I just tried this (from
www.bahn.de). I did see the EUR 21.40 on the outbound. When I enter the return, though, I see the doubled price of EUR 42.80, as opposed to 35 (this is for the outbound at 06:51 and midday return ~12:00 or ~1:00). Perhaps this is already a discounted fare.
Also, we are looking at 1st class, and this is showing at EUR 34.20 one way and EUR 68.40 return. I know that when I experimented with a BahnCard 50% reduction in the menu, the price was half of this, so I thought that this was the full price.
Is there something I should be doing differently on this? I'm just entering the city pairs, dates and time of day to get these figures?
Cheers.
I think you are confusing various Deutsche Bahn and Bavarian local reduced-fare offers. The 25% and 50% reductions are for people who have a Bahn card (BahnCard25, which costs 55 Euros per year for 2nd class and 110 in first, or BahnCard50, which costs 220/440 Euros, but here family members get an additional BahnCard50 for half the normal price). With these cards you can book tickets on the Internet just by clicking on "Bahncard25" or "Bahncard50" and get the appropriate fare-reductions. The normal price for Munich-Fuessen in 2nd class is indeed 21.40 Euros, and there is no reduction for advance purchase or return trip. Since you want to travel on a weekend (Saturday
or Sunday), you could get a Schoenes Wochenende ticket for 35 Euros in second class, which allows up to 5 people to ride anywhere in Germany on local trains. Since one poster asked on the Internet for a return on the same weekend day, the computer showed a return fare of 35 Euros, which is the Schoenes Wochenende fare. Since you will be staying in Bavaria, you could also get a Bayernticket for 27 Euros (also for up to 5 people), good any day after 9 A.M. and all day on either Saturday or Sunday (valid up to early morning the next day, as one poster noted). Both these weekend tickets are for 2nd class only, which isn't bad at all, by the way, although the trains may be crowded with winter sports types.
The only reduced fare tickets for advance and/or return purchases are the Spezial tickets (29, 39, 49 or 69 Euros on long-distance trains, with limited contingents of tickets at each price and only in second class), but this doesn't apply to the local Munich-Fuessen trains.
If you want to go on Friday and return on Saturday or Sunday and you are at least two people, one Bayernticket on Friday (after 9 A.M.) and another one on Saturday or Sunday would be the only cheap possibility. Unless you are returning the same day, you would need 2 Bayerntickets in any case, even if you went on Saturday and returned on Sunday.
I hope this clarifies things a bit.
Enjoy your trip.