Munchen to Passau

[Jesterscourt]

I would like to re-visit the discussion about travelers arriving a few days early to Munich and then getting to Passau on the day of the cruise (in our case Uniworld). Even though we might be able to fenagle (spelling?) our way on the Uniworld shuttle by schlepping back to the airport, might it be simpler and possibly more scenic to take the train to Passau since we are already downtown near the train station and since the trains seem to leave every 40 minutes or so except on Sunday? The main issue will be luggage and having to take a cab ride from the Passau train station to the pier. Does anyone have an idea of what the cost of a train ticket is? By the time you pay to get back to the airport (unless you take the S-bahn) from Munich, and drag your luggage to the arrivals section to meet the staff, it seems more efficient to just take the train to Passau. You could also arrange to get there earlier and have more time to walk around Passau. Could someone comment on this even though we have discussed it already? When I get back from our trip I will post my impression and let you know what everyone ended up doing! steve

[steamboats]

Steve,

 

Check

 

http://www.bahn.de/i/view/USA/en/index.shtml

 

for connections and prices. If you take the direct train (which runs app. every two hours, it´s a regional train marked RE) it´s EUR 30,90. There´s another connection where you have to change to the ICE train which is more expensive. Also valid and way cheaper (only for the direct train) is the Bayern-Ticket which is EUR 28 for up to 5 people. It also includes public transportation in all cities including Munich (meaning bus, subway, tram, s-bahn). The Bayern-Ticket is only valid for regional trains (RE) not for the faster IR or ICE trains (anyway the connection where you have to change is only a couple of minutes faster then the direct RE train). You can get the Bayern-Ticket even at the MVV (Munich Public Transportation) ticket machines. If you buy the ticket at the DB ticket counter there is a supplement of EUR 2.

 

Going out to the airport you have to take either S-Bahn S8 or S1 at the central station. The Partner Day Ticket (entire network) is EUR 18.80 (up to 5 adults). More here

 

http://www.mvv-muenchen.de/en/home/tickets/ticketoffers/daytickets/partnerdayticket/index.html

 

steamboats

[nbist]

Agree with Steve regarding the train from Munich to Passau rather than attempting to catch up with Uniworld's transfer.

 

Thank you Steamboats for your guidance. As we do not have any experience with German trains I have been studying the website and still have a few questions that I hope you will be gracious enough to answer. We plan to take the late morning direct RE train on a Sunday. 1) Is the Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket (good on the weekend only) the same as the Bayern-Ticket? 2) Is it possible to reserve specific seats on the RE trains (I only see this option on the ICE trains). 3) If specific seat assignment is not possible should we be concerned regarding crowded trains and not finding seats on the weekend? 4) First class is about 3x the cost of 2nd class. What are the differences between first and 2nd class on the RE trains? Might it be worth it if we are schlepping luggage and inexperienced train travelers, or am I worrying unnecessarily?

 

Thanks again for your help. We are very much looking forward to our visit to Munich in October. Nbist

[steamboats]

Nbist,

 

1) Schönes Wochenende Ticket and Bayern Ticket are different tickets. Bayern Ticket is only valid within Bavaria all week long (restrictions Mon - Fri, no time restrictions on the weekend). Schönes Wochenende Ticket is valid all over Germany but weekends only. Schönes Wochenende Ticket is 37 Euro for up to 5 adults.

 

2)/3) No there can´t be made any reservations for RE trains. Usually on the weekend there should be plenty of empty seats and if you arrive early you shouldn´t have a problem. As you have to find the track (more than 30 in Munich central station and some are in a bit remote location which includes more walking) I´d say arrive at least 30 min prior to departure.

 

4) It´s usually only have a train car reserved for first class and it´s definitely not worth the money.

 

steamboats

[nbist]

Thank you Steamboats for answering my questions so quickly. It is always nice to get answers from an expert. You have saved me both anxiety and money! Nbist

[steamboats]

Nbist,

 

I´m far away from being an expert :D! Actually I hate Deutsche Bahn (although I´m a frequent user of the Munich public transportation system). Me being an expert is more because I´m living in Munich and I´m German (so I don´t have any problems reading the German websites :rolleyes:;)).

 

steamboats

[Jesterscourt]

Steamboats, we will be spending our November 2 nights' pre-cruise at the Hilton City Center because the S-bahn from the airport stops directly beneath the hotel lobby. I am thinking about buying our Munchen to Passau tickets at the same time we buy our tickets to Munchen from the airport and hopefully the ticket agent at the train station at the airport can advise us if we should get individual tickets or a comprehensive 3-day train pass. We will also be going to Dachau and will need a more extensive metro card for this anyway. I know it is obsessive, but I like to have my tickets ahead of time. We are lucky you are a native there! However, it must be a madhouse during Oktoberfest! Steve

[steamboats]

Steve,

 

You´re absolutely correct about the Oktoberfest. I used to work only 5 min walking distance from the Oktoberfest grounds and those were the worst two weeks of the year.

 

There are two ticket counters at the airport. If you arrive with any of the Star Alliance airlines you arrive at Terminal 2. When leaving the baggage claim area (there´s only one exit) just go straight ahead and keep your eyes open. It´s not really obvious that this is a ticket counter.

 

If you arrive with any other airline you arrive at Terminal 1. Follow the signs to the Central Area (marked "Z"). There´s a large counter in the central area right at the end of the escalator leading down to the S-Bahn (suburban train).

 

As for tickets: The suburban trains are operated by Deutsche Bahn but they are part of the Munich public transportation. So you can use the MVV tickets. For the trip airport - downtown get the Partner Day Ticket whole network for EUR 18.80 (up to 5 adults). For your trip to Dachau you need a Partner Day Ticket XXL for EUR 12.30. As far as I know you have to use a bus from Dachau train station to the Concentration Camp site. At the Central Train station you´ll find lots of ticket machines which do have a English language option. But you can also ask for the Bayern Ticket at the airport.

 

steamboats

[caviargal]

I find the DB website incredibly easy to use and have bought tickets and seat reservations online for years. And the kiosks indeed are user friendly.

[steamboats]

caviargal,

 

OMG, you´re the first person to say this!! Actually the Bahn website is easy to navigate. But it´s pretty hard to find the cheapest price. Too many offers and even the Bahn staff at the counters doesn´t know them all. There had been many tests (online and counter) and most of the time the test person wasn´t offered the cheapest ticket. Especially those Bayern and Schönes Wochenende ticket are things you need to know and which aren´t shown automatically on the website.

 

Anyway the MVV tickets for the Munich public transportation system can´t be bought online. You can buy them at the ticket machines or the counters at the airport. But don´t forget to validate the tickets (at the airport go down to the train station and look for the blue boxes where you can stamp your ticket. They are usually marked with an "E" on yellow ground).

 

steamboats

[caviargal]

steamboats, perhaps that is because I have to deal with others that are so not friendly, like Trenitalia.:)

 

I buy long distance tickets when they go on sale 92 days out to get the best prices. Waiting now to buy some in a week for my trip in November.

[dlhamlten]

Steamboats :

Thanks for being a great resource to this Thread.

 

We are arriving at the Munich Airport on a Wednesday morning @ 8AM and plan to go directly from there to Salzburg where we will stay for three nights before heading for Vienna.

 

I know we will have to get from the Airport to Downtown and transfer, but my question is do we have to buy Tickets for each separate leg; or is it possible to buy a ticet at the Airport for Vienna with a layover in Salzburg ? Can / should it be purchased in advance ? Are tickets for specific Departure Times, or can they be open-ended ?

 

Do you happen to know the best Train Station in Vienna nearest to the The Imperial Riding School Renaissance Vienna Hotel and also which of the Vienna Docks Grand Circle ships most often use ?

 

Thanks in advance. :)

[steamboats]

dlhamlten,

 

You should be able to get a ticket from the airport to Salzburg (without needing a separate ticket for the Munich public transportation). But it´s not possible to buy a ticket to Vienna and take a break in Salzburg for a couple of days. It might also be cheaper to buy the ticket from Salzburg to Vienna in Austria. But I´m not sure about this. Check with the Austrian railways website.

 

Grand Circle should dock at Handelskai (subway stop Vorgartenstrasse). Check out Wiener Linien for public transportation in Vienna. The closest stop to your hotel seems to be the Metropolitan railway at Rennweg. You can go two stops to Praterstern and change there into the subway to Vorgartenstrasse. Check here for a map. Seems like all trains are going to Westbahnhof (western station). There you have to change.

 

steamboats

[nbist]

Steamboats, Your latest response brought up another question (sorry to be so stupid!). I purchased my Bayern ticket on-line and have printed it out. It says I need to present it with my CC used for purchase and ID - simple enough. But, do I also need to validate the printed ticket before boarding the train?

 

Thanks again!

 

Nbist

[dlhamlten]

dlhamlten,

 

You should be able to get a ticket from the airport to Salzburg (without needing a separate ticket for the Munich public transportation). But it´s not possible to buy a ticket to Vienna and take a break in Salzburg for a couple of days. It might also be cheaper to buy the ticket from Salzburg to Vienna in Austria. But I´m not sure about this. Check with the Austrian railways website.

 

Grand Circle should dock at Handelskai (subway stop Vorgartenstrasse). Check out Wiener Linien for public transportation in Vienna. The closest stop to your hotel seems to be the Metropolitan railway at Rennweg. You can go two stops to Praterstern and change there into the subway to Vorgartenstrasse. Check here for a map. Seems like all trains are going to Westbahnhof (western station). There you have to change.

 

steamboats

 

Thanks for your prompt and informative reply. I will do some research on the sites you suggested.

 

While we plan to use Public Transportation to a large extent once we have no luggage to handle, I was wondering how plentiful and cheap the taxis would be from the Vienna Train Station to the Imperial Hotel ?

[caviargal]

Steamboats :

Thanks for being a great resource to this Thread.

 

We are arriving at the Munich Airport on a Wednesday morning @ 8AM and plan to go directly from there to Salzburg where we will stay for three nights before heading for Vienna.

 

I know we will have to get from the Airport to Downtown and transfer, but my question is do we have to buy Tickets for each separate leg; or is it possible to buy a ticet at the Airport for Vienna with a layover in Salzburg ? Can / should it be purchased in advance ? Are tickets for specific Departure Times, or can they be open-ended ?

 

Do you happen to know the best Train Station in Vienna nearest to the The Imperial Riding School Renaissance Vienna Hotel and also which of the Vienna Docks Grand Circle ships most often use ?

 

Thanks in advance. :)

 

You cannot buy a ticket with a "layover" for a trip 3 days later.

 

The lowest cost tickets are specific to the train they are purchased for while the pricier options are flexible. We save up to 70% by using advance purchase fares.

 

We have never had issues with finding a taxi at the main station in Vienna.

 

You might check into the Salzburger Meitwagen, a shared transfer service I have used a number of times with good results to get from MUC to my hotel in Salzburg.

[dlhamlten]

You cannot buy a ticket with a "layover" for a trip 3 days later.

 

The lowest cost tickets are specific to the train they are purchased for while the pricier options are flexible. We save up to 70% by using advance purchase fares.

 

We have never had issues with finding a taxi at the main station in Vienna.

 

You might check into the Salzburger Meitwagen, a shared transfer service I have used a number of times with good results to get from MUC to my hotel in Salzburg.

 

Thank You for your input, CAVIARGAL.:) I have checked out the Meitwagen site and it looks like their shared Transfer Service from MUC to Salzburg would be about 49 Euros per person altho I am GermanLanguage Challenged !

 

We have no problem negotiating the Train alternative especially because I have made reservations at the Ramada City Center which I understand is located across from the Salzburg Train Station and will be convenient for further connections. However, plenty of time to change strategy.......

[caviargal]

If I may make the suggestion for you to reconsider your hotel choice as I would not personally stay at this Ramada as its location is not particularly pleasant.

 

Salzburg is small and easy to get around. It is one of my favorite cities in Europe and I have been a number of times with a return trip booked in 3 months.

 

There are SO many nicer areas to stay and the buses run from the station to many points near hotels so if a taxi is an issue, this would be easy.

 

If you want a modern hotel in a better location, look at the NH Salzburg, also a good value. We stay at the Sheraton but have also stayed at the Stadtkrug and quite enjoyed it.

 

In the alstadt, Goldene Ente and Weisse Taub are reasonably priced and both very good options.

 

As for the Meitwagen, on the trains there are advance fares as low as 19E and others over 30E so the price differential may be worth the convenience.

[steamboats]

Steamboats, Your latest response brought up another question (sorry to be so stupid!). I purchased my Bayern ticket on-line and have printed it out. It says I need to present it with my CC used for purchase and ID - simple enough. But, do I also need to validate the printed ticket before boarding the train?

 

Nbist,

 

No, train tickets don´t have to be validated prior to boarding the train. There´s a conductor who is checking your ticket (and your CC).

 

It´s just the tickets for the MVV (Munich public transportation system) which have to be validated. At the suburban trains and the subways you have to validate them prior to boarding. On busses and trams you´ll find the blue boxes inside.

 

steamboats

[LuckyJ]

Sorry if this is out of this subject but all the talk on the trains I thought maybe I could get some help?? My DH and I are doing a AMA Christmas tour from Prague to Budapest but we would like to fly into munich and stay a few days then train to Dresden a day and then on to Prague. We will spend a day in Budapest a day extra then train to Garmisch staying a few days then back to Munich sorry this is sooo long. Is making the train reservations easy online or do I need to have a Travel agent do it and. I need all the help I can get. Thanks for all the help.

Janet

[steamboats]

Janet,

 

reservations are easy online using the Deutsche Bahn website.

 

The only trip which is concerning me is the Budapest - Garmisch one. You might get a cheapter ticket in Budapest (instead of booking online). And it´s a really long trip. I´m not sure whether I want to do this in one day.

 

With all your train trips it might be cheaper to get a Euro Rail ticket.

 

steamboats

[caviargal]

Sorry if this is out of this subject but all the talk on the trains I thought maybe I could get some help?? My DH and I are doing a AMA Christmas tour from Prague to Budapest but we would like to fly into munich and stay a few days then train to Dresden a day and then on to Prague. We will spend a day in Budapest a day extra then train to Garmisch staying a few days then back to Munich sorry this is sooo long. Is making the train reservations easy online or do I need to have a Travel agent do it and. I need all the help I can get. Thanks for all the help.

Janet

 

Janet, I book online all the time. Here is the link in English: http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en?rt=1&

 

Open an account, then start booking your tickets by typing in the to and from destinations, times. I always choose "Choose Fast Connections" as I am not interested in the slower regional trains, though they are often cheaper.

 

This year we purchased a Germany and Austria Selectpass for 5 days of travel in 1st class. It works well for us and we have used them before.

 

I agree about the day trip to Budapest. It is a LONG trip and there are many very nice places to see that are closer.

[LuckyJ]

Thanks to

Steamboats and Caviargal

 

Our cruise ends in Budapest, Si what I really wanted to do is be as close to Basel because there is a great Dollhose and Toy Museum there and this is my hobby I built dollhouse. How long is the train ride?

Thanks for all your help!

Janet

[caviargal]

llhouse. How long is the train ride?

Thanks for all your help!

Janet

 

Put in the cities and it will give you options based on class of service and departure times.

 

Have a great trip!

[Jesterscourt]

Can someone please describe the vehicle that Uniworld uses from the airport to Passau? is it a smaller shuttle or minivan or an actual bus with a bathroom? Is the route somewhat scenic or mostly autobahn? This may help in the decision to take the train...