We’re flying into Frankfurt and then plan on taking the train to stuttgart to see our children in October
It’s our first trip to Germany Do we need to purchase the train tickets ( ICE) in advance or can we wait until we’re actually there Looks like train tickets are non refundable/ we’re flying in from Newark nj
Posted by
Citizen of the World
2029 posts
You can do either. The advantage to buying in advance is you can get a $14 non-refundable ticket on a few departures instead of paying $35 for a regular ticket on most trains. You can see train schedules and pricing on the DeutscheBahn website: www.Bahn.com
You can get your tickets departing directly from Frankfurt’s Airport (“Flughafen”) to Stuttgart Hbf.
Posted by
Paradise
7072 posts
For ICE journeys, the disadvantage of an advance-purchase, nonrefundable saver fare is that if you have a flight delay or cancellation (or other delay) and cannot catch your pre-scheduled train, you lose both tickets entirely and must then purchase tickets at full price (flex-fare for last-minute purchase = €148/2!)
You can greatly reduce your risk of ticket forfeiture if you spend your Day 1 / Night 1 near the airport in Frankfurt or in Mainz (use a local train to get there) and to pre-purchase a saver fare ticket for Day 2 between one of those cities and Stuttgart. You'll likely be feeling tired and disheveled after the overnight transatlantic flight anyway - get a room, relax, get some food, do a little sightseeing on Day 1. Then travel in the am of Day 2 fully rested and refreshed to see the kids.