European train bookings
 

Hi
I will be visiting Europe in September and travelling by train on
weekdays, using a first class Eurail Pass, between Munich and Koblenz
(9.23am departure) and Koblenz and Paris (9.16am departure). I will be
arriving in Munich two days prior to the first journey. My query is,
will it be necessary to book (and pay a huge booking fee) before I leave
NZ or is it likely there will be seats available two days prior?
Any comments appreciated.
Thanks
Spencer

European train bookings
 

Not necessary, just a comfort.


"Spencer" a écrit dans le message de groupe de discussion
: ...
Hi
I will be visiting Europe in September and travelling by train on
weekdays, using a first class Eurail Pass, between Munich and Koblenz
(9.23am departure) and Koblenz and Paris (9.16am departure). I will be
arriving in Munich two days prior to the first journey. My query is, will
it be necessary to book (and pay a huge booking fee) before I leave NZ or
is it likely there will be seats available two days prior?
Any comments appreciated.
Thanks
Spencer

European train bookings
 

"Spencer" wrote in message
...
Hi
I will be visiting Europe in September and travelling by train on
weekdays, using a first class Eurail Pass, between Munich and Koblenz
(9.23am departure) and Koblenz and Paris (9.16am departure). I will be
arriving in Munich two days prior to the first journey. My query is, will
it be necessary to book (and pay a huge booking fee) before I leave NZ or
is it likely there will be seats available two days prior?
Any comments appreciated.
Thanks
Spencer


If you have a pass, why would you not be able to book the journey now ( or
within a month of trip) w/o a booking fee?

European train bookings
 

On Fri, 21 May 2010 09:00:37 -0500, "Stephen Ellenson"
wrote:



"Spencer" wrote in message
...
Hi
I will be visiting Europe in September and travelling by train on
weekdays, using a first class Eurail Pass, between Munich and Koblenz
(9.23am departure) and Koblenz and Paris (9.16am departure). I will be
arriving in Munich two days prior to the first journey. My query is, will
it be necessary to book (and pay a huge booking fee) before I leave NZ or
is it likely there will be seats available two days prior?
Any comments appreciated.
Thanks
Spencer


If you have a pass, why would you not be able to book the journey now ( or
within a month of trip) w/o a booking fee?

We've had no trouble booking an ICEs at train stations the day
before our travel or even the same day. We were doing second
class, so I can't speak to availability of first class, but
second clas is pretty nice on an ICE, too if you were forced to
take it.

I see at http://bahn.hafas.de that there is only one direct train
from Munich to Koblenz and it's an overnighter, so it looks like
you're going to have to change trains at Cologne.

There's really no need to book tickets from NZ; get them once
you're there. Boking them from NZ will just cost more and,
depending on the site you use, offer limited choices with less
options.

Remember that when you buy your tickets you may want a seat
reservation as well, and those can be hard to get long distance.
Even with a pass, if you want a seat reservation you'll still
have to go to a ticket window at the station.



--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

European train bookings
 

On Fri, 21 May 2010 09:46:29 +1200, Spencer wroteÂ*:

Hi
I will be visiting Europe in September and travelling by train on
weekdays, using a first class Eurail Pass, between Munich and Koblenz
(9.23am departure) and Koblenz and Paris (9.16am departure). I will be
arriving in Munich two days prior to the first journey. My query is,
will it be necessary to book (and pay a huge booking fee) before I leave
NZ or is it likely there will be seats available two days prior? Any
comments appreciated.
Thanks
Spencer

Maybe you should make a reservation for the KOELN-PARIS leg as soon as
you are in Germany.

http://www.tgv-europe.com/?rfrr=Home...sh%20vers ion

European train bookings
 

On 22/05/10 05:55, JuanElorza wrote:
On Fri, 21 May 2010 09:46:29 +1200, Spencer wrote :

Hi
I will be visiting Europe in September and travelling by train on
weekdays, using a first class Eurail Pass, between Munich and Koblenz
(9.23am departure) and Koblenz and Paris (9.16am departure). I will be
arriving in Munich two days prior to the first journey. My query is,
will it be necessary to book (and pay a huge booking fee) before I leave
NZ or is it likely there will be seats available two days prior? Any
comments appreciated.
Thanks
Spencer

Maybe you should make a reservation for the KOELN-PARIS leg as soon as
you are in Germany.

http://www.tgv-europe.com/?rfrr=Home...sh%20vers ion

My son travelled on the Munich Cologne night train leg of the trip in
September two years ago. It was full. It is necessary to book a seat.
AFAIR the booking fee wasn't huge.

European train bookings
 

Thanks to all who replied. Your advice is appreciated.
Spencer

European train bookings
 

Hatunen in :

I see at http://bahn.hafas.de that there is only one direct train
from Munich to Koblenz and it's an overnighter, so it looks like
you're going to have to change trains at Cologne.

That would be a detour and a miss of one of the nicest parts of German
rails: The romantic Rhine valley between Mainz and Koblenz!

I'd propose to change trains at Frankfurt or Mainz, using an IC or even a
slower train going directly to Koblenz. Thus Spencer might enjoy the views
of the Mouse Tower on a Rhine island at Bingen and the hilly Rhine shores
including Loreley Rock and the "Cat and Mouse" castles (between others) on
the way.

Enjoy your trip!

Paul

European train bookings
 

Giovanni Drogo in
engr.vans.vg:

(Hatunen:)
I see at http://bahn.hafas.de that there is only one direct train from
Munich to Koblenz and it's an overnighter, so it looks like you're
going to have to change trains at Cologne.

Seems a strange way ... it will mean going back from Cologne to Koblenz.

That was my thought, too.

I see lot of IC trains doing Munich to Koblenz with one change either
in Frankfurt, Stuttgart or Mannheim.

That sounds reasonable, without knowing the details of the courses.

I do not know the recent patterns of service for ICs, but in
pre-unification Germany
correct description snipped

A change in that area comes from the high-speed route between Frankfurt and
Cologne, making this stretch (close to the A3 Autobahn) remarkably faster
(by at least one hour) than the traditional Rhine route via Mainz and
Koblenz. I imagine that Hatunens observation comes from this issue.

OTOH, I thought of the Thalys from Cologne to Paris, though there is a
connection Koblenz - Saarbrücken / Luxembourg - Paris, too.

However, Spencer will have a reason for his choice, whatever it is ;-

Ciao,

Paul