Start of train trip to Berlin from Offenburg

First, book that sweet 19 euro Saver fare before it disappears. You will have plenty of time to see the options for getting to Offenburg station, although 17 euro for 2 to the station is not that bad.

Thanks Sam, Sounds like good advice. Will lock in that one now.

38€ for two from Offenburg to Berlin is unbelievable! 17€ from Strasbourg to Offenburg is normal; it just looks like a lot compared to the fare from Offenburg to Berlin. Take the Offenburg to Berlin fare. Now!

Theoretically, you should be able to book the same 19€ fare from Kehl, closer to Strasbourg, for the same 19€, but I can't get the Bahn website to show it.

Lee, I think it is because it has to be a 'long distance' station. This special is only available for a short time: Sparpreis saver fares for as little as EUR 19 are on sale from 11 February 2016 – 20 March 2016, and any long-distance station in Germany can be selected as the destination. BahnCard 25 holders receive a discount of a further 25%.

Normally, SparPreis tickets are available from any Bahn station in Germany to any other Bahn station in Germany. It is only required that one of the legs of travel be on a train of the Bahn (ICE/IC/EC), but other legs can be on regional trains. Under the Vor- und Nach-Lauf provision of the AGB (Conditions of Carriage), only the specified Bahn train must be used. Any regional train from morning midnight of the first day until 10 AM the following morning can be used as long it takes the same route as the train actually mentioned on the ticket.

I don't know if these same conditions apply to this special sale. So far the webpage on the sale has not loaded for me.

Here is the "Conditions" page from the offer:
http://www.bahn.com/i/view/USA/en/prices/germany/saver-fare-summer.shtml

Specifics regarding vor-und-nach-lauf.

Products: Valid only on ICE and IC/EC trains.
Requires an additional reservation for use on IC Bus services.
A supplement is required for CityNightLine trains.
Regional and local trains may not be used for starting and completing journeys.

Interesting that the sale ends March 20, but allows travel until September 19. Since you can't book on-line sooner than 3 months before date of travel, that would seem to be travel until June 20, but the fine print shows you can book 6 months out at a station Reisezentrum.

OK, I finally found the conditions. I was looking at the German language pages of the Bahn website, and the one on the 19€ deal wouldn't load. I finally looked at the English language pages and found it. As you said, Sam, it's only valid on ICE and IC/EC trains - no Vor- und Nach-Lauf.

I am happy. I grabbed my fare. Thanks everyone.