My wife and I are traveling to Bavaria in September, and I wanted conformation on what type of train ticket to purchase. Flying into Munich, then taking the train to the following towns: Berchtesgaden, Fussen, Ravensburg, Biberach, Freiburg, and then Zurich to fly home.
For some of the towns listed we will be staying overnight, two towns stopping to visit friends for half day. I think all towns are in Bavaria except of course Zurich. I think we'd have to get a separate ticket on the last leg of the trip going to Zurich, and that is no problem.
My question is should we look for a train ticket that is a rail pass, or just buy the tickets as we go. Seems like two rail passes for the entire trip (28 days) would be easier for us.
For our town stops, if we went with two rail passes, I'm having trouble deciding which rail pass, as the Deutsche Bahn website lists the 'Deutschland Ticket' for 49 euro/month but doesn't include the ICE, IC and IE trains. At times, we may need an ICE, IC or IE train and we really don't want to keep track of which train is which specification. My wife is 66 and I'm 64, so not sure I could get the Super Saver fare (65+) for seniors. Those of your familiar with Deutsche Bahn have any suggestions?
Posted by
Paradise
6989 posts
The final 3 German cities on your list are not in Bavaria.
I'm 71. DW and I just completed a railpass trip. That said, I am not a promotional voice for railpasses, generally, just in those situations that call for them, as mine happened to this time. IMHO, and after looking at those train journeys of yours, your does not call for a railpass. And if I were doing your itinerary, I would NOT purchase any advance-sale saver fares either, at least not for your journeys inside Germany. The Deutschland-Ticket alone would be my choice for the entire trip with one exception... the final Freiburg > ZRH journey (saver fare.) There are very few ICE, IC, or ICE train segments available for the domestic journeys you are making, and when they are available, they are still attached to regional train segments that are needed, the same ones covered by the D-Ticket, and they do not save you much net time anyway.
With the D-Ticket you do not have to worry about whether you are in Bavaria or some other state. And it is no trouble to keep track of the regional trains. Let the DB site or the app do that for you. Choose "only local transport" under the means of transport option when you search an itinerary, and you'll pull up journeys with only those trains covered by the D-Ticket, with their departure times and track numbers.
Posted by
OP
59 posts
Thanks Russ for your reply, that is very helpful and also for pointing out my geography error about Freiburg and Biberach not being in Bavaria, probably should have known that. Anyway I will look into the D ticket. Thanks!