You can buy DB Bahn "Savings Fare" tickets on line for about 1/3 of "Standard Fare" for a specific date, time and train. Can you still receive the discount if you wait until you are there and ready to go?
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Lakewood, Colorado
19092 posts
Theoretically, you can still receive the discount up until 3 days before travel time, but realistically, not likely. Plus, there is a 5 EUR surcharge at the counter.
The Savings or Sparpreis Fares start at €29 (€19 for trips under 150 km) and are tiered. The lowest tier is at €29, but for popular routes, few are offered at this price. These fares go on sale 92 days prior to travel date, but have to be purchased at least 3 days in advance. As the least expensive tickets sell out, the fares goes up €10 at a time, to €39, €49, etc. In most cases, almost all of the lower tiered tickets are gone well in advance. If you wait until you are there, you likely won't find very low fares, and, in fact, if you wait until after the 3 day advance limit, there won't be any.
But, if you can commit to a specific date and time, buy them as soon as possible.
Pick a route, select a date 3 days in advance, and see how many cheap tickets are left. Then work backward to see how soon you should purchase.
In 2008, I bought Saving fare (then Dauer-Spezial) tickets from Köln to Hannover and Northeim to Karlsruhe two month in advance. I got €29 tickets, but the lowest fares were already sold out for some trains.
A not commonly known fact is that, if you buy tickets online, either with of without Savings Fares, you can make reservations at the time for about one half price.