South Germany in four days

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
Yes, definitely possible. :)
Did you already planed which tickets to use? I think it is cheaper by normal tickets, not to use Interrail.

[b]Stuttgart-Heidelberg[/b]: usually I recommend the train. One-way is EUR 21 by local train. Or by Baden-Württemberg-Ticket for EUR 22. This ticket is only for local trains but you can sue as much as you want during the day. So add some extra stops on your way in Baden-Württemberg. Check the website of our friends Deutsche Bahn for details bahn.de
And I wrote usually - there is currently a bus available on this route for EUR 6 or 9: deinbus.de

[b]Heidelberg - Rothenburg ob der Tauber - Nuremberg[/b]: if you use fast IC trains, then you often travel back from Heidelberg to Stuttgart and then to Rothenburg and it is expensive (as not direct).
Buy a ticket (7 zones = all zones) of VRN. VRN is the local transportation service of the Mannheim/Heidelberg area. The ticket is EUR 9 and you can travel from Heidelberg by local train via Mosbach up to Würzburg (also worth to visit!): [u]http://www.vrn.de/vrn/tickets/tarifsystem/tarifgebiet/index.html[/u]
From there buy a Bayern Ticket (same like the Baden-Württemberg Ticket - see website of the Bahn) for EUR 22. Travel from Würzburg to Rothenburg - and from there to Nuremberg.
As it is a lot of travel, start very very early in the morning. Or add an additional stop somewhere.

[b]Nuremberg - Munich[/b]: again by Bayern Ticket for EUR 22 from Nuremberg to Regensburg (nice old town), then continue to Munich. All by local train!

[b]Munich - Füssen - Stuttgart[/b]: also a long trip ... think about the Quer-durchs-Land-Ticket of Bahn for EUR 44.

Total would be then EUR 103 (if you get the cheap bus at the beginning) compared to EUR 154 of the Interrail one country pass: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-pass-germany[/u]
But on the opposite, you have to use local, slower trains - which are usually fine on the routes you travel.
For you to calculate and to decide. :)

Peter :)

goncalosilva
Traveller
16 comments

Wow!

Thank you, Peter, for the very fast, kind are useful reply!

Yes, I was planning in going with regular train tickets. Maybe buy a weekend ticket (42€, right?), depending on the connections I'll do on the weekend. So, I don't need to buy any supplements, right? And, do I have to make the seat reservations online, or only buying the tickets at the stations is enough?

One more thing, can Heidelberg and Nuremberg be seen in one day (of course not in the same day)? For both, I intended to arrive at late afternoon and leave after lunch. Is it enough time to spend in each of these cities?

Thanks!
Greetings,
Goncalo

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

HI Goncalo.
If you travel with the weekend ticket (Schönes Wochenende Ticket) or one of these other I mentioned, it is ONLY VALID FOR LOCAL TRAINS! You can not use it on IC or ICE trains!
It is not possible to make reservations for local trains - so just buy the ticket at the station the day you start. :)
For Heildeberg don't by the weekend ticket even going there on weekend - buy the Baden-Würtemberg-Ticket it is half price. :)
One day is fine for Heidelberg and one for Nuremberg.
Peter :)

goncalosilva
Traveller
16 comments

Hey Peter,

I've decided to change a little bit my trip. I've decided to skip Heidelberg for now and I intend to go from Stuttgart at around 4pm (I work in the morning) to Rothenburg ob der Tauber and spend the night there. In the morning I travel to Nuremberg.
For the rest of the trip I will follow your advices (Bayern tickets for the Rothenberg-Nuremberg-Munich route and Quer-durchs-Land for the Munich-Füssen-Stuttgart route). But, how's the cheapest way to get to Rothenburg from Stuttgart?

Cheers,
Goncalo ;D

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi Goncalo ...
Heidelberg is also nice for a day trip from Stuttgart. With Baden-Würtemberg-Ticket in the morning to Heidelberg and in the evening back. You need the ticket only once, it is valid the whole day (from 09:00h in the morning on weekdays).
Stuttgart to Rothenburg: buy online and early, then you get a ticket for EUR 19. Just use this website: [u]https://rail.shop/bahn?l=en&s=Stuttgart&e=Rothenburg[/u]
Peter :)

goncalosilva
Traveller
16 comments

Hey Peter,

I know. I'm going to Heidelberg another weekend ;D I want to spend the whole weekend there since I have friends there.

Is there a ticket for 19€? I can only find trains with 2 or 3 connections, including bus connections.

Another thing, I've seen that from Füssen to Stuttgart I have to change trains in Augsburg and from there to Stuttgart there's only either the IC or the ICE. How can I make this with the Quer-durchs-Land ticket?

Greetings,
Goncalo

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

With Quer durchs Land Ticket or Baden Würtemberg Ticket, Bayern Ticket you can only use local/regional traffic - as you know.
Just select the option only local transport on [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux]

For Stuttgart-Rothenburg please give me the travel date and ~ time. :)

goncalosilva
Traveller
16 comments

I intend to leave Stuttgart to Rothenburg on May 8th (wednesday) during the afternoon (3-4pm).

One night there, Thursday night in Nuremberg, Friday and Satuday in Munich, Sunday morning to Füssen and return to Stuttgart in afternoon after visiting the castles.

Thanks ;D

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Too late now to get good prices for Stuttgart-Rothenburg.
Have a look here: [u]https://rail.shop/bahn?s=Stuttgart&e=Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber?l=en[/u]