family train tickets Munich/Salzburg? OBB or Bahn? Please help!

Other than the fast, expensive RailJet, OBB doesn't run any trains between Munich and Salzburg. If you want the least expensive tickets, get a Bayern-Ticket. The Bayern-Ticket is an all-day pass valid for 2nd class travel on any and all regional trains in Bavaria, so you can take the quickest route, which goes through Rosenheim and Traunstein. A Bayern-Ticket costs 22€ for the first person, an additional 4€ each for the next four travelers, 38€ for five. The only restriction (other than only regional trains) is that you can't use the ticket before 9 AM on workdays; it's valid all day on a weekend day or holiday. The distance between Salzburg and Munich is short and regional trains (RE) make the trip in only about 1/2 hour longer than the more expensive express trains. You can purchase a Bayern-Ticket at any time right up to travel time from one of the automats in Bavaria. If you want personal service at a ticket counter, it will cost you 2€ more.

" I'm confused about which train we should choose to travel, the OBB or Bahn or another?" OBB and DB refer to the national railway systems of Austria and Germany - they are not types of train. Read about the Bayern Ticket HERE - it is surely your best option. The RE (Regional Express) trains Lee refers to qualify for travel with the Bayern Ticket and are direct for Munich-Salzburg. You can find RE trains throughout the day on your date of travel at the DB itinerary page HERE. Type in Munich and "Salzburg Hbf" for station names. Click on the "only local transport" option under "means of transport" to find the RE train options. Half way between Munich and Salzburg on the main rail line is Prien, home of Ludwig's Herrenchiemsee Palace, on an island in the Chiemsee (lake.) You might want to get off there, stow bags in a locker, and check it out. Photo of Chiemsee and palace Herrenchiemsee Palace information

Hi Lisa, Since you don't give the actual dates, I ran the trip on the German website for next Saturday and got a special offer price of 78 Euro (that covers return tickets for 3 adults and 2 kids). The trains I selected were (direct trains with no change): München Hbf - Salzburg Hbf 23.02.2013, 07:27 - 08:57
Salzburg Hbf - München Hbf 27.02.2013, 07:51 - 09:33 If you care to give us the actual dates, I can run it again for your. Jim (Switzerland)

The fares Jim found were for train/date specific Sparpreis fares on RailJet & EC. Sparpreis fares are non-transferable and have limited refundability. These require advance purchase of at least 3 day but the lowest fares can sell out. To ensure the lowest fares, it is recommended to book 92 days in advance. The railjet makes the trip in about 1½ hours. However, if you use regional trains, you can use a Bayern-Ticket for a day, each way. Regional Express trains take 2 hours - not much longer, and no advance purchase is required to get that price. For your party, the Bayern-Ticket would cost, at most, 38€ for each day. It might be less since they are your own children; check at a ticket counter (but buy it from an automat for the lowest price). Since you are leaving Munich on a Saturday, you can go any time. Coming back on Wednesday, you will have to wait until 9 AM, after rush hour, to start your travel.

The German noun, Bahn, (pl Bahnen), means, generally, Way or Path, or, more specifically, railroad. Thus, Deutsche Bahn, is German Rail, the national railroad of Germany. OEBB is Österreichische Bundesbahnen, Austrian Railroads, the national railroad of Austria. SBB is Schweizerische Bundesbahnen, Swiss Railroads, the national railroad of Switzerland. For the most part, German (Bahn) trains run in Germany, Austrian (OEBB) trains run in Austria. Sometimes express trains start in their own country and run to a major city within another country, but they do not carry passengers between towns in that other country. Thus the RailJet, an Austrian train, starts in Vienna and runs through Salzburg to Munich so that people don't have to get off in Salzburg and board a German train. However, once in Germany, the RailJet runs non-stop to Munich, its final destination. RailJets do not stop in Munich Ostbahnhof, the closest point to get to Munich airport by S-Bahn; all other trains (EC, RE) do.

Thank you for all your advise and information. We will be traveling mid-May and I appreciate the clarity of the train travel that we will be doing.