Regional tickets are better bought on the spot or online?

Since Lee has probably gone to bed, I'll answer.

Question 1. Yes, just travel after 9 am weekdays and stay off of IC or ICE trains.

Question 2. Yes. If the bus is a scheduled bus, the regional ticket will work on it as well. Looks like the bus from Hechingen station to the castle parking lot. The shuttle bus for a ride up to the castle is 1.90 euro extra.

Question 3. If you buy at a ticket window, I believe there is a 2 euro service fee, at least that is the way it is in Bavaria. Ticket vending machines should work with magnetic strip credit cards.

I am assuming by "regional train ticket" you mean "Länderticket".
No problem buying them, the easiest way is from the ticket machine using cash. They cost more if bought from a manned ticket counter. The length of the queue at the manned ticket counter is unpredictable, it varies depending on where you are and when.

The Baden-Württemberg Länderticket (and other Länderticket) include most U-Bahn, trms and bus services.

I use these type of tickets all the time and have never experienced a line at any ticket machine except the occasional 5 min. wait at the airport.

Best is to buy them the day of travel and not online, as you cannot get a refund on them. Just in case you were sick or couldn't travel that day.

Use smaller bills or coins.

Buying Länder Tickets from a ticket machine: This is something you will probably have to do as many stations (Bacharach, St. Goar and Oberwesel, for example) have ONLY ticket machines.

There's no advance-purchase price advantage, and tickets don't sell out, so buying them just before you travel is fine. That said, you may want to buy them the day before (for the next day's date of course) if you happen to be at a station and there's a ticket machine available. There is sometimes a line-up at ticket machines too, and if you aren't familiar with the purchase process, you may feel rushed.

Länder tickets have an after-9-a.m. travel restriction. You must not use the high-speed trains (ICE, IC, EC, etc.) RE, RB, MRB, VIA (and a whole lot of other train designations) are fine.

The Rheinland-Pfalz ticket day pass is valid on the St. Goar - St. Goarshausen ferry crossing as well; this is NOT the KD cruise boat - here's a photo of the ferry. This ferry is most handy if you are staying in St. Goar and want to tour Marksburg Castle in Braubach - also good for a day trip to Rüdesheim.

Länder tickets (for statewide travel) are not the only day pass option. Local transit authorities (which are normally smaller than a "Land" or state) also offer day passes for less money. On your Rhine/Mosel visit, you might on some days use the VRM transit authority's "minigroup ticket." It's for 2-5 people, costs just €21.80/day (vs. €28/day with the Rheinland-Pfalz ticket) and is valid for train and bus travel as well - the ferry above is covered too. The mini-group ticket covers rail travel for the Bullay-Cochem-Koblenz-St. Goar-Oberwesel part of your trip (but not Trier-Bullay or Oberwesel-Bacharach.)

Note that the VRM minigroup ticket is available in a 3-day version as well for €43.60.

Sometimes you'll find it's cheaper NOT to buy a day pass. For example, let's say you're staying in Cochem and using the train to reach Moselkern for the walk to Burg Eltz; that train trip is only €4.65 each way with normal tickets, so €18.60 total for two round trip. Oberwesel-Bacharach costs only €2.50 one way. Normal tickets can be bought at ticket machines too, of course.

And sometimes you can ride for free. Staying in/near Cochem? In the Cochem-Zell district, guests who stay with participating innkeepers receive a "Gästeticket" or guest ticket at no charge. The ticket permits free train and bus travel (and discounts on some attractions) within the district during your stay - this would include the trip to Moselkern. THIS PAGE written by one of those innkeepers explains the program . You may want to look for innkeepers like this one who advertise the Gästeticket.

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Have anyone of you had the experience of difficulties buying these regional tickets on the spot, e.g. long line?

As stated above, buying at a manned ticket window involves a surcharge. Not all machines accept credit cards (even in Bavaria) so be prepared with cash. It doesn't hurt to go early so you have time to figure out the machine.

DJ

Thank you so much for all your replies guys. We're feeling much better, it doesn't sound very difficult at all.

Yawn.

I think the bus from Hechingen Bhf to Hohenzollernburg would be included in the Baden-Württemburg ticket, but regardless, round trip for two of you between Stuttgart and Hechingen Bhf alone would warrant purchasing the 28€ Länder-Ticket. However, the Bahn Query webpage shows something called a MetropolTagesTicket, at 25€, as being the best fare.

Note, per the Bahn, there are only two buses daily, at 11:25 and 13:25, from the Hechingen station to the Burg, and two buses back at 16:05 and 18:25, so plan accordingly. It also shows a connection time of 3 minutes, so be prepared to quickly find the bus stop at Hechingen Bhf when you arrive (there will probably be other people catching the bus; follow them). There are IREs from Stuttgart every two hours and a couple of multi-change connections in between. You could take an earlier train to assure catching the bus.

In 2000, I walked into town and found a taxi in the town square.

Here is the region for which the MetropolTagesTicket is valid.

It sounds from your post that you are planning to visit Ludwigsburg and Hohenzollern on the same day, but if you aren't you don't need to get a Baden-Wuerttemberg ticket to get to Ludwigsburg - it is within the Stuttgart city transport system.

Hi Philip,

to answer your question, "It sounds from your post that you are planning to visit Ludwigsburg and Hohenzollern on the same day, but if you aren't you don't need to get a Baden-Wuerttemberg ticket to get to Ludwigsburg - it is within the Stuttgart city transport system."

We're planning to do this in two different days since many reviews have said there are many things to see in Ludwigsburg, the palace itself as well as the fairy-tale garden which made me think it would be better to split and we'll plan to go to Hohenzollern the following day. I'll take a note on the "no need to get a Baden-Wuerttemberg ticket to get to Ludwigsburg"

You guys are very helpful. Thank you again for your replies.

Lina

A note on buying tickets in Stuttgart:

You can buy tickets to Ludwigsburg and Baden-Wuerttemberg Tickets from machines in U-Bahn stations. However, the machine may be a little complex to use compared to other cities. You have to check the list of stations printed on the machine and type in the three-digit code next to your destination station. The machine will then allow you to select fares from the station that you are at. To get the best fare, you can compare the fares for a single journey (remember to double it for the trip back), a day pass giving unlimited travel in the area between the two points, and a Baden-Wuerttemberg ticket, and see which is cheaper.