First, thanks to everyone who p.m. me with your suggestions. I hope we now have an itinerary that works. 6 adults(3 couples), early 50's, using public transportation. We can rent a mini van if possible for part of our trip if one is available. Departing NYC 4/25/12 arrive Berlin 4//26/12. Fly home from Munich 5/11/12. Questions: 1. Should we book train travel as soon as possible for best rates for part of our trips or all of our train travel? 2. Will the Bayern ticket or partner ticket work for any of our train travel? 3.Does this itinerary work? Need your suggestions. 4/25/12 depart NYC to Berlin. 4/26 arrive Berlin, sleep 3 nights. Hotels we are considering: Pension Peters or Myer's hotel. 4/29 Berlin to Rothenburg via train depart 10:31am arrive 3:49pm, with 3 changes, €36.60pp. 4/29 to 5/1, sleep Rothenburg 2 nights inside wall. Any suggestions on hotel? 5/1 Rothenburg to Fussen area via train, depart 11:06 arrive Fussen 3:56pm, €15.00pp. We want to see the castles via bus or bike. Not sure if we should stay in Fussen or town nearby. Need your suggestions. We will sleep in this area 2 nights. 5/3 Fussen to Salzburg via train, depart 10:06 arrive 2:09pm,1 change €31.20pp. Salzburg, sleep 2 nights. Hotel Krone. We would like to see area via public trans, tours, or bike. Possible S.O.M., Eagle's nest. Need suggestions. 5/5 Salzburg to Munich via train, depart 9:02am or later. Munich 3 nights, sleep Hotel Monaco, Hotel Uhland or Pension Seibel, any suggestions? Day trip to Dauchu. We are planning to leave Germany on Friday, 5/11/12.
We can add days to any of the above. Thanks to all who can help.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19275 posts
You can use the Bayern-Ticket for unlimited travel on regional trains anywhere in Bavaria and into the Hbf in Salzburg, as long as you start after 9 AM on workdays. That would not include much of Berlin to Rothenburg. If you're willing to spend a lot of time on the train, you could use a Quer-durchs-Land-Ticket and regional trains, but advance purchase, train specific Savings Fare tickets, starting at €29/p would probably be worth the savings in time. Looks like for Fuessen to Salzburg your price is for a group discount using an EC from Munich to Salzburg. If you are willing to take a regional trains all the way, it will take ½ hr longer, but you can do the trip with 2 Bayern-Ticket for €29 each, less than €10/pp. Continuing: If you check "Local transport" for Rothenburg to Fuessen, you'll see an all regional connection with the same times. You can do that with 2 Bayern-Tickets for less than €10/pp.
Posted by
OP
New York
52 posts
Lee, I'am confused, when I ck the Bahn.de site, which trains are considered regional, RB,IC,RE,EC? We would rather pay more for less time on trains. Thank you
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19275 posts
Regional trains are Regional Express (RE), Regional Bahn (RB, milk runs), IRE (Interregio Express). The S-Bahns are run by German Rail and also considered regional trains. Express trains are Intercity Express (ICE), Intercity (IC), Eurocity (EC), and Interregio (IR). I haven't seen an IR in years. On the German Rail website, if you check "Local transport only", it will show you just regional trains.
Posted by
OP
New York
52 posts
Thanks Lee
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19275 posts
Fuessen is a nice place to stay, but maybe a bit pricey. If you can find a place (www.fuessen.de) with a price you like, take it. Otherwise, I would not stay in Reutte. The town, in my impression, is kind of a dump, at least the parts you can get to by bus. I'd stay in Pfronten, which is much nicer and accessible by bus from Fuessen. My choice in Pfronten would be Gasthof Aggenstein, although there are a lot of other places you can find on the town website, www.pfronten.de. For the Eagles' Nest, you can take a bus from in front of the Salzburg Hbf (ask me where the bus stop is if you are interested) to Berchtesgaden and back with an RVO Tagesticket for €9,50/pp. The Tagesticket will also give you unlimited use of regular buses in Berchtesgaden for the day. That includes the bus to the base of the Kehlstein, but the special mountain buses to the Nest are extra (~€15/pp). The last bus back to Salzburg leaves Berchtesgaden just after 6 PM. If you want to stay later than that, take the train via Freilassing with Bayern-Tickets (also give unlimited use of the regular buses in Berchtesgaden. And, Dachau. See my webpage.
Posted by
OP
New York
52 posts
My mistake, Hotel Goldene Krone in Salzburg.
Posted by
San Francisco
14980 posts
Joanne, Going from Berlin-Rothenburg ob der Tauber you have three changes. That's not necessary. I would suggest this: Berlin-Nürnberg direct on the ICE, then Nürnberg to Rothenburg with one change, ie., one less change than the three on your itinerary.
Posted by
Germany, Germany
813 posts
Add a night or two in Salzburg, more to see and do than you have time for.
Posted by
OP
New York
52 posts
Fred, I do not see Nurnberg to Rothenburg non-stop, I am looking on Bahn.de. Please direct me if you can. Can anyone tell me what the lowest fare for Berlin to Rothenburg is, right now if we book the price is €36.60pp. Kathy, thank you, we will be adding a night in Salzburg. Do you know if the Eagle's Nest will be open the first week in May? Thanks to all for your help
Posted by
Orlando
516 posts
One full day and night in Rothenburg is enough. I would give another day to Salzburg and take a daytrip to the lakes region. Nice place to stay in Salzburg is Weisse Taube.
Posted by
OP
New York
52 posts
Thanks Fred, I got it
Posted by
San Francisco
14980 posts
Joanne, You're welcome. I take it that you know that the Nürnberg-Rothenburg connection requires one transfer. It isn't direct. Berlin-Nürnberg is a major direct route, eg., changing to Vienna, also the frequency of ICE for Berlin-Nürnberg. The district you plan on staying at in Berlin is Charlottenburg, the closest S-Bahn station is Savignyplatz, only a few minutes from the Pension,...a very nice area. From Savignyplatz to Berlin Hbf both S-Bahn 3 (Direction Eckner) and 75 can be accessed.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19275 posts
"Do you know if the Eagle's Nest will be open the first week in May?" No one knows now. It depends on the weather. The Eagles' Nest website, www.kehlsteinhaus.de, on the English side, says "middle of May". On the German side it says 'beginning of May to the 31st". With the winter they've been having .... Unless you go by bus, you always have to change trains in Steinach on you way to Rothenburg. You'll also change in Ansbach or Neustadt. According to my grade school math, that's two changes from Nuernberg, three from Berlin.