In Stuttgart needing help getting to Lingen or Bad Bentheim

See.. the I have to be back in Stuttgart by the night on the 18th. I fly back to the U.S. on the 20th.

Also, Im not for sure which web sites to use. If you guys happen to find a deal of some sort and could send a link it would be greatly appreciated. My reading glasses got broken in the Airport and it's hard enough trying to find a deal... but twice as hard when you can't read half of whats on the page. Thank You guys for the advice so far.

Hi Candiss I hope you are enjoying your trip. I wish you had posted this question a couple of days ago because the best deal I think you can get at this late hour is to travel on a weekend (next one?), travel using trains below IC, use a Shones Weekend Ticket which allows unlimited travel on a weekend on slower trains in 2nd Class. Lee is the expert for these, so hopefully he will chip in and correct my spelling and give you great advice. Normally I would say use regional trains and Laender tickets but as you are going so far from almost all the way south to all the way north (and presumably back south again?) that would add up in price too. Hello, Lee?

Talk about between a rock and a hard spot. At this late date, regional trains would probably be the least expensive. On a weekend day, the Schoenes-Wochenende-Ticket is €39 each way (if purchased at an automat) and covers unlimited travel on regional trains for one weekend day. So Saturday to Sunday, or Sunday to Saturday would be €78 round trip. There is also the Quer-durchs-Land-Ticket, which provides unlimited travel on weekdays (after 9 AM) for €42 for a single, €84 for, say, Friday to Monday, or you could do a combination of both (out Thurs, back Sunday, for €81). However, it looks like regional trains for that distance will take at least 11 hours each way, and that assuming you pick the fastest route regardless of times (ie, the fastest route doesn't necessarily leave a 9 AM). The German Rail website has discounted, train specific, non-refundable Sparpreis fares using express trains (about 6 hrs) starting at €29 each way (€58 RT), but these tickets go on sale 92 days in advance and the lowest prices, particularly going through a popular travel area like the Ruhrgebiet, sell out quickly. You are probably not going to be in Stuttgart long enough to take advantage of one of these offers. On the other hand, if you use the above webpage and play with the "stopover", you might find a less popular route (not through the Ruhrgebiet) with less expensive Sparpreis tickets still available. There is also a Bahn offer called Sparpreis 50 that gives a 50% discount on full fare prices provided you purchase at least 3 days in advance and stay over a Saturday night. Travel on at least one leg on an express train (ICE/IC/EC) is required. However, I was looking at Stuttgart to Bad Bentheim and I didn't immediately find any of these fares available.

Just say NO to your friend. Other than 11 hours trips by regional trains for about €80 RT, there's not much possibility. I'm not trying to be nasty, but it just isn't going to work. That's why when I go to Europe I plan months in advance.

I suggest you go to the DBahn office in the Hauptbahnhof in Stuttgart. It's across from the Starbucks. They speak English and you can tell them what you want, they will be able to give you all your options right there.

I've double-checked some of the information Lee provides in the past, both on the Deutsche Bahn website and at the ticket office at the Mannheim Hauptbahnhof. Always spot-on accurate. Although it can't hurt to ask at the ticket desk yourself, I doubt you'll hear anything different from what he has provided.

It's now pretty much too late to get anything but full fare (€93 each way by IC) for express trains. The discount fares on those trains need at least 3 day advance purchase. And, purchasing these discount tickets from a counter (with advice) carries a €5 surcharge. Not sure if that is per ticket or for the entire order.