Careful around DB (Deutsche Bahn)

[Disco]

So just like an airline BP eh?

I read on the DB web site that booking via the DB Navigator app (which I plan to), gives you a digital ticket, with a QR code. I guess at worst you would screenshot that, or leave it open in the background. But best to get the hotel to print it - somehow.

Hmm, with more reading it might be best to book through the website. They then e-mail you a PDF of the ticket AND it will appear in the app if the account names are the same.

I intend to buy the most flexible ticket (Flexipreis Europa), so if cancelled before or mid-trip I can hop on anything (I think that's how it works)



I was catching a train from Brussels to Bruges and was flummoxed on the platform by the non-English announcements that seemed to be indicating a change of platform, as people started to move away. A lady noticed this and offered to help. We ended up sitting together and having a good long chat; she had visited Tasmania several times.

Yes, we had to rely on the kindness of a young couple who helped us and bags off the train and onto the suburban train (no booked seats) into the city. It seems the Hamburg/Berlin line is a problem, currently undergoing maintenance. We were travelling out of peak season so probably less chaotic. The Customer service is hardly that as has been noted by many and the Germans are getting very frustrated with it all. Our train journeys in Spain last year were a breeze in comparison. Never thought I'd say that.

 

[anat0l]

Hmm, with more reading it might be best to book through the website. They then e-mail you a PDF of the ticket AND it will appear in the app if the account names are the same.

I definitely would prefer to book through the train company website. If you're booking across borders, you can usually choose either country's train website; prices should be the same. But anyway, definitely book via one of their websites or apps.

I've heard people say that other websites make it easier to compare routes and prices, especially across borders... heck, some say you can even get a good deal. I haven't had a lot of experience with such sites.

I intend to buy the most flexible ticket (Flexipreis Europa), so if cancelled before or mid-trip I can hop on anything (I think that's how it works)

My understanding of Flexpreis Europa is that you can take any routing between the origin and destination. In limited circumstances, you can even break the journey at an intermediate stop. However, the "flexibility" has some nuances, from what I read, so it's best to read up on the rules.

If your Flexpreis Europa only allows travel on IC/EC trains, you can't take ICE trains (fastest express trains) unless you pay a surcharge. ICE trains cover ICE and IC/EC trains. Both types of ticket cover all regional and local trains. Flexpreis tickets are also supposed to include a City-Ticket for most major German cities (for both origin and/or destination on your ticket).

Some trains, especially cross-border, require mandatory seat reservations. That is, you must select a service you will travel on (and then a seat on that train). Flexpreis Europa includes mandatory seat reservations when you purchase the ticket, but if you later need to change the service you are reserved on, you need to purchase a new reservation (that will not be free of charge). In a nutshell, if you need to hop on a new train mid-trip that requires a mandatory seat reservation, you may have to cough up a new EUR 6 or so.

 

[tdimdad]

One option for printing in Germany are pharmacies. E.g. in Munich, I printed mine in DM (Drogerie Markt, there are several near the main station). It took a while to figure it out and I needed advise but eventually I was able to upload the PDF from my phone to their "kiosk" and send to the behind-the-counter printer. The cost per sheet was very reasonable.

 

[OZDUCK]

While we had plenty of trouble with DB's abysmal time keeping we never had any problems just showing the original booked ticket on our phone when we were forced to take an alternative train. We never bothered getting anything stamped and nobody even gave us an odd look.

As an aside if you do manage to get on the correct train with your reserved seat you can use the DB app to 'check in' once you are on the train and the conducter will not bother you.

 

[rginoz]

I returned to Australia about 4 weeks ago, having spent the 7 weeks prior to that travelling around Germany by train, staying usually about two to three days in each of the cities I visited. Before travelling and before buying any train tickets on line, I bought a Bahn Card that gave me about 25% off First Class fares; The Bahn Card cost about Euro50 for three months validity, after which it would automatically renew for 12 months, unless cancelled within the final four weeks of its validity. I found that the only way I could cancel the Bahn Card was to email DB, and to then hope for the best. Surprisingly, about a day later, I received their confirmation that the Bahn Card renewal had been cancelled.

My train travel in Germany was mostly fairly uneventful. When trains were delayed or cancelled, the DB App kept me informed, but the App seemed useless for actually making a new booking to replace a canelled train. I found the DB ReiseBureau in the stations to be excellent for assisting with new trains and seat reservations. I'm not German, but they all spoke good English, and were very helpful.

Some parts of the rail network were affected by flooding (in Bavaria), and trackwork near Leipzig. I had trouble getting from Dresden to Frankfurt Airport via Leipzig on my last day in Germany before flying home, but there were sufficient alternate routes and trains to allow me to get to the Airport a couple of hours late, but still with plenty of time before the flight.

I made one claim on the App for compensation for delayed trains, but I've heard nothing since. DB got the money for my tickets, and I eventually got to every place I had planned to be, so I'll call that a fair outcome. I'm not out of pocket from any delays.

I agree that on-train and on-platform announcements about delays etc are aimed at German speakers, but I could always find another passenger who could tell me what was happening. DB could improve this so much with simple technology.

The trains themselves were clean and mostly punctual. My seat reservations worked, even if I had to tell some people they were in my seat. My guess is they had no ticket and no reservation, but were seeing what they could get. In all cases, they moved without further ado.

Will I go back to Germany and travel by train in the future? Absolutely yes (next year)! I saved a small amount of money with the Bahn Card, but it is a money-saving device, and it is not aimed at recognising loyalty or frequent traveller status. YMMV, of course.

 

[RooFlyer]

As an aside if you do manage to get on the correct train with your reserved seat you can use the DB app to 'check in' once you are on the train and the conducter will not bother you.

Komfort check-in

I bought a Bahn Card that gave me about 25% off First Class fares; The Bahn Card cost about Euro50 for three months validity

Thanks for all that info. I also intend to get the 25% off, E50 1st Class card for travel in December. It will save me about E100 over just a few trips.

* Ignoring the BahnCard for now, when would people suggest I book for travel in December, - I'd like to do it early (like now), except I wonder if the timetable will change between now and then?

* Re the validity of the BahnCard. Is it any three months during which you can book - for me, say now for December travel then I'd cancel the card effective end of October -, or does the period of validity also have to include the period of travel? In which case I'd only get the card in October and only be able to book then.

 

[rginoz]

Komfort check-in



Thanks for all that info. I also intend to get the 25% off, E50 1st Class card for travel in December. It will save me about E100 over just a few trips.

* Ignoring the BahnCard for now, when would people suggest I book for travel in December, - I'd like to do it early (like now), except I wonder if the timetable will change between now and then?

* Re the validity of the BahnCard. Is it any three months during which you can book - for me, say now for December travel then I'd cancel the card effective end of October -, or does the period of validity also have to include the period of travel? In which case I'd only get the card in October and only be able to book then.

The 25% discount does not apply to already discounted cheaper fares, so your savings are likely to be less than 25% overall. There is no discount to the seat reservation fee of E5.90 per journey.

I could never find a clear statement about whether the card still had to be valid when the travel occurred, so I played it careful and bought the Bahn Card so that the three month validity period would cover all my journeys. I think also that the three month validity period for the Bahn Card commences on the day you buy it, and the start date can not be set at some future date of your choosing. The Bahn Card is useful to have while you are travelling, but you need to ensure you don't get it extended for a further 12 months if you are not going to be in Germany to make use of it. DB will have your credit card details from the original purchase and will automatically extend the Bahn Card for 12 months unless you stop them from doing so. You can only stop the extension by contacting DB in the final four weeks of the Bahn Card's validity.

 

[RooFlyer]

I am the least expert here in anything to do with DB, (so forgive if I'm screwing up) but it does appear you can set the start of validity into the future.

I'm going to e-mail DB on their support email and ask the question about validity period (booking Vs travel)

 

[VPS]

Komfort check-in



Thanks for all that info. I also intend to get the 25% off, E50 1st Class card for travel in December. It will save me about E100 over just a few trips.

* Ignoring the BahnCard for now, when would people suggest I book for travel in December, - I'd like to do it early (like now), except I wonder if the timetable will change between now and then?

* Re the validity of the BahnCard. Is it any three months during which you can book - for me, say now for December travel then I'd cancel the card effective end of October -, or does the period of validity also have to include the period of travel? In which case I'd only get the card in October and only be able to book then.

I just tagged you in another thread where Eurail passes are on special

 

[Disco]

I returned to Australia about 4 weeks ago, having spent the 7 weeks prior to that travelling around Germany by train, staying usually about two to three days in each of the cities I visited. Before travelling and before buying any train tickets on line, I bought a Bahn Card that gave me about 25% off First Class fares; The Bahn Card cost about Euro50 for three months validity, after which it would automatically renew for 12 months, unless cancelled within the final four weeks of its validity. I found that the only way I could cancel the Bahn Card was to email DB, and to then hope for the best. Surprisingly, about a day later, I received their confirmation that the Bahn Card renewal had been cancelled.

My train travel in Germany was mostly fairly uneventful. When trains were delayed or cancelled, the DB App kept me informed, but the App seemed useless for actually making a new booking to replace a canelled train. I found the DB ReiseBureau in the stations to be excellent for assisting with new trains and seat reservations. I'm not German, but they all spoke good English, and were very helpful.

Some parts of the rail network were affected by flooding (in Bavaria), and trackwork near Leipzig. I had trouble getting from Dresden to Frankfurt Airport via Leipzig on my last day in Germany before flying home, but there were sufficient alternate routes and trains to allow me to get to the Airport a couple of hours late, but still with plenty of time before the flight.

I made one claim on the App for compensation for delayed trains, but I've heard nothing since. DB got the money for my tickets, and I eventually got to every place I had planned to be, so I'll call that a fair outcome. I'm not out of pocket from any delays.

I agree that on-train and on-platform announcements about delays etc are aimed at German speakers, but I could always find another passenger who could tell me what was happening. DB could improve this so much with simple technology.

The trains themselves were clean and mostly punctual. My seat reservations worked, even if I had to tell some people they were in my seat. My guess is they had no ticket and no reservation, but were seeing what they could get. In all cases, they moved without further ado.

Will I go back to Germany and travel by train in the future? Absolutely yes (next year)! I saved a small amount of money with the Bahn Card, but it is a money-saving device, and it is not aimed at recognising loyalty or frequent traveller status. YMMV, of course.

When our train was diverted and obviously going to be very late all passengers were handed out a claim form which I gave to the Customer service when we arrived. Didn't hear anything for 2 months and then a letter arrived with lots of instructions around further information required. Rather than go through the palaver of completing it all + postage , I went on to the website. Before travelling I usually join the loyalty program - with DB it's helpful with keeping track of journey etc. As it happened there was a link to claim for delays, out of pocket expenses, which was quick and easy. Compensated the next day. Not much and I definitely would prefer a reliable journey but applying on line as a member seems to work well.

 

[snabbu]

So just like an airline BP eh?

I read on the DB web site that booking via the DB Navigator app (which I plan to), gives you a digital ticket, with a QR code. I guess at worst you would screenshot that, or leave it open in the background. But best to get the hotel to print it - somehow.

This is correct. If you buy the ticket via web or the app you are sent an email with the QR code. I've used both methods in the last week and the outcome is the same.

 

[RooFlyer]

If you buy the ticket via web or the app you are sent an email with the QR code.

Ah, I didn't realise you get an e-mail when using the app; I thought it just appeared in the app. Thanks.

 

[rginoz]

Ah, I didn't realise you get an e-mail when using the app; I thought it just appeared in the app. Thanks.

In my experience of buying DB tickets through the web site, they send you an email with the travel details, including a QR code, that you can print out. Using the App this year, a QR code appears, visible on part of the App, but there is no email. When the ticket inspector wanted to see my ticket, I just showed him the QR code on the App, and then my Bahn Card which was also on the App.

There is free wifi in the DB train stations, including on the platforms, and on just about every train I travelled on, so the App was always available and working for me.

 

[snabbu]

Using the App this year, a QR code appears, visible on part of the App, but there is no email.

I didn't create a DB account and just used the guest option so this could potentially be why I did receive an email and you didn't.