Hi, Everyone! We will be traveling around Germany for 3 weeks in July, and have our itinerary planned. We have a German rail pass to use for the longer trips, and plan on using regional and local trains for the rest of our travel. What would you suggest as the best way to get from Salzburg to Lindau? Should we use the railpass? How would I arrange to use a Bayern ticket, if that's a better option? A combination of both?
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
If you need to conserve the days you'll be using your passes, then use a Bayern-Ticket. Buy it at the German Rail office at the Salzburg station. Just be sure to depart after 09:00 (anytime on weekends) and limit yourselves to regional trains. Also be sure to pick a route that goes via Munich, not via Innsbruck.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19100 posts
The Bayern-Ticket would be valid for the entire trip, from Salzburg Hbf to Lindau Bbf, with a change of trains in Munich. It will cost just €29 for up to five people. The trip with regional trains will take about an hour longer, 5½-6 hrs vs 4¾-5 hrs by the express trains you could use with a rail pass. Use the German Rail (Bahn) website to find schedules. Put in Salzburg Hbf and Lindau Hbf, your date (European format, dd/mm/yyyy). Click "stopover" and put Munich in the field to make sure it doesn't route you through Innsbruck. If you are traveling on a work day, put in 900 as the time; for a weekend day, you can put in a time earlier than 9 AM. Pick "local transport only" to see trains that you can use with the Bayern-Ticket. I like the schedule leaving Salzburg at 10:09, using two trains (RE, ALX) with a change at Munich Hbf, because that gives you an hour (12:17-13:19) in Munich to get lunch at the food court at the station. Note, like a rail pass, the Bayern-Ticket is a hop on/off ticket, so you could stop anywhere along the way if you wanted to.
Posted by
OP
Milwaukee
9 posts
Thanks so much, guys! Yes, I think we will use the Bayern ticket, and Lee, I liked the itinerary you mentioned. Is that something I would purchase in advance, or just that day? Is it ever a problem to get on a train with a Bayern ticket (I can't imagine anyone would knowingly pay the nearly $200 DB is asking for a regular ticket, but you never know...)? Is there any need, or even any way to reserve seats? I'm guessing it's not necessary, but I thought I'd ask.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19100 posts
Just so you understand (you brought up the Bayern-Ticket, so I assumed you did), the Bayern-Ticket is only valid for 2nd class travel, and on regional trains. I only mention that because Salzburg to Lindau in 2nd class on regional train, full fare, is just less than €100 (~$130), not $200 (1st class regional full fare would be about $200). The Bayern-Ticket is available at the price I told you, €29, at any ticket automat. You can also get it from a ticket counter but they charge you an extra €2 for "personal service". There are Bahn ticket automats on the platforms in Salzburg. If you purchase the Ticket in advance from an automat, it will give you date options - today (Huete) or show you a calendar to choose your date. The ticket will only be valid for the date you pick. You can get the Bayern-Ticket online. Use Salzburg to Lindau via Munich for 2 adults to get an offer. Make sure you have the date correct, and that you choose more than 1 adult, because a ticket purchased online will only be for that date. If you pick 1 adult, you will get a Bayern-Ticket Single (€21), and it will only be good for 1 person. As for reserved seats, there are no reserved seats on regional trains in Germany. In 12 years (16 weeks), I have only had to stand on two regional trains. Both were coming out of major cities at afternoon rush hour. The train from Salzburg starts there, so if you get to the station a little early, you can probably get on before any crowd and have a seat when they arrive. But I wouldn't expect a crowd at 10 o'clock in the morning. The train from Munich to Lindau also starts in Munich.