kids are traveling for 5 weeks, some questions about Germany and pass vs single tix

Skip Berlin and go to Dresden-- day trips along the Elbe--Wittenburg, Meissen (more centrally located to stay here), Torgau (stay here to get off the tourist track-- 500 medieval buildings including a castle), Worlitz.

Koblenz instead of Cologne. Take a day to train up and down the Rhine Gorge (change sides of the river for the return for different views. Take a day or two for the Mosel Valley. Both rivers have several quaint villages and castles on the way. An option to get to Amsterdam might be Trier (Mosel) to Luxemburg to Amsterdam.

If the kids are competent drivers, consider rent a car after Munich instead of train (stay out of big cites. No Berlin, Cologne or Koblenz). See places like Rothenburg odT, Nordlingen, Schwabish Hall, Heidelburg, Bad Wimphen, Mainz, Rhine & Mosel.

are these school age children- do they qualify for child fares?

Are they EU residents?

Munich - Dachau KZ - Munich: At the station buy a MVV Partner Day-Ticket (XXL) for 16,10 €. Covers both round trip on the S-Bahn train + the bus from Ddachau station to Dachau KZ.

The MVV airport-city day ticket covers the trip from MUC into Munich - €24.30/2, buy at airport station.

If they buy the 3-day flexi German Rail twin pass in the flexi version they can do Munich - Berlin - Cologne - Brussels. Standard price at DB is €292 for two traveling together. The GRP won't get them to Amsterdam however.

This flyer has a map showing the eligible route to Brussels using the ICE with the GRP.

It looks like the RS suggestion is that a rail pass for Germany is often a good idea. That being said, based on your estimates, it looks like the prices wouldn't be so very different between individual tickets and a pass. It could depend on how closely they are trying to stick to a budget (I remember those days!). Having a pass can make it clear how much you're spending up-front, which has its benefits, but they could find that it's just about as easy to go with the flow as they travel and buy each ticket as they go (also a good learning exercise!). So I guess my non-answer answer would be a shoulder shrug - they'll be fine either way!

You don't mention their exact age, but I remember visiting several of those places in my early 20s and having a blast - Berlin, Cologne, Antwerp, Brussels - sounds like they have an awesome adventure ahead of them!

"...they could find that it's just about as easy to go with the flow as they travel and buy each ticket as they go (also a good learning exercise!)"

This might be easy and fun but there's no question it would be some pricey fun. Bought on the day of travel, their fares would be €334/2 to Berlin + €273 to Cologne = €607 just for the two long-distance journeys within Germany. The GRP would provide the same two trips, the "flow" (travel any day, any hour,) plus the additional train trip to Brussels - for less than half that price.

Sounds fully unsorted and chaotic to me. Also the destinations and sights are more grandma style, not what young people would look for in Europe.

Questions:
- How old are the "children"? What is their status (school student, ...)?
- At what date do they plan to travel?

Also for young people change way of traveling to night buses, e.g. Flixbus.

Skip Munich totally, let them fly into Berlin five or six full days. Here they can visit Sachsenhausen memorial instead of Dachau plus more contextually relevant venues (e.g. topography of terror, Holocaust memorial, etc). Let them do Dresden and Prague (by train) instead of Brussels and Antwerp.

Rome can be a really a bad idea in summer (temperatures). I also miss some landscape / outddor / hiking / active for the young people.

Sorry but I think honest opinion helps most.

I think they may want to spend more time in Berlin and not in Cologne, or were they going there because of the Roman history?

For young adults, a better plan might be Berlin, Hamburg, Amsterdam. These are interesting and fun cities.

Are you looking on the Deutsche Bahn website?

Thanks so much for the replies! The kids are 21, 20, & 19 and with it being their first trip out of the US they said they aren't comfortable to rent a car, and since they will be arriving in Munich in 12 days they feel like it too much to try and change up their cities and canceling their hostel reservations might be a issues at this point, but they will look at the suggestions for things to do in Munich. I'll check out the ticket suggestions and hopefully can figure it out in the morning. Best Regards!!

They are too young to be allowed to rent a car anyway.

What website are you using to price out these fares?

Traveling around Europe as a 20 year old should be chaotic and fun, filled with parties, random hook ups, drinking and indulging in things. That’s what I did and it was the best time of my life. I hope that’s all on the agenda.

I find it odd that a relatively direct question about trains elicited a great deal of judgement and lifestyle advice. Perhaps this is exactly what the webmaster was talking about recently? Not everyone envisions their dream trips the same way.

I am sorry that I don’t have enough knowledge about German trains to answer your question.

Carol, I don’t see a “lot of judgement and life style advice” ...... just one post, really, not enough to bring down the wrath of the Webmaster.

Just as heads up: the "kids" are legally adults in Germany because they are older than 17.

And again: their working status will change a lot. If they are students they will get different prices and offerings. But they need to bring an ISIC because not every institution / company accept a foreign student ID.

Only 3 responses addressed the question about train tickets. Everyone else was busy telling where to go or not go, what to do or not do, or really out of line and telling what a trip to Europe for a 20 year old should be.

Carol, I read 7 posts that address train tickets, including mine where I ask if the OP is using the Deutsche Bahn website.

Hi,

Fantastic...on choosing to go Berlin.

I did the same on my first trip to Germany at 21, unthinkable then to be visiting Germany without going to Berlin, and on that trip I went to Cologne and Munich too. Two years later I was back doing the 2nd Europe trip, also went to Berlin. Munich and Cologne were skipped.

These 3 young people qualify for the Youth Pass since all are under 27. Use the Pass to go from city to city, long distance places, eg Munich to Berlin, which can be done by night train. I do that to squeeze out more travel time. There is also a night train connection between Cologne and Berlin.

For Munich to Dachau, get a point to point ticket from the DB machine in Munich Hbf.

Hi,

part 2 here....Good that they picked both Berlin and Munich, if one of their interests is history. I would assume so since they are also going to Paris and Brussels.

See the historical sights in Berlin. For that concentrate on mostly east of the Brandenburg Gate.

Where do they plan on staying in Berlin and Munich?