Plane to train plane to train

Just purchase tickets when you arrive at the airport. The train station is in the lower portion of the airport - very easy.

If you buy discount advance fares online, you will definitely not be able to use your ticket if the plane is delayed - that's why it can be a gamble to buy them for the day you fly in.

You will have to buy a new ticket if the plane is too late. That happened to me. However I thought it was worth the gamble. The pre-bought (92 days in advance) ticket was 29E for two vs 103 for the one I ended up buying.

I go on 3 rules of thumb:
1. What are the potential savings?
2. What are the odds of a substantial delay?
3. Do I mind adding a 2 hour cushion into my schedule?

I might also add, will I be too upset about loosing some money?

I see you can get Sparpreis tickets to Offenburg for 29 euro for 2 people, full fare is 108 euro. If you miss the train, you can turn it in for the next train for a fee of 17.50 euro, so the new ticket would actually cost you 96.50 euro. Some of those trains are direct, some require a change at Mannheim, all take 1 hour and 34 minutes. At Offenburg, you need to buy a local train ticket to Strasbourg for about 6 euro pp.

Another option is to travel by regional train, take an extra 2 hours, make 2 or 3 changes, on a QDL ticket at 52 euro total for 2 people. and you still need the 6 euro pp for the last leg into Strasbourg, (actually a bit less, since the QDL ticket is good to Kehl, right across the river from Strasbourg).

Thanks for your reply's much appreciated. I understand the issue of potential cost if purchasing a ticket early, thanks for that insight.

Here is our situation :

We arrive in Frankfurt Airport at 5:56 AM there are trains leaving for Strasbourg at 8,9,10,11 AM so a lot of trains
I figure 2 hrs is enough cushion to clear customs, luggage, and find train. Does that seem reasonable or should I plan on 3 hrs?.

Options for trains are (not knowing nomenclature)
1. 8 AM Frankfurt (M) Flughagen Fernbf (presume this is airport) take ICE to Karlsruhe Hbf take TGV to Strasbourg arrive 10:11
2. 9AM same as above take ICE to Mannheim Hbf take ICE to Offenburg take SWE to Strasbourg arrive a 11:04

What do all the train initals mean? ICE TGV SWE? Are some better than others?

Thanks for all your help
Doug

Thanks for your help.

When looking at a DB timetable overview, click the arrow on the left to expand the details and see the full names and reservation requirements of the trains. Timing is your main priority, not other amenities. A two-hour cushion sound like plenty of time, unless you experience a significant flight delay. Three hours allows more time for the unexpected, or else you can use some of that time to freshen up at the airport, get cash from an ATM, buy a snack, etc. (If you were using a rail pass in Germany, you would not have to reserve ahead, but I expect you've already decided that you don't have enough train travel to warrant a pass.)

I'd book the 9 am and hope for the best.
Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof= FRA airport long distance train station. There is another station next to it designated Regionalbahnhof, which is, as you may guess, just local trains.
ICE=Intercity Express, the German crack fast trains.
TGV=Train au Grand Vitesse, the French crack fast train
SWE= Suedwestdeutsches Verkehrs, regional transit company in southwest Germany.

If you take the 9 am (8:53 actually), only buy the on-line ticket as far as Kehl for 29 euro for 2, then buy a separate ticket (on-line as well) from Kehl to Strasbourg for 8.20 euro for 2. So that is 37.20. You don't have to get off the train, stay on to Strasbourg. If you buy all the way from Frankfurt to Strasbourg, it will cost you 119.20 euro. So you save 82 euro ticketing that way. Nothing illegal about it, just the vagaries of cross border train pricing.

Thanks a bunch for that tip Amazing the tips and advise we get on this forum.

Appreciate all the input
Doug

If I was you I'd buy the flexible ticket online prior to departure from home and just carry the print-out with me. Reason for this is:

1) It's the same price as if bought upon departure in Frankfurt but

2) You have plenty of time to work out the res system AND can ensure your credit card is accepted. The problem at DB ticket vending machines is that some credit cards from some countries just don't work