Two questions. Are there better, or worse, sites for buying a German rail pass? Why does the German Bahn site ask for a passport number? Seems almost like gaining my SSN.
Thanks.
Posted by
Tilburg, Netherlands
2829 posts
Susan, they ask for your passport number because, contrary to Swiss railways, that general ride-as-you-want short-term non-subscription pass is not available for residents in Germany or in the rest of European Union.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
Read "Please note:" on this page. If you have a German passport, they will even check to see how long you've been out of Europe. Since you are worried, remember, you'll have to give them your passport number when you enter Schengen, anyway.
Posted by
Stuttgart, Germany
3050 posts
The German Railpass is a DeutscheBahn product. Therefore the best place to buy it is directly through DB, either at bahn.com or germanrailpasses.com, both are official DB websites. You can buy them elsewhere but there will be a small markup, and DB is a very easy company to use. Don't worry about your passport number, although if you really don't want to give it out online you can buy the pass in person at any DeutscheBahn KundenZentrum at a larger train station in Germany.