German Rail Pass

I would probably not use a German railpass for this itin.

First off, Rick's p2p prices don't include discounted tickets; check exact ticket prices at:

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

For Berlin-Nuremberg, some 29 Euro tix are available on some dates (adv. purchase, limited availability); 86 is roughly the normal fare.

For N'berg to R'burg, R'burg to Munich, Munich to Lindau, you are in Bavaria, so you can use a "Bayern (Bavaria) Ticket" - A daypass that costs 27 Euros total per day for 2-5 people. Use it on the regional (RB, RE, IRE) trains after 9 am weekdays, anytime weekends. These trains are usually a bit slower and require more connections than the high-speed trains. You can find these trains and connections by stipulating "only local transport" under "means of transport". The Bayern ticket cost will not appear on that page however; but you can buy the Bayern ticket at any DB ticket machine or counter (more Euros) in Germany.

So I could see you doing this trip for about 110 Euros total, perhaps.

OUch - math is bad. Sorry. That would be around 140 Euros total for two.

I agree that the guestimates provided by RS leave a lot to be desired. They are just a rough guide (but what can you do in one page?).

For instance, if you are in Nürnberg, you can buy a VGN (Greater Nürnberg Transit) Tages Ticket, which is an all day ticket for 2 adults for €14. That covers regional trains all the way to Rothenberg as well as any buses and U-Bahns needed to get to the station in Nürnberg (not covered by a pass). For Nürnberg to Rothenburg most connections are regional and the express trains often only save a couple of minutes. You would probably go by regional train even with a pass.

I could not find a €29 per person Dauer-Special fare on the 3½ hour ICE to Nürnberg for the days I checked; the best fare I could find there was €98 for two, but I did find the €29 fare on the slightly slower IC.

For Rothenburg to Munich, the typical express routes take over 3 hours and 3 connections. A purely regional route takes less than 3½ hours and has 2 connections and can use the €27 Bayern-Ticket.

For Munich to Lindau, most connections are regional. A €27 Bayern-Ticket is all you need for this leg.

So, if you took nothing but the fastest trains, and purchased nothing (except your railpass) in advance, full fare, p2p tickets for those four legs would cost you about $530, so a railpass would pay, but, merely by purchasing the Berlin-Nürnberg and Rothenburg-Munich tickets in advance, you could bring the p2p price down to $315, less than a railpass. If you are willing to purchase just the Berlin-Nürnberg leg in advance, and spend an extra 2+ hours over the four trips, you could do the entire trip for $202 (€126).

I just got back from 10 days in Germany and used the Bayern pass exclusively. It worked well. The cost was approximately $200 total for 4 people. We made the trip from Munich to Rothenburg and back and used the regional trains. It was not hard to make connections. The ticket is called the Lander ticket on the DB train site and is used after 9 am. Also, the train ticket was easily purchased at the train station and can be purchased on the day of travel or in advance. It also works on some buses. It saved us quite a bit of money and the regional trains were very nice.

Do you think I'll have any trouble getting the regional ticket to and from Munich if I am going during the start of Oktoberfest?

Thank you very much for the responses. I will consider all of the advice. I guess I'm a little nervous to wait to buy our tickets in Germany because it is both my husband and my first trip to Europe and we won't speak the language. I would love to spend all that saved money on more exciting things though!

Gina, you won't have any trouble buying the Bayern-Tickets when you get there. The Bayern-Ticket is "always available", that is, they don't sell out. You can get one from the ticket automat at the station in Rothenburg, and it will not only be valid into Munich, but for all the trasit (S-/U-Bahn, trams, and buses) in Munich on the day you get there. The railpass can be used on the S-Bahn in Munich, but nothing else.

Gina: If you use a "DB" ticket machine with the touch-screen monitor, you can use your credit card, and there's an English interface that you can go to to help you get the Bayern ticket (there are other machines with lots of buttons that sell only regional tickets and are only in German and won't take your credit card.)

If you want, you can advance purchase these tickets for specific dates from DB machines in Berlin or in Nuremberg.

If your card doesn't work or whatever, you can always walk up to a DB ticket counter - the agents almost always speak enough English to help you buy tickets (but they cost a few Euros more at the counter.)

When you go to Lindau you should make sure that you schedule trains that pass through Memmingen and Kißlegg to stay in the area of travel for the Bayern ticket. Trains via Ulm are not covered.

Have a good time.

Steve, depends.

First, I don't see eight days of travel on your itinerary, so it would be quite difficult to compare your itinerary with p2p tickets vs a railpass.

If you are staying in Munich for a few days, a railpass is only valid on the S-Bahn, not U-bahn, streetcars, or buses. You can get a local MVV day tickets for travel inside Munich for much less than the cost of a day of a railpass. Munich to Schliersee, and day trips there to Füssen, Salzburg, Bayernwald can all be done with the Bayern-Ticket. For the trip to Innsbruck, both the Bayern-Ticket and the railpass would only cover you to Kufstein, the rest of the trip in Austria would be extra.

An eight day second class twin boils down to about €25 per person per day, €50 for the two of you per day. For days that you use the €27 Bayern-Ticket, or a p2p ticket if less, instead of a railpass day, you would save money, but would it be enough to overcome the cost of your trip from Frankfurt to Munich.

If you are spending a day or so in the Frankfurt area (Mainz or the Middle Rhine) before proceeding to Munich, you might avail yourself of a Dauer-Spezial fare for as low as €58 for two. But, if you want to go directly to Munich after landing, I would not advise the Dauer-Spezial fare because it is non-exchangeable, non-refundable, and your flight could be late.

If you are willing to spend a little more time getting to Munich on regional trains, you could use €6,75 (pP) local tickets from FRA to Kahl and a €27 Bayern-Ticket from there for just over €40 total for both of you.

One other thing to consider is that the Bayern-Ticket can only be used on regional trains after 9 AM on weekdays (after midnight on weekends).

Thanks Lee. Day 1 - We plan on catching a train to Munich upon arrival and spending the night there. Day 2 train to Schliersee. Day 3 Train to Fussen and back to Schliersee. Day 4 Train to Salzburg and return to Schliersee. Day 5 - no travel planned Day 6 train to Bavarian Forest region and return to Schliersee Day 7 - no plans as of now, any suggestions for a day trip? Day 8 - no plans as of now Day 9 - return to Frankfort and board plane. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Also, what charge may I expect for ATM transactions? Thanks

This is very useful information. I was prepared to purchase the 4 day twin pass and add days to that for an 8 day trip. Am I understanding correctly that a Bayern ticket may be more economical? We are flying into Frankfurt and heading to Munich and then on to Schliersee with day trips planned for Salzburg, Innsbruch, Fussen, Bavarian Forest... Is the twin pass a mistake?

Steve, it is my impression that the area down there, from Tegernsee to the Inn river is very nice and worth spending some time. Schliersee, along with Fischbachau and Bayrischzell used to market themselves as the Urlaubs Dreieck (vacation triangle). Just east of there is the Wendelstein, a 6000ft mountain with access by cable car and rack railroad. You can also go over the mountains to Kufstein and from there by train to Innsbruck.

But, although you are spending a week in Schliersee, you seem intent on taking trips away from there. I think you should concentrate more time on that area. Find out what you can do around there, and then if you have any time, take side trips. Schliersee is not exactly well situated for the side trips you want to take. Two of the trips you are planning (Füssen and Bayerischer Wald) require you to go back through Munich. Maybe you should spend a couple less days in Schliersee, then go back to Munich as a base for Füssen and Bayerischer Wald.