Tchibo (www.tchibo.de) sell booklets of two one-ways anywhere withing Germany for a total of €58. Sales period is Dec 14-20. Travel period is Jan 1st to March 31st, 2008. Children and Grandchildren up to the age of 17 travel free of any charge. Tickets are valid on all trains but ICE-Sprinters (regular ICE high speed is included) and travel days are Sat thru Thu (so no Friday). Prior to the journey you must write your name (and childrens names) as well as the travel route on the ticket so that it can only be used once.
Posted by
Atlanta
3250 posts
Thanks! I just dropped my friends off at the airport and they'll be arriving in Germany tomorrow--I'm going to e-mail them this info. On a different topic--I didn't receive a response to my question about NYE in Baden Baden as we'll be meeting our friends there later in the month--do you have any suggestions for a celebration at a hotel or restaurant there? We'd like something fun but not as pricey as the Kurhaus? Thanks so much! You were very helpful in answering another question for me! Sharon
Posted by
OP
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
Sharon, since I'm under the age of 55 I hardly go to Wiesbaden, which is why all I can tell you is that there is a very nice, family run affordable but really nice restaurant called www.stahlbad.com. They've got a Sylvester (=New Years Eve) special menue, according to their website.
Posted by
OP
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
By the way, of course those rail tickets can be purchased at any Tchibo store all across Germany, as well.
Posted by
Atlanta
3250 posts
Thanks--I guess that you've figured out exactly how old we are!! Very clever!
Posted by
OP
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
Sharon, no this wasn't a try to guess on your age group. It's just that Baden Baden is to Germany what Florida is to the US ;-)...
Posted by
Atlanta
3250 posts
Interesting comparison--I'm not sure that I realized that Baden Baden is like our Florida. I'm sure we'll have fun anyway! Cheers!
Posted by
Anchorage
157 posts
Hi Andreas,
I searched the site, couldn't find them. It's interesting, the English version of the site does not have all the tabs as the German-version. I went back to the German version, guessing that you may have found these on the Reisen tab (travel, right?), then on the Bahn page, but nothing there . . .
But maybe not posted yet because it is still news, not yet available for purchase?
Do you know if these would also be valid for travel from Salzburg to Munich? My guess is probably not . . . but I understood that sometimes DB did have deals on that route?
Thanks!
Posted by
OP
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
I suppose we'll have to wait until the 14th for further details. And yes, you'll have to go thru the German tchibo side as the UK one is completely different from it. However, if you open it via babelfish you at least get some kind of translation...
Posted by
Anchorage
157 posts
Actually this looks like the Lander ticket, which is available now (€27 through the DB website, or €29 if purchased at the station from the machine).
More details: here
And:here
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19092 posts
"Actually this looks like the Lander ticket." Chris
The Länder-Tickets are restricted to regional trains in one Land (German state); these tickets are not. I would say this is more like the Dauer-Spezial that DB has been running since the middle of the year. The Dauer-Spezial is also €29 one way, but tickets are train-specific and limited and when the €29 tickets for a route are sold out (many already are) the price goes up (€39, €49...). According to DB, 500,000 of these booklets will be available; sounds like a lot but in a country of 80 million, only about 1/2% of people can get them (and that doesn't include outsiders).
What is different from the Dauer-Spezial is:
Only sold in pairs for €58
Accompanying children under 17 travel free
Not train specific. Just stick to a pre-designated route
Not valid on Fridays (Dauer-Spezial is valid any day).
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19092 posts
I found the announcement from DB at www.db.de/site/bahn/de/unternehmen/presse/presse.html. Click on "presseinformation", then select Dezember for Monat. You will find it on the third page of announcement, dated 6.12.07. Of course it is in German.
Andreas, the announcement says "by ICE across the land". It doesn't say including ICE, and nowhere does it specify it includes other classes of trains. Might the special be limited to ICE trains?
Posted by
OP
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
Lee, I couldn't find any press release on that Tchibo deal on Bahn.de. And it wouldn't make sense if Bahn actually published anything about it themselves. However, there now is a preview under "coming up" on tchibo.de that just confirms that from Dec 14th there will be that deal as specified above: http://www.tchibo.de/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/de/-/EUR/TdTchBrowseCatalog-Start;sid=pt-Awd-mlv2Bz5j7EWWKpdwiMElrdnJ-_ZA=?CategoryName=preview&source=NAVI
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19092 posts
The URL is a bit more complicated. I had hoped you could follow a few simple links, but here it is the whole URL: www.db.de/site/bahn/de/unternehmen/presse/presseinformationen/ubp/p20071206.html. BTW, for those with Tchibo PrivatCards, the offer has been going on for 3 days and will continue throughout the week before the general public gets a chance at the dregs.