Bikes on Germany’s trains

[Jackslad]

Hi,
Does anyone have any experience of/tips on taking bikes on trains in Germany.
I’m considering cycling from Rotterdam to Frankfurt, then returning to Rotterdam by train.
I know the train service in Holland is very bike friendly, but have no experience of same in Germany.

[i][i]You’re never too old to put on lycra and be awesome.[/i][/i]

[cycletourer]

Hi Jackslad,

We have taken our bikes on German trains several times with no real problems apart from some local trains can have steps to get your bike up but a lot of the newer ones have easy access. Have a look at our 'German Trains' page on our website here.

Cheers
Jon

[Jackslad]

Thanks Jon.
Some more good information.

[plancashire]

I live in Germany. You can't take bikes on the ICE express trains, except the very newest and I don't think they run to Frankfurt on your route. You can on the EC and IC trains but you need to reserve places. These are good for longer distances. Local trains such as RE, RB and S all have spaces in varying amounts and positions on the train, no reservation needed. In theory in some places you shouldn't take a bike during the rush hour but I have never seen this enforced. If you are in a bigger group I would travel outside rush hour.

Look at the illuminated signs to get a clue about where the train compartment might be but they are not very informative. If you can find a Deutsche Bahn person on the platform (or ask at the Service Point) they may be able to tell you where to wait. This can be important for the double-decker REs which have the bike compartment at one of the train only. The question to ask in German is "Wo sollte ich auf dem Bahnsteig warten?" and show your bike and ticket for the destination (or write it on the ticket if it is the sort without a destination). You will be told "Am Abschnitt A/B/C/.../G." There are letters above the platform. It is so much easier in France!

You will need a ticket for your bike. For Deutsche Bahn it is a Fahrrad Ticket. For local trains it is a Zusatz Ticket (extra ticket).

Schöne Reise!

[Will]

You can get an Inter City train from Frankfurt(Main)Hbf to Düsseldorf Hbf - This train has 16 bookable bike spaces.

From Düsseldorf Hbf you can get the hourly Eurobahn service to Venlo (Netherlands) - This train has space for 30 bikes. https://www.eurobahn.de/en/line-information/re-13/

From Venlo you can take dutch trains to Rotterdam (change at Eindhoven).

Will

[mjr]

I know the train service in Holland is very bike friendly,

Not my experience. It was very similar to the Dutch-run Greater Anglia regional trains (4 or 6 bikes per train, no reservations or queues so you get to scrum for each service and have no chance if you don't know where on the platform the bike compartment stops, some friendly guards allowing extra bikes into the large luggage space if free, others refusing, and peak time bans) with the added penalty of a €5.70(?) bike ticket. Good luck!

Belgium is better - on most routes.

Dutch stations seem more likely to have lifts or escalators though, which makes life easier than steps (sometimes without wheeling ramps).

[plancashire]

Ah yes, something I forgot to mention: allow plenty of time for connections. German trains do not run on time, contrary to the belief of most foreigners. They haven't done for years. It might also be a good idea to look out for engineering works. There are some big ones around. A bus service usually kills bike carriage. The German for this service is Schienenersatzverkehr or SEV for short. You can actually take your bike on many buses, just not the rail replacement ones. Doh!

[Jackslad]

Thanks to you all for posting some really good tips. Filed away in the “getting ready box”.

[foxyrider]

I've been using the German trains with bikes for nigh on 20 years - they have improved the bike provision ten fold in that time. Some ticket machines allow you to buy the bike ticket (€5.50/day) with your other tickets - some do not (on Sunday in Rostock the platform machines didn't but the concourse machines did!). Its worth checking out the saver tickets - they can save you a small fortune especially if you are in a group. Go to the Bahn.com website and take a look - then ring their London office, they are very helpful and will sort out the best price for you.