By Kumiko Matter
The Deutsche Bahn German train system is very efficient, but managing to navigate through a foreign train station to find your train can be difficult. Train travel in Germany can be affordable and easy if you know how to book your tickets.
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Buy your tickets early
Deutsche Bahn sells tickets a few months in advance. The earliest tickets are very cheap, and the closer to the date you buy the more expensive they get — think double or triple the earliest price! Try to search for your desired ticket around six months in advance for the best prices. If you are planning your trip from outside of Germany or Europe, you can buy tickets through DB’s website or by calling their International Call Center.
Buy a BahnCard
This is a discount card for travelers who frequently use the train system in Germany. A BahnCard is beneficial even if you plan to travel around Germany for a month or two, and you’ll recoup its value within five small trips or one big trip. The BahnCard 25 will get you 25 percent off of each ticket. It lasts one year. Another option is to get a Lander Ticket, which allows up to five travelers to travel around the German state of your choice for an unlimited number of trips on regional trains for a day. Often, Germans will find other people who are traveling the same route to buy their share of the ticket to make it cheaper for everybody.
Eurail Passes in Germany
Another option is to buy a Eurail pass. It can save you money if you plan your trips right and check if the train companies are listed under the companies that work with Eurail. If they are not covered by Eurail passes, then you will either have to pay half of the train ticket or full price. Eurail offers multiple country passes that run through Germany, but does not offer a One Country Pass for Germany.
Are you taking a regional or express train?
Train tickets bought at the station will not tell you which type of train you need to board. The ticket machines show which trains are regional and express on the ticket options page, but sometimes you may not bother to look for that in a hurry to catch the fastest train. Play it safe by asking the nearest platform attendant if you are unsure what kind of train is pulling into the platform. If you get on the wrong train, you’ll likely get fined or kicked off the train at the next station.
Get on the right end of the train
Some DB trains split up after a certain stops to go different ways. The mini TVs in each compartment will notify passengers which direction the compartment will go and the conductor should give a warning before the train splits. Check when you board the train and make sure not to zone out too much or you might go opposite of the direction you intended to go. If you’re boarding a night train, be especially sure to double check that your car is going to your destination before you go to sleep!
Search for tickets to different areas
If you do not have a planned itinerary, it can be easier on your budget to search for different destinations to go to once you’re in Germany. Frankfurt’s train station has daily four-hour train rides to Paris for less than 40 euros. It is also easy to find cheap tickets to Luxembourg, Netherlands, and Austria from Germany. It is harder to find well-priced tickets to Czech Republic and Switzerland.
Going to Frankfurt Main or Hahn?
RyanAir passengers go in and out of Frankfurt Hahn and some people may get confused between the differences of the two airports. This tricks a lot of travelers because Frankfurt Hahn is a two-hour bus ride from Frankfurt’s train station, while Frankfurt Main is a 15-minute train ride. Some might assume that Frankfurt Hahn is close to the city and end up missing their flight or arriving to the city at a late hour. If you do need to go in or out of Frankfurt Hahn, the Bohr bus company runs buses from outside the Frankfurt train station and from Frankfurt Main airport.
Find budget flights
As mentioned above, you can find cheap RyanAir flights out of Frankfurt Hahn Airport, as well as other major cities like Munich, Hamburg, and Berlin. Other budget airlines that fly out of Germany include TUI Travel, German Wings, EasyJet, and Air Berlin.
Spend long layovers in the city
Because Frankfurt Main Airport is only a 15-minute train ride from the city center, you can opt to spend your layover exploring the city instead of waiting in the terminal. During that time you can go shopping, go up the Commerzbank Tower for amazing views from Germany’s tallest tower, or hang out by the Main River on a sunny day. Layovers three hours or longer are perfect for leaving the airport.
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Photo credits:
Frankfurt Train Station: Russell Dicker via Flickr
Bohr Bus: Glen Wallace via Flickr