Buying Eurail Pass

There is no package of one pass for one adult and one youth.

A youth (12-27) can travel on an adult (over 28) pass. If you specify two adult travelers and check the box that says you will be traveling together at all times, you get a 15% discount from the price of two adult passes.

Or you can purchase one adult and one youth, separately. Compare prices both ways.

The youth pass is only valid in 2nd class, so the adult pass should also be for 2nd class (unless you want to waste money).

Thank you Lee. I was checking 2 sites, one has the function that you mentioned;
https://www.raileurope.com/rail-tickets-passes/german-rail-pass/index.html

But, this one, I didn't find the function
http://www.eurail.com/eurail-passes/select-pass/two-country/austria-germany

Lee, Thank you. So, for German Rail Pass or 2 countries of Germany and Austria Pass, a person of 28 years of age or older can still purchases a 2nd class pass, correct?

I also need to travel from Mainz to Munich, and plan to take the overnight train, to get a "sleep bed" with a Rail Pass, Is there any cost difference between a 2nd class Pass and 1st class Pass? I am talking about getting the same basic sleep bed in the compartment.

Calvin, you can get from Mainz to Munich in about 4 hours. The night train departs at 11:11 PM on the day I checked and arrives in Munich at 7:05 AM, after making four stops along the way.

I'm not sure whether you realize that the rail pass doesn't cover the cost of your sleeping accommodations. It just gets you a standard seat.

You might also rethink getting a Eurail pass at all. For just Germany and Austria, there are lots of lower cost alternatives.

I actually used the rail pass web site to plug in point to point ticket, it came out more than $100 more than the pass cost. They are running a deal for getting one extra day.

Yes, I did realize the pass won't cover the sleep accommodation. That is actually my question about getting the "sleep bed" on the train using rail pass. For rest of the trips, they are all range about 2 - 3 hours. So, I am thinking getting a 2nd class pass, but not sure if it will cost a lot more at the time when I reserve a sleeping bed for the trip from Mainz to Munich. There is a train 421 from Mainz to Munich that is a non stop train, but it takes 7 hours. It departs at 23:11, and arrives at 7:05 the next morning.

Sam, do you have any site that I can check out the point to point ticket cost with better deal?

do you have any site that I can check out the point to point ticket cost with better deal?

Calvinsun, the first place to check, for both times and prices, is always the company running the trains. In Germany this is DB (Deutsche Bahn). Website (English language version): https://www.bahn.com/en/

Tickets bought in advance can give large savings, but once you have booked you are committed to whatever train you chose, and cannot change without a cost penalty.

Resellers may offer the same prices, or they may surcharge and/or only offer some trains. Or they may only quote full-fare (not discounted fares) to make their passes look better.

And for Austria the main rail company is ÖBB (Österreichische Bundesbahnen): http://www.oebb.at/en/

If you are only, or mostly, traveling in Germany, then the German Rail Pass, which is not a Eurail Pass, would be a better deal. You said you wanted a Eurail pass so I didn't mention the German Rail Pass..

I actually used the rail pass web site to plug in point to point
ticket, it came out more than $100 more than the pass cost.

What is the "rail pass web site". I have never seen one of these sites that accurately estimates the cost of point-point tickets. They seem to overestimate the cost of point-point, then want to sell you a pass.

As mentioned above, the best place to get the cost of point-point tickets in Germany is the German Rail Website, but use this address.

Tickets bought in advance can give large savings, but once you have
booked you are committed to whatever train you chose, and cannot
change without a cost penalty.

The same holds true for flight reservations, but I have never heard that that makes people wait until they get to the airport to buy their tickets. Anyway, in planning a trip, I make accommodation arrangements far in advance, because that is the way to get the best deals, so when it comes to trains, I know the day I am going to travel. It's just a matter of picking a time that's convenient. The only time I wouldn't purchase ahead is for the day I arrive from the US, because of possible late flights.

A couple of more things. In Germany, they have Laender tickets, which are generally within a specific German "Land", sort of equivalent to a US state. Travel after 9 am M-F, and anytime on weekends, on Regional trains within a given Land, for a fixed price plus a nominal fee for each additional traveler, up to 5 traveling together. And it is good for the rest of the day, and also includes local transport like U-Bahns and buses. For instance, Bavaria is a German Land, and the Bayern Ticket is 25 EUR for the first person and 6 EUR for each additional person. There is also deals that cross borders called Quer durchs Land tickets, again regional trains only, or the Schoenes Wochende Ticket for the week ends.

So for short hauls and day trips, these work great You don't have to book ahead, just buy out of a train station vending machine when you want to travel. Details: https://www.bahn.com/en/view/offers/regional/index.shtml?dbkanal_007=L04_S02_D002_KIN0060_ST-REGIONALE-ANGEBOTE_LZ01

Now I see that it is your nephew. If he was your son or grandson under 15 he would travel for free with you. But you may have to make 2 booking enquiries, one for an adult, and one for a child under 15, as the Deutsche Bahn site assumes it is your own child if you book a ticket for 1 adult and 1 child, and then would show them traveling free instead of 1/2 adult price.

So, I am thinking getting a 2nd class pass, but not sure if it will
cost a lot more at the time when I reserve a sleeping bed for the trip
from Mainz to Munich.

Night trains have two kinds of accommodations. One is a sleeper, where the beds have linen and genders are not mixed unless your reserve the entire sleeper compartment together. The other is the couchette, which is just a bunk where you sleep in your clothes and, if you don't reserve the entire compartment, there might be strangers of either gender in the compartment with you. Generally, deluxe sleepers, those with their own bathrooms, are only available with 1st class tickets.

I have to say that all of you guys have great knowledge of travel planning thing. I absolutely learn a lot from you guys today. I will definitely get back to work on the transportation part of my trip.
Yes, all your help.I was thinking about getting a sleeping bunk for the trip from Mainz to Munich.

I really appreciate all your help.

Calvin, the night train you are looking at is not a non-stop train. It makes stops at the Frankfurt Airport (11:53 PM), Frankfurt (12:08 AM), Wurzburg (1:36 AM), and Nurnberg (3:42 AM). To see the stops, go to the Deutsche Bahn website and enter a date in early June (August schedule not available yet). Click on "Show Details for the 23:11 "EN" product, then click on "Show Intermediate Stops".

I think you'll find that a sleeper is at least as expensive as a moderately-priced hotel room and nowhere near as comfortable.

acraven, you are correct about the stops. If I understand correctly, those are the stops this train will make on the way to Munich, but you don't have to get off the train and catch another one at different platform. That is what I understand about those stops. That is why in the column of "Change", it is list as 0 for train 421.

Thank you again for your information. I used the German train web site you provided and worked on the point to point ticket option. This time, it saved me some money comparing to getting the pass. Here is another question;
From Trier to Cologne, a 2nd class ticket saving fare is 19 Euro travel in August. I tried to book this route for the end of March, the price stays 19 Euro. It seems to me as long as you book the ticket in 2 weeks, it cost the same saving fare, meaning it won't give you more saving if you book the ticket now for August. Am I correct? I just want to know if I missed anything in terms of saving for booking in advance.

It seems to me as long as you book the ticket in 2 weeks, it cost the same saving fare

It doesn't work that way. There is a limited pool of saver fare tickets and as soon as they are sold prices go up.

Yeah, March is still off season, it will get busier in the summer, so Sparpreis tickets will be bought up quicker.

You could also travel spur of the moment with a QdL tickets after 9 M-F for 52 EUR for 2, or weekends anytime with a Schoenes Wochende Ticket for 44 EUR for 2. Regional trains only, but over that distance they can often be just as fast as ICE trains.

Sam, you brought up a good suggestion. I came across that before somewhere, but doesn't have an idea how it works.
Here is my schedule in August,
08/26
Arrive in Frankfurt, taking train from Frankfurt airport to Trier
08/28
Train from Trier to Cologne
Then train from Cologne to Bonn, then train from Bonn to Mainz
08/29
Train from Mainz to Bingen Stud, catch the cruise from Bingen to St. Goar
Then, train from St. Goar to Mainz
08/30
Overnight train from Mainz to Munich
09/01
Train from Munich to Salzburg and back to Munich

For what you suggested, how will it work in my case? Do I get the "QdL tickets after 9 M-F for 52 EUR for 2, or weekends anytime with a Schoenes Wochende Ticket for 44 EUR for 2" and use it as a "ticket pass"? Will it cover all the regions I travel, maybe not the Munich to Salzburg part. What about the "couchette" for the overnight train from Mainz to Munich? Do I buy a separate train ticket with reserved couchette for Mainz to Munich?

Calvin, Lee mentioned the 15% discount for two travelers on one eurail pass ticket traveling together. There was an additional 20% promotional discount last year. Don't know if it is still available or if there is something else being offered...

@ calvinsun...Always time the purchase of a Pass to get the extra day, which obviously lowers your cost per day, and of course, you want the extra day of travel. Keep in mind that once you buy the Pass on-line and receive it in the mail (for me I receive it within 7-8 days of the on-line purchase), you then have 11 monhs to activate it from the date stamped on the Pass, which is usually the day after you booked it on-line. Then, you still have another two months of validity to use up the Pass.

If you plan on doing mainly regional traveling by train in Germany, check out the other options, if cost is the paramount concern. I use the 10 day Austria-Ger Pass, 2nd class, since I don't do regional traveling.

Train from Mainz to Bingen Stud, catch the cruise from Bingen to St.
Goar

Bingen Stud???

The station you want is Bingen Stadt. There are two stations in Bingen, Bingen Hbf and Bingen Stadt. The station you want, the one near the KD dock, is Bingen Stadt. Bingen Stadt is only visited by the slowest regional trains, the RBs (possibly MRB, which are private trains but run on the DB schedule as RBs, and DB tickets are valid).

The REs (Regional Express trains) from Mainz won't stop at Stadt, only the Hbf. You'll either have to take an RB back to Stadt (a couple of minutes), or take an RB from Mainz to Stadt.

Lee, that was a typo. I did mean to type Bingen stadt, which is close to KD cruise dock. As far as the train ticket, it came out cheaper if I am able to buy the special fare saving tickets for point to point, just heard Same was saying the other option, am interested to know more about how it works for my trip.

I missed all that, but sometimes you only need a Laender ticket.

08/29
Train from Mainz to Bingen Stud, catch the cruise from Bingen to St. Goar
Then, train from St. Goar to Mainz

The Rheinland-Pfalz ticket is 29 EUR for 2. That is a Laender ticket. And it will also get you a discount on the K-D Rhine boats

09/01
Train from Munich to Salzburg and back to Munich

A Bayern Ticket can do this for 31 EUR for 2. That is a Laender ticket.

Details:
https://www.bahn.com/en/view/offers/regional/regional-day-tickets.shtml?dbkanal_007=L04_S02_D002_KIN0060_REGIO-INDEX-LAENDERTICKETS_LZ01

Thank you everyone. Now, I have quite a bit of planning work to do.

Without reading through this whole thread, I can see that Lee's initial response is partly outdated. Since at least last year, all passes have offered youth discounts in both 1st and 2nd classes. And all passes for one or two countries offer both classes to adults, too. If you're checking pass prices at https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/germany-rail-passes, the cheapest rates will be shown when you indicate the ages of both travelers and say that you're traveling together.

I was checking out the point to point ticket booking at DB site. I encountered an issue. I am going to travel with my nephew, so , I can't book 2 persons as a family. I have to book an adult ticket for myself, and then a child ticket for 14 year old. How do I make reservation for both of us in order we are getting the seats in the same compartment? Should I pay the ticket now, then make the reservation in June because my trip is August?