My aunt is taking her own bike to Europe for a cycling tour. She is returning by train from Budapest to Frankfurt for her flight home. Part of this journey is on an ICE train. We have heard that it may not be possible to take a bicycle on an ICE train. Has anyone done this before and if so what was involved. Many thanks for any information.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19240 posts
In general, bicycles cannot be conveyed on ICE trains. Look up the train on the Bahn website. If it says "number of bicycles conveyed limited", you can probably take a bicycle on the train, but you have to buy a day ticket (tageskarte) for a bicycle. Most regional train say this, but I have not seen it on ICEs. A courier service might transport the bicycle for her.
Posted by
OP
North Vancouver, BC, Canada
17 posts
Thanks Lee. Much appreciated. I am trying to suggest to her that renting a bike would be easier.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19240 posts
Maybe Centennial Frank will offer some help here. I think the has bicycled in Europe with his own bikes and might have some better information about transporting them. I don't ride much anymore, but there was a time when I did a lot (2500 mi per year, Ride the Rockies twice). I had a couple of custom built bikes and when I thought of taking them to Europe, I thought, "no way am I going to risk transporting those babies."
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33547 posts
If Fiets is out there he may know. My memory is that generally IC trains and RE trains often have a whole carriage for bikes, with a glass window behind the driver the full width of the car so you can "drive" too. These carriages are actually DVTs which are at the opposite end of the train from the engine. I don't remember any ICE trainsets with cycle capacity. Nevertheless, Germans and other Europeans love their cycles and make lots of cycle friendly things for themselves and visitors including, from place to place, cycle racks on buses, separate cycle lanes, paths, roads (even cycle "freeways" in London) and cycle friendly hotels and inns. I disagree that rental would be dramatically better, I think having your own bike that you know well is far better. That's if she is a serious cyclist. If she just wants to do a little casual riding I agree that rentals may work better. I have before happily taken my bike from Munich to Frankfurt a.M. to Brussels on IC range trains, and then on Eurostar (partially disassembled). Best advice - aunts know best. Mothers really know best but aunts know best.