Train Travel

The fastest rail connections between Berlin and Munich involve trips of more than 6 hours duration. Personally, I would recommend either breaking the trip up half way or fly. But if you decide to go by rail, by your tickets well in advanced directly from the Deutsche Bahn website. You'll save a significant amount of money this way, but this will commit you to riding a specific train.

The DBahn website is: http://bahn.hafas.de/bin/query.exe/en
You can use this website to find all of your train schedules. On the schedule, if you click once on the arrow in the red box on the left, you will get a short list of stops. If you double click on the box, you will get a complete list of stops that train will make. Taking a copy with you will enable you to know what stop is before yours and also the trains after yours (just in case you want a later train).

You can go to Salzburg on a Bayern-ticket which is good for all day, for a lot cheaper than a regular ticket on an ICE or Railjet train, and it will only take 30 minutes longer. The catch is you have to use regional trains - noted as IRE, RE, or RB. Check bahn.com for schedules, you buy the Baynern ticket at the train station from any automated machine. There are Eurocity direct trains from Munich to Innsbruck that make the trip in just less than 2 hours, that's your best way to go. If you buy well in advance (as in months in advance) you can get that ticket as cheap as 19 euro in 2nd class each way. Buy from Bahn.com.

If you book well in advance (up to 92 days allowed) on bahn.de, you can get a Sparpreis fare as low as €49.00 for Berlin-Munich. Yes, it's a six-hour ride; but when you factor in the time it takes to get to and from airports, check in, and go through security, it's nearly as fast as flying. Sit back and relax in a roomy seat and enjoy the view of the countryside out the window rather than from 30,000 feet. Sparpreis fares are the lowest you can get, regardless of age. A Bayern-Ticket for two of you costs €26.00. Besides only being good on regional trains, you cannot depart until after 09:00 on weekdays (anytime on weekends). It's also good on all forms of transportation in Munich, including buses, on the day you use it. If you want to get to Salzburg early, buy regular tickets for Munich-Salzburg and a Bayern-Ticket for your return.

Your choices for a day trip for two from Munich to Salzburg are, 26€, Bayern-Ticket. Regional trains only. You can leave anytime on a weekend day, after 9 AM on a work day. Leave on the 9:42 train; get to Salzburg at 11:42. Buy at time of travel. 41€, Bayern-Ticket plus 2 three zone tickets to Grafing for 7,50€ each. Leave on the 8:48 train; get to Salzburg at 10:42. Buy at time of travel; non-train-specific. 55€, advance purchase SparPreis ticket for two to Salzburg; Bayern-Ticket back in the evening. Specific express train to Salzburg; non-specific regional train back. 58€, advance purchase SparPreis both ways. Specific express trains both ways; any time. 60€ 2 x (round trip) Freizeit tickets. Any time; non-train-specific. Express train both ways. Buy day of travel.

We will be traveling Munich to Salzberg at Christmas this year. The question I have about the Bayern ticket is, is it a round trip used on the same day or do we have to purchase another Bayern ticket for the return to Munich later that day?

Vanessa, A Bayern-Ticket is good all day on regional trains anywhere in Bavaria. You can take as many rides as you wish in any direction.

Salzburg is in Austria, not Bavaria, but German Rail runs the trains from Bavaria across the river into Salzburg Hbf, so Salzburg is considered a "border station" for the Bayern-Ticket. The Bayern-Ticket is valid for travel into Salzburg Hbf on the line from Freilassing, Germany. It is not, however, valid for any other transit in Salzburg. Other border stations are Kufstein, Austria, and Ulm, Baden-Württemberg. It is also valid for the Ausserfernbahn, the rail line through the Tirol from Kempten, Germany, to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and for a route from Memmingen to Hergatz via Kißlegg, in Ba-Wü. The Bayern-Ticket is valid for one day only, the day you specify when you purchase the Ticket. It is valid that day for travel until 3 AM the following morning. On weekend days it is valid from midnight, but on workdays, you must wait until 9 AM, after the morning rush-hour, to use it.