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Train Ticket Help

Hi all, looking for some train ticket advice for our trip that's just a little more than 2 months away. Here is our basic itinerary:

2 nights Munich (will likely stay in Munich. Might use local train/bus system to get around town)
Transit to Nuremberg
5 nights Nuremberg (will explore Nuremberg but also plan to day trip to several places such as Bamberg, Regensburg, Rothenburg, etc.)
Transit to Salzburg
2 nights Salzburg (will likely use transit within Salzburg to get around town)
Transit to Munich
2 nights Munich (we might take a trip to G-P or Neuschwanstein.. possible we'll get a car for this but assuming train for now)
Fly home

It's not clear to me what type of pass we actually need for this. I think the Deutschland ticket would cover most of what we need but I assume we would need to pay separately for the Munich -> Nuremberg -> Munich legs since that would be ICE. I believe the Munich -> Salzburg -> Munich is covered under Deutschland but we would need to decide how to manage any transit within Salzburg itself separately.

Appreciate any advice on this. Thanks!

Posted by
3593 posts

You can use the D-Ticket for all your train trips within Germany on the slower regional trains. But if you want to take ICE or other high-speed trains from Munich to Nuremberg, you’ll need to pay for those additionally.

You can get a quick look at train fare differences along with schedules at www.TheTrainline.com

Posted by
7758 posts

I think the Deutschland ticket would cover most of what we need but I assume we would need to pay separately for the Munich -> Nuremberg -> Munich legs since that would be ICE

All your trips can be covered by the D-Ticket including this one. While ICE is one way to do this route, regional trains cover it too. Just select "local transport only" under "mode of transport" or hit the "D-Ticket connections only" button when you search for a schedule and you will see the regional train options.
https://int.bahn.de/en

The D-Ticket is valid for regional trains across the border to Salzburg - but NOT for other local transport within Salzburg or Austria.

https://www.bahn.de/faq/deutschlandticket-verkehrsmittel-ausland

Posted by
2323 posts

The ride from Munich to Nuremberg is so short there's really no need to resort to paying extra for ICE. And in Salzburg you buy a day pass, or walk. It's an easy city to get around in.

Posted by
24114 posts

Russ. Im learning something new. A question: Is it a monthly ticket, but from the first of the month or for 30 days after the date of purchase? I see it's a subscription, too, and ig looks pretty easy to end up paying for 2 months when you just wanted one month?

The price is excellent. One of the best deals in Europe.

Posted by
2323 posts

The Deutschland ticket is for the calendar month. It must be canceled by the 10th of the month prior to when you want to stop using it.

Posted by
24114 posts

So if your trip goes past the end of the month, you need to buy 2 months. Still a bargain.

Posted by
21 posts

Thanks everyone. It looks pretty obvious now that the D ticket is the best bet for us. I don't mind taking the regional to Nuremberg and back at all.

Our trip dates are Dec 20 - Dec 31. So I think we basically need to buy the ticket some time after Nov 11 for the month of Dec and cancel the auto sub before Dec 10. I found an app called MVV through another thread that we'll probably use managing this.

Posted by
7758 posts

@ Mr Ê 🇺🇸 🇺🇦... Good deal, yes. The new price of €58 each takes things up a notch but is probably unsustainable just as he previous prices were. It's too good a deal and generates too much ridership for the existing system. Month-long subscription passes have been offered for many years WITHIN the individual transport zones, and they still are, but of course no one buys them now These passes are priced such that they generate some profit, so for example, in the VRM (Rhine/Mosel authority) zone, a monthly pass is currently €133.80. Not a bad deal, really, for one's monthly transportation needs on the area's trains, buses and trams. But the D-Ticket for the entire country undercuts this price in the extreme. Not sure which secret government coffers are being pried open to subsidize the D-Ticket, but no coffer is bottomless...

Posted by
24114 posts

Russ that pass pays for itself with two rides (not counting the local transport benefit). Maybe one ride if you buy a ticket the same day. Simply amazing. Its second only to the Hungarian Old Fart Deal.

Posted by
2323 posts

You can buy it now, the app lets you choose the month you want to activate.

Posted by
2608 posts

Not sure which secret government coffers are being pried open to subsidize the D-Ticket, but no coffer is bottomless...

No one except political dreamers ever expected the DT's price of €49 to remain stable for long. Before the introduction of the ticket, there was broad consensus that €99 would be a reasonable starting (!) price. But the Green Party, which was part of the ruling coalition at the time, pushed through the unrealistic price because it hoped that it would make voters forget a little how much it wanted to hit their wallets with its other laws (ban on combustion engine cars, ban on oil heating, etc.). The price will rise simply because the DT is yet another project conceived by the federal government but which others are expected to pay for (largely). The federal government wants to cap its annual contribution at 1.5 billion, and the laender, which have also been paying €1.5 billion, are expected to bear the additional costs instead.. But they will not do so. At the end of 2026, the DT will be in a serious crisis that can only be resolved by another price increase, and so it will continue every year.