German Rail Pass

Most Germans celebrate Christmas on evening of Dec. 24th (Heiligabend). I assume that the most holiday related travels will happen between Dec 18th/19th and Dec 23rd. Trains will likely be well filled up. Therefore 1st class and seat reservations are meaningful.

Note: Trains cannot be sold out, only the seats on a train. Therefore the difficulty will be to reserve 2 seats near each other,not to book the train. Around holiday it is not seldomly that travelers stand in the train or sit in a corner of the isle.

All DB stations (enter German town names): https://www.bahnhof.de/en
All shops at DB stations (German language): https://www.einkaufsbahnhof.de/

Heads up: On Sundays shops in Germany are closed, except some at the main train stations and airports.

Have a good journey.

How flexible do you need to be? Hamburg to Berlin booked for same-day travel in first class on an ICE is approx €150 per person. With 24 hours notice it could be €80-€100 p.p. or more.

At those sorts of prices the first class twin rail pass might make sense (though note you'd still want reservations on busy days). Though most of your trips aren't as long as that.

However, if you don't need that level of flexibility, point-to-point tickets in advance are going to be a lot cheaper, especially since some legs can be done on direct regional trains without advance booking (e.g. Cologne-Dusseldorf, probably Bremen-Hamburg if the issue with the Metronom train contract gets sorted.) To pick a random date, Hamburg-Berlin in first class booked today for December 8th at 10:15 is €42 p.p. to give one example (plus reservation fee).

A pair of first class "Probe Bahn Card 25" could be a useful investment for the 25% point-to-point discount - as long as you remember to cancel the ensuing subscription - but you'd want to sit down with the DB website and a calculator to check. Details are at https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard/trial-bahncard25-1st-class

Hello. About a week ago I responded to your questions on another forum about the flexi version of the German Rail Twinpass (which is now only avaliable in Germany,) about the "discount" you ask about, and about the price comparison with individual tickets. I also suggested the Deutschland Ticket as a supplemental purchase for getting around within the cities you have named. I provided two links for you - one to the relevant German Rail Pass page and one to the Man-in-Seat-61 site. Here is that forum thread:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187337-i301-k15444822-Germany_Multi_City_Train_Travel-Frankfurt_Hesse.html#124588420

I did not receive further follow-up questions on these matters from you there. So if you have questions for me about the information I provided, you are welcome to post those questions here or on the other site, and I will do my best to answer them. Please post my name at the top of your post so that I pay attention to it.

If you just want some advice from others, that's fine too - I will not reply to you on this forum unless you post my name at the top.
Best wishes for a nice trip.
Russ

To piggy-back on Russ's post, on my phone screen I could only see the destinations as far as Berlin. Changing devices shows how much more you're travelling, and clicking the link mentions possible stopovers and flexibility - at that point I agree that the rail pass is a much better deal.

(I'm feeling nostalgic - I criss-crossed Germany with a [paper and pen] second class rail pass 25 years ago, and the ease was amazing.)

In the past I've been able to find the prices for German Rail twin passes (50% more for the second person), but I can't find them anymore. I can only find tables where it's a per person price; two people are twice as much. If you've found a twin price, please show the link, othewise I'm assuming my page has the right prices.

You show 10 venues and 9 ">" marks, which are trips between venues. One trip, I know, Köln to Düsseldorf is a very short trip. I think a local regional train or tram ticket is about 15€ pP. It's in second class, but the whole trip is about 30 minutes. It's probably not worth an ICE ticket or a day of a rail pass. So that leaves 8 trips for a pass.

The German Rail Flexi pass comes in 4 day, 5 day and 7 day versions for 600€, 664€, and 770€ respectively. That works our to 150€ to 96€ per day for two people.

Since you already have your accommodations for the trip, except for Frankfurt to Köln you should be able to count on making the specific trains for each trip, and therefore Saving fare tickets are a viable alternative to a pass.

Frankfurt to Köln is at the end of a trans-Atlantic flight. I don't think you can count on using a train-specific ticket for that leg. You might be able to still get a Rail&Fly ticket "extension" from you airline for that leg, but if not, a day of a rail pass might pay off.

So you should certainly explore Saver Fare tickets for each leg. Go to the Bahn website and look up each leg and see what the 1st class Saver Fare tickets are currently going for. Don't use Super Saver fares. They are totally non-refundable.

Look up on the Bahn website what Saver Fare tickets are available for each leg. It they are less than about 110 euro, buy them. Then see what more expensive legs are left that might justify a rail pass. I doubt that there will be any.

In 1988, I went to Germany for the first time on my own dime for 14 days. I bought a 16 day continuous 2nd class pass for $160. That was a great deal. In 2000 I went back and paid the same, $160, for a pass for, I don't remember, maybe 5 or 6 days. After I came home, I looked up the fares for the trains I used, and I think I just about broke even vs. individual tickets. Since then, I have always analyzed my trips, individual tickets, regional passes, saver fares vs. a rail pass, and I've always found I did better without a pass.

There used to be a separate German Rail Pass, independent of Eurail, but I can not find any information except rumors that it still exists if bought once in Germany after showing your passport (proving you are not a Germany national). Now, the DB website only shows the Eurail single country pass for Germany. The Eurail Pass must be purchased in advance before arrival in Germany.

In the past I've been able to find the prices for German Rail twin
passes (50% more for the second person), but I can't find them
anymore.

Here's what I posted for the OP previously from the DB site; the standard price for the 10-day pass, flexi-version, for 1 person is €407 (2nd class), the standard 10-day twin pass, flexi-version in 2nd classs is €692 - for two persons. Thus the standard price for the twin pass represents a savings of 15%. 1st class prices for the two types are €509/1 and €866/ 2 on a twin pass. See chart:

https://assets.static-bahn.de/dam/jcr:4a130d88-de38-40e9-ba87-9da18fdd5f42/GermanRailPass2025_0110_IntBahnDe%20(1).pdf

On the page below, scroll down to "Would you like to use the German Rail Pass with another person?" for further information:

https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/german-rail-pass

From that page: "The German Rail Twin Pass is currently only available for sale in person, e.g. in our DB Travel Centres."

You will find also a link to the DB German Rail Pass flyer on the above page.

Thank you Russ,

This is the answer I received directly from DB

Deutsche Bahn t . & Author • 1w
Hi Nancy, there is no special "twin discount" or "multi-trip ticket discount" for two people with Deutsche Bahn.
However, there are multi-trip tickets that are cheaper than single trips. The advantages of a multi-journey ticket are the savings compared to monthly tickets, such as up to 60% on a 10-journey ticket or up to 33% on a
20-journey ticket compared to a monthly ticket. I'll send you a direct link to this offer. Unfortunately, the page is not available in English, so I have to send it in German:
https://www.bahn.de/angebot/pendler/mehrfahrten-
tickets
Die Mehrfahrten-Tickets im Fernverkehr

It just adds to my confusion. I just like to be a prepared traveler!

note that multi trip tickets as described just above will be for multiple identical journeys. Used for commuting. Such as 10 Köln - Aachen tickets which allow commuting for a week.

Nigel has summarized the "multi-trip ticket discount" accurately for you. In German, from the DB link you posted:

"Das Mehrfahrten-Ticket ist eine Fernverkehrs-Fahrkarte der Deutschen Bahn für 10 oder 20 einfache Fahrten auf einer festgelegten Strecke."

This is of course an appropriate answer from DB... if you asked about a "multi-trip discount."

But this ticket option is intended for people living in Germany and entirely inappropriate for your travel plans, which is why I did not suggest it, and probably why the others on this forum also did not suggest it.

If you want to ask DB a follow-up question... don't ask them about a "multi-trip discount."

My advice is to send them the same information and plans you gave us and ask about discounts for your specific itinerary:

3 weeks... 2 adults from the USA (or???) traveling together... Frankfurt>Cologne>Dusseldorf>Bremen>Hamburg>Berlin>Dresden>Leipzig>Nuremberg>Munich

I suspect they will respond to you with details on the German Rail Twin Pass and maybe give you the same links I gave you. Or maybe they will have some better trick up their collective sleeve and tell you about that.

Again, if you have questions about any of the information I've provided, feel free to post them.

keeping it simple...(I hope)...Get the Twin Pass at the DB office when you arrive at FRA. Used to be able to purchase the twin pass online - no more. Purchase at the Flug. station (airport). You can have it validated that same day if you'll be travelling on your arrival date; otherwise, wait until your first day of travel. Don't purchase the Deutschland ticket/pass if you want to use ICE trains - they're not part of the D'land pass.

The twin pass is much less expensive than the individual tickets. Use the DB app to "select seat only" - use the app as if you were going to purchase a ticket, but "select seat only" - this way, you can see all seating on the entire train - both 1st and 2nd class. Purchase your seat (usually 5euro/ea) for the train you need/want once you know which train you want. Heavy travel usually during rush hour in am and pm.

Know schedule for the route you're traveling - always good to know your options. If a train's not crowded, then don't bother with a reservation (some routes are not crowded, especially mid/late morning and early afternoon).
I've never had an issue booking a train (meaning, reserving a seat) as we went. But on the long-haul routes, it's good to reserve a seat. With a pass (twin or otherwise), you can hop on/off any train - it's the reservation for the seat that gives you a specific place to sit. Enjoy. Have fun. Safe travels.

Don't purchase the Deutschland ticket/pass if you want to use ICE trains - they're not part of the D'land pass.

Kim: Some reasons that the OP might benefit from a D-Ticket as a supplement to the GRP:

The GRP doesn't cover transport within the cities on this itinerary. But the DT will cover...

• all public transportation (S-Bahn and other regional trains, trams, subways and buses) within the cities on this trip - without the added task of purchasing individual tickets.

• any outings from those cities on the same regional trains to nearby destinations (Nuremberg>Bamberg-Nuremberg for example.)

• the OP's unmentioned final train journey from Munich to MUC airport

Also: The DT could substitute for certain planned journeys that the GRP would cover (Bremen>Hamburg, for example) where the regional trains would be an acceptable option; this might result in an additional "free" day for an impromptu ICE journey - or possibly a GRP of fewer days at lower price... If Nuremberg>Munich were also a D-Ticket trip, then only a 7-day GRP would be needed instead of the 10-day, shaving €124 off the cost of the GRP Twin flexi in first class. This savings alone would pay for 2 D-Tickets.

I recommend against any kind of rail pass because it is easier, maybe a lot easier, to commit yourself to traveling on specific trains at specific times of the day and to buy advance tickets than to try figuring out whether the rail pass would save you some small amount of money. The amount of money you might or might not be able to save with a rail pass, doesn't justify the effort in trying to figure out which, if any, rail pass, is what you want. You should buy some advance tickets now, at least for the ICE trains. Print your tickets. I always print my tickets for any trip anywhere, in in any country, in case my phone dies. As others pointed out, the seats on trains could get sold out. In that case, apparently in Germany they may actually still sell you a ticket and let you cram onto the train and stand but that would feel too low-class or stupid. Apparently buying a ticket and reserving a seat are separate in Germany. If you bought a ticket on Amtrack or Greyhound in the United States, buying a ticket and getting a seat would be the same, like on planes; there is no such thing in the United States as having a ticket that allows you to stand on an Amtrack train because you didn't separately reserve a seat.

My trip to Germany was 15 nights in August-September 2024. I bought some advance tickets and some tickets at the last minute from ticket-selling machines. I didn't buy a Rail Pass.

it is easier, maybe a lot easier, to commit yourself to traveling on
specific trains at specific times of the day and to buy advance
tickets than to try figuring out whether the rail pass would save you
some small amount of money.

For some travelers, I suppose the choice between passes and individual tickets hinges solely on calculated price comparisons done in advance. Others may have other considerations... Is my pass/ticket refundable if it turns out I cannot travel for whatever reason? How do I book a saver fare ticket to Rothenburg from FRA airport when I do not know if my flight will arrive on time? What if I hear about a concert/festival or other special event taking place during my travel dates (which are 6-7 months out) and want to change my itinerary to attend it? If the weather in Berchtesgaden stinks, can I leave earlier than planned without losing use of my pre-purchased ticket? What happens to my ticket if the town I booked on the Rhine River ends up under 25 feet of water (as one town did 7 years ago) and I can't get there?? What ticketing strategy is best if I am not good with deadlines or don't want a rigid travel schedule or don't want to pre-plan every town I will stay in or every hotel room? What if I meet someone interesting in Town X and want to stay longer than planned? Things don't always go as planned, and tight schedules planned months in advance just aren't for everyone.

Raw transportation cost comparisons: Comparing does not seem difficult to me. Once you have done all your journey searches and decided on the specific trains and specific travel times, and once the individual ticket fares have been calculated and totaled, the difficult work is done... simply compare your total with the relevant railpass price from the online price table. If your 2-week itinerary has 5 saver fare journeys totaling €250, and the 5-day rail flexipass for one adult costs €375, you can quickly and easily compute the €125 difference, right?

As others pointed out, the seats on trains could get sold out. In that
case, apparently in Germany they may actually still sell you a ticket
and let you cram onto the train and stand but that would feel too
low-class or stupid. Apparently buying a ticket and reserving a seat
are separate in Germany.

Many of the beloved Rick Steves destinations... Bacharach, Füssen, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, just for example... and many other fine small-town destinations around the country are served by train. That said, no passenger arrives at the station in Bacharach, Füssen, Rothenburg ob der Tauber in a reserved train seat. Reserved seats are not an option to these and many smaller towns which are served by regional trains - which do not take reservations. Depending on time of day, day of week, special events and season, trains may be lightly or heavily loaded. The typical "tourist-route" trips below are not brief; standing for some part of the time is possible. As passengers get off at stops along the way, seats open up for anyone standing.

Nuremberg > Rothenburg: 1.25-1.75 hours
Munich > Füssen: 2+ hours
FRA airport > Bacharach: 1-1.3 hours

Whether you have passes or tickets, reservations covering these journeys cannot be sold no matter how much you might want them; while an IC or ICE train (trains which offer reservations) CAN be used and reserved to carry out ONE short leg of the trip from FRA or from Nuremberg, the remaining legs will be regional-only.

So... while one cannot expect reserved seats as one might with Greyhound, in Germany, one CAN expect frequent and dependable transportation to almost every little settement on the map. Do you know that there are 24 daily train options just for FRA > Bacharach (pop. 1,800) ??

Be advised too that if the regional train you're on is packed , you will be standing or sitting on the stairs if someone else hasn't beaten you to that comfortable space, otherwise you stand along with everyone else. In a packed train you won't be the only one standing. The good thing is that you're on the train but reservations are not sold for this type of train.

I don't use the Deutschland Ticket since my rides are mostly on the IC, ICE or the night trains. The D-Ticket is valid for the these trains. I use the Global Senior Eurail Pass, 15 days within 2 months and almost always reserve for the ICE routes, depending also on the dep time.

I believe Fred meant to say, "The D-Ticket is NOT valid for the these trains."

Thanks for the correction. That is exactly what I meant...more proof reading needed