I'm a little embarrassed to even ask this question, as I consider myself a fairly seasoned traveler, but I don't want to leave out any options I haven't considered. I'll be in Berlin for two weeks this summer (June 22-July 6) and plan to take two day trips (Dresden and Leipzig). I was looking at train tickets online to see if I needed to purchase in advance or not. It seems to me that the cheapest option is to purchase Sparpreis (Saver fare) tickets ASAP to lock in a roundtrip price of 57 Euros for each trip. The return trips to Berlin seem to be pretty high, even for this far out. Is there any other option that I haven't considered? I've only every used rail passes (when I wasn't buying point-to-point tickets), but those are way more expensive, even if I were to add a third day trip to be able to use the 3-day Germany pass. As I understand it from the DB website, the other offers such as Quer-durchs-Land and Schones-Wochenende wouldn't help since I only want to use the Intercity trains. I don't mind buying in advance, which I've already done for day trips in Italy so I can get the cheapest prices on the Frecce trains there. The only downside is that I have to lock in a day (without knowing what the weather will be like in advance) and a return time (without knowing how long I want to stay there before returning to Berlin). Are there any other options?
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
SparPreis ticket are the only discounted ticket for trains of the Bahn (ICE/IC/EC).
There is no way to make the date flexible, but if you go to "means of transport" and uncheck ICE, IC/EC, and D from the return journey, the return will be by regional trains (a little slower), and you will not be held to specific regional trains for the trip back, so you can stay longer if you like. You can take any regional train on the same route finishing until 10 AM the following day.
Posted by
the Netherlands
2487 posts
Trying for a random date end June the website of the Deutsche Bahn www.bahn.de/p_en/view/index.shtml gives me return tickets for Dresden and Leipzig at EUR 38. The price of this discount is indeed the ticket being tied to a specific time and date.
Posted by
Paradise
7072 posts
"As I understand it from the DB website, the other offers such as Quer-durchs-Land and Schones-Wochenende wouldn't help since I only want to use the Intercity trains."
I'm not quite clear about this position you're taking with Intercity trains. Do you want to use only those trains because you're assuming they're the only trains that make those journeys? The are not; the QDL and S-W tickets COULD get you to both Leipzig and Dresden using the regional trains. If it's just that you cannot find those trains when you do your search at the DB site, perhaps you aren't checking the "only local transport" box under "connections."
No doubt the IC/ICE trains make the trip faster - but that's the price trade-off.
Posted by
OP
Lubbock, TX
417 posts
Russ,
Yes, I want to get to both cities as fast as possible. I've learned that for my own priorities, my time is more valuable while on vacation than my money. That's why I'm only looking at IC and ICE trains. The schedule I saw for Dresden showed that the regional trains from Berlin take on average 1.5 hours longer to get there. To Leipzig the local trains take twice as long.
Posted by
Washington DC
28100 posts
I haven't been to Leipzig, but I think Dresden wouldn't be too bad a destination in rainy weather. The rebuilt historic center is very small, and the major museums are rather close together in that same area. (Note: The Historic Green Vault requires a timed ticket.) There's frequent tram service from near the train station to the center. I believe there's a tourist office very near (or in?) the station that can provide details.
Posted by
Paradise
7072 posts
Yes, I want to get to both cities as fast as possible. I've learned
that for my own priorities, my time is more valuable while on vacation
than my money. That's why I'm only looking at IC and ICE trains. The
schedule I saw for Dresden showed that the regional trains from Berlin
take on average 1.5 hours longer to get there. To Leipzig the local
trains take twice as long.
OK, glad you were able to access the info.
Dresden as a day trip from Berlin indeed stretches the definition of day trip. Anyone who's only used rail passes previously might be accustomed to using high-speed trains for such lengthy journeys - and to have their pick of days and travel times as whim and weather dictate (which is just the way I like it as well.) But with a p2p strategy for the big trips, you pay dearly (full price) for the same day trip flexibility - or you go Sparpreis on the day trips, suck it up, and do whatever day trips you chose 2-3 months in advance, rain or no rain, sore feet or not.
I normally use Sparpreis for major one-way journeys as you seem to be doing, but arrange day trips only for destinations that are doable by regional train and day passes - which offer flexibility AND payment on the go AND a great price. Dresden would be too far for me on the regional trains as well - so I would likely leave Berlin for good on a Sparpreis ticket and overnight in Dresden.
I'm switching it up this time and using a 7-day German Rail pass next month for our major journeys AND for a couple of day trips - with some short regional train trips to be bought at the station. I'm seeing a lot of rain in the forecast - so I think it will be handy to have those 2 rail pass days for day trips.
Posted by
OP
Lubbock, TX
417 posts
Russ,
I agree with you about the lack of flexibility when it comes to buying Sparpreis tickets in advance. But I figure if it's crappy weather in Dresden, it's likely crappy weather in Berlin, and I'd have to find something to do wherever I was, so I'd rather save some money now and deal with whatever weather I get. Every time I've been to Germany the weather has always been an issue, but I keep going back and bring my umbrella every time. Hope you have a great trip!!
Posted by
San Francisco
14980 posts
Hi,
If you go to Berlin in the summer, there is a very good chance it will rain, be cold, ie cold enough to need a jacket for daily outings. That's almost the same experience I have had too...numerous times. . I'll be in Berlin this time about the same time , from June 8 to the 18th, staying at the Pension, and it won't surprise me if the weather won't cooperate. The adv discount tickets are a matter of sacrificing flexibility over savings. Which is more important? Yes, you do save quite a bit but you're locked in too. I mainly take the IC or ICE too, sometimes the RE depending.
Posted by
OP
Lubbock, TX
417 posts
Thanks for all your suggestions and comments!! I went ahead and bought Sparpreis tickets this morning for both Leipzig and Dresden. I was happily surprised to see that the roundtrip ticket was only 38 Euros (19 each way), as several of you mentioned. I guess I misread the website and thought that it was 19 outward and 38 returning. Maybe other train companies price it that way (a separate charge for each leg, combined into a total at the end)? I seem to remember that Trenitalia works that way, maybe that's why I was confused about the pricing. Anyway, always better to be surprised by a lower price than to get sticker shock at the end!!
Posted by
San Francisco
14980 posts
Re: charging more for one leg than the other. That is one experience I had in Austria but it may be with the time of the return leg. I went on a day trip form Vienna on Westbahn, paid on the train. The return leg back to Vienna cost one Euro more (big deal?). I asked why, was told after a certain hour (7 pm? not sure) the price is increased by one Euro.