The Don'ts of German Trains
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 เม.ย. 2024
- Whether you are traveling to Berlin, Munich, Cologne or Dusseldorf you are probably going to be taking the train in Germany. Here we go through what tourists should know about taking the train in Germany. The Do's and Don'ts of German Train Travel. The Deutschebahn can show you all of Germany.
Filmed in Bamberg, Germany
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Copyright Mark Wolters 2024
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"The Deutsche Bahn has a history of the best train system in europe..." - the key word here is "history"
(cheers from Switzerland, where there is always a train waiting to cover the route of a delayed train coming from Germany)
1st rule: Have plans ABCDEFG 😅
Plan C: Take your car and enjoy the Baustellen on the A3 and the many Staus, giving you the opportunity to watch some content on TH-cam!
Nah you can try to plan but it's so unpredictable that you just have to improvise as the situation changes.
Another Tip here: I just found out that buying train cards saves more!! There will be coupons available to drop
rule #2 bring a watermelon
Those Bahn apps or the apps from the regional providers can be super helpful, because they show you the delays and connections in real time.
Yes. The DB Navigator app is invulnerable inorder to adjust to delays.
Never get on a German train without this app, your connection won't be working and you are always in need of an alternativ //
Funny that Germany is seen as the country of efficiency and punctuality but their trains always delay. In Japan they very rarely delay and when it does, it’s due to some extraordinary reason, such as a suicide in the train tracks or an earthquake
@@cz2301 the problem is that during the privatisation of the Bahn, tracks were removed because they weren't "profitable". However now there are no more tracks the trains could evade to in case one of the main tracks is blocked. And that is the problem, why the whole system is falling appart when there's only one train which has a technical problem.
@@AbudMunichen78 i see.. thanks for the explanation
Also don't be afraid about what happens when you miss a connection due to a delayed train. Even with the cheapest ticket you can get the next connection.
yes, that´s true: If you miss the connection because the train you are on is delayed to much you can use EVERY train you wish to finally get to your destination.
@@muiggmuigg helps me a lot!! Last time, my friends told me a way to get bigger discounts for rail trips. so i plan to have a rail trip
@@muiggmuigg even ICE, if my original ticket was on a RE?
@@ajinkyamehere5365sure
Professional DB travellers buy the cheapest tickets with the most complicated connection begging for something to go wrong and you'll end up on the fast train 1h earlier to your destination
I guess the one good thing I can say about trains in Canada is that I'll never get confused about which train to take. There's three trains leaving Halifax per week.
So do not miss them, or youre in need of warm clothing for the waiting time ;-)
🤣sad Canadian noises
I haven’t watched the video but i can guess:
- don’t expect the trains to come on time.
Such a shocker for Germany
I'd also like to add that when you use the paid toilets on the stations, the receipts also count as discount coupons at selected stores
So, it pays to give a shit, so to say?
Another Tip here: I just found out that buying train cards saves more!! There will be coupons available to drop
@@2006gtobob Well, you often pay a Euro for the toilet (SANIFAIR and RailAndFresh are the most common toilet operators at stations and they both charge a Euro) and you get a little coupon worth 50 cents. But the use of it is limited: You first need a store that accepts it, then you need to pay at least 2,50€, and you can only use one at a time. But yeah, it kind of pays. (The operators know that not many people use them and just leave them in their wallet, and I can say that I got like 3 of these in my wallet that I haven’t used and probably will not use, I think they even expire after some time)
Been watching you for years Wolter, you're a legend, now I have my own travel vlog. Genuinely good tips. Also, I spent my childhood in Bamberg, glad to see you there.
Glad to see you here in my home town. Greetings from Bamberg!
username checks out lol
The Schienenersatzverkehr is also a nightmare, especially if you have to take a bus after a cancelled train
I took these buses for 1,5 years and it was a totally nightmare! 😒
yes, butr that can happen also in other countries (like in Switzerland ;-) )
Such great advice! I leave to Muenchen on the 30th for a three-week vacation. Thank you for this!
This was great! Definitely saving and sharing! !
Thanks!!
Hey Mark, great video
Great video! 😁
This is great. I’ve watched your videos for years and this particular video is perfectly timed. I’m going to Berlin and plan to take the train to Nuremberg & Prague by train.
Thanks! Heading to the Christmas Markets in December. This is very helpful.
You will love it!
vielen Dank für die tollen Informationen! 🙌
The video I didn’t know I needed! Leave for Germany in a few weeks. Thank you for being comprehensive!
Regarding tight transfers. If the train you are on causes you to miss the transfer, no matter how tight it is, your "Zugbindung" will be annulled, which means you can take any train you like to get to the destination. This is however only true if you have a valid "continuous" ticket for both trains you will use. So for example if you are separately using the "Deutschlandticket" for local trains, and this causes you to miss your ICE, you are simply shit out of luck. I would still however recommend using direct trains wherever possible. I once traveled between Düsseldorf and Munich via ICE and decided to save 8 Euros by taking a route that included a transfer (and was only 10 minutes slower), only to have my train be rerouted behind Cologne because of congestion, making me miss the transfer and delayed my arrival by an hour. The direct train which left Düsseldorf on the same platform just 30 minutes later arrived with no delays.
In case of missed connection, can I take an ICE, if my original ticket was for a RE?
@@ajinkyamehere5365it depends what kind of ticket u are using
@@ajinkyamehere5365 you can, but you need to buy the ICE ticket beforehand and then get it refunded later on. Doesnt work for Bayern Ticket etc. or 49€ ticket
thx again! This video helps me a lot!! Last time, my friends told me a way to get bigger discounts for rail trips.
Great advice. I will be in germany and use the DB.
Awesome!
Consider using DB Navigator or even a third-party app to always get your connection on your phone.
I couldn't live without this. Sometimes you have to pay attention to whats going on at the station so you don't miss your train because it's suddenly departing from another platfrom and not late anymore lol
This is one of your most importantly essential videos on train travel.
Thanks for your video, Mark. I've been travelling to Germany almost every year since 2001, and I echo your sentiment about the highs and lows about Deutsche Bahn. Like you, I too have seen many parts of the country, thanks to DB.
Outstanding video Mark with great advice. I noticed Bamberg right away :). I am glad that your friend survived the head trauma, lol. I am counting the days for my next trip to beautiful Germany :). I will be sharing this video on my channel :)
German trains are so delayed that other countries experience knock on delays because of them. Austria, France and Switzerland are all prime examples of countries with better trains unfortunately.
Out of curiosity, what's the normal delay in Germany? 15 minutes?
@@BoloH. not sure of the exact numbers but train delays are so ridiculously common that train drivers dont even bother to let passengers know if its delayed. ive been personally delayed by at least 35 minutes on 3 different trains.
@@dag3014 Yikes, 30+ minutes is starting to be really annoying
@@BoloH. Regional trains actually have a punctuallity (Delay between 0-5:59 Minutes) of 92%, whilest Long distance trains are the real problem with only about 66% punctuality, so 1 out of 3 long distance trains is delayed by more than 6 minutes.
@@BoloH.Long distance trains. Commuter trains normally don't have that amont of delay. And sometimes trains wait for other trains from somewhere ( I was f.e. in a train waiting for the train from Belgium that was waiting for the train from London) and it becomes a chain.
Great B-roll!
Taking my first trip overseas to Germany this summer and planning on taking the train all around NRW and to Berlin. Some great tips here. Awesome video, as always!
Enjoy Berlin it’s a great city with awesome public transportation, don’t forget to validate your ticket on those small boxes at stations 🙏🙏
@@KasraKasra-wu3ol thanks for the tip! Berlin looks amazing, I can't wait to see it in person!
@@alexelliott37 have fun 🇩🇪
You'll be in for an adventure, taking the train in NRW. It'll be chaotic, but you'll be fine. The DB app will be your best friend.
@@raileon I'm very excited. Lots of interesting places to see and seemingly a pretty good railway system between the cities. Cologne is at the top of my list!
Train journeys in Europe transport you a different world as you look out the window. It is not to be missed.
Your train is on time! Wow that's a wonder!
Apart from the fact that it is always practical to carry as little luggage as possible, I have a tip for those who have to carry a lot: there is also space under the seats on (high-speed) trains! Many people forget this; the same applies to aeroplanes, by the way. The supports of the rows of seats are built in such a way that, depending on the size of your suitcase, you can fit up to two of them under the seats. On some local and regional train models, however, the seat supports/anchors are designed in such a way that you realise that the designers have not thought about usable storage space. As a result, some supports run diagonally.
But as I said: the less luggage, the better, because it is simply more comfortable. It sounds unbelievable, but in Germany there are also washing machines: in hotels, in most guest rooms and especially in holiday flats.
We visited western Germany last year and loved the train system. All, even local trains were reliable and much faster than buses. But on the way back to Frankfurt airport we had a major delay on the first train and had to change our connection. I was so glad we took the earliest train and had some extra time. Otherwise we would miss the flight back home. 😅
Local trains are a lot more punctual/reliable than high speed trains in Germany.
In March 92% of local trains arrived with a delay of less than 6 min. For high speed trains that percentage becomes merely 68%.
If the time gain for taking a high speed train over a local train is only marginal, I would advise to take the local train.
great video! if you do a part 2 consider adding about pet policy on trains and do and don’ts when taking pets in trains would be amazing
I am just back from Germany and did a train journey from Dortmund to Cologne and it it true what you said about checking which station you are going to. I was told to change at Wuppertal but there are 4 Wuppertal stations but thanks to those nice people at the reisenzentrum I got a detailed itinerary showing where to get on and off.
This just highlights how long it’s been since I’ve been to Europe. The last trip I made was just after 9/11. I left that Saturday and the airport was crazy because it was the first day of international travel. Once I got to Germany though my Eurorail pass was a breeze. The only reservation I made was for an overnight train from Berlin to Zürich. I did need a special pass for the trains in the Jungfrau area because they have their own train system. But that was so worth it. I loved that part of my trip. But I think travel was way down because of the tragedy and people were nervous to travel. It was definitely an interesting time to be an American abroad.
One point on the seat reservation, i've not yet seen people having issues moving (maybe they're not happy, but usually they know its not their seat). The only case when somebody will ask you to show any reservation is if they (or you) mistook the carriage you are in. That happens sometimes, because its just easy to mix neighboring wagons up. And on the get-ready-to-get-off-advice, sorry, thats very common in a lot of countries. If the train only stops for 3min, you gotta be ready and by the door. That's just common knowledge when travelling on high-speed trains.
I saw a woman arguing that someone was in her seat, just to realize she was in the wrong carriage. There is a Seat #10 in each carriage, for example. Check your seat AND carriage number.
AMTRAK in the states is very similar. Short stops in many towns. They tell you to get ready before your stop. At least they give you fair warning.
Hi. I've watched many of your vlogs in the last couple of years, and if you don't mind me asking, other than you being a TH-camr, what other type of profession you're in. Keep the great vlogs coming. 🍻🍻
I was on the Harz Narrow Gauge last summer on a tour from London. A great time but getting there was a pain sometimes as trains constantly changed platforms in stations. You have to keep your eye on the electronic departure boards. Often on regional trains there will be a drinks trolley going up and down the train.
To add: if your long distance train ticket has the suffix +city after the destination e.g. Munich + City you can use any public transport to your final destination for free within the city. So you get can get from the central train station to your hotel by bus, tram, sbahn or subway for free :).
When we were in Germany last December, our Stuttgart to Berlin ICE got canceled due to a snowstorm (in Munich, actually). DB was helpful rerouting us on the ICE to Dusseldorf and then to Berlin, but of course we no longer had reserved seats. The tip is - go straight to the cafe car and grab a unreserved seat before anyone else gets on. If others are being rerouted onto the same train, that spot is going to be highly sought after. When we got on, the car was empty, but it soon filled up.
They are really nice looking trains.
Hi Mark, in August 2022 the DB had a month long discount of only about 9 euros for travel for the month. It was also the time they decided to do lots of track work. So the stations were completely crammed and all delayed. I missed all my connections from Stuttgart to Lüneburg because of the weird combos of discounts and delays. It's still better than Italy. But I now remember Germany isn't the best train in Europe. That is unquestionably Switzerland, where they print up the schedule a year ahead of time and then keep it. (Including which track the train is arriving on.)
The 9 Euro ticket was only for 3 months. It is now the 49 Euro Ticket since may 2023 and a lot of more harder to get.
@woltersworld -love your European videos, been watching for years. I am quite surprised that -as you said-you have been going to Germany for many years, but never showed Würzburg (especially since it's so close to Nürnberg). It's a BEAUTIFUL and historic city really worth visiting. The same goes for places like Trier and it's surrounding areas. Would really like to see you showcase any of that. Thanks!
I agree, I'm also surprised he hasn't mentioned Würzburg. I would also highly recommend many of the towns in Thuringia, like Erfurt, Jena and especially Weimar. Hidden gems!
Don't be afraid to rent a car.
The first time we went to Munich, we just about lived at the main train station. They have all kinds of food and were open most of the time.
I usually get my stuff ready when it says "We are now approaching (insert stop name here)"
Last two times we were in Germany on our travels, the DB cancelled our direct trains and we had to deal with re-ticketing connecting trains the day we got there because they did not give us advanced notice. The people at the train stations were kind and helpful but I'd recommend continually checking if the train still runs prior to travelling there.
A 20 mintue video on German rues. Very fitting.
The regional pass can be very good value to allow flexibility to switch delayed connections. The late train you are on can open pther better faster trains. Locked in trains are less flexible. The DB app is so helpful to check these alternatives which may also be later.
Your video could'nt be more perfect timing. I will be leaving for Germany today :)
have fun
@@ClaudiaG.1979 Vielen Dank :)
Don't presume a train ticket to a certain city means you can go to any of the city's main stations. In Britain, a ticket to London means you can usually choose any valid route and terminus. But in Germany if your ticket says Berlin Hauptbahnhof and you're on a train that terminates at Berlin Ostbahnhof, you will need to change train even if Ostbahnhof suits you.
There can be multiple train passes that might work in one region. When I was in Tuebingen, there were 3 different passes that I could use, depending on where I planned to go.
In the UK, you must use the ticket machines before boarding if they are available
One of our trains in Sept. 5 minutes late, 15 minutes late, 25, 45, 75 minutes late. finally cancelled and the regular train spaced 2 hrs apart is the one that finally came
Vielen dank
1:50 as for space for luggage: many regional and regional express trains have dedicated space for e.g. bicycles. Often a rather open space with folding seats - in case you have a large suitcase or lots of luggage, you might want to go there. It's not really an issue when you have lots of luggage.
2:05 true for most trains, however there are a few like the alex where you can buy the ticket on board of the train as well
8:36 except for train stations, gas stations, airports and at resort towns
And don't be afraid of missing your station. You can get off at the next station, get onto the train back, talk to the conductor and they'll usually let you ride back to your station without additional charge.
13:24 There are some providers where you can cancel your Deutschlandticket subscription directly when ordering. This makes it possible to buy this ticket just for one month. Please note that the DE-Ticket always starts on the 1st day of the month.
I remember when a train I was getting with my Mum changed platforms and everyone in the station rushed to the new platform in one go lol
Be careful when considering a plane instead of a train. Yeah, there are flights between cities that can be cheaper by air than by train, as well as potentially faster, but you also need to take into consideration the time and expense of travel to and from the airport - at both ends of the journey - to your accommodation in both cities. That'll often eat up most of the time savings and all or more than all of any cost savings, as train stations tend to be located close to the central areas where tourists stay, whereas airports are usually on the outskirts of town where it can be time-consuming and expensive to reach them.
Also, flights are far more likely to be severely delayed or even cancelled than trains. Which means when things go wrong, they can really go wrong, leaving you hours late arriving to your destination or even stranded for a night at an airport.
Do not only look above seats for reservations. Check the side of the seat head rests too, depending on the train type.
14:30 I think that information about included S-Bahn connections requires some clarification:
1) Flex tickets automatically come with a city ticket which includes ALL modes of local public transport at the start and final destination throughout almost all of Germany.
2) The very same city ticket can optionally be added to reduced tickets (Sparpreis) for a small extra-charge.
3) Without the city ticket you can transfer to S-Bahn but only when the final destination of the ticket is an S-Bahn stop (adding that distance to the trip and price).
4) When DB has a partnership with a local public transport provider then it's possible to book tickets to and from any of their bus/tram/metro stations (adding their fair to the price).
About the seat reservations: That´s special: If you have reserved a seat, that´s fine. But you should find your seat within a certain amount of time (10 minutes or so?) - because after that time, the reservation sign above the seat is gone and everybody else can take that seat. If you arrive too late, so the reservation sign is gone, you have no more right to get that seat. I learned that from one of the DB-service persons...
15 minutes
@@ulrichveigel8077Thanx for the precise info :-)
Those wafers @ 4:10 look lovely 😋
They used to have leaflets on ICE and IC routes which gave timings and all the local connections at subsequent destinations even giving bus times if that was the only connection to your local final destination.
And are the platforms still marked for the make up of the train showing first class carriages etc.
Well this comes right on time for me... Just got an email from DB stating that my trip from Stuttgart to Cochem is no longer possible (which includes two transfers at Mainz and at Koblenz). For what I understand I'm free to take any other trains as long as it's in the same date and the same destination, am I correct?
Also, the train tickets to Mainz and Koblenz were purchased with reserved seats given they are an ICE and IC train respectively, so does those reservations are still on effect? Must I get new reserved seats? How to do that?
Thanks!
I'm glad you mentioned "Don't be loud on trains". But also in other public spaces. I was on a bus yesterday and there was a guy, who 'entertained' the whole bus on english. I even grabbed my noise cancelling headphone because that guy was annoying. But also don't be surprised if some people here in Germany are loud too - we got some egoistic *ssh*les too.
Please regard the "Ruhewagen" on trains. They got specific signs (mostly a person with a finger at their mouth) - here you have to be extra quiet. Yes, you can talk, but don't entertain the whole train.
About the lockers - some central stations don't have lockers anymore. I was in Hamburg in february and wanted to put my luggage into the lockers but the most were deinstalled and the few lockers were already in use. So had to carry my luggage around the city. :/ Also you find the lockers mainly in central stations - not in smaller stations.
Well, the S-Bahn is NOT necessarily part of the Deutsche Bahn (DB), but has a cooperation with the DB. And depending on the ticket or the region where you go to, you also (like I had it in Northrhine-Westphalia) can use the regional busses or U-Bahn. So, if you have "Bielefeld Hbf" as destination, you might only can go to the railway station, but if your destination is "Bielefeld Stadt" instead, you also can use the local transportation services (like busses, U-bahn/Tram)
Most trains in Germany work on a schedule, so if you miss your train, there will be another one 30 minutes, an hour or two hours later
We were booked from Munich to Brussels, switching at Frankfurt Airport. Due to delay, passengers were told that the ICE would wait for us at Frankfurt Hbf, but were given the wrong track. DB paid for the hotel for the night, but we lost a day in Belgium.
Don't ignore 1st class. If it's your lucky day, you might get them for just up to 10 euro higher than standard class and it's definitely worth it
There is now a ticket for 49€ for all regional and local public transport in all of Germany (IC, ICE, Flixtrain not included). But it's a subscription you can cancel any month. Cheapest option if you're a week in Germany
Information about ICE 985. Today approx. 185 minutes later. The reason for this is an operational adjustment. Other reasons are also possible: switch failure, signal failure, train failure, ...
My advice would generally be to shoot for the train before the one your brain thinks - so if you're thinking 9am, go for the 8.30am, the train may not always be on time, but that just means you adapt accordingly. Also, watch those boards like a hawk, they'll save your behind much more than you'd think, might just be me, but those announcements they make aren't always friendly for those of us who struggle with German (or hearing!), the platform boards will be your friend there.
In Berlin at the moment
There’s loads of construction work going on at the moment on the train system so that’s what might be causing alot of the delays as it’s a hub for a lot of the trains going over the country
Do first class tickets come with a seat reservation? Or do we need to reserve seats with that as well?
06:14 @Wolter what location was this mate? Looks amazing
i think it is bamberg :)
Bamberg is a designated UNESCO world heritage site. Well worth a visit.
100% bamberg.. i know because i live close to bamberg
One bad time. Had 1st class ticket for 4 and seats reserved. Our DB car wasn't on the train. (Car 14) They pulled it off. Our choice was to get 4 seats on different cars or sit in the bar car. (Munich to Heidelberg ?) Guess were we sat...in the bar car.
Often (not sure if it's always the case) when you fly Lufthansa or another Star Alliance carrier from Germany the ICE Ticket to (for example) Frankfurt Airport can be included in your Flight Ticket. Afaik Deutsche Bahn is the only Member of an airline alliance, that is not actually an airline.
So try booking your entire travel from door to door, rather than just booking a flight and then checking train tickets to the Airport, as those might have been included for free otherwise. I think you can also use (maybe even collect) Star Alliance / Lufthanse Miles & More airmiles with Deutsche Bahn, but that's just what a colleague told me, so I have not done any research on the details.
Surprisingly, Google maps does a decent job of showing the routes, train numbers, how many stops the train will make, etc. As always, it's a good idea to double check this information in the station.
Actually afaik in Hamburg when you take an ICE it’s now expanded to more than just the S-Bahn. Hamburg used to have it as „all HVV transit“ which technically means just the S-Bahn but colloquially refers to the entire system. So I don’t know how it’s handled these days but definitely look up each city you’ll be visiting individually, it’s not really a valid blanket statement. Also the same thing often applies for stuff like concert or museum tickets when booking them in advance. Given that this can save you up to 10€ a person per day it’s a really great hack to save some small bucks here and there.
I have run into ticket machines that did not have every ticket option on the English language version ! I knew that there were other options and they were easy to find on the German version
I believe here in the UK there are Quiet Carriages on some trains
Speaking from Bavaria: Whats great about the railway is that even smaller towns usually have hourly service, so you really can go into and out of more obscure areas pretty reliably. Also be vary when taking the Airplane, for example going from center to center Berlin to Munich it makes so much more sense via rail as total time spent is lower than flying even with minor delays, though you really want to book tickets quite in advance. DB has to live with the results of years of disinvestment by the german state in the rail infrastructure, so yeah it sucks but DB itself in my mind gets a bit of too much blame for it.
The Bahncard can pay for itself on a single trip. Especially the 3 month trial version which is ideal for tourists. Just be aware it is a subscription you have to cancel. Otherwise, you're paying for another year!
Also, the DB booking system usually tries to sell you a Bahncard, especially when you save on that single trip.
I once managed to catch the EC train from Hamburg to Denmark with 8mins change time after taking the Nightjet from Tyrol 😭
Hobestly I cant agree with going to the toilet in stations. The usual sentiment is to avoid toilets in stations at all costs, except if you're going on a regigonal train. IC or ICE toilets will be better 90% of the time.
Trains are expensive here in the UK too
The €49 ticket can definitely be a good option for a lot of tourists, though. Just make sure that you time the purchase and cancellation right, such that you only get charged for a single month. Then you don't have to worry about paying for any local public transit fares or regional train fares.
10:08 Even if it says there, the reservation is only valid until 15 after departure, so if the person comes to the place only 15 after departure, the reservation is invalid.
I live in San Antonio, TX. Condor Airlines recently announced direct flights from San Antonio Internation to Frankfurt, Germany. Has anyone flown Condor? what were you thoughts?
At least, if you miss a connection and you are delayed more than 60 Minutes because of it, you get a refund of 25% of your ticket price (50% if its more than 2 hours)
Most of this applies to trains in Sweden too 😅
0:20 German Rail has a history of being the best in Europe? Whaaaat? Switzerland is perfect, Austria is great, Czech Republic is having a good rail system. Germany might have been having a great Railway several decades long time ago but not anymore.
I would say that don't think you can quickly go in to the stores if it's Sunday, bacause everybdy else is going to be there also.
Can you back up and give me Trains in Germany 101? I have never used a train and it is very intimidating. Start with the basics please.
I haven’t seen it posted, so here goes one very important thing: never ever EVER plan to use the last train (including connections) of the day unless there well and truly is no other option. It is your backup for when something goes wrong and you don’t want to get stranded until the next morning.
My wife and I took the DB ICE from Frankfurt to Hamburg last September for the first time. We got first class seats. Our train arrived on time in Frankfurt and then stayed. They started talking in German on the overhead speakers and we don't speak German. We found out the train broke. They told us to get the next train which we did, but our assigned seat was now gone because it's the next train, an hour later. So we had to play musical chairs all the way to Hamburg. Well that wasn't over, because right before we arrived in Hamburg the train in front of us then broke down. But we finally arrived in Hamburg 3 hours after we originally wanted to get there. The good thing with our trip is we got a bit of a refund from the encounter. But we had to go to the counter and wait to get that refund
Love Germany's train system. Except when they went on strike on my recent trip. 😂
While the Deutschland Ticket is a subscription service, you can just get the ticket and end the subscription immediately, thus only paying for one month.
I’m surprised that you dismiss the Deutschland ticket out of hand. Depending on your travel plans it can work out really economical. On a trip to Hamburg in December, for instance, I purchased the ticket on the ninth, and immediately cancelled the subscription, meaning I could continue using the pass but it wouldn’t renew for the following month. Prorated, that gave me free Regional, local and city transport for about €35 for the whole of my five day trip. The trick is cancelling it before the cut-off point, which I think is the 10th of each month - meaning this might not work for people on trips straddling to calendar months.
Actually, would always recommend using the Bahn in Germany instead of driving. Be honest, as a tourist, you usually do not stay in those teeny tiny villages - so check if there is a train connection - and all the beautiful smaller towns like Nuremburg, Heidleberg, Münster, Freiburg, etc. do have quite a good connection. Google does a really nice job with public transportation. And then, I'd actually recoent even tourists taking the Deutschlandticket, so they can use all public transportation - including buses and U-bahn - with the exception of IC/EC and ICE for 50 €. It is a monthly subscription service - so you can cancel it instantly and only get it for a month.
And yes, do not expect the Bahn to be on time. But actually you won't be on time by car either. And going by car is way more stressful if you are not used to orderly chaos.
The Deutschlandticket for 49 € is amazing, because not only does it work on all local transport and regional trains, but you can also use it on German regional trains to cross the borders into neighboring countries.