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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Should I buy a railpass or use point-point tickets?
There are so many great deals for rail travel in Germany that you often don't need a railpass and can travel for less without one. I have made seven trips to Germany this century. The first trip I bought a railpass. I think for the trains I used, it paid off (just barely), but I could have done it for less with a few regional trains. Since then I have always analyzed the prices and saved money by not buying a pass. To see how I analyze the comparison, click here

I'm looking for P2P tickets on the Eurail website, but I can't find any trains
First, Eurail does not sell P2P tickets. Eurail is a company formed by a consortium of European national rail companies to produce and market railpasses for sale to travelers from outside Europe.

You're probably actually using the RailEurope website. RailEurope is a U.S. based company, owned primarily by French Rail and Swiss Rail. RailEurope is a Eurail authorized distributor of railpasses. They also sell P2P tickets - for a profit over and above the price you would pay in Europe.

You should understand that the only trains for which schedules are shown on the RailEurope website are those train for which RailEurope actually sells tickets. These are limited mostly to the fastest, most expensive, trains (e.g. InterCity Express, ICE) on the most popular routes. There are often InterCity (IC) and EuroCity (EC) trains on the same routes. These trains go just as fast, but make a few more stops and, therefore, take a little longer, but cost a little less.

Should I buy P2P tickets from RailEurope?
Only as a last resort. German Rail sells tickets online for less. See the results of my fare comparison here

Can I make a five minute train connection
Yes. First, if you got the schedule, including the change of trains, from the Bahn schedule website, they do expect you to be able to make the connection. I tell people that there are a few simple rules for making connections:

  1. Know where you are going.
    The Bahn schedule website shows the track number of the arriving and departing trains. Record this in advance on your travel plan. Usually, the quickest connections will be "cross-platform" ( 2 to 3, 4 to 5, etc, in most stations)
  2. Be prepared. Know the schedule - i.e., what time the train will arrive. When the train is coming into the station, have all your things together and proceed to the end of the car and be by the door when the train stops. The people waiting to get on will generally let the deboarding passengers get off first.
  3. Proceed expeditiously to your next train. Stay with the "herd". There will probably be other travelers going to catch the same train. The conductor is not going to release the train while people are trying to get on.

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How do I use a ticket automat?
Ticket automats are located in every station and are easy to use. Some tickets, such as Länder-Tickets are less expensive at an automat than they are at a ticket counter (with "personal service"). To see some examples of ticket automats and how to use them, go here.

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Is there a train station at Frankfurt's airport?
Actually, there are two stations at the airport. The Fernbahnhof serves the high speed express trains (ICEs, mainly). Its way out, on the other side of the red brick DB building across the access road from Terminal 1. You get to it by going across a pedestrian bridge accessible from the 2nd floor mezanine inside the terminal, then out through the DB building.

There is also the Regionalbahnhof, which serves S-Bahns and regional trains, as well as a few ICs. It's under the DB building. You get to it by going down stair just inside the streetside wall of Terminal 1, and crossing through a "mall" under the access road.

If your flight arrives at Terminal 1 (Concourses A, B, & C), the stations are easily accessible. If you arrive at Terminal 2, you can take a free shuttle bus from in front of the terminal or you can take the Skyline. The Skyline is a people mover that goes between the tops of Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Follow signs up the escalators. You can take a luggage cart with you to the roof, but not on the Skyline. However, leave it where you get on the Skyline; when you get off, there will probably be others left by people going the other direction.

For a map of the airport stations, click here.

What's the least expensive way to get from FRA to Munich?
So, you wanted to go to Munich, but your Frequent Flyer miles only take you to Frankfurt! Can you get to Munich inexpensively, and how fast? Click here

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How do I get from Munich to Ludwig's castles in Füssen?
There are hourly trains leaving Munich (Starnberger Flügelbahnhof, tracks 27-36). When you get to the Füssen Bahnhof, walk to the far side of the parking lot. The bus to Hohenschwangau leaves from Bus stop 2 (Haltestelle 2) a few minutes after the train arrives.

If you are using a Bayern-Ticket, the fare for both the train and the bus are covered.

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How do I get from Munich to Dachau?
Take the S-Bahn, S2, Richtung (Direction) Petershausen, from anywhere in on the S-Bahn "trunk line" (Laim to Ostbahnhof) in Munich to Dachau Bahnhof (Not Dachau Stadt). Take bus 726 from in front of the station to the K-Z Gedenkstätte.

A Munich XXL Tageskarte (€6,70 Single, €11,80 Partner - up to 5 people) will cover all your transportation (S-Bahn and bus) for the day

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How can I use a Länder-Ticket but leave before 9 AM on a weekday.
Buy both the Länder-Ticket and P2P tickets to the first station the train leaves after 9 AM.

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How do I use the Bahn Ticket Shop, in German
I've provided step by step instructions, with translation, on how to buy a ticket from the Bahn Ticket Shop. See here.

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