German Trains

WLM21

Are there any good (cheap) deals for internal German trains, which can be purchased in advance, here in the UK (like with TheTrainline for UK trains.

Or is it best just to buy ticketys when I arrive there, by plane to Hanover.

thanks for any advice given

jfarm99

http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml

They have advance fares like we do which should be cheaper than buying at the station. They also have a call centre over here if you prefer to order that way.
+44 8718 80 80 66 or 020 8339 4701 from saynoto0870.

WLM21

Many thanks for the quick reply

jfarm99

No worries. Was looking at tickets myself and just taken a break to have a nose on here. One of their best offers if it fits is a special weekend ticket.

The Schönes Wochenende Ticket is one of DB Bahn’s most valuable offers for tourists
of all ages. The ticket is valid for up to 5 persons travelling together and for parents travelling with their children aged 14 or younger. The ticket is only valid on either Saturdays or Sundays (one day only) between midnight and 3 a.m the following day. Tickets are just
EUR 39.00 when you buy them online!

http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/prices/germany/schoenes_wochenende_ticket.shtml

GRM

http://www.seat61.com/Germany.htm

apt

This is a good offer and there are similar deals for individual states like Bavaria during the week. But you need to bear in mind that you cannot use intercity and intercity express trains with them.

jfarm99 wrote: »

. One of their best offers if it fits is a special weekend ticket.

The Schönes Wochenende Ticket is one of DB Bahn’s most valuable offers for tourists
of all ages. The ticket is valid for up to 5 persons travelling together and for parents travelling with their children aged 14 or younger. The ticket is only valid on either Saturdays or Sundays (one day only) between midnight and 3 a.m the following day. Tickets are just
EUR 39.00 when you buy them online!

http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/prices/germany/schoenes_wochenende_ticket.shtml

WLM21

I'll actually be going there (alone) to buy a campervan so couldn't travel at weekends, as the vehicle registration offices are obviopusly closed then. I really want to arrive, get the van, get the registration and number plates all on the same day. I'll be going in about a month, but of course don't know yet where I'll be buying the van.

Another option, would be to hire a small car, which would make life a little easier, especially if i choose to look att a couple of vans, before buying one. What is car hire in Germany like ? Is it easy, is it a good deal or is my train option better. I could maybe stay a couple of days, staying in bed and breakfasts (or whatever they are called there).

If my wife could drive, i would have gone over there by ferry, then we could each drive one vehicle home, but sadly she can't, hence the initial plane journey. Hanover is the only airport served by my local airport (newcastle)

totallybored

jfarm99 wrote: »

No worries. Was looking at tickets myself and just taken a break to have a nose on here. One of their best offers if it fits is a special weekend ticket.

The Schönes Wochenende Ticket is one of DB Bahn’s most valuable offers for tourists
of all ages. The ticket is valid for up to 5 persons travelling together and for parents travelling with their children aged 14 or younger. The ticket is only valid on either Saturdays or Sundays (one day only) between midnight and 3 a.m the following day. Tickets are just
EUR 39.00 when you buy them online!

http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/prices/germany/schoenes_wochenende_ticket.shtml

There is also a schones day ticket for weekdays too. I bought one in Cologne on a Friday (was about 35 euro) and it is valid for up to 5 people too. I seem to remember the DB website only had info in German on this when I was searching. You used to be able to take a dog too on the weekend ticket.

Smick100

WLM21 wrote: »

I'll actually be going there (alone) to buy a campervan so couldn't travel at weekends, as the vehicle registration offices are obviopusly closed then. I really want to arrive, get the van, get the registration and number plates all on the same day. I'll be going in about a month, but of course don't know yet where I'll be buying the van.

Another option, would be to hire a small car, which would make life a little easier, especially if i choose to look att a couple of vans, before buying one. What is car hire in Germany like ? Is it easy, is it a good deal or is my train option better. I could maybe stay a couple of days, staying in bed and breakfasts (or whatever they are called there).

If my wife could drive, i would have gone over there by ferry, then we could each drive one vehicle home, but sadly she can't, hence the initial plane journey. Hanover is the only airport served by my local airport (newcastle)

Be very careful in regards to buying a campervan over in Germany. Make sure you are prepared to walk away if anything is not right.

My main problem was that I had booked a flight over there but nothing to get back. When I got there, having only seen photos of the van, I wasn't as keen as I thought I would be but thought it better to buy than to start making alternate arrangements to buy.

I travelled over on a Friday and it turned out that the registration office was closed on Friday afternoons so I had to hang round the weekend and drive back from Ahaus in NW Germany to Dublin non-stop in order to get back to work. I had already paid by this stage and the seller would not give me my money back.

And on the Monday, I had to get to an ADAC office to get the insurance sorted before I could get the van registered for export. This was a good 60 miles away.

I had a calamity of other issues with it once I got home, including the Irish vehicle registration tax rip-off and a group of gipsies smashing their way in to doss down for a few nights and the Garda refusing to do anything about it.

I managed to sell the thing a year later for a fraction of what I had paid for it. The final insult to injury was that I sold it through ebay, the guy would not pay what he bid so ended up paying 50% of what he had bid and ebay stung me for fees for 100% of his bid price.

If I were you, I would try to get a cheap flight back and be prepared to lose the cost of that instead of having no easy route home sorted without a van.