Schones-Wochenende Ticket

The Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket is for regional (local) trains (RE & RB) only. As James says, it will take a very long time, with lots of train changes to go from Frankfurt to Berlin by regional trains. If you book long (3-92 days) in advance, you might get a train-specific Saving Fare ticket on an ICE for €109, total, for all five of you. Those Savings Fare tickets are for any express train (ICE, IC, EC) connection in Germany. The tickets for any train are "tiered", and the least expensive tickets sell out first and the remaining tickets are at a higher price. Tickets for the slower ICs don't sell out as quickly, so you are more likely to find the less expensive tickets for those trains. Check "all without ICE" to find those tickets.

It's good advice, I like the passes for day trips or any itinerary where a milk-run train works. Rothenburg or Moselkern, for example, are only reached by the regional trains. The regional trains fit my travel style well, because I like to keep the legs short and plan intermediate stops between where I start my morning and where I sleep that night. The passes are good because there is unlimited hopping on-off included. For that long of leg, the time lost is as valuable as the cost of transportation. I'd consider something faster.

There are only 3 changes between Berlin and Frankfurt w/ the regional train option and the S-W ticket. That's not a bad trade-off for a price of 8€ per person. The regular fare is more than 100€ each. The savings fare is unlikely to be as low as Lee suggests. Looking at what's available for a morning departure between 6 am and 10 am for 5 travelers, 92 days out from right now, there's one at 109€; one at 166.50€; one at 209€, 5 at 259€, one at 309€, one at 359€, and one at 409€. The cheapies are nearly gone, and it hasn't been 24 hours that they've been on sale. The people that bought them will need to use them as scheduled, pay fees for changes (and there'll be even fewer cheapies available when they do this) or forfeit the entire fare. If you find an advanced-sale price you like on the day and at the time you want to go, buy it. If there's a glitsch and you don't make it to the station or whatever, you can always eat the cost and get the S-W ticket at the last minute - it's the same price no matter when you buy it - and still reach Frankfurt by evening on the regional trains.

"The people that bought them will need to use them as scheduled, pay fees for changes (and there'll be even fewer cheapies available when they do this) or forfeit the entire fare." That sounds like what happens with most airline fares. How do you get to Europe? Pay full fare to avoid airline change fees, ......or swim?

Lee writes, "That sounds like what happens with most airline fares. How do you get to Europe? Pay full fare to avoid airline change fees, ......or swim?" Well, I walk on water myself :) I suggested that the OP consider the AP ticket if the price is right, Lee - didn't I? - and that the SW ticket makes for a nice back-up in unforeseen circumstances. And might permit flexibility in lieu. I don't mind deadlines - I work around them. But some people aren't like you and me when they're underway in a new country. And anyone who gets AP tickets needs to be aware of the small print - something I'm sure you agree on.