My wife and I will be touring Austria, Germany and Switzerland in late April, 2013. We were planning on buying a Eurail Saver 3-country/5-day pass to cover us for our five travel days. However, due to an international trade show in Munich while we are there, we had to alter our plans a bit and book a pension an hour outside of Munich in Waal for two days. Looking at the Bahn.de website, it looks like we might be able to travel to Munich by train each day for anywhere between 26 and 50 euros for both of us. This would be a lot less than paying $252 more for a pair of 8-day Eurail passes. That assumes that I know what I'm doing with Bahn.de, which I'm sure I don't! Should I be safe and pay for a longer Eurail pass or should I stop being a wimp and buy the local tickets? Any tips would be appreciated! Thanks, Mike
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
Stop being a wimp and skip the pass totally. Lee will be along short as the discount options, and daily passes available for Germany. What is safe about an Eurail pass?
Posted by
Green Bay
21150 posts
Yes, its called a Bayern Ticket. 22 Euro for the first person and 4 Euro for each additional person up 5 traveling together after 9 am (so you don't compete with commuters) and no high speed trunk line trains, just regional trains. Anywhere in Bavaria (plus Salzburg) til 3 am the next day. Buy them from the ticket window or station vending machine.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
Buy them from a ticket automat. It's easy. The machines will display in English if you ask them to. The price at a counter is 2€ more for "personal service". As I look at the German Rail (Bahn) website, There is no direct train service to Waal. There is a bus connection of about 15 minutes from the Buchloe Bahnhof to Waal (3 bus stops, one is Post). The Bayern-Ticket covers most bus service in Bavaria. You should be able to purchase the Bayern-Ticket on the bus and it would then be good for the train into Munich, as well. You might need to have exact change on the bus for the Bayern-Ticket. There is only regional train service from Buchloe to Munich, so the Bayern-Ticket is all you would need.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
Europe is fully of uncertainties. Don't eliminate them, enjoy them. Some of our best experiences and memories are from uncertainties. If you want certainties, stay in Florida.
Posted by
OP
Winter Haven, Florida, USA
10 posts
Lee and Sam, Thanks for the great information! You clarified what I saw on the Bahn site and added the logistics of buying the ticket is a bonus. Awesome! By the way, I did realize I would need a bus or taxi to Buchloe to catch the train, so the bus information is good to know, too. Thanks again! Mike
Posted by
OP
Winter Haven, Florida, USA
10 posts
Frank, I'll assume your question was rhetorical, but "safe" was probably the wrong word. "Certain" might be better, since this is my first trip to Europe and I'm trying to eliminate uncertainties. The information Lee and Sam gave me did that. Mike