Traveling by train

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1. The 49€ Germany ticket

With the ticket, which is only available as a subscription, you can use a variety of means of transport throughout Germany from buses, trams, S-Bahn and subway trains to regional transport (2nd class). Bringing dogs depends on the network area and is not valid nationwide. For example, in the VBB network area, i.e. in Berlin/Brandenburg, a dog can be taken along free of charge. An additional ticket is always required for bicycles and children aged 6 and over.

The ticket is not valid for long-distance travel with EC, IC, and ICE, non-jets and other long-distance bus and train travel offers. This luggage guide refers to long-distance travel, which is why the Germany ticket is hardly taken into account.

2. How much luggage can you take on the train?

In addition to hand luggage, one larger piece of luggage or item may also be taken with you.

3. How big can the suitcase be on the train?

The principle of load capacity applies to railways. This means: You can also take larger luggage with you as long as it can be carried by one person alone. However, it is important to remember that space is also limited on the train. The luggage racks are roughly based on the dimensions of a large suitcase.

4. Where to put your luggage on the train?

Smaller pieces of luggage, i.e. hand luggage such as handbags, laptop bags, backpacks, small trolleys, can be stored under the seat or in the upper luggage rack, just like on a plane.

Medium-sized suitcases often fit well between back-to-back seats or, like large suitcases, fit well on luggage racks. You can find these in the open area of many trains - either in the entrance area or in the middle of the carriages. Luggage dimensions of 700 x 500 x 300 mm (height x width x depth) were used for the shelves. Suitcases and luggage of this size should always fit.

Special features: In compartments there are only luggage racks above the seats and in the Intercity 2 the luggage racks are very small and not suitable for suitcases at all. You always have to look after your luggage yourself. If you don't want to let your suitcase out of your sight in the luggage rack, we recommend reserving a seat nearby.

5. What can you transport on the train?

In principle, all non-hazardous items can be transported by train. The Act on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (GGBefG) and the Dangerous Goods Ordinance on Roads, Railways and Inland Waterways (GGVSEB) apply. These exclude in particular dangerous substances and objects, firearms, explosive and flammable substances and objects, inflammatory, toxic, radioactive, corrosive and infectious substances as well as other dangerous goods from transport.

For personal use, it is permitted to carry matches, lighters, spray cans with non-hazardous contents as well as electronic recording and playback devices, cell phones, portable computers and drones, even with a built-in lithium battery with an output of over 100 Wh. Batteries outside of the associated device may only be taken with you if their performance does not exceed 100 Wh.

On the train you are not restricted in terms of fluid quantities or weight.

6. What should you consider when traveling with children?

 

Traveling by train is comfortable and cheap with children. You can take enough food and drinks with you, the kids have freedom of movement and the train actually comes up with a lot of ideas for families: All ICE and most EC/IC trains have a toddler compartment, which is usually right next to the dining or bistro car can be found. At the weekend, many long-distance trains even offer free childcare on selected, child-rich routes and special children's menus are always on the menu in the on-board kitchen.

Toddler areas or compartments are intended for the little ones of nursing and crawling age. They offer some privacy while driving and space to crawl and play.

In many trains there are family areas that are particularly intended for children of kindergarten and primary school age.

Seat reservations for families are particularly affordable. They cost €9.

Within Germany, little ones up to the age of 6 travel completely free of charge, across Europe up to the age of 4, depending on the country. Discounted prices also apply differently depending on the country. This can be the case from the age of 12 or from the age of 17. That's why it's so important to state the child's age when you travel.

In some countries there is a minimum age for children to travel alone by train and for the accompanying person to travel with the child! If your child is traveling without parents or grandparents, it is advisable to get detailed information.

7. What should you consider when traveling with limited mobility?

Not every train and every station is barrier-free. To get help getting on, changing and getting off, it is best to contact the Deutsche Bahn Mobility Service Center (MSZ). Here you will find, among other things, answers to questions about accessibility, suitable trains and how much time is needed to change. They can organize necessary aids for you, such as a lift for a wheelchair.

According to the railway website, registration should be made by 8 p.m. at the latest on the day before the trip within Germany. When traveling with assistance abroad, 48 hours' notice is required. Only 2 wheelchair spaces on the train, a lack of staff for the boarding and alighting service and partially defective barrier-free toilets often make traveling by train not easy for people with limited mobility. We therefore recommend that you contact us early if you need help with your travel.

    Accessibility of the Deutsche Bahn mobility service center
  • Telephone: 030 65212888
  • Fax: 030 65212899
  • E-Mail: msz@deutschebahn.com

Good to know: Both assistance dogs and accompanying persons are allowed to travel free of charge, provided that the need for an accompanying person is noted accordingly on the severely disabled person's ID card. This applies to all local and long-distance trains within Germany, on bus lines, in trains on other railways, on Lake Constance, the Überlinger See area and in North Sea island traffic - says the ninth Social Security Code (SGB IX, Part 3, Chapter 13).

8. Are animals allowed on Deutsche Bahn?

Non-dangerous animals up to the size of a house cat can be transported in a transport box free of charge. This can be stored either in the luggage rack or under the seat, i.e. in the foot area. Unfortunately, Deutsche Bahn does not disclose exact dimensions. For example, if you want to take a large dog with you, they will pay half the fare on the Flex or Saver fare. Leashes and muzzles are required on the trains.

People with an official severely disabled person's ID card are allowed to take their service dog with them free of charge. The obligation to wear a muzzle on the trains does not apply to the service dog.

9. Traveling without luggage: Use Deutsche Bahn's domestic luggage service

Smart travel without luggage. If you have a lot of luggage, you can use the Deutsche Bahn luggage service. Thanks to the cooperation with Hermes, you can send your luggage in advance. For you this means: stress-free travel, easy transfers and your luggage awaits you at your destination. This makes every train journey even more pleasant. Especially on family trips, a long journey with a lot of luggage, trips to the spa or rehab or when you go on a ski holiday by train.

You can send normal luggage, i.e. suitcases, bags, backpacks and packed strollers up to a maximum of 25.0 kg and a maximum size of 120 x 60 x 60 cm for €13.90 per direction if you hand it in at the parcel shop yourself.

If you have Hermes pick up your luggage from your home, you have further options:

Normal luggage: Suitcases, bags, backpacks and strollers (packed) up to a maximum of 31.5 kg and a maximum size of 120 x 60 x 60 cm. Cost: 17.90 euros per piece of luggage and direction. Special luggage such as wheelchairs, skis or snowboards cost 27.90 euros per piece of luggage and direction.

Bicycles can be transported for 49.90 euros per bike and direction. (ATTENTION: Pedelecs, S-Pedelecs and e-bikes are excluded from transport). The general rule for special luggage and bicycles is: without electric motor, up to a maximum of 31.5 kg and a maximum length of 200 cm.

The luggage service can only be booked in conjunction with a valid travel ticket within Germany. Your luggage will take 2-3 days to reach your destination.

You can book online with Deutsche Bahn here. You can also book the pick-up and delivery service at all DB sales points or by calling the travel service on 030 2970.

10. Sports luggage and bicycles with Deutsche Bahn

Sports luggage such as a golf bag can be taken along free of charge within the limits of the load capacity.

When it comes to bicycles, it's a little more complicated: you can take one bicycle per passenger on all IC and EC trains and on selected ICE connections. In addition to the long-distance bike card, you also always need a parking space reservation for the bike. Be sure to book both in advance, otherwise the ride will not be possible. This is possible from 6 months before the start of the trip. In the summer season, parking spaces on long-distance trains are quickly booked up, especially at peak travel times such as weekends and the start and end of holidays. So it's worth being early. You can find more information about taking bikes directly from Deutsche Bahn.

All seats are occupied or is it too difficult to take with you? Then Call a Bike might be an option. Deutsche Bahn offers rental bikes in over 80 cities.

11. Spartipps: Günstig reisen mit der Bahn

  • Früh buchen – immer der Spartipp Nr. 1. Mit dem Super-Sparpreis gibt es Tickets ab 17,90 €. Ab 6 Personen als Gruppe reisen und pro Person ab 9,80 € pro Ticket inkl. Sitzplatzreservierung sichern. Wehmutstropfen: die günstigen Tickets sind nicht stornierbar.
  • Hauptreisezeit meiden. Ferien, Feiertage, besonders Freitage und Sonntage sind sehr beliebte Reisetage – günstige Tickets sind schnell vergriffen. Wenn Du zeitlich flexibel bist, lohnt es sich häufig ganz früh oder spät zu fahren.
  • Mit Kindern verreisen. Reist Du mit Familie sparst Du bei der Bahn richtig. Kinder bis 6 Jahre benötigen kein Ticket. Bis zu 4 größere Kinder (bis 14 Jahre) können im ICE, IC und EC gratis mitfahren, wenn sie auf Deinem Ticket eingetragen sind.
  • Eigene Verpflegung mitnehmen. Bordküchen sind immer teurer. Das gilt für den Zug genauso wie für das Flugzeug. Da es keine Beschränkungen und Bestimmungen wie bei einer Flugreise gibt, kannst Du für Deine lange Bahnfahrt ordentlich Verpflegung von zu Hause mitnehmen. Bei Getränkepreisen ab 3,20 € gibt es da jede Menge Sparpotenzial.
  • Spart Geld oder Zeit und Nerven. Mit City Mobil kannst Du zum Bahnticket auch gleich ein Ticket für den Nahverkauf zum bzw. vom Bahnhof buchen. Du kannst zwischen Einzelfahrt oder Tagesticket wählen. Bei Reisestrecken von über 100 km ist ein City-Ticket für die Fahrt zum bzw. ab Bahnhof häufig schon inklusive. Besitzt Du ein 49 €-Ticket, bist Du auf diese Option nicht angewiesen.
  • IC statt ICE. Häufig nicht wesentlich langsamer kommst Du auch mit dem IC günstiger ans Ziel. Damit Du genau vergleichen kannst, ob sich das für Dich lohnt, solltest Du die Einstellung „schnelle Verbindung bevorzugen“ bei Deiner Ticketsuche deaktivieren.
  • Mit der BahnCard können Vielfahrer ab mind. 5 Fahrten pro Jahr sparen. Besonders, wer wegen kurzfristigen Buchungen keinen Sparpreis ergattert. Vergünstigungen gibt es mit der kostenpflichtigen Kundenkarte der Bahn beim Parken, bei Call a Bike und bis Ende 2023 mit Railplus (Zugreisen im Ausland).

12. Forgotten luggage on the train - what do I have to do?

For luggage or lost items with a value of over €15, you can get lucky with the lost and found service. However, it may take up to 2 days for the item to be added to the database.

Fill out the loss report to Deutsche Bahn.

Ask the lost property service at the train station. Items found by train staff are often kept in the lost property at the station where the train ended for 7 days and then taken to the central lost property office in Wuppertal. After the storage period has expired, the lost property is disposed of or put up for auction - acting quickly is important so that the lost item finds its way back to you. It's best to attach a luggage tag to your luggage, even when traveling by train.

13. Information about your stay on board

In the dining car or on-board bistro you will be offered drinks and food for different budgets. Warm, cold, vegan, non-alcoholic, alcoholic and even organic – expect to pay at least €3.20 for a drink if you don't want to take food from home with you.

On the ICE you can even order directly in 1st class in the ICE portal and the food and drinks you want will be brought directly to your seat. Bistro employees also come by sporadically in second class with coffee and tea (water and tea bags). The price is always the same as in the on-board kitchen.

Due to its design, internet reception on the ICE is often poor. The railway offers free WiFi on some intercity trains and on the ICE. Surfing speed depends on the mobile providers along the route, the number of users on the train, the connections between trains, etc. Streaming your favorite series is therefore not recommended. Then it's better to download it beforehand and watch it offline.

In the ICE you can connect to the WiFi and search the ICE portal for your desired entertainment. The railway offers its passengers free entertainment in both 1st and 2nd class. You can watch films and series, pass the travel time with audio books and podcasts or browse through various magazines. The program changes monthly. Daily newspapers such as BILD, Süddeutsche, Handelsblatt, FAZ, Welt, FAS, BAMS and WAMS are available free of charge for first class travelers.

The ICE portal can only be accessed on long-distance trains when WiFi is connected. Simply connect to the WLAN, select WIFIonICE or WIFI@DB and enter ICEportal.de.

The HAUPTSTADTKOFFER-Team wishes you a pleasant trip

IMPORTANT! Unfortunately, despite taking the greatest care, we cannot give you a guarantee that this information is up-to-date. In any case, we recommend that you find out about the current regulations directly from easyJet before departure.

If you have found an error, please just let us know. Here you can find the Deutschen Bahn ticket tariffs.
Here you can find the Deutsche Bahn luggage service through Hermes.

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