Travel in Germany: Car or Train?

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!

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.

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

.

Click to expand...

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?

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

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?

Click to expand...

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

thheath said:

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

Click to expand...

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!!!!!

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.

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.

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

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!

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...

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.

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...

Click to expand...

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"!

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.

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....)