as it is shown as a connection it should work assuming no delays.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
To make the short connection, make a point of standing by the door of the train with your luggage before it stops, so you will be ready to open the door and jump out when it does. It's meant to be a workable schedule. Trains from Goteborg to Copenhagen run hourly, if you want to take an earlier one on the first leg. Or, in summer, an overnight train runs from Malmo, Sweden to Berlin on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday nights.
How to Look Up Train Schedules and Routes Online gives you the DB train schedule link and tips for using it. It also sells tickets for the portions of the trip that touch Germany.
You could probably also find a cheap flight at www.skyscanner.com.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thanks for the prompt help. We decided it's cheaper and easier to go by plane, although finding a flight with seats was a challenge!
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
"Rick Steven uses Rail Europe, I think.":
Actually, to check train schedules, Rick recommends the Bahn (German Rail) site. It has schedules for almost all European trains, although it only has prices for trains that start or end in Germany. Here is the site http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en and here is Rick's tutorial for using it: http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/online-schedules
Rail Europe does not list all trains, and often marks up ticket prices (sometimes substantially). To find better prices, you usually want to go to the website of the company where the train starts (so, in your case, Swedish Rail). Here's a handy list, from the rail guru The Man In Seat 61: http://tinyurl.com/bo8x6o6
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12313 posts
I'm glad you came to the conclusion to fly. In Scandinavia trains aren't cheap or particularly convenient. We tried to visit a cousin in Hamburg by rail from Copenhagen, the combination of cost, time and the cousin not having days off of work caused us to abandon the idea. Ferries aren't cheap or fast, but they're a good way to travel in Scandinavia. Planes are the best choice when you want to get somewhere further than a short trip.