# Travel in Germany: Car or Train?



## Enrico (Jul 17, 2009)

I can't decide on whether to rent a car or do the train while traveling in Germany.  We fly to Hamburg to see friends, then have a week on our own to return for our friend"s wedding. I've looked at the RailEurope 4 day Germany rail pass...this would get us from Hamburg to Munich and back; then also afford us a couple of day trips to Salzburg and one other locale. Cost for the four of us would be $780. They make a big deal of making reservations for the train legs. Is it necessary? If so, that adds $44 to each leg, so another $176.

I have couple of cars reserved.... a mid-size wagon (Puegot) with Avis for $462 and full size wagon (Mercedes) with National for $541; both for 8 days. I exhausted just about every car rental site and those were the best prices.

Any thoughts or comments appreciated. We leave on 7/28...coming up quick!


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## Talent312 (Jul 17, 2009)

I've travelled thru Germany 3x.
Twice, we did the rail-thing and were quite pleased with the experience.  We were able to go pretty much wherever we wanted, the stations were centrally located and there were plenty of decent hotels in walking distance.  All in all, a great way to travel.

Reserved seats, even if not technically required, are worth the expense due to the peace-of-mind.  However, point-to-point tickets may save you money.  Check out http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/d

The last time, we rented a car to tavel to some lesser known locales for their local wine-fests, and it was great having a set a wheels to tour the countryside.  So, if you have an interest in seeing more rural areas, then just as in the States, a car is essential.


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## Enrico (Jul 17, 2009)

Talent312 said:


> ....
> 
> Reserved seats, even if not technically required, are worth the expense due to the peice-of-mind.  However, point-to-point tickets may save you money.  Check out http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/d
> 
> .



I've tried the DB Bahn site, but I get very expensive results when I enter a round trip from Hamburg to Munich....1,000+ Euro.  Am I missing something?


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## Ireland'sCall (Jul 17, 2009)

If you like driving......a large part of the autobahn system has no speed limit still...and  me.... I would hire a BMW  5 ..
G


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## Talent312 (Jul 17, 2009)

Enrico said:


> I've tried the DB Bahn site, but I get very expensive results when I enter a round trip from Hamburg to Munich....1,000+ Euro.  Am I missing something?



Probably. Well, that would be the price for a group of four.
I just priced a R/T for 1 adult and got a price of 254 Euro (w/o BahnCard).


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## ScoopKona (Jul 17, 2009)

I like the convenience of a rail pass. It's not the most economical option (usually). But I'd rather look out the window at the scenery than drive.


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## Carolinian (Jul 18, 2009)

I have had many trips to Germany, and almost always drive.  There are lots of interesting places that you can only get to by car, such as castles.  You miss a lot if you only travel by train.  You also have more schedule freedom.  If you are only going to cities, train might be a better deal.  If my trip to Germany does not involve a lot of local sights, then I do use the trains.


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## zazz (Jul 18, 2009)

I have driven and I have taken the train.  Unless I am doing "off the beaten path" locations I would take the train.  

Driving was a hassle for me. The car could end up being more than the price of the train because of the gas prices.  I think the engines are governed on the rental cars such that I couldn't get the thing over 90mph, so forget about speed racing on the autobahn.  One section of the A38 was closed for construction and just as I pulled off the freeway into some small town a speed camera was there bagging everyone doing over 40 kph.  So I got a $30 fine for that.  Almost ran out of gas in Munich because I couldn't find a gas station on the approach to town.

Have you looked at an airline like Air Berlin?  Sometimes the discount carriers over there have some real steals.


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## Patri (Jul 18, 2009)

Ah, the Hamburg train station. I spent a year in Europe in college, and the Hamburg station was the connecting point for all of our train trips. I was pretty travel savvy back then. Not sure how I'd manage today. And of course, we made no reservations.


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## x3 skier (Jul 18, 2009)

*European Car Delivery*

Too bad you did not look into European Delivery of a BMW or Mercedes or ?. You could have saved a bunch of money and get a new car to boot.

I did it back in 04 and loved the driving in my own vehicle.

Cheers


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## thheath (Jul 18, 2009)

If you want to tour sites in the larger cities only then the train would be the best option considering traffic and parking.  Visiting sites outside the cities are best done by car as others have mentioned.

A couple of things to consider for your planning:

Traveling with American (large) or multiple pieces of luggage is a hassle on the train.

Driving/touring to Munich or especially Salzburg from Hamburg via auto within a week timeframe is too much in my option.  It of course can be done but you'll spend a lot of wasted hours driving.  Driving the autobahn in Germany is not like the interstate in the US.  The autobahn is normally crowded (lots of EU trucks) and comes to a standstill at times around major cities.  Driving the autobahn is more like driving on the Jersey turnpike and Garden State parkway in most areas.

I love Germany and have visited many times but have learned to try and not pack too much into a single trip; slow down, relax and enjoy the weisen beer.


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## thheath (Jul 18, 2009)

PS:  Yes I would pay for reservations if you aren't familiar with German train travel.  Going from car to car, dragging luggage and trying to find a seat is a pain; especially if traveling during commuter times.  Traveling from Hamburg to Munich the seat that you are sitting in might turn into a reserved seat for someone else half way through your trip.  With a reservation you know exactly what car and what seat you will have for the entire trip and it takes the stress out of traveling.  If you are day tripping then I would not worry about a reservation.


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## Enrico (Jul 20, 2009)

Thanks for all of the replies and suggestions.  I'm going with the car rental to provide a bit more freeedom of movement.  Hamburg-to-Munich & Munich-to-Hamburg will be straight shots....we have week at the Munich Marriott all set.  From there, days trips to Salzburg & Nuschwanstein Castle for sure....maybe another small town venture.  The rest of the time in & around Munich via local train/subway system.


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## zazz (Jul 20, 2009)

Good enough.  One piece of advice, carry cash.  A few of the gas stations along the freeway from Berlin-Munich did not accept credit cards.


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## thheath (Jul 20, 2009)

I would be interested in reading about your trip after you return.  I love Germany and have good friends there.


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## Enrico (Jul 20, 2009)

thheath said:


> I would be interested in reading about your trip after you return.  I love Germany and have good friends there.



Thanks, will do on the trip report.  Our main reason for going is to attend the wedding of a former exchange student ( through Rotary) that we hosted in the mid 90's.  We have remained very close to him over the years....his parents have been to the USA twice and we hosted them in our home for a portion of their stay both times.  Now they get to return the favor!  

Our week in Munich will be on our own (wife & two children)...mainly to take advantage of Marriott points built up and to stay out of their hair before the wedding.  We return the day before the special event.  The following three days we will tour the northern part of the country with them, as they want to show us around Hamburg and Berlin.

In September, the newlyweds with vacation in the USA for 20 days.  They begin their honeymoon in Miami and end up where else(?)....our house for the last 5 days!!!!!


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## Patty (Jul 21, 2009)

Rent a car.  Take off on some back roads if you have time and be amazed by what you see.  We lived in Germany five years and loved it.


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## hibbeln (Jul 22, 2009)

The advice to take cash is excellent!  We found (last summer) that in Bavaria (once you wander south of Munich) that CASH ONLY restaurants were the exception rather than the rule.  Assume that anyplace that is cute and local and has good prices is going to be cash only.


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## bevans (Jul 22, 2009)

My wife and I went to Europe in April and rented a car in France and drove from there into Germany (Black Forest) into Belgium and back to France to drop off the car. I would do this again in a heartbeat as it enabled us to stop when and where we wanted. The only advice I would give you is get GPS in the car or buy a portable and take it with you. Europe has a lot of roundabouts and you really need this device to keep you on tract or help you get back on tract. Our car came with it and even though I took Michelin maps they were only so much help, especially when you want to get off the beaten path. Curt


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## hibbeln (Jul 22, 2009)

We did fine with maps in Germany.
Our car actually came with a GPS unit, but we didn't realize it until AFTER we had driven away.  We tried and tried but could never get the language switched to English so it was no use for us.
So check BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE RENTAL CAR PLACE if you have GPS (a LOT of the rental cars in Germany do) and get the language switched to English!


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## thheath (Jul 22, 2009)

Quote: "Our week in Munich will be on our own (wife & two children)...mainly to take advantage of Marriott points built up and to stay out of their hair before the wedding.  We return the day before the special event.  The following three days we will tour the northern part of the country with them, as they want to show us around Hamburg and Berlin."

Reply: I still think that driving from Hamburg to Munich (8+- hours w/stops) is going to be a bummer, especially with with 2 kids in the car.  Effectively you are spending 2 days out of a weeks (5-7?) vacation on the crowded autobahn.  Last year I drove from just north of Munich to Siena for a week in Italy and it was too much and I didn't have kids in the car...


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## toontoy (Jul 22, 2009)

You should get a german Rail Pass, this is valid for a number of days on the train and you don't have to pay surcharges for the ICE, this is considerably less than buying individual train tickets. raileurope.com has some options. I have been to germany multiple times and lived there and found the train to be very relaxing and usually faster from city center to city center without trying to find a place to park.


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## Enrico (Jul 22, 2009)

thheath said:


> Quote: "Our week in Munich will be on our own (wife & two children)...mainly to take advantage of Marriott points built up and to stay out of their hair before the wedding.  We return the day before the special event.  The following three days we will tour the northern part of the country with them, as they want to show us around Hamburg and Berlin."
> 
> Reply: I still think that driving from Hamburg to Munich (8+- hours w/stops) is going to be a bummer, especially with with 2 kids in the car.  Effectively you are spending 2 days out of a weeks (5-7?) vacation on the crowded autobahn.  Last year I drove from just north of Munich to Siena for a week in Italy and it was too much and I didn't have kids in the car...



Tough call between the two and I've thought of the pros and cons of both modes of travel.  I use the term "children" loosely....two girls ages 20 and 16; so not a problem in the car.  I figure time wise to be about a push...but if your 8+- hours via car is accurate, a bit longer by car.  Approximately 470 miles via Mapquest.  Bullet is bit...I'll have to live with it.  Turns out to be a real "bummer", I let you say "I told you so"!


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## thheath (Jul 23, 2009)

Sorry, I should have let it go but I learned my lesson last year and was trying to pass along my experience.

Here is a better mapping service that will take into account the German road conditions:

http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/int/tpl/hme/MaHomePage.htm

Hamburg - München 
71.28 EUR 
Toll 0.00 EUR | Petrol 71.28 EUR  | Road tax EUR 
Time 06h50 which 06h29 on motorways 
Distance 776 km which 763 km on motorways 

I figure with a stop for lunch and gas it will put you close to the 8+- hours.

Enjoy yourself and take tons of pictures.


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## hibbeln (Jul 23, 2009)

But maybe the autobahn will clear off and you will get to put the pedal to the metal and get there super fast!  :whoopie: 
Last summer we drove a longish-trip on the autobahn and it was a nightmare, but it was the ABahn between Munich and Salzburg and *it was the first day of summer vacation for the kids in Germany *(oops) so it was all campers with bikes on the back crawling along.  This was sometime during the first week of August.  2 days later we drove the *exact same route *but *further* (all the way to Salzburg) and FLEW there and then back again in the evening.  So it's kind of hit or miss.

Just enjoy your time in the car with the "kids".  We always lapse into some interesting conversations.  Something about the car seems to make everyone open up so much.

Heath, you must be spoiled by Kauai and the short distances to drive!   
I think in general most Americans are comfortable with an 8+ hour drive.  Ever since we drove out to Yellowstone my kids positively think that anything under 16 hours of driving is "an easy day".  We have to drive 5.5 hours just to visit family in our same state.  (OK, but hubby grumbles about that....)


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## Enrico (Jul 23, 2009)

thheath said:


> Sorry, I should have let it go but I learned my lesson last year and was trying to pass along my experience.
> 
> Here is a better mapping service that will take into account the German road conditions:
> 
> ...



No need for sorry....I appreciate your, and everyone else's input.

I'm looking at it as an adventure and honestly I don't mind driving long distances.  I do like the European "rules of the road"...had a blast driving in Spain.  I do very much enjoy driving fast (see avatar) but have no intention of doing anything stupid in a foreign country (and with family in tow).


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## nightnurse613 (Jul 24, 2009)

One or the other??!!  Did I miss something?? Why not BOTH!! Hamburg to Munich via train and then rent a car to explore Bavaria!  I love traveling on the DeutchesBahn but, there are many sights in Bavaria you will want to see and auto is a great way to travel. Salzburg (Salt Mine tour) and the Eagles Nest and the Chiemsee Lake.   Garmisch-Berchetsgarten and Oberammergau (the site of the Passion Play).  There are also two castles not too far (King Ludwig's and, of course, Neuschwanstein).  I prefer King Ludwig's castle since it was more personal and the Grotto was a hoot but Neuschwanstein, as I recall, is not that much further and the model for Disneyland.  Of course, once you are there, you could come back through the Black Forest (stopping at one of the many cuckoo clock factories).  I don't know how often you plan to return but Germany is wonderful.  My husband and I spent 8 years there (many years ago) but I would love to go back. Just keep your husband out of the BMW factory!! We traveled all over without a GPS (I still remember the first time my husband pronounced AUSFAHRT!!:hysterical:


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## Enrico (Aug 18, 2009)

*Our Trip via Car in Germany - LONG*

As promised, a post regarding our trip to Germany, specifically how it was driving from Hamburg to Munich and back instead of taking the train.  Overall a great trip and I am happy with our decision to rent a car, although at first I was not so sure.

Air portion of our trip got off to a rough start early as our 7:00PM flight from Boston to Heathrow was diverted back to Logan 40 minutes into the flight due to a flight control warning light. No quick fix available according to maintenance so there was no way we were taking that plane over the Atlantic. Crap!  Luckily there was a flight coming in from Heathrow, same exact type of aircraft (767), so American turned it over and we headed out 4 hours late.  Missed our connection in London the next morning but they put us on a Lufthansa flight which got us into Hamburg 4.5 hours later than what we were scheduled.  Could have been worse.

Our car rental was with National, but Europcar actually facilitated the transaction.  We reserved a Mercedes C-Class Wagon or similar.  Check in was quick and to my surprise we received a black C-Class wagon with 210KM on the clock....virtually brand new.  Car was great and the 6-speed manual was fun to drive.  On-board navigation system was unbelievably accurate...we hardly ever looked at a map for directions.

The route to Munich was fairly simple, pretty much Autobahn the whole way.  A7 to Wurzburg, A3 to Nurnburg, A9 to Munich.  Navigation system spit out that our door-to-door trip would be 773KM.  About what I figured, so I made a goal of trying to make it in 7 hours or so….aggressive I know but I hate stopping much (to my wife’s chagrin) and I planned on keeping a good pace.  Disappointment set in early as there was a good deal of construction on A7 which tended to bring a fair amount of traffic (including trucks) down into two VERY narrow lanes with reduce speed limits (60 – 80KMPH).  In addition, there were not a great deal of long stretches with no speed limits.  We were on about a 7.5 hour pace (without stops), but we went a bit out of our way to take in the old historic town of Rothenburg.  Worth the diversion….we walked around the town and popped into an outdoor café for a glass of wine and a snack.  Gassed up the car and continued on to Munich.  The remaining stretch from Nurnburg to Munich was a blast.  Three lanes, no speed limit for most of the stretch, light traffic.  German cars were abundant on the road all day, but we had not seen many Porsches or exotics.  Now that changed, as we were getting smoked by 911’s, Ferraris, Bentley, etc.  I kept it between 165– 175 KMPH and spent most of my time looking in the rearview mirror for approaching missiles.  Center lane most of the way, left lane to pass, get back over to avoid getting run over!  No traffic until right before our exit, so the last hour or so of the drive was easy and fun.  Left Hamburg at 11:00AM and arrived at our hotel just after 8:00PM.

We used the car every day except for our first day in Munich when we walked through the Englisher Garden all the way to the city center.  Subway back to the hotel.  Parking offsite at the Marriott Munich was easy, convenient, and free (thanks for the tip fellow Tugger Jeffrey).  All day trips from the hotel were hassle free and easily navigable thanks once again to the onboard navi system.

The drive back to Hamburg was much easier and less stressful than I anticipated.  Some of the construction areas heading north had one extra lane open, usually 2 together split by one off to the side.  Less traffic overall and it seemed like there were less speed limit zones than when heading south.  Made really good time coming back….7 hours total with a short restroom stop and sandwich eaten from the back of the wagon.  

Everything considered, I was happy with the decision to rent the car.  I did have my doubts about halfway through the journey from Hamburg to Munich when off to our right I caught a glimpse of an ICE Train heading south at a MUCH faster pace than our car!

Thanks for all of the great information and listening (reading?,  whatever….)


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