I have two trains booked for end November - Berlin to Cologne and Cologne to Munich - both booked with seat reservations. I have received emails today from Deutsche Bahn that both journeys are not possible and it asks me to search for alternatives. However, both on the website and the app, I get zero search results when i click the "search for alternatives" button on the My Trips page. But when I do a regular search, I can see many train options for the same day. My current booking says I can use any train on the day at no additional charge. I understand that I can hop onto any train, but I'm quite confused on how I can get seat reservations done? Most of the trains now show a message of high demand expected and seat reservations needed. I also wouldn't want to travel second class after booking first class fares, and the tickets are Sparpreis (non-cancellable). Calling their customer support is very expensive since I'm in India. Anyone have advice on how I can proceed?
Posted by
Green Bay
21140 posts
I would say to go ahead and buy seat reservations now for the trains you want. Cost is 5.90 EUR each for 1st class. If you had 1st class tickets previously and purchased seat reservations, stop in to a Reisezentrum at a train station and get refunds for the previous seat reservations.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thank you for the quick reply, Sam! You mean I can book a seat reservation on a train even if I don't have a ticket for the same train? And use the old ticket which says it can be used for any train on the day?
Posted by
Green Bay
21140 posts
That is correct. You have a valid ticket, the ticket for the cancelled train, so now all you need is the seat reservation. And you should be refunded if you bought seat reservations for the cancelled trains.
On the website, after you have entered the travel date and time and the departure and arrival station, you will see a button underneath that says "Book seat only". Toggle that and it will show the cost of just the seat reservation. 4.50 EUR for 2nd class and 5.90 EUR for 1st class.
Posted by
Wengen
2493 posts
Thank you for the quick reply, Sam! You mean I can book a seat
reservation on a train even if I don't have a ticket for the same
train?
You never had "a ticket for a train". You have a ticket for travel. And you had a reservation. Only the reservation has become moot, so it will be refunded.
One of the side effects of this system is that there are also a lot of no shows regarding reservations, as people indeed will take out multiple reservations if they are not sure which train to take. You will notice when doing a reservation that you will not be asked about a ticket.
Posted by
Freedonia
16270 posts
I've taken two ICE trains in Germany in the last week. When I went to make seat reservations, they only showed a few seats empty.
But when I actually got on the trains, more than half were empty.
Posted by
Northwest Arkansas
674 posts
I had a similar situation earlier this year going from Bamberg to Frankfurt. Fortunately, this trip was a couple of weeks after I arrived in Germany. After landing in Frankfurt at the start of my travels I simply went to the DB office at the Frankfurt Airport and got a new reservation and seats.
Posted by
11 posts
I would agree with Sam about purchasing seats BUT I just returned from the Adriatic tour and took a train from Munich to Ljubljana. I purchased seats in advance. When I got to the train the seats didn't exist.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Hello all, a big thankyou for the prompt replies. I have rebooked my reservations now. In two weeks time, I'll get back on the experience of getting the refund and whether or not the seats existed!
Posted by
Wengen
2493 posts
I purchased seats in advance. When I got to the train the seats didn't
exist.
When was that? You might have fallen victim to the uncoupling of EC 213/113...
One thing I notice is that Americans/Australians often book train tickets months in advance. That is not something Germans or other Central Europeans do. So short time changes seem to affect tourists more often, and the railways (and DB is worse here than most) seem to be unaware at the confusion they cause.