Hi - i am traveling to Germany in the fall starting in Berlin and ending my trip in Munich. i plan on taking the train from Berlin to Cochem/Koblanz renting a car driving to Strasborg and then taking the train to Munich. i am not sure what train i need- is it the i-bahn or ICE? do i need to book in advance . also, does anyone know of a good inexpensive car rental in the Moselle/Rhiene region and if i can indeed leave the car in Strasborg being that it is a different country France or drop it off on y way to Munich. thanks for any input
Posted by
Paradise
7072 posts
You're taking a train for Berlin-Cochem and for Strasbourg-Munich - so why rent a car for Cochem-Strasbourg? The train trip costs only about €50 each (walk-up price) using the regional trains. You might get a better price at the DB website with advance purchase. Check the DB site for your other two trips as well.
Once you have entered your travel data and itineraries pop up, look under the "products" column to see which types of trains are used for each itinerary. You will probably see some high-speed trains (like IC and ICE) as well as some regional trains (like RE or RB) for your trips to and from Cochem (which is served mostly by regional trains.) Click on the white-on-red arrow at the left of each itinerary for detailed information - where and when you change trains, etc.
If for some reason you need to rent in Germany, don't drop it in France unless you want an expensive surcharge. Drive it back into Germany and drop it there.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
"do i need to book in advance . " No, but if you do, it will be much cheaper. The only downside is that advanced purchase discounts obligate you to riding a specific train. For most travelers, though, this is usually not a problem, unles they prefer to keep their itinerary extremely flexible.
Posted by
Paradise
7072 posts
Because you have planned lengthy train trips that include Berlin and Munich, I would also check into a 3-day German Rail twinpass for comparison. You can probably get one for about $220 each. To travel to Strasbourg on this pass, you would need to route yourselves through Offenburg (which may take a little longer) and pay a few Euros extra for the segment between the French border and Strasbourg. But that might be preferable if the total of those individual tickets turns out to be a lot more expensive. The railpass also allows flexible departure times.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
I agree that the German Rail Pass is the most convenient way to pay for three full travel days (within a month), with no need to book ahead. Just jump on whichever train connections are most convenient. The price about $220 per person applies if you are under age 26 or if you have two adults traveling together. Don't bother with the more expensive France-Germany pass. I also would not choose the current discount offer that makes you spend some of your savings on mandatory seat reservations.