I'm looking for the most economical way to travel by train for one senior and one 12-year-old in June 2012. Our two-week rail-travel itinerary includes the Frankfurt airport rail station > Bacharach > Wurzburg > Rothenburg > Salzburg > Venice. It seems to me that the five-travel-days-within-a-month "twin" German Rail Pass ($442.00 for two adults) plus two point-to-point tickets from Salzburg to Venice would be our best bet. Does anyone have other recommendations, e.g. "bahn cards," which I'm not sure I understand? Is there any kind of card or pass that would also discount the Salzburg-Venice leg of our trip?
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
A bahn card is a yearly subscription service. It probably isn't worth the cost or trouble of canceling (it automatically renews) for what you have proposed.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19106 posts
Frankfurt airport regionalbf to Bacharach is €10,50 per adult and €6,30 for the child by regional train, which is often the fastest way anyway. I think you'll save vs a rail pass. For Bacharach to Wuerzburg or Rothenburg, if you can commit to a specific train and time, you can advance purchase a Sparpreis ticket for as low as €29 for you. If the 12 yo is your child (or g.child), (s)he is free. If you are only spending a few hours in Wuerzburg and then on to Rothenburg, you can build in the stopover using stopover on the German Rail website and include Wuerzburg to Rothenburg on the same €29 ticket. On that ticket, you can even stay overnight, as long as you get to Rothenburg by 10 AM, all on the same ticket. If you are staying longer in Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg to Rothenburg odT Bahnhof is €11,70 for you. Again, your child is free. Rothenburg to Salzburg: Again, with advance purchase you can get Rothenburg to Salzburg by express trains for as little as €29 for a Sparpreis Ticket. With the Bayern-Ticket, also for €29, you have no specific train commitment but you are limited to regional trains. Check the Austrian Rail website (www.oebb.at) for Salzburg to Venice. They have some Sparschiene ticket starting at €39 for an adult; not sure about the child.