European Rail Travel - Upgrading train tickets in Germany

I am due to fly into MUC and take a train to Salzburg. I am planning to buy my train ticket online so as to save time and hassle on arrival.

bahn.de quotes three different (flexible) fares for the trip, EUR 30.90 on the slow train (RE), EUR 34.00 or EUR 38.00 by fast train depending on the type of train (EC or RJ)

The train I am most likely to catch falls into the middle band, so that's the fare I am planning to go for.

What happens if I miss my train and end up on a more expensive one instead? Can I buy a supplement? If so can I buy it on board or do I have to buy it at the station?

I know what the answer to the question would have been a few years ago but things keep changing!

I believe the answer is still the same. If you are on flex tickets, you can buy "upgrades" (whether they are for a higher category train or for a class upgrade) both at the station (counters) or in the train. However, a small additional penalty supplement will be charged for everything purchased on trains (I believe it is 10% of the ticket price, with a minimum fee of 1,50 EUR).

But beware: this only applies to long distance trains (D-Zug and better), on regional trains you will be charged a "Erhöhtes Beförderungsentgelt" (penalty fine) if caught with a ticket not valid on this train. The EBE will be twice the regular ticket price, minimum 40 EUR.

Given that it is generally so quick to buy from the machine at the station, I would just do that, personally.

Remember that if you are only travelling on the S-bahn and RE trains, you can get a Bayern Ticket Single for €21 - shown on the DB search as a savings fare, but it is, of course, flexible (after the 9am weekday time restriction).

Also, the RE and EC connections involve changing at Munich Ost, with adequate time. The RJ connection involves changing at Munich Hbf, with a 10-minute connecting time. If the S-bahn train is a few minutes late, this could mean a rush (especially with luggage) to get to the RJ, which generally leaves from platform 11 - on the far side of the station from the underground S-bahn platforms.

Given that it is generally so quick to buy from the machine at the station, I would just do that, personally.

It could make the difference between catching a train and not catching it... that's why I normally like to buy my tickets in advance. (I do this at home too... cycle to the station beforehand to buy my ticket, then leave the house on foot ten minutes before departure knowing that I don't have to worry about the length of the queue)

Remember that if you are only travelling on the S-bahn and RE trains, you can get a Bayern Ticket Single for €21 - shown on the DB search as a savings fare, but it is, of course, flexible (after the 9am weekday time restriction).

Useful advice, thanks. Can they be purchased online?

Also, the RE and EC connections involve changing at Munich Ost, with adequate time. The RJ connection involves changing at Munich Hbf, with a 10-minute connecting time. If the S-bahn train is a few minutes late, this could mean a rush (especially with luggage) to get to the RJ, which generally leaves from platform 11 - on the far side of the station from the underground S-bahn platforms.

Useful to know, thanks. If our flight lands on time then the next two trains are EC and RE, so probably easiest to rule out RJ altogether.

Baggage won't be much of an issue as it's a short trip and it'll probably be carry-on only.

bruce80 - do D trains still exist? I've not come across one in years, they all seem to be labelled IC or EC these days.

Useful advice, thanks. Can they be purchased online?

Yes, and if it's "we" (travelling together) rather than "I", then you'll need the Bayern ticket at only €29.

But these tickets aren't upgradeable - they will make you pay the full fare if you travel on the EC/RJ instead.

bruce80 - do D trains still exist? I've not come across one in years, they all seem to be labelled IC or EC these days.

Well, I'm not sure whether they still exist, but there have been a few overnight trains across european borders which had a D train number in recent years (Like the "Schweiz-Express" running between Amsterdam and Zurich/Milan), but they might now as well be categorized as CNL; also, I'm not sure whether there are any D trains left on the Berlin-Warsaw route.

Well, I'm not sure whether they still exist, but there have been a few overnight trains across european borders which had a D train number in recent years (Like the "Schweiz-Express" running between Amsterdam and Zurich/Milan), but they might now as well be categorized as CNL; also, I'm not sure whether there are any D trains left on the Berlin-Warsaw route.

A number of D-trains still exist in eastern Europe (certainly as overnight trains - not sure about daytime trains). In Germany, they still exist as a concept (eg: under 'advanced search options' on bahn.de, the train type options are ICE, EC/IC, D, NV, etc) although there are now very few trains actually classified as D. As Bruce80 indicates, some of the sections attached to CNL overnight trains (eg: the Prague-Berlin seats coaches on the Prague-Amsterdam CNL) are classified as D (although some similar sections on other CNLs are classified as IC).

And note that, sadly, the Amsterdam-Milan CNL no longer exists...

I a short trip and it'll probably be carry-on only.

bruce80 - do D trains still exist? I've not come across one in years, they all seem to be labelled IC or EC these days.

As was mentioned above, there are still a few, e.g., the Berlin-Ukraine trains. The DB also had a very nice weekend excursion train from Berlin to Usedom island, which it classified as "D," the reason being it didn't want the train overrun with people using "Schoenes Wochenende" tickets (good on S, RB, RE only). In the new timetable, however, the DB shows it as an RE train! One might argue that the DB has started to serve its customers properly; a cynic might say the DB needed to increase the train's custom

There are occasional oddities, like this train (http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/traininfo.exe/en/813456/393143/685930/71813/81?ld=9641&seqnr=8&ident=hi.01128641.1325580121&date=07.12.12&station_evaId=8100013&station_type=dep&currentReferrer=tp&rt=1&) which is classified as D in Austria and RE in Germany.

Yes, and if it's "we" (travelling together) rather than "I", then you'll need the Bayern ticket at only €29.

But these tickets aren't upgradeable - they will make you pay the full fare if you travel on the EC/RJ instead.

That EUR 29 fare has really made this a no-brainer... it would be silly to pay all that extra money just to save a bit of time. Our worst-case scenario would be a 59 minute wait for the next RE if we've just missed one... in which case we could spend some of the money saved on having a bite to eat! (I've never been to Ostbahnhof... I presume there is somewhere to get some lunch?)

Many thanks indeed, railways!

There are occasional oddities, like this train (http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/traininfo.exe/en/813456/393143/685930/71813/81?ld=9641&seqnr=8&ident=hi.01128641.1325580121&date=07.12.12&station_evaId=8100013&station_type=dep&currentReferrer=tp&rt=1&) which is classified as D in Austria and RE in Germany.

If I recall, additional trains used to be classified as D if they had no catering. But that was in the days that IC meant full restaurant service, and IR (RIP) meant a bistro, so if those weren't available the train would be "downgraded".

Neil