Taking the train in Germany

[annapurna]

One of my favorite things about getting medical work in Germany is not having to drive anywhere. The German rail system is one of the best in the world. I have personally used the Munich metro, German regional, and international rail system post-operatively, including being on crutches after knee surgery several times.

You can get info on the German national rail system at bahn.de, which includes an english language tab. The Munich metro system has its own website which includes bus, tram, subway, and commuter train schedules and maps.

When I fly into Munich, I just follow the green "S" signs to get to the commuter train station right in the airport and either buy a multi-day or day pass and jump on the S-8 commuter train. To get to Bogen or Straubing, just take S8 into the Munich main station (Hauptbahnhof) and buy a single trip ticket from the automated machines or ticket counter.

The "best buy" for traveling in Munich, Bogen, etc. is the "Bayern Pass", or "regional pass". It allows up to five people to travel anywhere in the Bavarian federal state (including the entire Munich metro system) for 28 Euros per day. There are some restrictions on travel time, but not much.

If you're heading to Bogen or Straubing, the rail system makes flying into Frankfurt easy as well. If you are like me and need to get upgrades to make it "over the pond", Frankfurt can sometimes be a better option for getting a business class seat at a low price.