I am going to from Munich to Venice next Thursday (Feb 7) by train. I am 64 years old and looking for any discount that me be available. I have been to DB Bahn site, but have a few questions. What is a Bahn Card 25 & Bahn Card 50? Is there a real advantage in going 1st class over 2nd? We will be on making this trip on the second day of our visit to Europe with only one night sleep to arrive in Venice after 18:00. There are several trains from which to choose, and I am thinking about the 11:30 connection because I don’t have to change trains though it arrives after 18:00 and I am wondering if the fact that it may be dark in Venice when I arrive might be a problem. Should I get my tickets on-line before I leave the USA? If not, do I need to get the tickets before the trip to qualify for any discount?
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19238 posts
The Bahn card is a discount (25% and 50% off) card for which you pay a fee (€55 for 25% in 2nd cl) up front. I doubt that you can save enough on tickets to justify the fee. Also, it is a subscription. After you buy the first year, you have to send in a form or they will continue to bill you every year.
Your best fare to Venice would have been a Europa-Spezial-Italien fare of €33 on the direct 11:30 train out of Munich, but that fare is sold out. You could also have gotten a €33 fare to Verona at several other times and added a small fare for a regional train from there to Venice, but they also appear to be sold out. The best special fare I can see now is €73 direct to Venice.
The Europa-Spezial fare is non-refundable, train specific, available online, and requires a three day advance purchase, but should be purchased as soon as you can commit because it is limited in quantity and does sell out.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Jim, CLICK HERE to see the special fares page mentioned by Lee above for the train you wish to take on 2/7. If you want to book online, you'll need to start at www.bahn.de and select English in the upper right area. Enter all of the required information including number of travelers and ages. Once you see your train run, click on "Check Availability" in the Special Fares column. You can select the 73euro fare from there. I believe that you can purchase your tickets and print them out in advance. I haven't done this on this website so if there are special tips for the online purchase and printing, perhaps others can advise.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Would you like to arrive in Venice on the morning of the 7th? There are still Spar-Night (savings) fares available for the direct Muenchen-Venezia Santa Lucia night train that departs at 21:03 on the 6th and arrives at 07:37 on the 7th. A bunk in a six-person couchette is 49€ and a bunk in a four-person couchette is 59€. Book the four-person couchette for the extra space and comfort--or splurge a bit for beds in a two-person sleeper since you'll be saving the cost of a night in a hotel. Book NOW at www.bahn.de.