Some great links and advice here.
If I were to get to Rotterdam or Zeebrugge, has anybody had experience using the train with their bikes to get to say Munich and how was that experience?
Thanks all again
Travelling with a touring bike on a train - NL to DE
Re: Travelling with a touring bike on a train - NL to DE
I assume that as you mentioned Rotterdam and Zeebrugge that you are looking at getting the ferry from Hull. The Hull-Zeebrugge service ended about a year ago and is unlikely to be restored (P&O have already sold the ferries).
You can get to Munich from Rotterdam via Venlo and Düsseldorf:
1. Trains from Rotterdam are 2/hr, departing at xx@27 and xx:57. Journey time to Venlo is 3h01m. You will require a bike ticket, but it is not possible to book a space for your bike. If the train is really busy then there may not be space for your bike and you may have to wait for the next one.
2. Eurobahn trains from Venlo to Düsseldorf Hbf are 1/h, departing at xx:05. Journey time is 1h03m. You will require a bike ticket, but it is not possible to book a space for your bike (thought there is a lot of space on these trains for bikes).
3. There are four direct DB Bahn Intercity Express (ICE) trains each day between Düsseldorf Hbf and München Hbf. Journey time is between 05h:25 and 06h16m. These ICE trains are the latest ICE4 trains and have 8 (bookable) bike spaces:
Düsseldorf Hbf 09:27 ICE 1125 8 bike spaces (ICE 4)
München Hbf 15:43
Düsseldorf Hbf 13:27 ICE 519 8 bike spaces (ICE 4)
München Hbf 19:28
Düsseldorf Hbf 15:27 ICE 611 8 bike spaces (ICE 4)
München Hbf 20:52
Düsseldorf Hbf 17:27 ICE 613 8 bike spaces (ICE 4)
München Hbf 23:24
You could probably do it in a single day (arriving in Munich late at night). If it was me, I would overnight in Düsseldorf and get the 09:27 departure the next day.
If overnighting in Dusseldorf, there is also a direct Intercity train (with 16 bookable bike spaces):
Düsseldorf Hbf 07:50 EC 115 16 bike spaces
München Hbf 14:11
The IC/EC train is slower, but will be cheaper that the ICE. You need to book your bike space on the IC/EC and ICE trains and pay for a bike ticket.
There is also a number of other options between Düsseldorf and Munich that involve one or more changes (see the DB Bahn website for more details).
Will
Re: Travelling with a touring bike on a train - NL to DE
Will the new Night train service Rotterdam to Dresden help with that?Will wrote: ↑20 May 2021, 8:05amI assume that as you mentioned Rotterdam and Zeebrugge that you are looking at getting the ferry from Hull. The Hull-Zeebrugge service ended about a year ago and is unlikely to be restored (P&O have already sold the ferries).
You can get to Munich from Rotterdam via Venlo and Düsseldorf:
1. Trains from Rotterdam are 2/hr, departing at xx@27 and xx:57. Journey time to Venlo is 3h01m. You will require a bike ticket, but it is not possible to book a space for your bike. If the train is really busy then there may not be space for your bike and you may have to wait for the next one.
2. Eurobahn trains from Venlo to Düsseldorf Hbf are 1/h, departing at xx:05. Journey time is 1h03m. You will require a bike ticket, but it is not possible to book a space for your bike (thought there is a lot of space on these trains for bikes).
3. There are four direct DB Bahn Intercity Express (ICE) trains each day between Düsseldorf Hbf and München Hbf. Journey time is between 05h:25 and 06h16m. These ICE trains are the latest ICE4 trains and have 8 (bookable) bike spaces:
Düsseldorf Hbf 09:27 ICE 1125 8 bike spaces (ICE 4)
München Hbf 15:43
Düsseldorf Hbf 13:27 ICE 519 8 bike spaces (ICE 4)
München Hbf 19:28
Düsseldorf Hbf 15:27 ICE 611 8 bike spaces (ICE 4)
München Hbf 20:52
Düsseldorf Hbf 17:27 ICE 613 8 bike spaces (ICE 4)
München Hbf 23:24
You could probably do it in a single day (arriving in Munich late at night). If it was me, I would overnight in Düsseldorf and get the 09:27 departure the next day.
If overnighting in Dusseldorf, there is also a direct Intercity train (with 16 bookable bike spaces):
Düsseldorf Hbf 07:50 EC 115 16 bike spaces
München Hbf 14:11
The IC/EC train is slower, but will be cheaper that the ICE. You need to book your bike space on the IC/EC and ICE trains and pay for a bike ticket.
There is also a number of other options between Düsseldorf and Munich that involve one or more changes (see the DB Bahn website for more details).
Will
A novice learning...
“the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.”
“the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.”
Re: Travelling with a touring bike on a train - NL to DE
Great advice from Will.
In case anyone doesn't know... the DB website doesn't only work for Germany, and does have a filter for trains which carry bikes:
https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml
And The Man in Seat 61 gives a superb overview and lots of hints:
https://www.seat61.com/bike-by-train.htm
Previous discussion in the context of getting to the southern end of EV15:
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=136779
Jonathan
In case anyone doesn't know... the DB website doesn't only work for Germany, and does have a filter for trains which carry bikes:
https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml
And The Man in Seat 61 gives a superb overview and lots of hints:
https://www.seat61.com/bike-by-train.htm
Previous discussion in the context of getting to the southern end of EV15:
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=136779
Jonathan
Last edited by Jdsk on 20 May 2021, 12:45pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Travelling with a touring bike on a train - NL to DE
Short answer is not really.
Longer answer is: Dresden is several hundred kilometers from Munich. You can get from Dresden to Munich on ICE trains with a bike (changing at Erfurt Hbf) - Journey time is 4h45m. The ICE from Dresden to Erfurt is a ICE 3T (which has space for three bikes). The ICE from Erfurt to Munich is an ICE 4 with 8 bike spaces.
Will
Re: Travelling with a touring bike on a train - NL to DE
Are there any better/quicker trains to Munich if you start at Dunkirk/Calais?
(I happen to know that trains from London to Dover are very bike-friendly. Well, a couple of years ago they were, anyway ... )
(I happen to know that trains from London to Dover are very bike-friendly. Well, a couple of years ago they were, anyway ... )
Re: Travelling with a touring bike on a train - NL to DE
They still are.
I sometimes get the ferry to Calais and the ter to Lille.
Lille connects to a lot of european destinations.
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willem jongman
- Posts: 2750
- Joined: 7 Jan 2008, 4:16pm
Re: Travelling with a touring bike on a train - NL to DE
Today the first nighttrain from Austria has arrived in Amsterdam. However, apparently there are as yet no facilties to take your bike, other than folded as a small parcel. Dutch Railways say they expect that bicycles will be allowed from late in 2021.