We arrive in Frankfurt at 10.00am, we intend getting the train to Stutgart to spend a few hours at the Mercedes Museum. (This will only be a few hours, only one of us is interested :) ) How unrealistic would it then be to get back on a train and go to Offenberg for the night?
Thanks.
Posted by
Ojai, CA
591 posts
It's quite possible...... direct trains on both routes, both about 1.5 hrs apart. See if schedules fit your time frames:
www.bahn.de
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19420 posts
Before we say you can do it, you do mean "Offenburg" (note the 'u'), right? The town across the Rhein from Strasbourg, a little over an hour by train from Stuttgart. There is also a town called Offenberg (with an 'e') west of the Bayerischer Wald N.P. and the Czech border, near Plattling. The Bahn doesn't show directions to Offenberg, but to Plattling is about 4 hours. The Bahn does show connections to a town called Offenberg, on the Rhein near the Dutch border. That would take 4½-6 hours.
Posted by
OP
MN
34 posts
Thanks - Lee it Offenburg - thanks for that. :)
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19420 posts
I think this link to the German Rail (Bahn) website is better. If you just go to Bahn.de, it will take you here eventually, anyway. Put in Stuttgart to Offenburg. You'll find connections using IC/ICE in just over an hour. If you want to save money, choose "only local transport" under Means of transport (you might have to click on "Change other data" to get the full screen again. You'll see regional connections (IRE, RE, RB, OSB) in as little as two hours. You can use these connections with just a Baden-Württemburg-Ticket for 2-5 pp for €21 for one person plus €4 for each additional person (available from ticket automats).
Posted by
Stuttgart, Germany
3050 posts
Yep, this is doable. If you want to minimize train time by traveling on high speed trains, buy your tickets from bahn.com well in advance. This will be a fairly busy day and I think you'll want to be traveling fast, even if you could save a little money taking regional trains with a Baden-Wurttemburg ticket.
Posted by
OP
MN
34 posts
Thanks everyone. We just didn't kow if we were being too ambitious and setting ourselves a herculean day! Eden
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19420 posts
About the only advantage to buying tickets in advance from Bahn.com is to take advantage of the available discount fares. But these fares are train-specific and worthless if you miss the specified train. When she says "We arrive in Frankfurt at 10.00am" I think she means Frankfurt airport. Flights, particularly trans-Atlantic, are too likely to be late to risk a train-specific ticket. It's just as easy to buy your ticket at the Fernbf when you arrive. As for Stuttgart to Offenburg, at about 5 PM, there is an express connection to Offenburg in 1h19m for €74 for 2p. (You could get it for €58 with a train-specific fare, but that IMO would limit your flexibility too much. What if the flight to FRA was two hours late and you didn't get to Stuttgart until 2:00?) Alternatively, at the same time there is an IRE/RE connection in 1h57m with a Ba-Wü-Ticket for €25 for 2p. That's almost €50 difference for 38 min. Of course, it's up to Eden(?), but I'd take the regional option.