Policypeddler

I am looking at a 5 day, 1st class, Germany only, 2 senior citizens traveling together, Rail Pass.
On www.bahn.com I get pricing of $480.
On www.germanrailpasses.com (and on Rick Steves' site) I get pricing of $691 (Rick Steves adds $10 per person).
I'm trying to figure out why the big difference in pricing. Both seem to have the same requirements etc.

ToGo

You are not from Europe?

Reindeerflame

In Germany, the Euro is the currency, so the quoted rates on DB.Com will be in Euros, while Rick Steves quotes prices in US Dollars.

There is also no senior citizen rate.

adventureadam

Have you looked at the price of buying individual tickets for your journey?

Will Fly Småland

Second that. If you book well in advance, there is a chance that individual SparPreis tickets will be cheaper. Depends on your itinerary, of course, and whether you can live with the lack of flexibility of having to decide which exact trains you will travel with in advance.

ToGo

There are many Tickets for the local Railway who save money to but you can take only local trains.

Policypeddler

Thanks, all!

I am from USA.

I am aware of price benefits using point to point tickets; however, we will be going to several different towns searching for ancestral points of interest. The flexibility of a pass is of prime interest to me since I don't know which towns or when I'll go to each.

I need help in determining if the low price of the Bahn.com pass is accurate and if there are any obstacles to purchasing it. The website does NOT price out point to point tickets and is a pain.

Policypeddler

I just called DBahn in Germany. I see now that the "price" of their pass is shown in Euros, not dollars.

Foolish mistake on my part. Thanks all for the input.

Reindeerflame

Please see Post No. 3.

Also, the DB website does show prices for individual point-to-point tickets, and those tickets may be purchased on line, with ticket print out at your computer/printer. However, tickets are typically sold no more than 90 days in advance, so it could be that your trip is more than 90 days away. A good way to gauge prices is to select the train you want on the same day of the week as your planned travel, but within the 90-day window. That should give a rough idea of what prices are likely to be available.

The DB website is widely viewed as the best rail travel information site for all intercity trains in Europe, not just Germany. It takes a little getting used to; that's all.

For the type of trip you have in mind, a pass provides great flexibility, and with reservations not required on most DB trains, a pass works much better in Germany than in, say, Italy or France.

ToGo

http://www.oebb.at/en/Travelling_abr...Pass/index.jsp

adventureadam

OP said specifically he/she was traveling only in Germany. Your post is not helpful.

adventureadam

Can you give more guidance about specific cities/towns/areas? It may be that there are other options (like Lande-karte). And it may even be that the walk-up fare is cheaper than a day on a pass. It really is rarely the best deal...the exception being if you need to criss-cross the country (long distances) and can't plan ahead. IF you're staying in one or two general areas, there may be better options.