German Rail Passes

Gee, I just got to the payment page to buy a GRP from the bahn website.

https://fahrkarten.bahn.de/privatkunde/shop/shopstart.post?lang=en&GroupId=641&GroupChild=641&dbkanal_007=teaserBlock_2-2_button_GRPFlexiPassEN#stay

I've had maybe 6 or 7 German Rail passes over the years. The GRP can be an excellent choice - or it can be a poor one that costs you too much and will have you buying additional tickets as well. If you have an itinerary, you may want to share it here for feedback on the ticketing options and a thumbs-up or -down for the GRP.

If the GRP does suit you and your plans, it's one of the best country passes you can buy, partly because of the DB rail system, and partly because it includes certain destinations OUTSIDE GERMANY. Nowadays, buying and using it can be a bit complicated; it's often wise to buy it in Germany at one of the 23 DB rail stations (including Frankfurt, Munich and Cologne airport stations) where in-person help from a DB agent is available.

Certain versions of the GRP are normally available online only at a discount of 10 - 20% for the winter and spring travel seasons. The DB website normally announces the wintertime promotional passes around October 1. When's your trip? Since the GRP never "sells out", it might be worth your wait. However, these GRPs are usually are riskier - they're normally 100% non-refundable and you can't get the in-person help you might need.

For info on foreign destinations and purchase locations, have a look at the "German Rail Pass Flyer" and "Aid Offices" links at this DB page.

In case you are not aware, there are great regional day-passes available that might work out better for you financially. They don't have to be bought in advance. Share your travel plans and folks like Russ can help you figure out what makes the most sense.

thanks for all the info

i got my info on raileurope
which says no german rail passes until "possibly late 2021"

ah, RailEurope.

Best, if you can, to give them a wide berth. They don't give the full story, sell just what they want to sell, they charge more for what they do sell, and often won't tell you about trains which they don't sell. People on these Forums have been having trouble with them for years.

If you are looking for a German Rail Pass I'd suggest going to the horse's mouth - in this case DB, Deutsche Bahn, the German train company.

I just purchased a German Rail Pass on the DB site with no problems. I just clicked through the tabs on the left until I made it to the right screen. I will be there next week. Good luck!!

I see ordering info for the German Rail pass on the DB website and on Rick's website. I don't think RailEurope is offering anything except the Swiss pass at the current time. Oh, well, a lot of us don't think the world revolves around RailEurope. I last bought a GRP from Rick in 2000, and I'm not sure I saved any money on it. Since then I've learned a lot about how to save money on German travel using the Bahn website; before every trip since (10) I've done the math, and it always shows that I can do better, much better, with advance purchase SparPreis tickets and Länder passes, instead of a rail pass.

I think to find the GRP on the Bahn website, you have to view the site in English.

We will be staying in Berlin for 10 days, and plan day trips to Potsdam, Wittenburg, and Hamburg. Would people recommend we get the GRP?

@libby. No. Potsdam can be done with a VBB ticket for 3.80 EUR. Wittenberg with a Brandenburg day ticket, and Hamburg with advance purchased Sparpreis ticket.

@Sam thanks for the tips!