sofasurfer

Great sticky ^

Next month, I plan to get the train from FRA to Freiburg with Mrs Sofasurfer and Little Miss Sofasurfer (age 2) - but I can't seem to find much information in English about the family/parent-and-child compartment that I understand is available on the ICE service.

I'm a little stuck (even after checking the DB English website and FT) and hope someone can help me out with the following questions:

- Is the family compartment 2nd class, 1st class, or both?
- If the family compartment is 2nd class only, how does this compare to 1st class? Lounge access would be nice, as we'll have just come off a long-haul flight and may have some time to wait (travelling Y so we're factoring in some extra time in case we have to wait ages for bags, getting across FRA with a toddler, etc). But a more family-friendly train journey may offset this benefit - especially if FRA train station has facilities we can use as 2nd class ticket holders?
- Is it possible to guarantee seat reservations in the family compartment via the internet?

In any case, it looks like we will be in for a nice change compared to UK trains...

supermasterphil

The German Bahn website is so screwed up. I tried to look up the schedule from DUS Flughafen to Cologne main station.

Here is one of their suggestions, the other two were the same, just different time:

Bahnhof/Haltestelle Datum Zeit Gleis Produkte
Düsseldorf Flughafen Do, 15.01.09 ab 07:29 1 RE 10109 Regional-Express
Fahrradmitnahme begrenzt möglich
Dortmund Hbf Do, 15.01.09 an 08:15 8
Dortmund Hbf Do, 15.01.09 ab 08:28 10 IC 2143 Intercity
Fahrradmitnahme reservierungspflichtig, Fahrradmitnahme begrenzt möglich, Bordbistro
Hannover Hbf Do, 15.01.09 an 10:18 10
Hannover Hbf Do, 15.01.09 ab 10:31 12 A-C ICE 652 Intercity-Express
Zuschlagpflicht, Bordrestaurant
Köln Hbf Do, 15.01.09 an 13:09 7
Zwischenhalte einblenden

chrissxb

looks ok for me

supermasterphil

That's the way it's supposed to be.

But sending me about 30 km north on a regional train (Cologne is 38km south), then taking an Inter City for another 200km northeast, just to get on another train (ICE) from there to go approximately 300 km southwest to Cologne doesn't make that much sense. It's not like we get miles on Deutsche Bahn for that

I have a friend from the US coming over, I bet she'd be very pleased with me if I get her that routing...

Track

The default on the DB site is to use all services, with the (expensive) ICE and IC trains coming up first. That could well involve, at certain times, making a detour, when a faster, cheaper direct train is possible. Try clicking on "nur Nahverkehr" in the drop-down menu.

supermasterphil

Let me know what you think: I have a friend coming in from the US, on the early morning LH flight from EWR to DUS that arrives 6:05. American citizen, experienced with travel, I explained her how to get to the "Fernbahnhof", where the train leaves, no checked bags but she has to get herself a ticket, some German knowledge.

Do you think she will be fine to catch the 6:51 train to Cologne? I know the airport inside out as I have done this transfer each day for two years but I am just curious if I expect too much from her?

It's very important that she gets this train as I will have to meet her in Cologne in order to give her my key before I get to work.

soitgoes

You've arrived from EWR every day?
I'd say she might make it, she might not.
Customs/passport control is almost always a breeze, but delays can always happen.
I think it's pretty easy to find the train station.
If she has to buy a train ticket, that will take a few minutes (I guess she could do that online in advance).

supermasterphil

Thanks for your input

No, unfortunately I did not come in every day from EWR

I had to pass through the terminal every day as I worked in aircargo at the offices located near the tarmac

Thanks for your input. I am aware that there is always a chance of delays but I am curious to hear if it's totally out of line to expect that.

Unfortunately, one can not buy the tickets in advance, I tried that today on the Deutsche Bahn website.

soitgoes

I thought it might be possible to get a single online ticket on the VRR, VRS, or Nahverkehr NRW websites. It is not.

Flying Lawyer

You can buy day tickets on some of the websites which can be a good deal. For example: If you want to go from Mülheim an der Ruhr to Langenfeld by VRR, this is a D-Ticket for 10.50 Euro or 21.00 Euro return. However, you can buy online a B-Day-Ticket valid from Düsseldorf for 10.20 Euro. This is valid a full day and allows you to travel from Mülheim to Düsseldorf and from Düsseldorf to Langenfeld and v/v. VRR for experts. .

supermasterphil

I know as much as I knew before. Anybody else wanting to leave his/her valuation?

Thank you

Flying Lawyer

If she in in C or better it is possible. Make her buy an onine ticket (good for ICE or Nahverkehr DU-Köln), if she has to buy a ticket it is not possible. The EWR flight normally is on time, if she will be out of the bird as one of the first immigration should be quick, getting to the Skytrain is not difficult and if she is aware of all the platforms etc. it should not be a problem

peteropny

Question from a total newbie to German rail travel. We're planning on doing a riverboat cruise that ends in Nuremberg. After disembarkation in the morning, we're going to take a train to Frankfurt, Munich, or Stuttgart to fly back to the US. Which city would be the easiest and least expensive? We're probably going to spend a night in the city / airport area and fly out the next day since flying out the same day would probably be tight. Thanks!!!

Flying Lawyer

The cheapest and fastest will be Munich. If you avoid the fast white ICE trains and stick to red local trains, you will get to Munich airport with one change in Munich central in 2.38 hours with a Bayern Ticket for up to five persons for a total of 28 Euro. Fast trains would get you there in 1:55 hours with the same change for 53.00 Euro each. If you want to stay a night in Munich the easiest choice for you would the City Hilton (build on a subway station with direct link to the airport, travel time 30 minutes) or Le Meridien at Munich Central (travel time 40 minutes to the airport). Details at the very top of this thread. If you want to stay in Munich, your Bayern Ticket will be valid for a full day of local transport in Munich too, however, you need a new ticket (should be in the range of 18 euro for up to five) to get to the airport.

railways

Alternatively you could avoid Munich by taking the Regional Express train from Nuremberg to Freising and then (painlessly) transfer to the 635 bus to the airport, in about the same time, also with a Bayern ticket.