Train travel in Germany

[WinkyTinky]

Hopefully off to Germany with my two kids next week and am trying to organise trips from Dusseldorf to Cologne and Dortmund, but the trains look expensive. I was hoping for some kind of day passes to hop on and off the trains but I can't find anything like this. Do I book ahead to get cheaper tickets? Or just pay on the day when we decide what we're doing? Any advice or experience please?

Avoid the high-speed ICEs. Use the RE (regional express) and S-Bahn trains. I think you can buy a family ticket. See here for details: www.vrr.de

I think this is the sort of the thing you are looking for, the "City Ticket". You can also book general tickets on the site. If it shows in German there is a language selector on the top right.

https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/to-and-from-station/city-ticket

Keep in mind German trains are now worse for delays/cancellations than UK trains.

And remember these cities are well-connected public transport wise. Bonn is nearby too.

You want a Germany ticket. Unlimited travel on stopping trains

int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket

I'm trying to understand it all! So @StamppotAndGravy can I get from Dusseldorf to Cologne on non-IC trains if I get the 49 euro ticket for me and DS16?! Presumably DS12 doesn't need one?

I would just buy individual tickets. As you really want to be on the ice or ic trains. For example if I look today the only train I can get Köln to Düsseldorf is the ICE as all the others unavailable.
Plus regional can take a lot longer.

I think children over 6 usually need a ticket

I think I'm going to stick with the ICE as it's more straightforward, and I think the kids will enjoy the speed!

You can just buy zone tram and tube tickets for the days you stay in koln. I think 1b covers all Köln.

German trains are appalling right now. It’s a national embarrassment. You might be lucky, but when things do fall apart they go badly badly wrong. But you’re not going big distances so it might well work. If you get the DB app or look online, then look for the Supersaver tickets - they‘re pretty cheap but have zero flexibility. Most people who travel regularly will have a Bahncard and thus pay 25% or 50% less, so I suppose the full prices are comparatively expensive. When enquiring about tickets on the app you give in the travellers‘ ages, so it will automatically calculate any family discounts.
The Deutschland ticket is NOT supposed to be for tourists, it’s a long-term thing for residents. You might technically be able to do it, but there will be a fair bit of bureaucracy involved in setting up the contract and they will expect you to have a German bank account.

We were there for the Euros and the trains were always late or cancelled. There are no ticket barriers or ticket inspections so it functions as a free for all!

I was in Germany last week and the trains seemed fine and well run, excellent really, no delays or cancellations on the board, good frequency, stations running well, clean, plenty of space. Of course it could be regional.

You have to remember who you're talking to @LadyGreySpillsTheTea (and @TheNoonBell) , in the UK our expectations about trains are on the floor, so almost any other country's trains seem spectacular compared to ours.

Yes, I've heard that the transport system isn't as good as it used to be. I visited Berlin but that was about 20 years ago now, and it was so good, it's made me want to go back. Then I hear from everyone who's been recently that it's rubbish now! Oh well, we'll just make the best of it. Thanks for all the advice everyone.

You have to have a subscription, per person, and cancel it by 10th of the month (for the following month IIRC) so minimum 2monts.
You can ger Schönen Tag tickets. Valid after 9am to 3am

The Berlin public transport really isn’t bad at all, although the S-Bahn is run by a subsidiary of DB and hence less good than it should be. But overall it’s an excellent network and well worth a monthly ticket.

@Bjorkdidit That‘s the weird thing, we‘ve holidayed in the UK (Scotland) now two years running and the trains have been remarkably good - perhaps because we had such low expectations.
We still use DB once or twice a year if we have to, but we tend to book 1st class Supersaver tickets so if the train gets slower and slower along the route - a DB speciality - at least you have comfy seats. PS the mainline IC trains from Amsterdam to Berlin via Hanover are catastrophic, don’t assume they will turn up on time, or indeed at all.

We went by rail from Amsterdam to Kiel and back 2 years ago and we still have nightmares about the journey! Booked with DB first class tickets which included ICE trains. Only one of the 4 legs out went as booked (the first from Amsterdam). 2 nd train cancelled. Replacement stopped part way and we were all turfed out. Ended up having to get really crowded regional trains the rest of the way with another couple of cancellations. Coming back was worse. Total nightmare journey (and to top it off KLM cancelled our flight home). Luckily the cruise in between was great!

Cologne to Düsseldorf (and reverse) has a fair few options. I wouldn't use the ICE because the price is disproportionate to the benefit IMO. And it's also not used at full speed I think. (I used to be a weekly commuter between Dus & Frankfurt - after Köln is where is gets REALLY fast.

I'd get the schöner Tag tickets for between town travel on some days. And deffo go to Wuppertal for the Schwebebahn* If you can. If you like zoos there's is pretty good too.

What do you call it in English? I have no idea.
Also if you download the DB app and your phone's language setting is English, it will show in English afaik

Just use the local network, the ICEs are likely to be delayed because they are long distance.

I was in the Cologne area fairly recently and the local trains were fine, a few minutes delay at most.

Yes the Schwebebahn is definitely worth a ride (not sure how to say it in English either - suspended railway?). There's a little one in Dresden too, which I hadn't realised until I was there recently. In fact I should have known because I had a photo taken of it back in the late 90s but somehow I had completely forgotten! Wuppertal is a cause of amusement in our house due to our friend's English satnav pronunciation of it :)

@Brefugee Thank you so much! The SchonerTag ticket looks perfect. Decision made! 😁

Do I just buy this from the station? I would buy online but not sure yet whether we will be using it on the Friday or the Saturday...

The Wuppertal thing is a suspension railway

One of the nicknames UK railway enthusiasts give it is "the Danglebahn".

I would book seats in advance if possible. Last time I got a ticket on the day in Germany there were no seats left on the train. We were stuck standing for the first hour and then luckily got seats in a cafe car for the second hour.

You can get them from ticket machines and manned ticket offices. The machines can be confusing, but they are in English if you want.

Make sure not to use it before 9an.and you have to write all travellers' names on it before you travel