This is our first trip to Germany/Austria/Switzerland. I am trying to book train tickets for 3 people from Salzburg to Interlaken one way on Sept. 29. The Bahn website lists a savings fare (Europa-Spezial Schweiz)for 39 Euros/person. I have checked the trains on the route that offer reserved seats and there are still multiple seats open. I friend advised me to call the international number for Bahn in Germany to get good deals. However, when I called, I was told there were no tickets for 39 Euros/person on this date and was quoted a price of 117 Euros/person. I even mentioned I saw the price on the Bahn website, but again was told there were no tickets at this price. When I asked if purchasing a Bayern ticket for this journey would be less expensive, I was told the price was comparable. Should I assume that the 39 Euros is a webfare and the person I talked to at Bahn was unaware? Any advice? Seems like we should just book viat he website, but confused on why the person at Bahn was so adamant that those 39 Euro tickets were not available. We do not want to keep waiting to purchase tickets knowing the prices will rise. Thank you, Tracy
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19118 posts
I think that the Europa-Spezial ticket is an online offer. From the Bahn website, "Das Europa-Spezial Schweiz ist als Online-Ticket auf www.bahn.de buchbar." (The Europa-Spezial is bookable as an online ticket from Bahn.de.) That doesn't say that it is not bookable by phone, but it doesn't say it is, either. The Savings Fare tickets are bookable with personal service for an extra 5€, but the Bahn specifically says that they are. I don't think that Europa-Spezial is available by phone; I'd go ahead and try to book it online. A Bayern-Ticket would only take you to the Bavarian border (Lindau, Ulm) and then only by regional train. You could go by regional train anywhere inside Germany by using a Quer-durchs-Land-Ticket (from 44€) on workdays, after 9 AM, or a Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket (42€) weekends, all day.
Posted by
Tilburg, Netherlands
2829 posts
Tracy, your friend give you wrong information. Train tickets are never cheaper on DB phone line than online. Bear in mind, though, that Bahn might re-route your via München. Maybe you could try trains via Innsbruck from ÖBB as well (the Railjet trains to Zürich via Voralberg instead of connecting in Germany). Deals on Trenitalia or Renfe are often available only online as well. Generally speaking, companies selling travel services to the public in Europe have attendants with less leeway to modify deals and clinch sells on the fly than their American counterparts. So often it makes sense to just go on their website.