First trip to Germany

[pnepaul]

Actually I am going to Frankfurt, I have booked the Premier Inn for the beginning of May. I will have 3 days to experience German trains. As you may imagine I have a couple of questions!

1 What is the best website to pre book tickets

2 I would like to travel ( if possible) the classic Rhine River. Rhineland route - how would I do that from Frankfurt?

3 I would also like to sample the ICE trains - I have in mind Frankfurt to Munich and back, but am open to other suggestions. I have budgeted for First class, but is it worth it?

4 My knowledge of German is minimal, will this be a hindrance?

Thanks in anticipation for your answers.

 

[cactustwirly]

Actually I am going to Frankfurt, I have booked the Premier Inn for the beginning of May. I will have 3 days to experience German trains. As you may imagine I have a couple of questions!

1 What is the best website to pre book tickets

2 I would like to travel ( if possible) the classic Rhine River. Rhineland route - how would I do that from Frankfurt?

3 I would also like to sample the ICE trains - I have in mind Frankfurt to Munich and back, but am open to other suggestions. I have budgeted for First class, but is it worth it?

4 My knowledge of German is minimal, will this be a hindrance?

Thanks in anticipation for your answers.

The best website is definitely DB (bahn.com)

The Rhine route is used by intercity services towards Cologne via Koblenz (IC services are LHCS)

For the true high speed experience I would try the High Speed line to Cologne, (maybe combine with the Rhine route)

No this shouldn't be a problem, most people should speak English

 

[Spamcan81]

1. For my 2018 German trip I used DB's own booking site.
https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml

2.
Where on the Rhine are you thinking of travelling to?

3.
Travelled ICE 1st Class from Brussels to Köln and back. Had airline seating which I'm not keen on but seats were ok. Can't recall if there was an option to chose your seats during the booking process. Free wi-fi but strangely no charging points. At seat service for refreshments but these have to be ordered and paid for. All in all it was OK and not having travelled ICE in 2nd Class I can't if 1st was worth the extra.

4.
I speak reasonable German so I rarely have difficulty on that front but all of the staff seemed to speak a fair amount of English so you should be ok.

 

[AY1975]

4.
I speak reasonable German so I rarely have difficulty on that front but all of the staff seemed to speak a fair amount of English so you should be ok.

By and large yes, although for future reference if you ever go anywhere in the former East Germany fewer people tend to speak English there (especially older people, though younger people are just as likely to speak English as in the former West), so it's well worth polishing up your German in that case.

 

[30907]

I assume you are NOT travelling from the UK by rail, otherwise you could do the Rhine Valley and ICE that way!

First Class on a DB Fernverkehr (IC/ICE) ticket (not purely local ones - far more local trains have First than in the UK but I wouldn't bother) gives you lounge access at stations. Stations with a separate First Class selection, which includes Frankfurt and Cologne, will offer food (a sandwich or soup around lunchtime for example) and wine/beer as well as the obvious snacks and soft drinks, And I think that's a big advantage. Advance (Sparpreis) fares can be only EUR10 more for First, so very good value.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

First Class on a DB Fernverkehr (IC/ICE) ticket (not purely local ones - far more local trains have First than in the UK but I wouldn't bother) gives you lounge access at stations. Stations with a separate First Class selection, which includes Frankfurt and Cologne, will offer food (a sandwich or soup around lunchtime for example) and wine/beer as well as the obvious snacks and soft drinks, And I think that's a big advantage. Advance (Sparpreis) fares can be only EUR10 more for First, so very good value.

Super Sparpreis 1st class tickets (the cheapest advances) don't allow access to DB lounges (and other restrictions).

 

[AlexNL]

If you want to experience high speed, you could do Cologne - Frankfurt or vice versa by ICE. They do 300 km/h on that route, although a significant amount of the route is in tunnels.

For a scenic route along the Rhine, I suggest you find a way to fit either EC 8 (Zürich -> Hamburg) or EC 9 (opposite direction) in your schedule. There is a first class panorama coach in those trains, which will give you a great view.

 

[Spoorslag '70]

I assume you are NOT travelling from the UK by rail, otherwise you could do the Rhine Valley and ICE that way!

First Class on a DB Fernverkehr (IC/ICE) ticket (not purely local ones - far more local trains have First than in the UK but I wouldn't bother) gives you lounge access at stations. Stations with a separate First Class selection, which includes Frankfurt and Cologne, will offer food (a sandwich or soup around lunchtime for example) and wine/beer as well as the obvious snacks and soft drinks, And I think that's a big advantage. Advance (Sparpreis) fares can be only EUR10 more for First, so very good value.

Just be careful: The dirt-cheap "Supersparpreis" tickets no longer include lounge access! You would need the (slightly more expensive, but including a "City-Ticket") "Sparpreis" for that.

To the questions:
1. bahn.de (English avaiable, graphical seat selection, no fees, just print or bring on a mobile device)
2/3. The best way (in 1st) would be: Frankfurt-Köln-Mainz-Frankfurt (or in reverse), timing it to to get EC8 or EC9 for the Swiss panorama coach - probably the best journey I have ever had in Germany.
4. Most staff (and most punters) will try their very best - the general trend is the further east you go, the harder it gets (for historical reasons).

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Also worth knowing that on bahn.com you can specify up to 2 stopovers (with durations) on a journey.
You can save money that way instead of buying separate tickets.
You just click "change other data" on the search page and add intermediate stops.
I have done a 3-day Dusseldorf Airport-Stockholm trip on one cheap Sparpreis ticket, with overnight stops in Hamburg and Copenhagen.
For local journeys, check out the regional offers for day ranger tickets, all on bahn.com.
If you are interested in the Rhine itself and the river traffic, check out the river trips on KD:
http://kdrhine.com/rhineschedule.htm
Very attractive Koblenz-Rüdesheim past the Lorelei, with frequent trains running past on both banks.

 

[Ianno87]

For the true high speed experience I would try the High Speed line to Cologne, (maybe combine with the Rhine route)

Starts to blur the line between 'High Speed Line' and 'Big Dipper Rollercoaster'.

Find a train that doesn't stop at the intermediate stations (Montabaur and whatever the other one is called) for the best experience.

 

[Alfonso]

If first class tickets are too pricey then travelling in the bordrestaurant, bordbistro, or bar, with a glass or two of weissbier, is the way to go. Breakfast and beer are both reasonable

 

[ChiefPlanner]

If first class tickets are too pricey then travelling in the bordrestaurant, bordbistro, or bar, with a glass or two of weissbier, is the way to go. Breakfast and beer are both reasonable

With superlative (DB) coffee.....

 

[Alfonso]

With superlative (DB) coffee.....

Yes, and perhaps a currywurst

 

[duesselmartin]

Remember to have some cash on you as some shops dont take cards for small sums and/or dont support Touch and Pay

 

[telstarbox]

Get on Duolingo before you go, it's good to know a few words and people will appreciate the effort if you can say Bitte and Danke.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Yes, and perhaps a currywurst

More likely on DB the "Nuremberg sausages" with rye bread and mustard. Decent ...very decent....

 

[MarcVD]

ICE trains on the Brussels - Koln - Frankfurt have end cars that allows to see through the driving post. First class towards Frankfurt and second class towards Brussels. Ask for a seat in the "panoramic lounge" to the travel agent.

 

[Mag_seven]

ICE trains on the Brussels - Koln - Frankfurt have end cars that allows to see through the driving post.

That can't be guaranteed these days unfortunately as there is an increasing tendency for the driver to "frost" over the window so you can't see the view ahead.

 

[pnepaul]

Many thanks for all your replies. I think the EC 8 or 9 looks like an interesting journey. I shall check that one out!

 

[Rick1984]

from my own experience I'd suggest Frankfurt to Nuremberg, stopover there then lovely 5hr trip to Cologne on the IC. My twin & I had breakfast and lunch on there! lunch being a full-sized pizza and bottles of Franziskaner Weissbier , breakfast espressos and quite possibly Bratwurst. Stop in Cologne with a trip to Wuppertal suspended monorail. Then back-to-back Frankfurt on the HS line on a lovely ICE3. as we walked to buffet we looked at speed display and said "Oh, we're doing 300/kmh!" and staff carrying things on trays at same speed. Great experience but not as thrilling as you might expect.
Bayreuth is a lovely city worth a trip from Nuremberg too on a Regioswinger.
Don't worry about your German either. I can speak a little but wouldn't have been problem if I didn't know any!

 

[Bletchleyite]

That can't be guaranteed these days unfortunately as there is an increasing tendency for the driver to "frost" over the window so you can't see the view ahead.

The view is rubbish anyway, the window is very small and quite high up. It's a gimmick the first time watching the driver, but you'll get a better view out by sitting in the saloon.

 

[Rick1984]

curving round Rhine on IC from Nuremberg to Cologne (you can see tunnel headed for in distance)

Sampling the beer on said train. Also had some water apparently!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Yes, and perhaps a currywurst

My default survival kit on DB premises is a nice big bowl of Gulaschsuppe.
Works all over central Europe. Oddly I've never tried it on an MAV train.

 

[Bletchleyite]

My default survival kit on DB premises is a nice big bowl of Gulaschsuppe.
Works all over central Europe. Oddly I've never tried it on an MAV train.

DB do get the restaurant food thing very right by selling a lot of stuff that is not only OK if it's been nuked for 5 minutes before eating, but is actually improved by it. Almost all stews etc taste better the more times they've been reheated. A microwaved gristleburger will always be horrid, but microwaved stews or Bockwurst (boiled sausage) works well.

 

[rg177]

I wouldn't worry about language too much.

I've only found English knowledge to reduce to zilch in the former DDR (Along with staff friendliness).

I asked a conductor if she spoke English (in German) on a NEB train from Kosztryn to Berlin once and she seemed quite offended although my German was decent enough to request a ticket to where I wanted.

 

[Groningen]

Be glad that you do not spreak french in France. Trying is not good enough for them.

 

[duesselmartin]

I wouldn't worry about language too much.

I've only found English knowledge to reduce to zilch in the former DDR (Along with staff friendliness).

I asked a conductor if she spoke English (in German) on a NEB train from Kosztryn to Berlin once and she seemed quite offended although my German was decent enough to request a ticket to where I wanted.

Not my experience . English is less common along the elderly. Politeness varies as in all countries Lets not forget that unification was a generation ago.
Be open minded and you will be fine.

 

[rg177]

Not my experience . English is less common along the elderly. Politeness varies as in all countries Lets not forget that unification was a generation ago.
Be open minded and you will be fine.

She was just awfully snotty with me as if that was just a blatantly stupid question. I was as polite as I could be!

That said, I should say there is an exception to the comment I made above- I've found Dresden to be a very friendly city, the only German city where I've had locals randomly wish me good morning as I pass them!

But I digress, as Germany is a very large country with all sorts (and can't be that bad as I find myself constantly returning).

More relevant to the OP- Indeed the Frankfurt to Köln run via Limburg/Montabaur is the best one to go for a speedy run.

You'll find the services terminating at Köln or Düsseldorf to be quieter (I flagged an absolutely rammed Amsterdam service a couple of weeks ago and a fairly empty Düsseldorf one rolled in behind)

 

[cactustwirly]

To the OP, you will absolutely love Germany!
It along with Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic and Hungary, have a much better railway system than the UK IMO.

 

[SHD]

Be glad that you do not spreak french in France. Trying is not good enough for them.

Oh, please... not this old canard again.