Train tickets: Strasbourg to Stuttgart, Stuttgart to Nuremberg, Nuremberg to Frankfurt ,

1. I see a direct one on sncf connect site at 8:46. You may not be seeing one searching in December which maybe too far in advance.

2. There is a direct train Stuttgart to Nuremberg.

3. There is no faster train from Nuremberg to Frankfurt which takes 2:30 on average.
   I would use the DB site for all tickets. Just keep in mind to look to buy 90 days in advance if you don't see the direct train you want.

Download the Deutsche Bahn app for all of the train travel you wish to do since most of it is in Germany and find the trains that work best for you. You will be able to see all of the options including direct trains & ICE trains. The sooner you buy the tickets, the least expensive the tickets will be. The app can give you the functionality to find the least expensive trains for that day(s) you are looking.

I agree with Continental - use the DB app or this link on the web, which will be in English. Before you purchase your tickets, set up an account so that when you download the app, you will be able to access your tickets on the app. This is very convenient as all you have to do is flash your QR code at the conductor.

Also if you have the app, you will get instant (well, almost instant) notifications of delays, track changes and so on. The app is invaluable.

High speed trains will be the ICE or IC trains - these are the fastest but also the more expensive so it pays to book early. Get 2nd class - there is no need to get 1st class.

I just did a random search in late November for a train from Strasbourg to Stuttgart. Here is the search string I received - as you can see, the prices change drastically depending on what time of day you go and what train you take. Click on "show details" and it will give you a good idea of how long it will take and how many changes (transfers) there are. For example, there is one that leaves at 9:10 from Strasbourg - takes 1h 48min, and has one change.

Or there is one at 12:46 that goes directly from Strasbourg to Stuttgart and has no changes because you are on an ICE train the whole way. That one only takes 1h and 19min.

Play around with it and it will become more familiar to you and you utilize the site. I would suggest doing it online as I think it's easier, but that is up to you.

You may prefer to stay in Esslingen, but you will have to take a local (S-bahn) or regional train to Stuttgart Main Station (HBF) to reach your train to Nuremberg.

I highly recommend downloading the DeutscheBahn phone app, it works well in English.

Hi all! Thanks for the help!

I found some train options on DB website.

I have a question! May I know what's the different between the IC train and RE train?
Because the IC train is cheaper than the RE train and it is 10 minutes faster. I am not sure why IC train is faster and cheaper. Is it because the train is not as comfortable?

IC train: 2 hr 10 mins - 13 euros
RE train: 2 hr 20 mins - 40 euros

Thanks!

Trains in Germany come in two basic categories...

IC (Intercity) is a type of long-distance, high-speed train.
RE (regional express) is a regional train often used by commuters making shorter trips.

Any journey that includes one or more IC or other high-speed trains (like EC or ICE) can be ticketed as a "Sparpreis" fare or (saver fares.) Limited numbers of these tickets can be purchased in advance at a discount. As tickets sell, the price goes up. Sparpreis tickets are non-refundable and train-specific, which means you must ride the high-speed train at the time scheduled. If you miss your train, you may have to forfeit part or all of your journey.

DB journeys by regional train only (S, RE, RB trains) are not part of the Sparpreis scheme. You pay the standard price, no matter when you buy it. Tickets are fully refundable. And a regional train ticket can be used at any hour on that same day for the same journey.

But for regional train journeys there are OTHER ways to save money - like DAY PASSES, which are good for unlimited travel within specified areas. The Bayern Ticket (for Bavaria) is one of these. Smaller areas controlled by local transit authorities also sell day passes - and sometimes multi-day passes - for travel on RE and RB trains. Take Nuremberg, where you will be visiting, for example. The VGN (the Nuremberg transit authority) sells a day pass for 2 adults priced at €21.50/day. You can ride the RE and RB trains all day long if you wish within the VGN travel zone:

https://www.vgn.de/media/verbundgebiet.pdf/

https://www.vgn.de/en/tickets/all-day-ticket-plus/

Hi Russ,

Thanks! This is incredibly helpful!

I am looking at the cheapest IC train (Super Sparpreis Aktion fare at 13 euros but non-refundable/exchangable/cancellation) from Stuttgart to Nuremberg. It costs about 10 euros to top up to Sparpreis fare that allows me to cancel (exchange or refund) ticket before the first day of validity for a fee of 10,00 EUR in exchange for a voucher.

I am abit nervous about the strict conditions as I will have to forfeit the ticket if my trip timings change. But it costs almost 100% more to top up to the next tier at Sparpreis fare!

Also, do you know if there's a train area/day pass for Stuttgart as I am doing trips to Esslingen and maybe other towns in Stuttgart area. Thanks!

Day Tickets for transport (including regional trains) within the Stuttgart region- the VVS:
https://en.vvs.de/tickets/day-ticket

VVS rail network:
https://download.vvs.de/Verbund_Schienennetz.pdf

Day Ticket for transport outside the VVS and within the state of Baden-Württemberg - The €24 Baden-Württemberg Ticket:

https://www.bahn.com/en/offers/regional/regional-day-tickets

B-W railway map:
http://karteplan.com/deutschland/land/baden-wurttemberg/schienennetz-karte-von-baden-wurttemberg.jpg

What day trip destinations do you have in mind? Besigheim, Ludwigsburg, Calw, and Tübingen might be worth some research.

I try to avoid train-specific saver fares for day trips - I dislike having inflexible deadlines and just prefer making "plan-as-you-go" choices based on weather, inspiration, tips from locals, etc. So for me it's often day passes and regional trains.