Oktoberfest bound? The party starts when you board the train
Published: August 16, 2011
Is Oktoberfest 2011 on your radar? Maybe you were thinking about it, but were put off by the hassle of driving to Munich and finding a hotel at this late date. A possible option might be to take advantage of German Rail’s offer of a party train, heading to the fest on Sept. 24 and Oct. 1.
The wagons bound for the Bavarian bash won’t be sedate places --- think DJs and dance floors --- although there is a seat reservation included in the deal. This mode of transportation has obvious advantages over a bus trip. You get space to move around and a restroom close at hand --- critical after a day of downing 1-liter Masses! Price includes round-trip rail transportation in second class, seat reservations and two .3-liter drinks from the bar.
This offer can be booked online. Initiate the process by filling out the request form (in German) reached by clicking on the “Jetzt buchen!” button. At this point you are merely making an inquiry and not getting yourself into any sort of binding commitment. Within a few days, you will receive an e-mail from German Rail letting you know if there is still room on the train, and instructions for further booking. If you don’t feel confident enough in your knowledge of German to make the inquiry, you may also send a message directly to WolfgangFeistl@ deutschebahn.com, and they will respond to you in English.
The train leaving Sept. 24 departs from Dortmund and stops for passengers in Cologne, Koblenz, Mainz-Bischofsheim, Darmstadt, Bensheim and Heidelberg and costs 81 to 85 euros, depending on where you board. The train running on Oct. 1 originates in Trier and stops in Saarbruecken, Homburg, Landstuhl, Kaiserslautern, Neustadt and Mannheim, and tickets cost 71-75 euros.
For details, see http://www.bahn.de/p/view/angebot/tagesfahrten/06_sonder_oktoberfest.shtml (German only).
