Germany is beautiful destination for travelers and backpackers. It has a remarkable history, unique culture, cars, highways with unlimited speed, a unique Christmas market, cities with great architecture and places full of natural beauty. It also attracts travelers who love beer, sausages and great nightlife spots. The infrastructure for traveling around in Germany is pretty well developed and here I TRAVEL FOREVER shares the best options…
Different public transportations:
Train
If you ask any local what they think about the Deutsch Bahn train, I’m pretty sure they would say annoyed ha ha. The train infrastructure in Germany is incredible and the trains offer pretty good comfort (including Wi-Fi), but sometimes, they doesn’t run as smooth as people desire considering the pretty high price you have to pay. The prices range a lot on depending on the distance; sometimes I’m surprised how cheap it is and other times I think, wow, how is this possible. If the train runs late, they have a formular that you can use to get money back, depending on how late they run – usually from 1 hour onwards, price reductions.
________
Last minute possibility: good but can be expensive
Pricing: $$ – $$$$
Website: www.db.de (Smartphone App)
Bus
The only bus service in operation to most places within Germany and around Europe is called FlixBus. My experience and feeling about it is mixed because of delays, not working Wi-FI, and high increasing prices since they are the only provider nowadays within the country. To and from main attractions, the bus runs fairly frequently and different times (low-high peak) have a different price tag. FlixBus has really increased its prices and the train might be the same.
________
Last minute possibility: pretty good
Pricing: $ – $$$
Website: www.flixbus.com (Smartphone App)
Liftshare
The Liftshare service by Blah Blah Car can be quite interesting as you can sign up through Facebook and meet the locals this way. It is a type of car sharing where people with a car offer free seats when they travel from one place to the other and look for other people who going in the same direction. This way the driver gets some money for petrol and you can go where you want for a decent price. My experience: It’s only as good as the trust you have in drivers you don’t know, so bear that in mind. A recent experience of mine was shocking, so the driver with the car didn’t turn up and when I rang he said he was at the appointment 20 minutes before appointed time, so he left and didn’t return to pick us up. I’m still currently fighting the case to get the money I already paid back.
________
Last minute possibility: pretty good if you are lucky
Pricing: $ – $$
Website: www.blahblahcar.com (Smartphone App)
Airplane
Traveling around Germany by plane may be an option but you would miss out on quite a few things if you travel a distance this way. You don’t see the countryside with the beautiful nature, fields and forests. However, if you are limited in time, this may be a good alternative to cover the desired destination. The typical German airline is Lufthansa (and used to be also Air Berlin). The flight prices have now skyrocketed since Air Berlin unfortunately went insolvent in October 2017.
________
Last minute possibility: good but can be expensive
Pricing: $ – $$$$
Website: www.skyscanner.com (Smartphone App) (I would still always check there and then check out the airline itself if the same price before booking through third party provider)
I TRAVEL FOREVER’s VIEW & RECOMMENDATION
In my opinion, I find a use for all of them depending on the situation – I like and prioritise one more than the other at different times. You have to see what is most suitable for your preference, perhaps comparing prices if you are on a budget.
How I travel depends on, if I …:
… know way in advance: My favourite option traveling within Germany is the train as it can be more comfortable than sitting on buses. When I know where I want to go in advance, I look on the train website. Sometimes I don’t know so far in advance as I most often go spontaneously for the day.
… go somewhere spontaneously within a 2-3 hour bus distance: The FlixBus bus seems to have constant prices no matter whether you book one week or the day before. This gives flexible travellers – if tickets are available – a good possibility to travel spontaneously for a decent price.
… am really flexible and organised: I first go – depending on the distance within a 3-hour range – on the Deutsche Bahn train website and to find a cheap ticket. If this doesn’t work and there are many flight connections, I check the website for a cheap plane ticket. If this doesn’t work and I urgently need to go someplace, then I check the FlixBus bus and lastly the Blah Blah Car liftshare looking to find a ride for a reasonable price.
No matter what, I compare the train and the bus prices before I make a decision depending on the time distance; but my first choice would be traveling by train.
#TW
