NRW (Germany) ticket advice

[paddington]

Two of us will start in Amsterdam Centraal on a Saturday morning, and end at Köln Hbf on Sunday (for the night train to Vienna). Hotel probably in Cologne but not definite.

Can get an ICE from Amsterdam for €39.80 to Oberhausen (first stop in Germany) or €49.80 to Düsseldorf

We wish to go to Düsseldorf, Wuppertal, Cologne, Bonn and maybe Aachen if it's included, and may need a locker to store luggage during the day if not passing by the hotel.

There are so many tickets and zones and involve two networks VRR and VRS. I think we could just get an NRW day ticket and not think too hard, but is there a cheaper option that still covers all these cities?

 

[AlexNL]

You'll be traveling through 3 Verkehrsverbünde (VRS, VRR and AVV) if you want to visit all the cities you mentioned, so an NRW ticket is probably your best buy.

 

[Spoorslag '70]

I would get the ICE to Oberhausen (not worth the extra 10€ if you get a dayticket anyway) and would get a SchönerTagTicker NRW in the Group version for 45€, valid for up to 5 adults in all public transport (excluding ICEs and ICs) in NRW (bring a pen (to write the names on it) and some form of ID with you). Visit Düsseldorf and Wuppertal (RE5 or RE19 from Oberhausen to Düsseldorf, spend some time there; RE13, RE4 (or S8 if you have a long wait) to Wuppertal) and then travel down to Köln. Spend the night there (or in Bonn etc.) and you can do Köln and Bonn with a VRS group dayticket in Preisstufe 4 for 26,50€.
You can get the fist one at all DB TVMs and the second one at TVMs in the VRS area only.
There are lockers at all major stations, mostly taking coins only.

 

[AlexNL]

It might be worth to plan your journey up front, and then playing with the intermediate stops functionality on the Deutsche Bahn website to get the route and trains that you want. You're not bound to any specific trains (Zugbindung) if you use Regionalverkehr (S, RB, RE) for your journeys within NRW.

For example, you can buy a ticket from Amsterdam to Bonn with a long stop in Wuppertal-Oberbarmen (which gives you ample time to explore the Schwebebahn!), which might be more price efficient than buying Amsterdam - Oberhausen and then using NRW tickets.

 

[30907]

It might be worth to plan your journey up front, and then playing with the intermediate stops functionality on the Deutsche Bahn website to get the route and trains that you want. You're not bound to any specific trains (Zugbindung) if you use Regionalverkehr (S, RB, RE) for your journeys within NRW.

For example, you can buy a ticket from Amsterdam to Bonn with a long stop in Wuppertal-Oberbarmen (which gives you ample time to explore the Schwebebahn!), which might be more price efficient than buying Amsterdam - Oberhausen and then using NRW tickets.

Good suggestion, Aachen via Bonn works for example. However, the NRW ticket covers all local public transport, including the Schwebebahn, the Solingen bimode trolleybus etc., so there's a balance to be struck.

 

[paddington]

Thanks for all input.

It might be worth to plan your journey up front, and then playing with the intermediate stops functionality on the Deutsche Bahn website to get the route and trains that you want. You're not bound to any specific trains (Zugbindung) if you use Regionalverkehr (S, RB, RE) for your journeys within NRW.

For example, you can buy a ticket from Amsterdam to Bonn with a long stop in Wuppertal-Oberbarmen (which gives you ample time to explore the Schwebebahn!), which might be more price efficient than buying Amsterdam - Oberhausen and then using NRW tickets.

I'm looking at the first day, where we go from Amsterdam to Cologne. As you suggested I tried adding some intermediate points on the DB website, but there is a max of 2 stops. This is one of the itineraries it gives:

0805-1020 ICE Amsterdam-Düsseldorf Hbf
1030-1051 S8 Düsseldorf Hbf-Wuppertal Vohwinkel
(bus or walk)
1101-1132 Schwebebahn Vohwinkel-Oberbarmen
1138-1233 RB48 Wuppertal Oberbarmen-Köln Hbf


1) We must take the ICE at 0805, but after that we can take any trains? How strictly do we need to adhere to the route? (specific questions follow)


2) Do we have to take the S8 from Düsseldorf to Wuppertal or can we take RE4 / RE13? Would the route number be printed on the ticket?


3) 30907 suggested the Solingen trolleybus.
On the final leg the RB48 stops at Solingen Hbf.
Can we break the journey there to go into town and then resume later?
(Obviously need another ticket for bus - I see Preisstufe A2 4er is 10c cheaper than 24-hr ticket for 2 ppl!)


4) For this itinerary, I chose both termini of the Schwebebahn as the intermediate points in order to get it included in the ticket, but is this necessary?
If I choose W-Oberbarmen and Solingen Mitte as the intermediate ponits, can we still get off at W-Vohwinkel and take the Schwebebahn to the other end without buying another ticket?

Going via Solingen Mitte (S7 + RB48 instead of RB48 the whole way) will include the Müngstener Brücke and I believe Mitte is closer to the town centre too.

 

[30907]

Once you have left the ICE you can use any S/RB/RE on your route.

The ticket itself (the top bit) will probably just say Duesseldorf - NV - Koeln. Make sure your printed itinerary comes out with the routes you want to use, just in case of onboard checks, if necessary use the "take later train" facility at a change point to make sure you get exactly what you want.

Specifically:
you don't need to specify Vohwinkel and Oberbarmen - without checking, just the latter should do the trick.
you can certainly break your journey en route, and Solingen Mitte is much more central than Hbf, which IIRC used to be called S-Ohligs as there was a Hbf terminus in the town centre. Solingen town centre was drastically replanted in 1944-45 with predictable results.

Obviously your DB ticket doesn't cover the Schwebebahn or the trolleybuses.

 

[paddington]

The ticket itself (the top bit) will probably just say Duesseldorf - NV - Koeln.

Nope, it says Amsterdam to Wuppertal!
Via Arnhem, Oberhausen, D-Hbf and NV

The itinerary shows the regional trains to Koeln so hopefully that will be fine.

you don't need to specify Vohwinkel and Oberbarmen - without checking, just the latter should do the trick.

Obviously your DB ticket doesn't cover the Schwebebahn or the trolleybuses.

Maybe you missed what I wrote, it does cover the Schwebebahn.

That was the reason for specifying those two stations as the stopover points.... the itinerary says SCHW-B between Vohwinkel and Oberbarhmen.

 

[blackfive460]

1138-1233 RB48 Wuppertal Oberbarmen-Köln Hbf

If you can manage to work it so that you take the preceding RB48; 11:13 Wuppertal Oberbarmen - Köln Hbf 12:05 you should get the NatEx Ersatzzug (loco hauled stock rather than an EMU) with, most likely, 110 469.
Perhaps go through to Wuppertal Hbf from Düsseldorf and get the Schwebebahn to Oberbarmen from there?
Just a thought for something a bit more interesting...

 

[30907]

Nope, it says Amsterdam to Wuppertal!
Via Arnhem, Oberhausen, D-Hbf and NV

The itinerary shows the regional trains to Koeln so hopefully that will be fine.



Maybe you missed what I wrote, it does cover the Schwebebahn.

That was the reason for specifying those two stations as the stopover points.... the itinerary says SCHW-B between Vohwinkel and Oberbarhmen.

I beg your pardon! Integrated transport at its best.