Hello all, we are trying to get to Rothenburg ob de Tauber in Dec. on a Sunday for an overnight stay for either 1 or 2 nights. We have to be in Nuremburg on Tuesday afternoon. We have to travel by train with our luggage. I looked for a way to store them in Nuremburg, but nothing seemed to work for our needs. I also know about the train changes. I think we can handle it. My concern is how difficult will it be getting there at all on a Sunday in December and returning on Monday or Tuesday. It looks like the first train is at 7:38 am, too crowded? Wait for another train? What would be the best time of day to go and return to Nuremburg? I would like to get a ticket that could be used on another train if that time is not doable. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Posted by
Paradise
7486 posts
You do not need to pre-purchase a ticket for this trip in advance. Simply purchase the ticket below on the day of travel and board the trains as the schedule allows. The regional trains on this trip do not take seat reservations, so just be at the platform early, get on and find a seat. You can buy this ticket using the DB app or at the station from a ticket machine at the station. It is sold at different prices based on distance but for this journey you will need the full-priced level-10 ticket costing €25.50 for two adults traveling together.
https://www.vgn.de/en/tickets/all-day-ticket-plus/
This is not just a ticket but a day pass, so you could use it for other trips within the VGN zone the same day if you wished.
People with baggage use these trains all the time. It's not a big deal unless you take too much luggage. Pack as Rick Steves advises and you will do fine.
Posted by
Bend, Oregon
2806 posts
Try the Bounce app for luggage storage options. Then you could just bring an overnight bag.
Use the DB Navigator app to see options. Then click on Offers to see ticket options. There is a day ticket for up to two adults plus 4 kids for €25.50. Always look for these regional day passes to save money and have flexibility.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you for the suggestions. I already looked at the bounce storage and it was not working out. The train station lockers are for 24 hrs. and did not look large enough. The other locations are retail stores and I read reviews. Hours did not work for us. Some are not open on Sunday, wrong location or hours. We will have to deal with the luggage on a train. Packing light in the wintertime for us is not doable. I am not as concerned with the cost of the train tickets as I am getting there the best way that works for our needs. I looked at all the train web sites, looked at you tubes, read articles etc. It's all very confusing. They all have some kind of restriction that didn't seem to work. We don't feel comfortable not having a ticket a head of time. We normally rent a car but we don't feel comfortable driving in winter conditions in Germany. I understand it is not best to travel on reginal trains at certain times of day. Since we will have to drag our bags I am trying to find out what would be the best time of day to avoid an issue if possible. Or will there really not be an issue. Thanks
Posted by
Paradise
7486 posts
We don't feel comfortable not having a ticket a head of time... It's all very confusing.
You are not alone. I don't know if you are American or not (I am!) but I can tell you your feeling is a very, very natural feeling for Americans. We typically get advance-purchase tickets for just about everything - train travel of course, and every other kind of transportation too except maybe for municipal transport systems (buses, subways, etc.) But in Germany, the train system is DIFFERENT. There are two distinct train categories.
- Long-distance trains (Fernzüge) like the ICE, IC and EC trains
Normally you buy in advance for a discount. And you pay extra for a reserved seat on these trains. You can buy at the last minute, but these "flex" prices are very expensive, and seat reservations might not be available. These trains do not usually serve small towns like Rothenburg but cities of some size.
- Regional trains (Nahverkehrszüge) like the RB, RE and S trains
These trains do not typically share the same tracks with long-distance trains. But regional trains go pretty much everywhere, small towns, big cities... If you were coming from BERLIN to Rothenburg, you might have a long-distance train to Nuremberg first, then transfer to the regional trains for your trip to Rothenburg since there is no long-distance option for R'burg. The important thing when it comes to tickets is this: When your trip is by regional train only, tickets for these trains are sold "willy-nilly" - there will be no seat assignment, no seat reservation possible, and tickets will always be available; in theory, if the regional train you board has seating for 300 passengers, there might be 500 passengers on the train if the train is busy, and if so, people will stand. Everyone must have a ticket or a pass of some kind. But there is no connection between having a ticket and getting a seat. It's first-come, first-served when it comes to sitting down. Also, regional train tickets have no discounts for advance purchase. So having a ticket 1, 2, or 6 months in advance does nothing for you. Just think of the regional train ticketing like you would ticketing for a municipal bus back home. You wouldn't buy just one city bus ticket months in advance, right? Buy your regional train ticket in Germany at the last minute, get on, and find a seat if you can. This is what Germans do, and you really have no choice to do otherwise when using regional trains, whether it's between Rothenburg and Nuremberg or elsewhere. It's not possible to get there faster or by direct train, no matter how much you might be willing to pay. Only a taxi can do that and would of course take much more of your money and get you there without changes!
Sunday morning at 7:38? You might have the entire train car to yourselves.
All that said... there are simpler connections to Rothenburg - only one change needed - if you travel as follows:
Nuremberg > Dombühl by train (8:37 - 9:21, for example)
Dombühl > Rothenburg by bus (9:27 - 10:25, for example)
The DB website will show these train + bus trips.
The bus and train are both covered by the VGN Tagesticket plus I linkd to previously.