The Don'ts of German Trains
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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"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)
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
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 KZhead!
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
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 haven’t watched the video but i can guess: - don’t expect the trains to come on time. Such a shocker for Germany
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'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)
Glad to see you here in my home town. Greetings from Bamberg!
username checks out lol
Such great advice! I leave to Muenchen on the 30th for a three-week vacation. Thank you for this!
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 ;-) )
This was great! Definitely saving and sharing! !
Thanks!!
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.
Hey Mark, great video
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
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
Thanks! Heading to the Christmas Markets in December. This is very helpful.
You will love it!
Great video! 😁
thx again! This video helps me a lot!! Last time, my friends told me a way to get bigger discounts for rail trips.
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.
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!
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!
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 :)
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.
Train journeys in Europe transport you a different world as you look out the window. It is not to be missed.
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.
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.
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.
Your train is on time! Wow that's a wonder!
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.
Great B-roll!
This is one of your most importantly essential videos on train travel.
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.
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 :).
@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!
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 :-)
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 KZheadr, what other type of profession you're in. Keep the great vlogs coming. 🍻🍻
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I usually get my stuff ready when it says "We are now approaching (insert stop name here)"
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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 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.
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
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.
Do not only look above seats for reservations. Check the side of the seat head rests too, depending on the train type.
In the UK, you must use the ticket machines before boarding if they are available
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.
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, ...
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
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).
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.
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.
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)
A 20 mintue video on German rues. Very fitting.
I am a conductor at Deutsche bahn and I am nearly every day in Bamberg. How come I didn't see you. If you want to make another movie about German railway and you are in Bamberg or near, maybe you give me a notice 😎
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
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.
I'm looking forward to my two month trip to Europe with a Eurail pass this summer. I like the German trains. I can get off and on any train without a first class reservation fee unlike Italy, Spain and France. And i dont mind the sometimes late German trains because im a solo traveler and i just chill out. It just means i have time to have that extra beer or two in that city.
Have fun this summer! Don't forget that they are selling beers on most ICE and long distance trains, too :)
@@derstijn yep, thanks....
@@derstijn Railjet serves beer too
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.
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
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.
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.
You have a lot of good tips! I very much like taking the trains in EU. It has been about 5 years since the last time I did travel on trains - including Germany - and one thing you said here was about the on-time factor. You said they were not always on time. All the times I was on trains in Europe including Germany I was so impressed with the adherence to departure times. I learned that you better be on the train when your schedule said! So, it is news to me that they aren't as good as then. Good to know.
5 years ago it was not any better. in fact it all went to shit in late 1990's ...
I am speaking of my experience and cannot relay anyone else's.
Yea it went downhill since covid died down. The main problem is that the state didn't invest into its rail infrastructure over the past decades and now huge parts of it are in bad shape. Couple that with more and more train traffic and you get daily rail traffic jams and infrastructure faults. It'll take a few years until it gets better.
@@raileon the state did not invest into rail infrastructure since the reunifacation. they tried to sell the "deutsche bahn ag". they did not sell it, since the infrastructure back than already was bad. that is actually a quite funny construct, a public traded companey owned 100% by the state ...
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)
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.
6:42 so someone (who didn't reserve a spot) might be sitting on your reserved spot and then has the balls to ask you for your reservation proof eventho they themselves didn't reserve a spot 😂 imagine being like that, truly a menace to society
Not really. Sometimes people don't show up for their reserved seat, or have only made reservations for part of the journey. It is perfectly fine to sit in a reserved seat, as long s as you stand up if and when someone shows you the actual reservation. Nothing to do with balls or being a menace to society. Welcome to quite a number of European train systems.
It's projection--if you have the balls to take someone's spot, you think anyone would do the same. Not that big a deal, imo, people try to get away with stuff like that all the time (think American movie theaters, where people get last-minute tickets with suboptimal seats, then plop themselves into better seats in the hope no one will challenge them).
@@JootjeJMy guy maybe read my entire comment next time, I said sitting in a reserved spot and then ASKING for someone to show proof of their reservation when this person knows he himself didn't reserve the spot and there being a high likely hood of the person asking you to stand up actually having reserved the spot BUT STILL ASKING. Also dont throw this "im from le epic europe and it works like this all over europe" argument, im from europe it really doesnt adds or detracts anything from my point since my comment was about behaviour of people, not how any actual system works.
@@Elatenl Sometimes the seat reservation displays don't work and you don't know wether a seat is reserved or not. In this case I'd ask a person who pretends to have a reservation to show it to me, because I also experienced people being in the wrong carriage, a different train (for the same route) or simply not having a reservation at all and trying to get me out of my seat.
Sometimes it's a mistake and someone might be in the wrong carriage. I've seen it happen where a group thought someone else was in their seats but it was them in the wrong carriage.
Vielen dank
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 love the helpful tips, but as someone who has lived here for almost three decades I think you understate how unreliable DB has become in recent years. Delays or cancellations now seem to happen so often, you are just relieved when you see your train turn up. One of DB's favourite tricks seems to be reversing the order of the cars so that if you are standing where yours is supposed to stop (ABCDEFG), you get caught up in the mad dash of people rushing from one end of the platform to the other to get to their car. Never a dull moment with DB!
Those wafers @ 4:10 look lovely 😋
One point that was not entirely accurate is that you can use your DB ticket on trams and subways for a single journey. If your ticket indicates "Cityname+City to Cityname+CITY," then you are entitled to use all forms of public transportation in both cities. If the ticket only shows one city with "+CITY," then it is only valid within that particular city.
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
If I'm paying to use the toilet. It needs to be clean. Otherwise why pay?
Because Europe.
@@JootjeJ liking your own comments doesnt mean you actually add anything to the discussion lol
Paid toilets in Germany are far cleaner than anything you'd see in 99% of the world. Plus, if you are at a gas station/etc, you normally get a ticket with a 50% rebate which you can use in the attached shop.
That would require a maintenance person to clean the bathroom after each individual visit. In my experience with German trains, bathrooms are generally clean, but that depends entirely on the passengers
He said you have to pay to use the bathroom at the stations…not on the train itself, which is the one he was saying may be dirty. It’s been 20yrs since I’ve been in Germany but I don’t remember having to pay to use the one on the train. I do remember how small they are and the start/stop of the train while in there…trying not to fall over 😂😂😂.
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.
I once managed to catch the EC train from Hamburg to Denmark with 8mins change time after taking the Nightjet from Tyrol 😭
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.
LOL ever taken a local train in Romania ?? CFR could do would an update or two :D
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?
They dont let you on the long distance trains if you have a sparpreis (saver ticket) for the route, which has a zugbindung. Only Flexpreis tickets allow you to use *any* train that day. Also, if you have a seat reservation, even for a flexpreis ticket, it is only valid for *that exact* train printed on the flexpreis. Even if you can use other trains, your seat reservation is zuggebunden.
Nothing beats a delay of 5 hours on the california Zephyr. German trains are tame in comparasion. I am used to chaos at the DB.
Professor Wolters - how far in advance should we buy train tickets in Europe? 2 days, 2 weeks? Bamberg is fantastic. I know DB has gone downhill, but I still love them.
1 month or slightly more can access more discounted fares which are limited
You can book them up to 6 months in advance, as long as a timetable is available. Those can still change due to the incredibly high number of construction sites. Your best bet would be 8-3 weeks before departure.
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.
17:28 These lockers vary by station to station, they only take coins. Here is another travel hack. If you only have coin too big, like two 2 € coins and the locker is 3.50 €, you can "split the coin" at a food vending machine near the lockers. At Berlin HBF you can split Euro bills into handier coins with a dedicated machine. In Karlsruhe, the coin system was replaced with a card reader, in Cologne, there is a system in place where your bags are stored under the station, no lockers in place, but you can still pay with card. In Paderborn, the station is currently under construction, so there is no locker currently in operation. Some hotels might store your bags cheaper or for free.