Hello,
We are flying to Germany in April 2010, ATL -DTW - FRA. Our final destination is Munich. The only airline we can find that flies directly to MUC from FRA is Lufthansa and with fees it is 100Euro per person. Should we buy the tickets now or is there a possibility that they will become cheaper? We have also checked the Deutsch Bahn and the price is about the same as the flight.

100 Euro (or 99 Euro) return is the normal E-class fare and has been the cheapest fare for ages on LH notwithstanding taxes, surcharges or other add ons. So if the surcharges go down they will increase the fare portion and v/v - final price will always be 100 Euro.

Train fares will go as low as 29 Euro o/w for a inflexible ticket if you buy three months (and not more than three months) in advance. When calculating travel times pls. remember that the train will bring you into Munich whereas the airport is 40 minutes out of town.

If your final destination is MUC wouldn't it have made sense to book a through ticket there rather than to FRA?

If you have already booked a flight to FRA, and it's non-changeable, then the train may well be your best bet for the onward journey - especially if an onward flights involves you in collecting and re-checking baggage. (If you had been able to book a through connection, on a single ticket, your baggage would have been checked all the way through, but on separate bookings this cannot be guaranteed, especially if you are travelling on different airlines).

The train journey (Frankfurt Airport to the centre of Munich) is just over three hours, with no prior check-in required - you just walk onto the platform and board the train. Taking the train would probably be quicker than flying, and if you book your tickets in advance (which you can do online) it will be a lot cheaper. Discounted tickets are only valid on a specific train, so you would have to plan this quite carefully and leave enough time. If you tell us what airline you are arriving on, and what time of day, then someone will probably be able to give you some guidance on how much time to allow.

We are arriving FRA on NW at 07:20. We booked NW to FRA because with Skymiles we couldn't get into MUC or TXL in business class. We booked RT BE w/miles for $82.00 PP.
We are not adverse to using Deutsch Bahn as we are familiar w/DB and Munchen Hauptbahnhof, but the cost of first class DB fare is the very same as a flight on Lufthansa. Are we not booking correctly?

In addition, we have booked flights in Germany w/AB. Can anyone tell us about them?

You can buy any special fares from the DB only 3 month in advance. That's probably a reason, why you can't find any special fares (also normal tickets can only be bought 3 month in advance).
If you are already at the airport in FRA, taking the plane should not be faster. However if you miss your plane on a 99 Euro ticket, you probably have to buy a new ticket. The same stands for a special fare with the DB.
cheers
757DUD

DB First class specials start at 49EUR for FRA to Munich main station (subject to availability and time frame).

AB is classified as low cost carrier though they can't be compared to Ryanair or easyjet. AB is still a good operator.

Many thanks to all whom have answered our questions, we appreciate your help. We will be looking to book DB within 90 days of our arrival. Next on to the Frankfurt forum for one day!

Just my two cents: AB is miles ahead of LH in economy. I fly them once to three times a week (so do I on LH) and I am perfectly happy with them. I would no longer classify them as typical low cost carrier: They fly into regular airports, have an onboard service (drinks, snacks, newspapers) for free, offer seat reservation, offer connecting flights and so on.... Nothing like Easyjet or Ryanair.

Yes, we booked AB from MUC to TXL, and then TXL to FRA. No problem reserving our seats (10 euro per seat), but since this is vacation why not? We took DB last trip and it was very nice but we wanted to shorten travel time between cities. Their site said the planes are new, and the fares were great. We've never flown Easyjet or Ryanair.

Can anyone give us an average time from an Internation flight landing in FRA, and the getting down through customs to the ICE trains? We are flying Delta and we are due to arrive at 07:45. We are looking to the trains leaving either at 0854 or 0937. Any good suggestions?

You will arrive in Terminal 2 which means you have to take the Skyline light-train to get over to Terminal 1 and the Trainstation. So I would plan at least 90 minutes. The 9:37trainwould be the safer choice.

On the other hand I made it in under 45 minutes from the gate at Terminal 1, through passport control and got my checked luggage.

One last hint. Deutsche Bahn has several tickets. The reduced fare (25% or 50% Sparpreis) tickets are only valid on the exact train you selected during booking. The standard ticket is not limited to a certain train and actually valid a whole month. The only thing that is limited to a certain train is your seat reservation but I my experience you only need a seat reservation of fridays and sundays when the trains are very full.

I am sure you aware that Delta also flies into MUC nonstop from Atlanta...

We are flying into FRA because that was the only way we could get in BE with Skymiles, Delta wouldn't let us get into MUC with them. We plan on only having carry on luggage, we travel light....unless the rules have changed. Are the Sparpreis tickets available only ahead of time or can we purchase upon arrival?

I am not a heavy train traveler so I can't exactly tell you how many days in advance the cut off for the "Sparpreise" is but I know that you can't buy them on the day of travel. Then you will have to buy regular tickets that are more expensive but very flexible.

The Sparpreise are technically bookable until three days before travel, but since they are inventory based, they usually gone earlier. If you want to get one of those, I would advise to book as soon as you know which trains will work for you.