German Rail Pass

Posted by Nova (Regina, Sask, Canada) on 08/25/09 03:14 PM

Thanks Tim for your help on my last post.
New questions about the German Rail Passes:
I need to travel on 5 trips within Germany and to Salzburg Au. so that would tick off 5 days on my pass (if I get one for say 7 days)I understand?? that a German Rail Pass gives you unlimited access to any of their trains for a whole day of travel - is this correct? -

Also, as I'm spending 9 days in Bacharach every time I use the pass to get on a KD Ship can I use the ships numerous times a day flexibily like the trains?

Can I use the pass to go on one of the KD cruises to say the Moselle river or Kologne? Or is that something different.

I've been to the KD site and find their scheduling and info difficult. Can someone explain the German Rail Pass to me in a bit more detail? what about a Season Ticket from DB or the Bayern Ticket - I prefer a flexible pass in case I miss a train or get lost since this is my first time travelling.- nova

Posted by Travel Boss

Myrtle Beach, USA

08/27/09 06:33 AM

12313 posts

Nova,

I'm not the best train expert on the site but I can answer some of your questions.

Each day you travel on your rail pass will eat up a day on the pass - UNLESS you purchase a seperate ticket for your travels that day. I only think a rail pass makes sense on days where you are traveling a good distance, otherwise use special tickets on regional (local) trains. Example, If you want to take the train from Bacharach to St. Goar to visit Rheinfels, don't use your pass. Get a Lander or Shoenes Wochende pass which is good for up to five people on regional (local) trains for hop on/off rides the entire day (I think it's currently 35 euros for the ticket).

If you are traveling on your pass, you can hop on/off the KD boats the same as the trains. It's still not worth it to use a pass just to use the boats. If you aren't going far, just pay the boat fare.

I'm not sure about the Mosel, I've never ridden the boat there but assume it's the same.

I haven't used a season ticket but I have used a Bayern ticket. A Bayern ticket is one of the Lander tickets. Lander translates to province and Bayern is Bavaria, a province in Germany. When using a Lander ticket, you need to know what Province you are in and what Provinces you will be visiting on that day. If you are a group and crossing a state line, it may still be a bargain to get a Lander ticket for both provinces rather than traveling on your pass.

The Schoenes Wochende (translates to nice/beautiful/happy weekend) is similar to Lander tickets but is for travel on weekends and isn't limited to one province. With a little planning you can decide how to schedule your siteseeing to take advantage of these options.

My favorite place to stay in Bacharach is Burg Stahleck. It's a castle turned into a hostile above the town. It's clean, quiet and well-run. It's always full so be sure to get a reservation.

Posted by Tim

Minneapolis, MN, USA

08/27/09 07:49 AM

8700 posts

Yes, a Germany railpass gives you unlimited rides on all trains, including high-speed trains, for each day it is valid.

For a full explanation of what is covered by the Germany railpass, click on the Railpasses tab at the top of the page you're reading now. Here's a quote from the Germany page:

"All passes for Germany also cover Salzburg, Austria (the official border town) on trips to or from Munich. All cover KD Line boats on the Rhine and Mosel Rivers (starts use of a travel day, same as a rail trip) and 20% off the Romantic Road Bus (does not use a flexipass travel day)."

Posted by Lee

Lakewood, Colorado

08/27/09 08:49 AM

19274 posts

Be careful about Salzburg. Nothing on the Eurail website indicates that the Eurail (multi-country) passes include Salzburg unless Austria is included. The German Rail pass, which is a single country, not a Eurail pass does include Salzburg. At least check with the conducter. The fare from Freilassing to Salzburg is only about €2,10.

Check the fares on www.k-d.com carefully before deciding not to use a day of your railpass. The boats are expensive, and unless you are going only from St. Goar to Bacharach, could easily be more than a day of your railpass.
And, BTW, the abbr. for Austria is AT; AU is Australia.