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ICE saver fares Amsterdam-Koln...

Posted by (Tempe) on

Hello -
I've been looking on the DB website for ICE saver fares on this route with no success. We (family of 4) are traveling June 1. I thought perhaps I was too early in attempting to book this ticket so I checked other dates. I looked at various Thursdays in all the months between now and June. I didn't find one saver fare offered for the ICE on this route. The flex price is 134 euros for all four of us.

There WERE saver fares (38 euros) available on routes with 2-4 connections and an extra 1-2 hours of travel time.

Is this route just so popular that saver fares aren't offered? Am I missing something?

Posted by
2335 posts

The dutch web site says:
"Momenteel zijn er door technische problemen helaas geen Sparpreis tickets te boeken, excuses voor dit ongemak." ("due to technical problems, currently no saver fares can be booked. We apologize")

So, try it tomorrow again, either on the DB or on the NS webiste (www.ns.nl)

Posted by
16893 posts

In my tests using the standard search, the note "No special fares available" applies on all departures, regardless of connections. (Going through a discount-related link is more similar to what you saw.) I'd guess that something is being negotiated or repaired and you may have to wait more than a day.

Posted by
130 posts

Ok! I'll keep checking, especially around 90 days prior. In addition, we will discuss if the shorter travel time makes buying the expensive ICE tickets worth it. June 1 & 2 are by far busiest and most ambitious days of our 23 night European trip schedule. An extra hour or more and reduced hassle from changing trains MIGHT be worth it. We travel light, but because we will be taking two more trains later in the day (Koln>Koblenz>Bachrach), we just might spring for the ICE.

Thanks!

Posted by
130 posts

Update: I ended up booking a Saverfare for 78 Euros (2 adults, 2 kids). ICE Amsterdam>Koln, 3.5 hour stopover in Koln, then Koln>Bacharach. Very pleased with the price & no transfers except in Koln.

Posted by
19099 posts

So apparently the lack of Saver-Fares from Amsterdam to Köln were a temporary thing.

Hopefully you got a fare that includes an RB (or RE) from Köln to Koblenz. On Saver-Fares, per the Vor- und Nachlauf provision of the Bahn, the regional connections are not train specific. You can use any regional train on the same route that day. So if the train shown on your ticket from Köln to Koblenz is a regional train, you can spend as much time in Köln as you want, as long as you get to Bacharch by 10 AM the following day. On the other hand, if your ticket includes a long distance train, example IC, from Köln, your ticket requires you to take that train.

Posted by
130 posts

Lee - Thank you for educating all of us about German train travel.

When I purchased to tickets, I wasn't aware of the advantages you mentioned with a RB or RE train. I checked the details of our tickets by logging on to My Bahn on the DB website. The train from Koln>Bacharach is "RB 25429". So this must be the type of ticket you promoted in your response. This is good to know.

Again, many thanks.

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