Originally Posted by
EuroFlash
I get this but unlike boarding an aircraft no one checks your ticket upon boarding to make sure you actually make use of that segment. I'd say it's safe to hop on mid-journey.
That´s basically correct - at least for domestic trips within Germany.
Only Thalys might be different and Eurostar certainly is (because their operation is airline style almost 1:1)
Just two weeks ago I did board an ICE train at an intermediate stop although my ticketed origin was before my point of boarding.
Actually I had booked a trip Schwetzingen-Mannheim-Düsseldorf-Arnhem-Amsterdam where Mannheim-Düsseldorf was the ICE part.
Bought the one-way train ticket before deciding which way to go back home - ended up booking an air ticket AMS-FRA so decided to park my car at the airport ...
I boarded the ICE train at Frankfurt airport and none of the guards "raised even an eyebrow" ...
Had no seat reservation since I intended to have breakfast in the restaurant car anyway and enjoyed my breakfast at 280-300kph ...
Only bummer was that my spending in the restaurant car does not contribute to my BahnBonus account despite they are 100% DB ...