We'll be going Berlin/Munich - and Munich/Cologne - with maybe some day trips. I took a look at the Eurail Germany (one country) twin pass. It's $416 for 2 people for 4 days of first class travel in a single month. Seems too good to be true considering the single ticket prices. I looked at the fine print - and didn't seem to find anything that wouldn't make this a great bargain. Am I overlooking anything? Robyn

If that's the same pass my Asian friends and colleagues have used then it's only sold to non-EU residents. Just like the Japan Rail Pass is only sold to non-Japan residents. I don't think any other catch is needed.

There's no catch - railpasses can be a great value.

There are two things to remember though - passes don't include seat reservations, which are compulsory on some trains. And if your journey involves a connection, you'll pay the seat reservation charge per segment rather than per journey.

The other thing to remember about a twin pass is that both people need to be present at all times for the pass to be valid. This isn't usually a problem, but before you buy one, make sure your traveling companion isn't going to want to take any side trips without you - or else the pass isn't valid for either of you.

There are two things to remember though - passes don't include seat reservations, which are compulsory on some trains.

Reservations aren't required on most German trains, with the exception of night trains (where you'll need to pay an accomodation charge to use your pass) and ICE Sprinter trains (you'll pay a surcharge of 10-15EUR/person). On most trains, including regular ICE trains, the cost of a seat reservation is 3EUR/person. Whatever you do, don't buy your seat reservations for German trains from some US-based third party--you'll pay triple what you need to pay. You can easily go online to bahn.de, click on international guests for English, make and pay for your seat reservations, and print out your tickets (reservations, really, in this case).

Gute Reise!

Reservations aren't required on most German trains, with the exception of night trains (where you'll need to pay an accomodation charge to use your pass) and ICE Sprinter trains (you'll pay a surcharge of 10-15EUR/person). On most trains, including regular ICE trains, the cost of a seat reservation is 3EUR/person. Whatever you do, don't buy your seat reservations for German trains from some US-based third party--you'll pay triple what you need to pay. You can easily go online to bahn.de, click on international guests for English, make and pay for your seat reservations, and print out your tickets (reservations, really, in this case).

Gute Reise!
I second this. If you want to book some reservations just use the international version on bahn.de

But IMHO there is no real need to get a reservation on ICE trains because you are in 1st class and there you'll normally always find a seat. I just had to train rides at busy times and had no problem to find seats for me and my wife while 2nd class was fully packed.

Cheers
totti

We'll be going Berlin/Munich - and Munich/Cologne - with maybe some day trips. I took a look at the Eurail Germany (one country) twin pass. It's $416 for 2 people for 4 days of first class travel in a single month. Seems too good to be true considering the single ticket prices. I looked at the fine print - and didn't seem to find anything that wouldn't make this a great bargain. Am I overlooking anything? Robyn
As the others still pointed out there are no pitfalls in this offer - at least I am not aware of any. Enjoy your trip.

Greetings
totti

No, you are not overlooking anything. As I already mentioned in the other thread you started about your trip to Germany, the Bahn has very good offers for people from outside Europe. You might want to know that in German trains even 2nd class is very comfortable and will save you lots of euro's. Make sure you reserve your seat on-line since most long distance trains can get very crowded.

Is it better to work with the bahn.de site than the Eurail pass site? Or doesn't it make a difference?

I'll probably make reservations for the 2 long trips - just to be safe.

No problem on my end with any of the caveats mentioned. We're not from the EU - and I don't think my husband will be taking any side-trips on his own :) . Robyn

No, you are not overlooking anything. As I already mentioned in the other thread you started about your trip to Germany, the Bahn has very good offers for people from outside Europe. You might want to know that in German trains even 2nd class is very comfortable and will save you lots of euro's. Make sure you reserve your seat on-line since most long distance trains can get very crowded.

Having done too many ICE 2nd morning runs to meetings standing in the "bistro" because no seats were available, I now religiously book 1st ( normally with some discount included ) for all trips over one hour.

Advantages:

- The 1st lounges at major stations. They are not that great but at least offer comfy seating, newspapers and soft drinks while waiting for connections.

- Separate Bahn Comfort/1st sales desks in the "Reisezentrum". This can save a lot of time during peak hours when reserving seats or changing itineraries.

- Comfortable and more quiet environment in the train. I can do without the "no hotel ( and shower ) needed" backpackers, Bundeswehr conscripts on leave swilling beer and noisy kids. You can also escape the manic mobile users by choosing seats in "quiet sections".

- Food can be served to your seat. This is great when you have to watch that laptop/bag/souvernir and don't want to schlep them to the restaurant car.

And DB has 1st sections in all trains, including local ones. So if that castle or beautiful scenery is accessible only from a remote station you can still get there in comfort.

Is it better to work with the bahn.de site than the Eurail pass site? Or doesn't it make a difference?
For making reservations, definitely use bahn.de! There will be no extra markup, so you'll only pay 3EUR for each way for a reservation. Deutsche Bahn sells the rail pass itself directly (both on its website and in certain train stations), but it only sells the five and ten day varieties. The rail pass prices at the websites that sell them don't seem to vary very much.

[QUOTE=mosburger]

Advantages:

- The 1st lounges at major stations. They are not that great but at least offer comfy seating, newspapers and soft drinks while waiting for connections.

*****************************************[UNQUOTE]


Keep in mind that DB does not honor 1st class rail passes for foreign travelers for access to its lounges. These require presentation of a "real" 1st class ticket, as I found out in Hamburg.

The Twin Pass on DB is a great deal. I have used them many times. And, I believe one of the two people can travel by rail with the pass without being accompanied by the 2nd rider (if the 2nd person doesn't want to travel on a particular segment).

As for pricing, the published fares for point-to-point tickets are high, but most German travelers that travel frequently have a Bahncard, which offers a substantial discount from published fares.

For me, the biggest advantage of any rail pass is that the more you travel, the better of a deal it becomes. Trips that would be unaffordable with regular tickets (like a day trip on the Berlin-Hamburg-Hannover-Berlin triangle using high-speed ICE trains) become doable.

We'll be going Berlin/Munich - and Munich/Cologne - with maybe some day trips. I took a look at the Eurail Germany (one country) twin pass. It's $416 for 2 people for 4 days of first class travel in a single month. Seems too good to be true considering the single ticket prices. I looked at the fine print - and didn't seem to find anything that wouldn't make this a great bargain. Am I overlooking anything? Robyn

The rail twin pass will probably be a great choice for you. Do be aware, however, that there are some destinations to which the rail pass will not take you. Some of the lakeside towns south of Munich, for instance, are served by the BOB, which is not a DB-operated train, and which therefore won't accept your passes. It's not a terribly expensive ticket to buy anyway, but just something to be aware of. You can always find out if the trips you're planning are served by DB trains by plotting your itenerary on the DB website and looking at which trains the route employs. Have a fun trip! :)

[QUOTE=mosburger]

Advantages:

- The 1st lounges at major stations. They are not that great but at least offer comfy seating, newspapers and soft drinks while waiting for connections.

*****************************************[UNQUOTE]


Keep in mind that DB does not honor 1st class rail passes for foreign travelers for access to its lounges. These require presentation of a "real" 1st class ticket, as I found out in Hamburg.

The Twin Pass on DB is a great deal. I have used them many times. And, I believe one of the two people can travel by rail with the pass without being accompanied by the 2nd rider (if the 2nd person doesn't want to travel on a particular segment).

As for pricing, the published fares for point-to-point tickets are high, but most German travelers that travel frequently have a Bahncard, which offers a substantial discount from published fares.

For me, the biggest advantage of any rail pass is that the more you travel, the better of a deal it becomes. Trips that would be unaffordable with regular tickets (like a day trip on the Berlin-Hamburg-Hannover-Berlin triangle using high-speed ICE trains) become doable.

I read on the Eurail site that if you have a twin pass - both people must travel together on all segments to use the pass. Not a problem in my case (doubt my husband and I will be going our separate ways ;) ) - but it might be for other people. Robyn

[QUOTE=Reindeerflame]

I read on the Eurail site that if you have a twin pass - both people must travel together on all segments to use the pass. Not a problem in my case (doubt my husband and I will be going our separate ways ;) ) - but it might be for other people. Robyn


Here is the exact rule about who may travel on a Twinpass or other Eurail "Saver Pass" intended for more than 1 traveler:

"All or part of the persons listed may travel but only upon presentation of the pass and countrol voucher".

[Preventing 2 persons from taking separate trips with the pass is easily accomplished as the pass is a single document, with a coupon showing its validity and a control voucher that lists the eligible travelers and their passport numbers. Thus, 2 people could not use the pass to take 2 separate trips, as there is only one document. But, it makes no sense to REQUIRE both (or in the case of a Eurail Saver Pass, up to 5) persons to all travel together all the time. Indeed, the railways might make more money if on a given day one person uses the pass to go to one destination and the other buys a separate ticket to go somewhere else, say to visit a mother-in-law. As a more practical example, this policy is helpful if one person isn't feeling well and wants to stay in the hotel but the other can visit that museum in a town an hour away.]

Thanks for the good info in this thread on the Germany Twin Pass. Can this be used towards the fare on any of the night train services?

Thanks for the good info in this thread on the Germany Twin Pass. Can this be used towards the fare on any of the night train services?

Yes, a railpass can be used towards the fare on night trains. The railpass does not cover the additional charges for couchettes or sleepers.

There's no catch - railpasses can be a great value.

There are two things to remember though - passes don't include seat reservations, which are compulsory on some trains. And if your journey involves a connection, you'll pay the seat reservation charge per segment rather than per journey.

The other thing to remember about a twin pass is that both people need to be present at all times for the pass to be valid. This isn't usually a problem, but before you buy one, make sure your traveling companion isn't going to want to take any side trips without you - or else the pass isn't valid for either of you.

Is this rule rigidly enforced? :)
Thanks

Having done too many ICE 2nd morning runs to meetings standing in the "bistro" because no seats were available, I now religiously book 1st ( normally with some discount included ) for all trips over one hour.

Advantages:

- The 1st lounges at major stations. They are not that great but at least offer comfy seating, newspapers and soft drinks while waiting for connections.

- Separate Bahn Comfort/1st sales desks in the "Reisezentrum". This can save a lot of time during peak hours when reserving seats or changing itineraries.

- Comfortable and more quiet environment in the train. I can do without the "no hotel ( and shower ) needed" backpackers, Bundeswehr conscripts on leave swilling beer and noisy kids. You can also escape the manic mobile users by choosing seats in "quiet sections".

- Food can be served to your seat. This is great when you have to watch that laptop/bag/souvernir and don't want to schlep them to the restaurant car.

And DB has 1st sections in all trains, including local ones. So if that castle or beautiful scenery is accessible only from a remote station you can still get there in comfort.

I am very impressed with your knowledge with the DB system. We travel to Frankfurt by air from the US each year and then on to our favorite destinations in Austria.

I am sure you assisted the OP with your detailed resport. (We use three country passes.)

Reinderrflame:

Thanks for this clarification. We do a three country pass each year but I have always wondered if one person was unable to make a part of the "saver" 1st class trip, what woudl happen. Am I correct that 2 of three could travel and one reain ill or otherwise? Do you have reference for such a situation?

Thanks :)

[QUOTE=robyng]


Here is the exact rule about who may travel on a Twinpass or other Eurail "Saver Pass" intended for more than 1 traveler:

"All or part of the persons listed may travel but only upon presentation of the pass and countrol voucher".

[Preventing 2 persons from taking separate trips with the pass is easily accomplished as the pass is a single document, with a coupon showing its validity and a control voucher that lists the eligible travelers and their passport numbers. Thus, 2 people could not use the pass to take 2 separate trips, as there is only one document. But, it makes no sense to REQUIRE both (or in the case of a Eurail Saver Pass, up to 5) persons to all travel together all the time. Indeed, the railways might make more money if on a given day one person uses the pass to go to one destination and the other buys a separate ticket to go somewhere else, say to visit a mother-in-law. As a more practical example, this policy is helpful if one person isn't feeling well and wants to stay in the hotel but the other can visit that museum in a town an hour away.]

Reinderrflame:

Thanks for this clarification. We do a three country pass each year but I have always wondered if one person was unable to make a part of the "saver" 1st class trip, what woudl happen. Am I correct that 2 of three could travel and one reain ill or otherwise? Do you have reference for such a situation?

Thanks :)

[QUOTE=Reindeerflame]

Yes. I am quoting directly from a pass. In this case, I looked at the two passes I used this past summer, a 5-day Eurail Selectpass for 4 countries and a 3-day Swisspass....both of the "twin" or "saver" variety. Both of them had the same standard language I quoted printed on the pass coupon. This appears to be a standard European railways pass concept.

Most of the sales sites are not that specific. If you look on the Rick Steves website, you will find a reference to the concept as well in his coverage of how passes work. Here's what Rick says:

"Saverpass: Designed to save money for groups, a Saverpass is a single ticket printed with all the names of two to five travelers. Members of each pair or group must order the same pass together and all must be present to validate the pass in Europe. Part of the group can use the pass while others stay in town or fly home early, but those sharing a pass cannot split and go different directions by train. If you are a group of four, you can give yourselves more flexibility by ordering a separate pass for each pair. On our website, add a pass for one pair to your shopping cart, then use the "Continue Shopping" button to add more passes to the same order. By fax, simply indicate which people will travel together. (It's OK to split payment for one order onto multiple credit cards.) Some passes offer a "Twin" discount that works the same way, but with only two people listed on each pass."

Thanks for the information. Will visit Germany next summer and this is very helpful.

Just got back from a trip to see the Christmas Markets. Used a Twin Pass. I had ordered on-line just before leaving and expected to print it out only to find that the passes do NOT work that way. (as I understand regular tickets can be printed out on the spot.)

I arrived in LHR on the way to FRA last Friday and had an e-mail from DB letting me know that my passes were in the mail! I emailed them from the lounge in LHR and had a very courteous, personal response and apology from them in my inbox when I landed in FRA.

As it worked out I was able to buy the Twin Pass at the FRA Fernbanhoff at the same price as ordering them on-line.

I did have one wrinkle though; The ticket agent missunderstood the process of issuing the tickets apparently. He gave me 1 Pass that he said covered all 4 people in my party. I questioned him and he said that each name on the pass, mine and my fathers, was good for 2 persons each, covering my GF and mother as well.

I described this to the staff on no less than 6 DB trains. A few looked confused but all accepted my explanation without any problem. Until our last trian ride back to FRA! I had quite a go-round with this young guy who insisted I was wrong. I'm the type that never makes a scene... well, usually! We had a yelling match right there and I demanded to see his supervisor. She came by we argued a bit more and then they said they were going to have to charge me for 2 people. I took their names and grumbled about having to go and get a refund at the airport. After they were gone I looked through all of the info I had printed out. Checking the charges on the ticket I realized that the guy issuing the ticket had screwed up and that I was in the wrong afterall.

I found the guy and apologized, congratulating him on the fact that he was the only one that I had encountered on several train rides that actually knew what he was talking about! He was courteous and said that there is often confusion about the Twin Pass.

As it ended up I saved about 170 euros for my trouble even after being charged for that last ride back to FRA! :p

All in all I was quite impressed with the DB system. Everything is very logical and easy to use once you learn how it works.

A few notes that might help fellow travelers:

Use this site (http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en) to research the trains and connections. It's in English. Even if you have a pass you can use it to create all of your routings and it is very convenient!

Note that if you are traveling in First on long-distance trains there is a map of the train posted in th station that shows the location of the dining car, first and second class cars etc. This map corresponds to the letters above the platform so that you will know where to stand to get a first class car when the train pulls in. Some of them make very short stops so you'll want to be standing in the right spot, especially if you have a bunch of luggage!

Lastly, I had found this site last year and it provides a great overview of the trains in Germany: Overview of trains in Germany (http://gettingaroundgermany.home.att.net/bahn.htm)

auf Wiedersehen!

You can find travel agency sites that will Fedex your railpasses to you, even at no charge, for example:

http://www.eurorailways.com/rail/scp/germany.htm?source=overture

They tend to arrive within 1-2 days after ordering on line.

At this point, all the names have been entered on the passes, and all you need to do is validate them in Europe.

Last summer, I had a 4-country Eurail Select and a Swisspass (the latter needed for certain lines that do not accept Eurail, like the Glacier Express). I attempted to validate both at Frankfurt Airport, but the DB clerk declined to validate the Swisspass. This entailed some inconvenience, as I needed to stand in line in Interlaken-Ost, thereby missing the natural train connection to Lauterbrunnen and having to unnecessarily wait an hour.

I believe the rule is that all rail passes may be validated anywhere in Europe, including single country passes. Because of DB's general overall efficiency, I did not press the matter or file a complaint.

Just a follow-up. Since we are not traveling until late May - I waited until now to order the twinpass. The 4 day first class price has gone up to $460-70 (depending on the US web site - the German rail site is quoted in Euros - about $456 at today's exchange rates). But it is still a good deal considering the "list prices" of the trips.

I ordered from http://www.raileurope.com because it has a special - 25% of the price you pay now off your next rail pass ordered by December (which would be good for a spring trip to Europe next year).

I made my reservations on the German rail site. Reservations for 2 are 7 Euros each. I did note that one of the trains I reserved had a note that it will probably be very crowded and reservations are strongly recommended. No reason for me not to make reservations - our stays at various places are reserved - so we know our travel plans.

I will let you know how things go after our trip. Robyn

We are back. We used our rail pass - and everything was fine. The trains - although not as impressive as those in Japan - were very nice. Just a note - there is something in the rail pass to the effect that you can use it for a hydrofoil river trip in Cologne. There hasn't been a hydrofoil in Cologne for about 8 years :). Robyn