German trains and bikes

[steveindenmark]

I have done the search and read the previous posts but am still not sure of the answer to my question. I am sure someone like Vernon will know.

I am trying to book a trip from Flensburg to Trier using the DB website. The process is pretty simple and I have ticked the "Carriage of bikes" box.

My question is, does the final figure include the carriage of the bike?

As you continue in the booking process the bike is not mentioned anywhere, only the passengers. You would think it would say 2 adults and 2 bikes somewhere, but it doesnt.

If I need to book the bikes seperately I cannot see a way to do it online.

If the total price does include the bikes, do the bikes come up on the tickets? I dont want to be in a position where I have to stand and argue the toss with German rail authorities on my trip down.

Steve

 

[vernon]

First of all, having a ticket for the bike is essential.
Secondly make sure that you sign your bike ticket - I was taken to task twice for not doing so.

When using the DBB site, I too had difficulty discerning whether or not bike tickets were included - there were occasional messages for some of the journeys stating that ringing a ticket office was essential so I resorted to ringing the UK DB office and booking over the phone.

Ringing the office has its advantages as some bits of the journey might qualify for regional discounts and the person in the office will break up the journey to you financial advantage.

When the ensuing bundle of tickets arrive you will also get an itinerary which identifies the train service number - useful for matching with the screen displays at the stations and the platform number where you will find the train.

 

[Saskia]

The price shown online doesn't include the bikes. If you're taking an IC or EC, you need to make a reservation for the bikes as the number of spaces is limited. You need to make the reservation a few days (2?) in advance. And you're right, you can't make the bike reservation online. If you were only taking regional trains, you wouldn't need reservations, but that's a long haul (13+ hours) that would only make sense if you were to break the journey into stages.
As a German resident, I go to the local station, make the bike reservation, then buy tickets from the machine or online (to avoid the surcharge the Bahn usually levies for buying at the counter). There may be a hotline number you can call (so that you don't have to call the UK DB office as Vernon suggests), but I don't know what it is. (Your local Danish station might be able to give it to you). Or (since you're near the border as I recall) you might go down to Flensburg and take care of it there. Just remember - at least a few days in advance, especially if you're traveling in the high season or on a weekend.

 

[steveindenmark]

Thanks for that Saskia.

I am sure I am not the only person to question this. The Germans are usually so efficient but this system is very poorly thought out. They have gone part of the way by giving you a box to tick if you want a train that carries bikes, but then they have stopped. It really does not make sense.

Steve

 

[Saskia]

Steve,
Apparently the system can't administer the bicycle reservations. It may be that there are too few bike spaces in the ICs, so that if they were to be divided between counter, machine and online spaces might go unused. (The sale tickets are divided between these three.)
At least it's fairly easy to find a connection that will take bikes. Supposedly, though, some connections known to locals don't show up when you tick the box because the Bahn wants you to use other ones.
All in all it works fairly well - until you try to buy tickets without a station nearby.
The hotline number is 0180 6 99 66 33, available daily from 8 am until 8 pm. I don't know if it can be reached from neighboring countries.

 

[Saskia]

I just checked this out and it seems to be possible to buy bike tickets online after all. Enter dates, numbers of passengers, tick box for bicycles etc. The connections available will be listed. These prices are without the bicycle. Click "purchase" (or if using the Danish option "Til bestilling"). Choose a price (Sparpreis or regular price). You'll be offered a "Bahncard". Choose "continue". Choose a booking option. Choose options for receiving ticket and seat reservation options. At this point, you are told that the bike ticket is 9 Euros/bike and that seat reservations cost 4,50 Euros each. Continue on. The next window asks how you want to identify yourself and how you want to pay. This is where I stop my dry run. Try it out and let me know if it works.
Best
Saskia

 

[steveindenmark]

Thanks for that Saskia. I stopped my dry run before that. If I go by train I will let you know what happens.

Steve

 

[Brains]

I took a local train yesterday from koblenz to trier with 5 people and 5 bikes
We bought the tickets the day before for people only, bikes were free and as long as it was outside rush hours

I don't know the situation on the intercity ICE trains, but posts above seem to have the answer

 

[mcr]

Have you looked into getting the City Night Line train as far as Cologne (dep. Flensburg c.22.40, arr. Cologne 6.15, or from within Denmark itself depending where you're located) and then the local Eifelbahn route from there direct to Trier? You may have to wait in Cologne until cheap local fares kick in at 9am, but they can just be bought from any ticket machine, along with bike tickets if necessary (not all Laender charge for bikes on the Regio network). Just back from an entirely rail-based trip to Berlin and back by regional trains and it was heartening to see the number of cyclistss using the services and the ease with which they do. The CNL has dedicated, pre-bookable bike spaces (though I think only available by phoning) - here's the brochure: http://lgsgmbh.de/Banner/FlipBuilder/DeutscheBahn/CNL/Broschuere_2014/engl/Brosch_13_14_ENG_inter.html.