I have been researching many websites and find conflicting information about traveling from Frankfurt to zurich (round trip). I need to go from the main train station in Frankfurt to the main station in Zurich. The return trip will be the main zurich station to the Frankfurt airport. Websites don't seem to give all the options for booking! Can a US citizen book a ticket on line at bahn.de? Am I required to reserve a seat at the time I book a ticket?
Do they mail hardcopy tickets or are they electronic?
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19240 posts
Yes Usually No
Yes and usually yes I'm a US citizen, and I've booked ticket twice from Bahn.de without a problem. (Note: I've spent over 120 days in Germany but only booked three connections, all with advance purchase discounts. There is literally no reason, except for night trains, to book in advance unless you want an advance purchase discount ticket. Again, except for night trains and ICE Sprinters (of which there are very few), reservations are not required on German trains. Some tickets can be received electronically or by mail. Others, for instance starting in another country, have to be mailed
Posted by
Green Bay
20979 posts
This is the website to purchase tickets from Deutsche Bahn. http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en?country=USA You purchase with your credit card. Give your credit card co a heads up or they may block the transaction since they will see it coming in from Germany and may flag it as fraudulent. You'll get an email with an attached PDF file with the ticket information and a train NO, time and date, car No and seat No. It will have a QR code image in it. When you board the train, take your seat in your car. If it is an ICE train, there will be a small electronic sign above the seat indicating it is resrved to Zurich. IMPORTANT: you must have the credit card you used to purchase the ticket in your posession. When the conductor comes by, you hand him your ticket and credit card. He will scan your e-ticket QR code, and swipe your credit cards magnetic strip to confirm that you are the person who purchased the ticket. And there you go.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33554 posts
What Lee and Sam say. No reservations required within Switzerland.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
You can book your tickets up to three months in advance on the German Rail site. Doing so ASAP can get you a discount fare as low as €39.00 each way. You will have to change trains at least a couple of times. After you get summary timetables, click on "Show details for all" to see the connecting points. 1. Choose FRANKFURT(MAIN) as your departure station and Zuerich HB as your arrival station. 2. Choose Zuerich HB as your departure station and Frankfurt(Main)Flugh as your arrival station.