Local/regional Trains in Germany

[TwoInTow]

I'm planning a tour on the Danube, Donaueschingen - Passau. However, I'm a little concerned about making the mileage, and was wondering what it's like taking a loaded bike on a loaded train in Germany. In England I've found it pretty easy - just jump on and stand in the open doorway area, travel about 15 minutes and jump off again.

We'll be in a group of 5 so I accept that we probably wouldn't all be able to get on the same train fully loaded. But I thought maybe in two groups would be fine.

Has anyone done this kind of thing? I'm thinking where you need to cut something like 20 - 50Km off the trip for some reason, so it's not a long trip at all. It would just be good to have that as a fallback if things start to slow down too much.

 

[Haitch]

Three of us with fully loaded bikes took two trains in Germany last week, Duisburg to Winterberg, 3 1/2 hours, 12 euros per person, 4 euros per bike. There were special carriages for bikes, prams, etc. with enough space to take five bikes. Going off this and previous experiences with German trains, I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[rich p]

Three of us with fully loaded bikes took two trains in Germany last week, Duisburg to Winterberg, 3 1/2 hours, 12 euros per person, 4 euros per bike. There were special carriages for bikes, prams, etc. with enough space to take five bikes. Going off this and previous experiences with German trains, I wouldn't worry too much.

Did you pre-book the train Alan or just turn up?

 

[TrevorM]

I'm planning a tour on the Danube, Donaueschingen - Passau. However, I'm a little concerned about making the mileage, and was wondering what it's like taking a loaded bike on a loaded train in Germany. In England I've found it pretty easy - just jump on and stand in the open doorway area, travel about 15 minutes and jump off again.

We'll be in a group of 5 so I accept that we probably wouldn't all be able to get on the same train fully loaded. But I thought maybe in two groups would be fine.

Has anyone done this kind of thing? I'm thinking where you need to cut something like 20 - 50Km off the trip for some reason, so it's not a long trip at all. It would just be good to have that as a fallback if things start to slow down too much.

I did the Passau - Vienna section in July 2008 (and will be doing it again this July) so can comment on Austrian trains but I expect Germany will be similar.
There were 4 of us (myself and my 3 teenagers). We weren't fully loaded but all bikes had large rear panniers.
We took the train for short trips a few times. We just turned up at the nearest station, bought tickets and hopped on and off.
Most trains took bikes and had good spaces for parking the bikes. The trains were never busy so it was never a problem.

The other thing we did was hop on one of the Danube river boats for a 10 mile section just for fun.
Don't know if there are passenger boats on the Donaueschingen - Passau section.
I'm sure Andy-in-sig will be along shortly will all the info

 

[andym]

I tried searching the Deutsche Bahn website but came up with nothing - which surprised me. The DB site (www.bahn.co.uk) does have a useful facility for searching for trains with cycle carriage facilities, but that doesn't help if you need to reserve a place.

It's probably not relevant but I paid 10€ to reserve a bike place on the sleeper from Rome to Munich.

DB have a call centre in the UK (they charge, while andy in sig presumably doesn't) but it isn't a huge amount and might be worth a try if he doesn't show.

 

[Haitch]

Did you pre-book the train Alan or just turn up?

Just turned up, went to the ticket desk, told them where we wanted to go and they told us when we could and how much it would cost. No reservations, no fuss. In the first train we took there were the three of us and two other bikes. In the second there were the three of us again, another bike, a double buggy and a guy in a wheelchair. In the carriages for bikes (there were two on each of the trains we took) the seats in about half the carriage are arranged along the side and flip up so that you can rest the bikes against them (and each other). There are even straps for securing them. At a pinch and a bit of goodwill you could get six bikes in and a couple of more in the doorway, with everyone sitting comfortably in the seats along the other side of the carriage.

 

[Andy in Sig]

If you're going on a Eurocity or Intercity, you've got to book the bike space anyway and there certainly used to be a train which started in Hamburg and went through to Donaueschingen, passing through Duisburg, Düsseldorf etc. (where you would be able to pick it up).

If you do local or regional trains, then yes you can just jump on and off, having of course bought tickets for your bikes. This tends only to get difficult at weekends when whole families are on the move. That said the earlier your train or the nearer to its start station that you pick it up, the more likely you are to get a space. If the trains are really packed, don't forget that most of them have more than one carriage which takes bikes and they are clearly marked with bike symbols by the doors.

As for the luggage you are supposed to take it off the bikes anyway before getting on. My drill is as follows: loosen all the panniers to the point where they will come off with one simple movement. This means that you are still mobile enough to move up and down the platform to the bike bit of the train. At the compartment door take bags from bike and onto platform. First person into train with first bike. Subsequent bikes handed up to him/her for stowing. As the last bike goes in, everybody else gets in with all the panniers. At the destination, bikes out first, then bags. It works a treat.

 

[slowmotion]

Faintly off-topic. If you want to discover a whole mine of information about foreign rail travel, the man in seat 61 is your friend.

http://www.seat61.com/

A friend who has worked for the Dutch railways all his life says it is top notch.

 

[henshaw11]

It might be worth adding - it's possible to buy a ticket for A to B but regional trains only, which isn't valid on intercities over the same route (becuse they're more expensive). We got caught out a few years ago with some station employee 'helping' us to buy a tickets from a platform ticket machine(we'd probably have worked it out fine left to ourselves, my OH's fluent in German). We got halfway along the route only to have the option of paying an excess of little less than than the proper intercity fare (and we'd paid perhaps 50% already, so we'd have paid mebbe 150% in total) or get off onto the regional service. So an hour into a 2 hr journey we had to lug out gear across another 2 changes and took another two hours

 

[andym]

As for the luggage you are supposed to take it off the bikes anyway before getting on. My drill is as follows: loosen all the panniers to the point where they will come off with one simple movement. This means that you are still mobile enough to move up and down the platform to the bike bit of the train. At the compartment door take bags from bike and onto platform. First person into train with first bike. Subsequent bikes handed up to him/her for stowing. As the last bike goes in, everybody else gets in with all the panniers. At the destination, bikes out first, then bags. It works a treat.

Excellent advice - especially if you are getting onto a train that's higher than the platform.

A bit more difficult if you are on your tod - I generally get everything onto the train and then worry about putting the bike on the rack.

 

[rich p]

I'm guessing that a train from Fussen to Bamberg would be regional?

 

[Andy in Sig]

Yep. I'd be very surprised if you didn't have to change somewhere. Find out on die bahn website (www.bahn.de I think).

Just checked: it's two or three changes, depending upon which combination of trains you use.

 

[rich p]

thanks Andy

 

[TwoInTow]

Really useful experiences and advice. That really eases my mind - thanks!