Deutsche Bahn cancellation and refunds?

Posted by elizaoltremare (Montreal, QC) on 06/25/25 02:34 PM

Hi there, I've looked on the Deutsche Bahn website and I'm confused by the cancellation and refund policy. I'm looking to take an EC train from Copenhagen->Hamburg in September. It's just not clear to me if there is a possibility of cancelling and getting a (partial or full) refund on my own initiative if my plans change and I need to rebook my train.

I was also wondering... do EC trains sell out? How risky is it to wait to book? The prices for departures on the same route tomorrow look mostly the same as they do three months out, with one midday route being more expensive.

Thanks!

Posted by Jazz+Travels

Chicago

06/25/25 02:57 PM

8455 posts

I'm confused by the cancellation and refund policy.

On DBahn https://int.bahn.de/en

You get 3 choices of tickets at check out and each spells out the policy, when you search read the details of each ticket before pruchasing:

Super Sparpreis Europa
No City-Ticket
No cancellations
Train-specific travel

Sparpreis Europa
No City-Ticket
Cancellation subject to a fee before first day of validity
Train-specific travel

Flexpreis Europa
City-Ticket for Hamburg included
Cancellation free of charge before first day of validity
Unrestricted choice of trains

I was also wondering... do EC trains sell out? How risky is it to wait to book?

They could sell out but when looking at tickets for sell on that route for today and tomorrow (summer is peak travel time) they are not all sold out.

Posted by elizaoltremare OP

Montreal, QC

06/25/25 03:22 PM

174 posts

Ah, thank you, I had not gone that far into checkout.

Posted by sla019

Bavaria

06/25/25 06:23 PM

2564 posts

I was also wondering... do EC trains sell out?

No, they don't (with the exception of the summer peak travel period from 28.05.2025 up to and including 31.08.2025, when seat reservations are mandatory and included in the ticket price). But if you don't have a reserved seat, you might have to stand (although there is usually still a seat available). The fare increases continuously the closer the travel date gets, except for the flex price, which remains stable (and expensive).

Posted by MarkK

Schwerin

06/25/25 07:50 PM

3908 posts

No, they don't (with the exception of the summer peak travel period from 28.05.2025 up to and including 31.08.2025,

I would add annually the Berlin Marathon weekend + / - 3 days. The most non-domestic participants often come from Denmark.

Also the North German Christmas Markets are beloved weekend trips by Scandinavians, e. g. Hamburg and Lübeck.