My wife and I are planning to buy rail passes for Germany. Deutsche Bahn is offering a monthly 9-Euro-Ticket that is good for "local/regional trains." We would like to go to from Berlin to Leipzig for a day, but I have not been able to find a definition for "local/regional trains" to tell us whether this 9-Euro-Ticket might cover this trip. Any help would be greatly appreciated. We have several days yet before we leave.
Posted by
Green Bay
20021 posts
At the DB website, https://www.bahn.com/en, when you put your "from", "to", date and time info, check the box "Local transport only" and after you hit the search button, it will only show trains that are valid with this ticket.
Looks like it will take 2 hours and 41 minutes with one change on the way. Offer expires end of August and each 9-EUR ticket is good for an entire calendar month. Heckuva deal.
Posted by
2288 posts
When you're on the Bahn website booking the trains, check local trains only - there's your 9€ trains
However, riding the ICE will cut your travel time by 90 minutes in each direction. It may be worth it, lots to see in Leipzig.
Posted by
Sweden
6333 posts
As mentioned, it will if you stick to local trains. But if you plan to do a day trip Leipzig from Berlin you should in my opinion spend some extra for an ICE, that will save you quite a bit of time.
Posted by
San Jose, CA
93 posts
We are also planning a trip and figuring out how to get from Frankfurt to Cologne, and yeah, it's 3 hours versus under 1 for the ICE option.
In any event, if we decide to go the "regional" route, is there any way to reserve a seat or is it every man/woman for him/herself?
Posted by
Green Bay
20021 posts
In any event, if we decide to go the "regional" route, is there any way to reserve a seat or is it every man/woman for him/herself?
every man/woman for him/herself!
However, unless it is rush hour, or either end of a weekend, especially a 3-day weekend, you should have no trouble getting seats. Also if you take the connection with the RE 2 to Koblenz then the RE 27 to Cologne, you are boarding each of these trains at the point of origin, so if you can get there early, you'll have your choice of seats. A little trickier at Koblenz since you have only 9 minutes to make the connection.
Posted by
Germany
32 posts
As others said you save 1.5hours both ways if you use ICE trains. Thats three hours lost from your day trip. I was about to say you also get the city ticket included in the ice ticket but then you have probably already the nine euro ticket for that. But something to keep in mind when that runs out.