planning how to get there

You should probably try to find a local travel agent who can help you. It is too bad that you didn't think about this before you left home. What were you thinking?

I would normally recommend ETBD as a first step, too, but it's obviously a bit late for that since you are already in Germany. Your best resource is going to be the internet. Check out Google Maps or ViaMichelin.com to route yourselves from one place to another and to get an idea of how far one thing is from another. Look at where the cities you want to visit are in relation to each other to decide what you want your route to be.

There are others here who are more well-versed than I in booking and using the trains, so hopefully one of them will pop in. For trips of over 6-7 hours, though, you might want to consider booking cheap flights instead of taking the train. www.whichbudget.com will show you what budget airlines fly from where to where, and then you can book with the individual airlines, also online. You don't say how much time you have to travel, so I'm not sure if time is an issue for you.

A local Tourist Information office may be able to give you some guidance, as well. They have lots of resources available to them and might be able to offer some good suggestions.

Relax. Go to the train station and buy a ticket to Berlin. Go to the tourist information office for help booking a hotel. Then repeat for Prague then repeat for Rome.

Not thinking...
Thanks Nancy....we are going to do that in the morning.

julie,

I'm getting into the discussion a bit late, but was going to suggest that you have a look at the The German Rail website to help plan your trips. It's very comprehensive and each of the trains will specify number of stops, whether reservations are compulsory, travel times, etc.

The Euraide web site that Steve suggested is also an excellent resource. They also have an office in the Munich Hbf and I've used the services there and found them to be enormously helpful. As you're in Fussen, you may have to change trains in Munich on the way to Berlin.

When you've had a look at the bahn.de website and have some idea which trains you want to use for each leg of the trip, go to the local station and simply buy a P-P ticket. There are special prices for some tickets, but I'm not totally up to speed on those. Hopefully Lee will have some further information on that for you.

If you're planning on staying in Hostels, you might have a look at the HI Hostels website as they have properties in many locations. They're a "chain" so the facilities are fairly consistent between locations. It appears that you have access to the net, so just book on their website a few days before you'll be travelling. At this time of year, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a vacancy.

If you're interested in budget Hotels in any of the cities (rather than a Hostel), post a question here and I'm sure our helpful group will be able to provide lots of suggestions.

You mentioned "planes". Which legs are you planning on travelling by air? There are a couple of budget airlines offering flights from Prague to Rome and that would be a good section for air travel as a trip by train would be LONG. The "early bookers" usually get the best prices on budget airs, but I didn't check current prices.

Happy travels!

Go to the top of this page and click on the "Plan your Trip" tab. Then click on "Travel Tips." You will find dozens of articles on what you need to know about everything you mentioned in your original posting.

OK, as for itinerary, I'm afraid I really can't help you there. Timing is so important and what you want to see in each place will determine how long.

For a start, though, I suggest you spend a few days in Munich. Besides Euraide, the Reiseburo in the Hauptbahnhof there can write tickets for all of your travel in Europe, even outside of Germany. They can also book hotels for you. There will be clerks there that speak English well.

How do you get to Munich? By train, of course. Have you found the station there? If it doesn't have a manned ticket counter, you will have to use an automat. I have some help on using ticket automats on these webpages.

Only regional trains go into Fuessen. You could buy two full fare tickets from there to Munich, but it will probably be less expensive to buy a Bayern-Ticket at the automat for €28. That's a pass that gives up to five people unlimited travel in 2nd class on regional trains in Bavaria all day long, from 9 AM workdays or from midnight on non-workdays. With the Bayern-Ticket you will also have unlimited use of all conveyance of the MVV (Munich metro) the rest of the day.

Riding the trains in Europe is really more like taking the light rail in this country than it is like taking the plane. For the most part, you don't need a reservation. You can buy your tickets just before departure and just get on the train and find any seat. The only need for advance reservations is very popular trains, particularly night trains, or to get special fares.

If you want to see some other places in Bavaria (Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Wuerzburg, Bamberg, Nuernberg) before going on to Berlin, you can also use Bayern-Tickets. Just make sure you use 2nd class and regional trains (RE, RB), and not express trains (ICE, IC, EC).

Actually, each German Land, or state, has a pass similar to the Bayern-Ticket valid for travel within that Land. To use them, you should know the borders of the Laender (pl. of Land). I have a rough map on my webpage, but you really need a good German map with the state borders shown.

For travel accross multiple Laender, German Rail also has offers, the Schoenes-Wochenende-Ticket, for weekend days, €37 for up to 5 people, and the Quer-durchs-Land-Ticket, for work days after 9 AM, €34 for the first person, €5 more for each additional person up to 4 (5 total).

Laender-, Schoenes-Wochenende-, and Quer-durchs-Land-Tickets are all unlimited in quantity and can be purchased right up to the time of travel at an automat, or for an additional €2, from a ticket counter.

The only time I purchase tickets in advance is to take advantage of promotional fares, like the Dauer-Spezial, which require a 3-day advance purchase and are tiered, with the lowest prices selling out well in advance of that. With the Dauer-Spezial, you can travel from anywhere in Germany to anywhere else for as little as €29. Travel includes express trains (in fact at least one leg must include an express train). Reservations, when purchased online with a Dauer-Spezial ticket, are only €2. These tickets can be purchased online from the Bahn and printed on your own printer. If you prefer to use a ticket counter, they charge you an extra €5 for "personal service".

You can also get tickets on the EC (Eurocity) from Berlin to Prague's Holesovice station for as low as €29 pP with a purchased ahead, Europa-Spezial Tschenchien fares. I think those tickets can only be procured online, not at a ticket counter.

For going on to Rome, your best fare might be a Europa-Special Italien fare from Munich to Bologna for as low as €53 online plus Trenitalia fares from there to Rome.

To get from Prague to Munich for you trip to Rome, there are 6 hr regional connections from Prague to Munich via Furth im Wald (border crossing). If you purchase a Bayern-Ticket for that day in Munich or Berlin, you can buy Czech Rail tickets to Furth for about €11 pP, then use the Bayern-Ticket from Furth to Munich.

You might also be able to get that €53 Europa-Spezial fare from other cities (Nuernberg or Regensburg, I think), but you would still have to connect through Munich.

It certainly would be worth your while to spend some time in Munich, as Lee suggests. However, if your plans are to travel Fuessen-Berlin-Prague-Rome-Fuessen, then here is what I think would work well.

1. Travel Fuessen-Berlin on day trains. Or travel Fuessen to Augsburg in time to catch the direct Augsburg-Berlin CNL night train which arrives in Berlin at 07:41. Book the CNL night train leg NOW at www.bahn.de to get the best fare.

2. Book your Berlin-Prague tickets NOW at www.bahn.de to get a Europa-Spezial Tschechien fare. The cheapest tickets (€29) probably are gone, but you still might be able to get €39 tickets.

3. Fly Prague-Rome Fiumicino on either Wizz Air or Smart Wings. Book NOW on either airline's Web site to get the best fare.

4. Take a CNL night train directly from Rome to Munich and then go on to Fuessen by train. Book the CNL night train leg NOW at www.bahn.de to get the cheapest fare. Or fly Rome Fiumicino-Munich directly on Air Berlin or indirectly with a change in Cologne-Bonn on Germanwings. Take the train from Munich to Fuessen.

For unbiased hostel reviews and links to booking, visit www.hostelz.com.