travel and tips

I know every guy who plans a trip to Germany, thinks of the adrenaline rush they will get driving on the autobahn, but here are some reasons to consider rail travel in Germany.

Top down on the rental BMW 4 series convertible, 200 Kilometer per hour on the A8, music blasting, wind blowing through your hair, (or vibrating the stubble on my head in my case).  True motor-head hedonism. But there is a cost.

Rental car costs

The cost of a rental car can be substantial. The rental fee for a mid-sized car runs around $936 for the week. Parking can also be a major contributor to your vacation costs, with parking in most cities averaging $30/night for parking at the hotel if you are staying in the city center. And this is at a time when the Euro/USD exchange rate is currently vacillating but within 10% of parity.

In addition to the rental and parking fees, the cost of gasoline in Germany is $8.79/gallon according to the numbeo.com website.  If you imagine you are in country driving around for a week, you’ll probably fill up once, or possibly twice, before turning that puppy back in to the rental agency.  That’s about $120/tank. 

Calamity? 

Change of plans?

Change the car to a VW Polo?

Perhaps…but wait! There is an alternative. 

Consider travel by rail in Germany!

German Rail is an incredibly attractive option for city-to-city transportation.   A traveler can always buy a ticket on an as needed basis for specific legs of a trip. But the Deutsche Bahn offers some flexible passes based on duration.  Now if you are looking to go to multiple countries, the Eurail pass is a great option.  But for the sake of this discussion, lets focus on the German rail pass.  The options for the German rail pass are found on the Deutsche Bahn and Eurail websites, via this link: https://www.bahn.com/en/offers/passes. 

The Bahn options come in a couple of formats.  You pick the number of days; 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, or 15 days.  You can have these options either consecutively, or those number of discrete travel days in one month. 

There are rates for the following age groups:

• Ages 27+,
• 12 – 26,
• 6-11,
• Kids under 6 ride free with a ticketed parent/adult. 

There are discounts for both of these ticketing options under the “Twin Pass”. This ticket is basically for two people traveling together.  The Twin Pass provides a 25% discount to the cost compared to buying individual tickets. Unfortunately, this ticket option isn’t available via the Eurail site.  It’s also important to know that this option has a use limitation.  If one person uses the Twin Pass and the other isn’t with them, the other person can’t ride separately, or later that date.  So, make sure you stay on good terms with each other, or your travel buddy can really stick it to you and leave you stranded. 

They are ticketed by 1^st class and 2^nd class.  There are obviously some benefits to the seating quality and cars with the 1^st class level of service. One benefit is that you can sit in either class with a 1^st class ticket.  2^nd class is limited to that defined class of service. The flexibility of a 1st class ticket can mean the difference of sitting versus standing on a busy commuter train.

Financial considerations of rail in Germany options

Traveling by rail in Germany? Here’s some good to know!

Unlike the SwissRail, German Rail passes don’t guarantee the use of all in-city transit.  There are some street rail lines that are covered by a partner agreement. These may not apply to busses or subways. And the Germain Rail doesn’t have these partner agreements in every city…so you’ve got to do your research.

While you can always pay your in-city bus or train rides on a trip-by-trip basis. Most major cities offer a City Card. These are sold on a daily, or multi-day basis, that covers the metro transit options.  Most also offer discounts for tourism options like museums and such.  An example is the Berlin City Card. The Berlin card has multiple day options. The 72-hour card includes admission to Berlin’s 30+ museums. The cost runs between 52 and 55 Euro, depending on zones you want access to.

The German Rail passes permit travel to out of country destinations, including Bern in Switzerland, and Salzburg in Austria. The Belgian cities of Liege and Brussels. The German rail pass can be used to travel on the DB-Oebb EuroCity trains. This line will take you to Innsbruck in Austria, and the Italian cities of, Bolzano, Trento, Verona, Bologna and Venice.

Contemplating the train option, doesn’t mean not renting that B’mer for the entire trip. There are opportunities to rent one for a day, or even a couple of days, for some regional sightseeing.

Riding the rail may not scratch that itch to put the pedal to the metal. It does allow you to kick back and appreciate the country in a more stress-free means of travel. Perhaps even with a beer in your hand.  Prost!

Travel well! Pursue experiences!

O.M.I.A.H.