Hello friends,
I will be spending summer in heidelberg until sept.
As I will be working full-time...weekends is the only time when I can travel around a bit.
I hear ppl mentioning that inter-germany or even inter europe train journeys are cheap etc.
But so far, I have failed for find and %26quot;cheap%26quot; tickets:(
I am confused more than ever after researching for hours...
Bahn.de
Overnight Bahn Trains
Thalys
etc...
But i find the prices to be bloody expensive....every return trip...50 euros +...even for simple distances as heidelberg to cologne.
Please kindly suggest....ways/places, passes, promotions etc where I might get possibility of cheaper prices.
Please suggest me where to look :D
Ty so much in advance.
Samie
PS: Below are the cities that I really want to visit before I leave in sept.
Fussen; Neuschwenstien etc
Cologne
Dresden
and Berlin
Also, a few places in switzerland
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Cheap and always available:
VRN (the local public transport network of the Rhine-Neckar region)
www.vrn.de/FRAMES/karten_plaene/content.html
Ticket 24 - a 24 hour ticket covering some or all zones of the VRN
If bought on a Saturday valid till 3am of the next weekday.
Worth a visit are e.g.
Speyer
www.speyer.de/de/tourist/sehenswert…
Neckar Valley / part of the Castle Road
http://www.burgenstrasse.de
Schwetzingen, Weinheim, Ladenburg, Technik Museum Sinsheim, ...
big events:
Dürkheimer Wurstmarkt (the biggest wine festival on the planet)
http://www.duerkheimer-wurstmarkt.de/
You can also reach some places outside the VRN, but here this ticket is only good to go there and back by train, but not for the local public transport there:
e.g. Würzburg Residence (UNESCO world heritage), Wissembourg
Great for hiking is also the Palatinate Forest (the biggest in Germany) e.g. south of Dahn. With lot%26#39;s of castle ruins.
…wikimedia.org/wikipedia/…Wegelnburg_nord.jpg
Baden-Württemberg Ticket Single (EUR 18,00)
A day ticket covering all local trains in the state Baden-Württemberg (and sometimes a bit beyond). Covering also most other local public transport (e.g. the trams and buses in Heidelberg).
Validity:
Mo-Fr 9am till 3am next day
Sa,So midnight till 3am next day
covered railroads (map)
bahn.de/regional/view/mdb/pv/planen_buchen/l…
http://www.tourismus-bw.de
Rhineland-Palatinate Ticket Single (EUR 18,00)
similar for the states Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. Does not cover Heidelberg but is valid to/from Mannheim Hbf.
bahn.de/regional/view/mdb/alle/dbregio/ausfl…
http://www.rlp-info.de/
Happy-Weekend-Ticket (EUR 33,00)
Similar for whole Germany. Valid only Saturday or Sunday. No single version. Does not cover besides local trains as many other local public transport as the above two tickets. The VRN is however covered.
the following specials are limited in numbers, i.e. can/will sell out
night trains - SparNight specials
http://www.nachtzugreise.de
Surf%26amp;Rail
reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en…
Offers on short notice for varying destinations. Sometimes offers from Heidelberg and/or Mannheim.
Europe Special
reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en…
Specials from Mannheim or Frankfurt to some cities abroad.
%26quot;TGV POS%26quot; Special
bahn.de/p/…deutschland_paris.shtml
for the opening of the new highspeed line in France
Mannheim - Paris from EUR 29,00
Available from 10. Juni - 31. August
If available the DB timetable shows this option.
Europe-Special Italy
bahn.de/p/…euro-sparpreis_it.shtml
Special prices for connections into Italy (but no changes in Italy, i.e. good to Milan or so).
If available the DB timetable shows this option.
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%26gt; Füssen, Cologne, Dresden, Berlin
If you concentrate these trips in the time frame of 4 weeks, a German Rail Pass would be an option.
bahn.de/p/…german_rail_pass.shtml
Problem with the limited special mentioned above is that it%26#39;s excactly the weekend they will be sold out first. The rail pass has not this problem. Covered are all trains, also the fast ICE trains. And the boats on the Middle Rhine, something you can combine with Cologne.
http://www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.de
http://www.k-d.com
%26gt; Also, a few places in switzerland
You can reach some places in Switzerland (Basel, Schaffhausen) on the Baden-Württemberg Ticket.
From Mannheim you can reach Bern on a Europe-Special Tickets.
Normal tickets (and mostly eveything else) are however considerably more expensive in Switzerland than in Germany.
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Update.
Surf%26amp;Rail will be abolished from 10. June on.
There will be a new offer %26quot;Dauer-Spezialpreis%26quot; (permanent special price). But as with all specials before: they are there to fill the trains in off-peak times. For Friday and Sunday afternoon and evening (peak times) only few such tickets will be available.
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Albalada....
Thanks you sooo much for all the helpful links.
I needed to ask....it is pissing me off....for many many trips on the night train and the other paris/euro specials....the outward journey is available at the discounted rate while the return journey is full :S
eg. on night train, frankfurt to Milan :S
Is it a better idea to go to the heidelberg station and ask them in person?
(kindly know that the station is 2.10 euros bus ride away :S)
Thanks you once again.
I found one return ticket to brussels for 80 EU...reasonable?:D
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%26gt; I needed to ask....it is pissing me off....for many many trips on the night train and the other paris/euro specials....the outward journey is available at the discounted rate while the return journey is full :S
eg. on night train, frankfurt to Milan :S
This specials are generally also available in the return direction. But sometimes only as return tickets, i.e. you have to query for a return ticket (A -%26gt; B -%26gt; A), not check for a new connection for the return part (B -%26gt; B).
%26gt; Is it a better idea to go to the heidelberg station and ask them in person?
Semetimes yes. Some offers are however cheaper if you buy online.
%26gt; (kindly know that the station is 2.10 euros bus ride away :S)
There are also monthly tickets ...
%26gt; I found one return ticket to brussels for 80 EU...reasonable?:D
Yes. But IMO there are lot%26#39;s of more interesting places closer to Heidelberg.
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Hello :)
Thanks again for the reply.
Yes, I am slowly covering the close by areas as well :D thanks for the suggestion...schwetzingen etc...already been there :D
As for the returns.....for many many trips....I do put in return date etc....
It will show me a discounted price for outward journey...and then i click next to select the return journey and its filled :(
Wierd stuff...for example....night train...heidelberg-milano...tons of cheap outbounds...but no cheap returns.
Thanks once again :D your help is much appreciated.
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%26gt;Yes, I am slowly covering the close by areas as well :D thanks for the suggestion...schwetzingen etc...already been there :D
Have you already been to Ladenburg? I think with enough PR it could give Rothenburg a run for its money but I hope it won%26#39;t get that much PR.
Greetings from Mannheim :-)
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Bro,
You mentioned these euro specials ...ie frank-brussels ~39 EU....why do I not see it when I try to book for the upcoming weekends...How does it exactly work, that is, when do I book so that I get the discounted price. Because at the moment, I am getting 80 for frank-brussel on that eurospez page.
I am looking for trips....departing fri night-sat morning to....arriving sunday night-monday morning.
And once again...I cant thank you enough for helping and suggestions :D
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%26gt;http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/dn?program=esi%26amp;
Do you mean this?
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I checked all weekends until august and I dont see any of that frank-paris special available....does it mean they are sold out already ??:S
Yes, that is the website that I meat when I said %26quot;eurospecial%26quot; :D
Greetings from Boxberg-Heidelberg :D
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