Train or Car

I would say that your relative in Munich knows better than your friends in the States (have they ever been there?).

You raise a good point about my relative. The friends in the states have been to Germany but never the Lux - Munich trip.

On 7/13, the 6:20 train out of Luxembourg gets you into Munich just before 2 pm with one change of train in Koblenz. Cost: 69€; buy online: http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en There aren't a lot of good deals left for the return trip to Luxembourg, but there are 59, 69, and 89-€ trains from Munich to Trier at the same German railways site on 7/16. Some require 1 change, some 2. From Trier to Luxemburg, ride the local train - a special fare of 10.80€ is charged for the "Tagesticket DeLux" ticket, the price from Trier. Buy this ticket at a ticket machine in Trier. Use Luxembourg Gare, Munich, and Trier Hbf as the station names at the above site to find travel times.

Train takes 7 hours plus minus with one or more train changes. Savings fare right now is 69 Euro per passenger. Schedule is on Deutsche Bahn website. My educated guess is that car will cost you substantially more. Unless you'll be using that car for other travel than just Lux-Munich and back my advice is stick with train.

It's very, very late to be making such arrangements, but have you investigated flying open-jaws (in to Luxembourg, out of Munich)?

The first thing I would do is make a car reservation with the cheapest company you can find. You do not have to keep it, but if you wait the rates may go up daily. I certainly drive in Germany and if you are going to use the car to explore, then definitely get the car. If it is only for a destination then I would risk the train and simply ask for help. There is always someone who will be willing to direct you. If you do plan to drive I believe you need an International driving permit. $15 from AAA...you need to call and find out what you need...

Thanks for all the advice. I really appreciate your assistance. Keep the recommendations coming! I looked into(open jaws) flying into Luxembourg and out of Munich but it was very expensive so we are flying in/out of Luxembourg (I'm helping friends move over and was limited to their flight choice). Good thought though! I like the advice of booking the car and still researching options. I also researched my Credit card company and it sounds like the provide the collison / theft insurance coverage. I'm not sure if we will do exploring but the train sounds a bit confusing from the schedules/transfering trains. I have taken the train around Munich - Austria but it was 20 years ago and was traveling with a friend. This trip I'm traveling with a 16 year old. If we travel by train for a good 6-8 hour stretch would you do first class? Would the fare by substantially higher?

In Germany, 1st class full fare is 50% higher than 2nd class, but in my opinion, 2nd class, particularly on express trains (ICE, IC, EC), is good enough. As for fares, with advance purchase, you can go from anywhere in Germany to anywhere else for as low as €29 for one, €49 for two.

Sandra,
there is nothing confusing with the train. Deutsche Bahn is pretty clear. That certainly should not be a reason to use a car. Anybody on this board would be willing to help you with train schedule. To make it simpler choose the connection which requires only one train change.

Sandra, a few thoughts. Additional thoughts about the car for your trip: It will take over 6 hours of driving if you, by some miracle, can stay at road speed for the length of the journey. You will experience the A8. That road is loaded with construction around Stuttgart and you will run into Stau - when the traffic just stops. Navigation into Munich can be challenging. Are you taking your home GPS with you with European maps? Or buying one? Or renting one? Fuel in Luxembourg is significantly less expensive than in Germany. It would profit you to do the round trip on as much Luxembourg fuel as possible. Times for driving do not include food or toilet stops, nor stopping to stretch legs. It also doesn't include the time to hire the car nor the time to return it. Cars in central parts of German towns and cities need an Umwelt Plakette. I would assume that German rental cars would already have that on the windscreen but that Luxembourg registered ones won't. To avoid the fine it would be worth it to ensure you have all your bases covered on that one, or never get near the central parts of cities including Munich. - = - Considerations about taking the train: When you change trains in Koblenz you will already know which platform you are arriving on and which you need to change to. Look at the numbers above the platform and match them up. If you have a few minutes you can grab a coffee. You don't need reservations for the train seats. If you get cheaper fares you need to do it soon. - = - You know yourself better than we do. Its for you to make the choice based on good research and planning.

Unless there's some particular reason why you need a car in the Munich area, I would take the train. Trust me, one or even two train changes is far easier and more relaxing than driving the route between Luxembourg and Munich. Two particularly bad roads in Germany are the A5 and A8, both of which you would have to either endure in all their Stau-aflicted glory, or drive far out of your way on alternative routes. And the alternatives may not be much better in terms of congestion. Also, 1st class in German trains isn't that much more spacious than 2nd class. It's designed more for business travelers that have to work enroute than for luxury. For your purposes, I don't think it would be worth the extra money.

In our experience, if one person was over 60 years of age, we paid second class fare and had seat reservations in first class.