Most people know Deutsche Bahn primarily for the things that don’t work. Nevertheless, train travel can be pleasant – and cost-effective.
The train is canceled, runs from the platform opposite, the opposite train order applies, a stop is skipped or the train driver is late – not much is going as planned at Deutsche Bahn: According to the information portal t3n, in November 2022 the trains arrived, Of those who drove at all, just 61 percent reached their destination on time. The image of the railway among Germans is correspondingly bad. But: If you know your way around, you can still travel comfortably and cost-effectively by train.
1. Skip the seat reservation
Seat reservation: sounds relaxed, but is often not necessary. If the journey starts with a regional train and involves several changes or a change with little transfer time, the chances of actually catching the IC or ICE are rather slim. And if you miss a train, you no longer have a train connection – but also no seat reservation. The latter is only really worthwhile if the journey begins on the IC or ICE. By the way: Without a reservation, you usually have a particularly good chance of getting a free seat, even on very full trains at the beginning and end of the train. So going to section A or G can be worth it.
2. Book a saver price for connections with frequent delays
When purchasing tickets, customers can choose between flex price, saver price and super saver price. If you travel with a saver price or super saver price, train connections apply to the ICs and ICEs – regional trains can be freely chosen. If you know in advance that there are often or always delays on a route, you can book the saver price or the super saver price (without the possibility of cancellation) directly and plan for the cancellation of the train connection.
3. Book as few changes as possible…
If you want to get to your destination on time, it’s also a good idea to book connections with as few changes as possible. Because: Often the trains don’t wait for each other and a few minutes delay on one train can quickly mean an hour’s waiting time. It is therefore more worthwhile to book a planned slightly longer connection with fewer changes than a planned, faster connection with more changes. It is not uncommon for you to reach your destination faster with the supposedly longer connection. By the way: If a change at the beginning of the trip cannot be avoided, it may be worthwhile to manually specify an extended connection time when booking.
4. …or plan as many changes as possible at the beginning of the trip
Alternatively, you can use the opposite strategy and book a cheap, saver-price connection with as many changes as possible with a short connection time at the beginning of the trip. There is a high probability that a connecting train will not be reached and the train connection will be canceled. If this is the case, you can easily switch to a better connection with fewer transfers – without spending more money.
5. Screenshots save trouble
If a train is late and the train connection is cancelled, it makes sense to be able to prove this somehow to the conductors on the alternative trains. A screenshot of the delay notice in the train app or a paper certificate issued by the station staff is suitable for this. The station monitor also shows delays digitally. This is not only available in the station itself, but also online – a screenshot of the station monitor can also provide proof of the cancellation of the train connection.
6. The right rail card
When it comes to cost efficiency, choosing the right rail card also plays a big role. The trial Bahncard is of course particularly suitable for beginners – it is cheaper than the normal subscription and can be canceled after a few weeks. For everyone else: Frequent travelers are best traveling with the Bahncard 100. If you like to travel at Flexpreis, it is best to use the Bahncard 50 and all regular saver fare drivers use the Bahncard 25. Because: Both the Bahncard 50 and the Bahncard 25 offer saver fare tickets. Rides only 25 percent discount. Flex price offers, on the other hand, are significantly cheaper for subscribers with Bahncard 50 than for holders of Bahncard 25.
7. Redeem passenger rights via the train app
If all else fails and you arrive at your destination one hour (25 percent discount) or two hours (50 percent discount) late, you have the right to a refund. The processing time for reimbursement applications submitted in paper form can take a very long time – the money ends up in the account more quickly if the application is submitted digitally via the customer account.
Editorial team finanzen.net