Berlin Airport/ Train Passes...I hear that Lee knows all...Lee? :)

Posted by Ashlea (Pittsburgh, PA, USA) on 05/18/10 03:27 PM

From what I gather, the least expensive way to book train travel between these countries is buying point to point passes, in Europe. I am a bit of a worry wart and would like to purchase these passes as soon as I get off the plane in Berlin. My questions are as follows: Can I purchase these point to point passes at the Berlin airport? If not, where is the closest place to purchase? Can I purchase the train passes for all points (Berlin />Prague />Vienna>Budapest) in Berlin? Or do I have to book the next leg in the next country?

This is a big concern of mine and I would rather not purchase the tickets online in advance. It seems the best savings would be to purchase them in Europe.

Any help and advice would be very much appreciated!

Posted by Tyler

San Francisco, California, USA

05/18/10 03:55 PM

446 posts

As far as I know, there is no such thing as a point to point pass. You must mean a point to point ticket.

The best savings on point to point tickets is to purchase them as far in advance as possible. If you wait too long, the cheap fares will go away, and the difference can be significant -- like, 30 Euros instead of 100 Euros.

Purchasing online is the only way for you to get a cheap advance purchase ticket without being in Europe, and being in Europe has no advantage. If you were in Germany, you could no doubt buy a cheap ticket at a train station, but to get that cheap ticket, you will still have to purchase it in advance. Just going to the station the day you want to take your train trip isn't going to get you a cheap ticket.

Why are you worried about online purchases? With Deutsche Bahn, most tickets you buy online can be printed out at home, or if not, you can collect them at the train station. All you need to do is make sure you have the credit card you used with you, because the conductor will ask to see it on the train when he checks your ticket.

One caveat about cheap tickets -- most are only valid for specific trains and times and can't be changed or refunded. If you miss the train, your ticket is useless. If this is real concern, you should buy a full fare ticket instead, which is valid on any train.

Posted by Anna

Seattle, WA, United States

05/18/10 04:12 PM

873 posts

Unless you don't want to lock yourself into a specific date/time of travel, the lowest prices between Germany and other countries are purchased online, up to 92 days before the journey.

These Europa-Spezial tickets (you will probably see them on the front page of bahn.de) are €29-39 and include reservations.

For travel within a state and some neighbouring areas, Länder Tickets are €20/single person or €28 for 2-5 people. These you don't have to buy online, I believe.

Posted by Lee

Lakewood, Colorado

05/18/10 07:30 PM

19274 posts

Well, thanks for the complement.

Point to point passes? I think you are referring to the online, advance purchase, limitedly refundable Sparpreis and Europa-Spezial tickets.

It seems the best savings would be to purchase them in Europe.

No, these tickets are best purchased online, well in advance of your arrival in Germany. Their sale starts about 3 months before travel time. The prices is tiered and the lowest priced tickets frequently sell out well in advance, sometimes the first day of sales.

Some of these tickets can be purchased at a ticket counter, but with a surcharge for "personal service".