Hi, I have purchased an online DB ticket from Frankfurt-Flugh to Zuerich: The Europa-Spezial Europa-Spez. Schweiz. The top box in the top line says Frankfurt to Zuerich but the next line details a F-Flugh ICE517/MA-Hbf ICE871 via Basel Bad.The bottom box reads: F.Flughafen Fern/Mannheim ICE 517 - Mannheim/Basel ICE 871 - Basel/Zurich TGV 9215. When I purchased the screen read the leg from Basel to Zurich was incomplete and the cost went from 68,00 to 62,00. Do I still need to purchase the TGV 9215 portion of this trip?
I tried calling DB and no operator spoke English! Since there is only 20 minutes between connections, I would feel safer to have all my tickets in hand prior to arrival. Any advice?
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Hi, Lori.
Since he has booked many trains on the DB site, Lee from Denver can probably give you a more definitive answer; but I assume that since the Basel-Zuerich TGV 9215 is listed, your ticket is complete all the way to Zuerich. If I'm right, you should find a seat assignment number for that TGV. (Seat reservations are required on TGVs.)
Tim
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
On two occasions I have called DB in Germany. The first time I asked, "Do you speak English?", and she said, "Moment", and put me on hold for several minutes (at Int'l phone rates) for an English speaking operator. So, the second time I called I just said, in German, 'I can try this in German, but it is easier if you speak English', and she said, 'Try in German'.
So, I know that at times they have English speaking operators. I know of others who have had success in Enlgish. You might try again. Did you call the 996633 number?
I have only purchased Dauer-Spezial tickets (for completely inside Germany) online, and it appears that the formats are different. Without seeing the tickets, I can't offer an opinion.
You are welcome to contact me by PM and I will give you an email address to which you can send me a scan (or the pdf file) for that ticket. (There is no danger to you since I can't use the ticket without having your credit card for ID.) Then I will try to give you an opinion.
F-Flugh ICE517/MA-Hbf ICE871 via Basel Bad is the description of the DB Fernverkehr portion of the trip, which is a necessary element, I think, for the Europa-Spezial fare.
However, I would have expected something more, 2 x €3, to have been added for the reservation for the Swiss portion of the trip. In the reservation area of the purchase screen it said, "Per seat & per way 2,00 EUR." That added to the €29 per person fare equals €62. Is that what the ticket says the Summe is? After that it says, "The prices for reservation for the non German part of the journey vary, depending on the country", so I would expect to see fee for the TGV reservation.