Need Help with Transportation Tips

We are worried if the train fills up and no seats are available.

Trains are mass transit. Just like on a subway it is possible that there are more people on board then there are seats, and then some people just stand. Anyway, on regional trains there are no seat reservations. So there is not even a possibility to "book" anything in advance. You just go to a station, wait for the train, and then get on. Usually there are enough seats.

So the Deutschland ticket might be indeed useful for you, if only for the convenience of not having to figure out what the right ticket is going to be for each of the towns you stay in.

For your long distance trips you maybe want to look at the German Rail Pass Flexi Twin. Costs 432 Euro for 2 persons for 4 days in a month. That comes to 54,- euro per person per trip, That is about the same price as booking in advance, but you keep full flexibility.

You can only buy that at the station though, so you would buy it in Frankfurt when you are there.

https://assets.static-bahn.de/dam/jcr:6ef53210-8ff6-46eb-ae82-34d2fd953891/GermanRailPass2025_IntBahnDe.pdf

Would I be able to buy the German Rail Pass online here: https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/german-rail-pass

Or do I have to buy it in person in Frankfurt?

The D-Ticket is 58 euros. So, if your public transports costs will be more than that the D-Ticket is a good deal. Additionally, I like the convenience of one ticket instead if buying tickets each trip or in each city.

Going to Fussen you get on the train. No extra ticketing, no reservation. No upgrades. Yes, train could be full, but unlikely. The DB website predicts demand and you can check it for your planned trips.

Used the D-Ticket last week. Big fan.

Thank you for the information.

I forgot to add that we will be taking additional day trips to from Frankfurt to Cologne and Frankfurt to Triberg. Do you think it’s better for the 5 day twin flexi pass since it looks like ICE train is better to Cologne?

1. Frankfurt to Cologne
2. Frankfurt to Hamburg
3. Hamburg to Berlin
4. Berlin Munich
5. Munich to Berlin

total of 5 days for Rail Flexi Pass

Here is some background for your DB Train Travel. This one discussed DB at about 2 min 30 seconds into the video. https://www.arte.tv/en/videos/112907-127-A/arte-europe-weekly/ This one is just DB information https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/trains-germany-deutsche-bahn-avanti-b2704179.html

Anyway, on regional trains there are no seat reservations. So there is
not even a possibility to "book" anything in advance. You just go to a
station, wait for the train, and then get on. Usually there are enough
seats.

Except for the Munich to Fussen none are "regional" trains and all offer seat reservations. Do buy one. Unless you are intimately experienced with a route there is no way to know what to expect. The 5.50 euro wont break the bank and will provide some additional sense of security for a great holiday.

5: Munich - Berlin? or Munich - FRANKFURT?

I forgot to add that we will be taking additional day trips to from
Frankfurt to Cologne and Frankfurt to Triberg.

Yes to a railpass day for Cologne... BUT see advice below.

A Frankfurt > Triberg round-trip is a near-absurd plan even with a rail pass day and ICE train. Please look at the DB train schedules prior to planning your day trips. How did you choose Triberg, anyway?

Perhaps you want some nice scenery/nature during your Frankfurt stay? From Frankfurt you are much closer to the Odenwald or the Middle Rhine Valley. I'd suggest ...

• Leave Frankfurt and STAY in the MRV (D-Ticket trip) instead of Triberg. (Bacharach, St Goar, and Boppard are good options.)
• Then leave the MRV and STAY in Cologne (D-Ticket trip)
• Then leave Cologne and go by train to HAMBURG (GR pass day)

We wanted to go to the Black Forest and specifically Triberg for the cuckoo clocks.

We had thought we can go from Frankfurt to Baden or Ofrenberg and connect to Triberg. They have private tours from Baden or Ofrenberg but it is very pricey.

So you do not advise a day trip to Triberg?

That's what I would advise. Cancel that idea.

It's not impossible to do that around trip to Triberg. But if you checked the DB Railway site for train schedules that I gave you, then you understand that it takes between 5 and 6 hour round trip. I will add that it's not a fabulous destination like the Middle Rhine Valley (a UNESCO World Heritage site with MUCH more to offer.) It's just a place to stop and play tourist if you are in the nearby area - and it's a totally unnecessary detour if you go with the suggestion to stay in the MRV...

The Montag shop in St Goar (which as I remember was featured in one of Rick Steves' videos) is right in town. It is family-operated and has been there for more than 3 decads. (I made the kind of mistake you are planning myself... went all the way to the Black Forest to select a clock when I was about 50 miles from St Goar!) So if you are interested in seeing/hearing/buying cuckoo clocks:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g198631-d17440147-Reviews-Montag_Steins_Clock-Sankt_Goar_Rhineland_Palatinate.html

https://www.steinsandclocks.com/

St Goar, near the Loreley cliffs, is one of the towns I recommended to stay in - the view from the riverfront hotels takes in the best scenery. River cruises start and end there. Rheinfels castle is a short uphill hike from town. The town is small, with the train station and the boat dock very close to each other. And other fine towns to visit (Oberwesel, Bacharach) are only 5 and 10 minutes away by train. And when you are ready to leave St Goar, you can catch a direct regional train along Germany's most scenic train line and be in Cologne in 2 hours (D-Ticket.)

View across the Rhine from St Goar: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/72/a0/78/72a0781773860b9131b1a9929a5ecd51.jpg
Rheinfels Castle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxFF80wORNQ

Bacharach: https://www.mittelrheinentdecken.de/en/villages-towns-and-cities/bacharach/

Oberwesel: https://www.weinhaus-weiler.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/DSC_2434_1920.jpg

Thank you so much Russ! You have been so helpful and a lifesaver! The information you provided helped save my trip and as a result, I have changed the itinerary. I will not plan to go to the Black Forest any longer. I have also decided not to go to Hamburg.

Frankfurt, Cologne, Berlin, Munich- St Goar/MVR or Frankfurt

Do you think it’s a good idea to go from Munich to St Goar directly? Can it be done? What else would you recommend going from Munich back to Frankfurt?

I am flying and out of Frankfurt and that is why we are doing a big circle and I have to be in Munich for Oktoberfest by 9/20.

Is there another nice cuckoo clock shop in the actual city center of Frankfurt?

Do you think it’s a good idea to go from Munich to St Goar directly?
Can it be done?

Yes, it is. If your final stop is Frankfurt, there's no reason to stay there first, then in St Goar, then in Frankfurt again at the end.

You can travel by train from any city in Germany to any other city that has a train station. That doesn't necessarily mean by ONE train. DIRECT train rides take you on long-distance journeys from train hub city to train hub city (like the big cities on your itinerary... Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich) without stopping at small places. These are usually IC, ICE, or EC trains. Many smaller destinations that are not train hubs require a train connection (like the one you were planning to Triberg, or the famous Rothenburg) And so it is with St Goar as well. The train hubs for St Goar would be FRANKFURT and MAINZ. So you get off there and switch to a regional train to reach St Goar. Sample schedule:

Munich > Mainz 13:47 - 17:40; Mainz - St Goar 17:51 - 18:38 (or 18:03 - 19:00.)

Munich > Frankfurt 12:47 - 16:04; Frankfurt - St Goar 16:24 - 17:44

You will find some journeys with MULTIPLE connections as well, but I would focus on the ones with just one connection; the more connections you have, the greater the chance you will miss one if a train is late.

Personally, with long trips like Munich - Frankfurt or Munich - St Goar, I like afternoon/evening travel schedules like the examples I gave you - or even later departures. With an afternoon departure I have time in the morning to sightsee, pick up snacks or sandwiches for the train journey, etc. Also, by arriving later, I can be sure that my hotel room is ready when I get there... It's sometimes an inconvenience to arrive earlier and to have to leave bags at the front desk. But of course it's your choice, and with the rail pass, you can change your mind about when you want to leave/arrive at any time you wish.

Can't tell you anything about cuckoo clocks in Frankfurt, sorry.