Seating on Deutsche Bahn trains

[leeza 1,895]

I have a seemingly stupid question, but Google was not my friend on this particular topic, nor was a search on the DB website.

 

I am traveling for the first time on a DB train tomorrow (Munich-Garmisch.) I have a ticket but not a seat reservation.

 

So the question is: Can I just go into any compartment and sit wherever, and hope it isn't a reserved seat, or is there some special area for unreserved seats? And are there any tips or tricks I should be aware of when trying to land a seat unreserved?

 

Thanks in advance. I'll leave the house at 10:30 am, so any tips before that time would be great.

[goodlife 9]

Are you riding the ICE train? If you do, you'll be lucky if there is a seat that is not reserved. You'll have to check the little plates above the seats, they usually tell the stops they are reserved, for example Munich to xyz, xyz to Garmisch etc.

There definitely is not a special area for unreserved seats.

Best to do is to wait until everyone is seated and then look for a free seat and by the time the reservation holder comes (maybe 3 stops later) you may be lucky and another seat close by is then free.

 

Enjoy your trip ;)

[cinzia 2,643]

Leeza, I'm going to assume you're not travelling on an ICE. I don't know if there even are ICE trains through Garmisch.

 

You've got these things going for you:

 

1. You're not on the first train of the day;

2. You're travelling on a Thursday which is not part of a holiday weekend;

3. It's November, not the high tourist season;

4. If worse comes to worst, Garmisch isn't that far from Munich.

 

If you're on a regional train or the BOB, there are no reserved seats. You just need to find a seat in the correct class. If the train is for some reason packed, which I don't think it will be, check to make sure that people who are "saving seats" really do have a friend coming and are not just making more room for themselves.

 

Besides the tips from goodlife above about ICE travel, the reservation system makes the reservation from a specific starting point to a specific ending point. If someone has a reservation from Munich Hbf to, say, Nuernberg, and they try to get on at Pasing instead of Hbf, their reservation is technically invalid.

[Jack 13]

 

If someone has a reservation from Munich Hbf to, say, Nuernberg, and they try to get on at Pasing instead of Hbf, their reservation is technically invalid.

Hmm, that's not quite right. You have 15 mins from the time the train departs, let's say as in your example from Munich Hbf, to claim your reserved seats. Your reservation is still valid in Pasing if you're quick enough to find your seats. Which shouldn't be a big deal as there are posters depicting where on the platform your carriage can be found.

Apart from that, if I know that I want to get on the train in Pasing then it would be silly not to reserve from Pasing in the first place.

[dolfan 35]

leeza - You should hae no problems finding a free seat. I have travelled alot on the DB and only have had to stand a few times and that was always in connection with the World Cup, Oktoberfest or some other large event. Just get to the Hbf a little early and get on the train early and you will be virtually guaranteed a seat.

[MonksTown 104]

What Cinzia said.

[leky 173]

I have travelled millions of times from GAP to Munich & back and have never seen reserved seats (on RE/RB) except for large groups. Usually these trains only have one 1st class section too, I have also never seen it that crowded in the middle of the day on a Thursday.

[leeza 1,895]

So from what you all are saying, there aren't reserved seats on the regional train to GAP in the 2nd Class. That's great news, now I am all sorted. Thanks a lot!

[kitkat64 461]

And don't try to get into the 1st class car with only a 2nd class ticket because you will get fined for that if you are caught (2x the cost of your ticket or 40€).

[ceogero 3]

What is stopping you from making a seat reservation?

[Owain Glyndwr 889]

errr they don't do reservations on RE/RB trains.

[koorosh 4]

 

And don't try to get into the 1st class car with only a 2nd class ticket because you will get fined for that if you are caught (2x the cost of your ticket or 40€).

Even if the seat is empty during the whole journey? That sucks.

[kato 3,560]

Just for standing around in there too.

[Small Town Boy 6,672]

Why on earth would that "suck"? The main reason people pay extra to sit in first class is because it's quieter there, so the last thing they want is for their carriage to be full of people who paid half the amount. In fact, the entire concept of first and second class would disintegrate if second-class ticket holders were allowed to sit in first class.

[MonksTown 104]

 

Even if the seat is empty during the whole journey? That sucks.

If they let "the plebs" who are all riding on heavily discounted tickets into first class it would defeat the purpose of first class innit.

 

A friend of mine who works for DB and i were travelling on the notoriously overcrowded Viel Länder Express last weekend back to Munich.

He told me that DB staff are NOT allowed to open up 1st class seats to 2nd class tcket holders in the case of overcrowding with the exception of the disabled and pregnant women.

[perdido 6,083]

Yep ditto what STB said, besides their toilets are just as bad as second class so your not missing much.

 

edit: If you are riding the ICE buy coffee/snacks before hand, the DB likes to charge you like a first class citizen.

[Lavender Rain 7,859]

 

Why on earth would that "suck"? The main reason people pay extra to sit in first class is because it's quieter there, so the last thing they want is for their carriage to be full of people who paid half the amount. In fact, the entire concept of first and second class would disintegrate if second-class ticket holders were allowed to sit in first class.

I pay extra to sit in first class as there are usually fewer children in first class and that's definitely worth the extra cost of the ticket. Nothing annoys me more than crying children on a train or children running through the carriage. Regarding getting fined when you're not suppose to be, where is that stated and how is one to know that there is a fine? It seems the total amount of the fine could be the cost of the first class ticket depending on where you're traveling.

[MonksTown 104]

 

where is that stated and how is one to know that there is a fine?

It is in the DB terms and conditions of carriage that you legally accept when you enter into a contract with DB ie buying a ticket or boarding one of their trains.

Yes, fines for fraudlent travel are higher than the fares. That's errrrrm, the point of them.

[kitkat64 461]

 

where is that stated and how is one to know that there is a fine? It seems the total amount of the fine could be the cost of the first class ticket depending on where you're traveling

According to my colleague who's wife works at DB and who asked me to do a translation into English of the notice in German that they will/have put on the 1st class cabins, it says basically what I posted up above. Entrance into First Class cabin without a ticket are subject to fines totally twice the amount of your ticket up to 40€. (You wouldn't believe how they tried to translate in the first place - it made no sense in English - that's why my colleague asked me - DB getting something for free...again)

[Lavender Rain 7,859]

As I travel all the time on Deutsche Bahn, I thought I'd confirm about the fine. I just spoke to someone at Deutsche Bahn at 018051941951 to ask if there is a fine and he said if you are found to be sitting in first class and your ticket is for second there is no fine. You will be asked to pay an uebergang and pay the different in the ticket from first class to second class. If you do not want to pay the different than you will be asked to sit in 2nd class. If you don't won't to sit in second class and refuse to move from 1st class you will be escorted from the train by the polizei.

 

Edit: So apparently the person at Deutsche Bahn didn't know what they were talking about. But I remember this happened to me long time ago I was sitting in first class and had a second class ticket. I just paid the difference and there was no fine. They were probably lenient because I didn't speak the language.