I would appreciate any help in determining if it is worthwhile to purchase a first class railpass for four days worth of train travel within Bavaria in October. I plan that we will primarily be traveling RE, RB, and EC trains. Do these trains even have first class seating on most routes? We would like the extra sitting space that first class provides. I am just trying to justify spending the extra money considering we will not be traveling outside Bavaria or on IC/ICE trains. Thanks!
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19104 posts
The first time I went to Germany was on business. The company arranged most of my rail transportation and it was all first class. The second trip was on vacation, and I bought a 2nd class rail pass. I decided then that 2nd class was perfectly adequate. The third trip was another business trip, but I made the rail arrangements and did not bother with 1st class. I haven't used it since.
Seating in 2nd class on a German train is not like coach on an airplane. Unless you really need a lot of space, I wouldn't bother.
I also question the need for a railpass that is intended for travel all over Germany if you are just going to travel in Bavaria. A lot of travel in Bavaria (e.g., Munich to Füssen) is only by regional trains anyway. If you travel in 2nd class on regional trains, you can use the Bayern-Ticket, €28 for up to five people. If you want to take an express train, you can often get Dauer-Spezial fares for €29 or even €19 per person.
Posted by
OP
Hershey, PA
3 posts
Lee,
Thanks for the quick response! We have ruled out the Bayern-Ticket because we are planning a couple of day trips from Berchtesgaden to Neuschwanstein (Fuessen) and the Zugspitze in which we would need to leave in the early morning and on a weekday. I don't believe that the Bayern-Ticket allows for travel on a weekday prior to 09:00.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19104 posts
"I don't believe that the Bayern-Ticket allows for travel on a weekday prior to 09:00."
That's seem to be a common misconception. Although the Bayern-Ticket does not cover travel before 9 AM, nothing prevents someone from buying a standard ticket to cover their travel to the first station after 9 AM, and using the Bayern-Ticket the rest of the day. Depending on how early you want to leave, the regional fare before 9 and the Bayern-Ticket split 2 (3, 4, or 5) ways could be less than a day of the railpass. The Bayern-Ticket will also cover the bus between Füssen Bahnhof and Hohenschwangau, which a railpass would not do.
If you leave Berchtesgaden at 7:09 (only regional service) and connect with the EC to Munich in Freilassing, there are Dauer-Spezial Familie fares for €49. That's $69, less than the $99 per day for the Twin pass. There is also a Dauer-Spezial Familie pass for 1st class for €79 ($111 vs $133 for a day of a 1st class railpass).
If you don't want to leave that early, the 8:16 out of Berchtesgaden gets to Freilassing at 9:07, so the Bayern-Ticket would be valid after that. The fare for two people to Freilassing is €13,80, so the total fare including the €28 for the Bayern-Ticket would be only €41,80, less than $60.
The Dauer-Spezial ticket requires advance purchase and is train-specific and non-refundable, but if you include reservations when you buy it, they are only €2 per person compared to €4 pP for a reservation only with the railpass.
Posted by
dallas, tx, usa
1358 posts
I would buy second class tickets. I have used them in Germany and recommend your doing so. Go to the RR station and ask the clerk your questions before you buy your tickets.
Posted by
OP
Hershey, PA
3 posts
Lee,
Thanks for pointing out this great strategy using the Bayern-Ticket. I have never thought at approaching an early departure day trip by buying the first leg of the trip separately and then purchasing the Bayern-Ticket for the remainder of the day. I think you just saved me some money. And yes, we will be using bus travel for a few connections. Great Job!!! Thanks again for your post.
Carl,
I thank you for your input on this subject as well.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19104 posts
There was a time when that "strategy" was actually mentioned on either the Bahn website or the BEG (Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft) website.
The Bayern-Ticket is valid for many regional bus lines (such as RVO, which runs the buses in Berchtesgaden and in Füssen) and for travel inside metro districts (Verkehrsverbünden) such as Munich MVV.
For all (most?) of the features of the Bayern-Ticket, see the BEG website at www.bayern-takt.de.