liamvad

Thank-You!!!!!.....^

WilcoRoger

Now THAT would be quite a feat to achieve. It would require rather a lot of civil engineering to make the Danube flow first to Prague and on to Dresden.

GUWonder

From the Vltava to the Elbe is the waterway connection between Prague and Dresden. The Danube would indeed be a bit difficult and then some if wanting to stick to the waters. But for the rail journey between the two, are there any convoluted routes to get the rail journey to go along with a sight of the Danube? I can't see myself doing that.

AlienInTheFatherland

Oops! Sorry, for Danube read Elbe (at least they both end in an e!)

Aviatrix

Donau doesn't end in e...

Jeannietx

When first class is an option we take it, always.

mosburger

Paid the 1st class supplement again early January when taking an RE from DUS to Cologne and S11 back to Duesseldorf as my hotel there was in Bilk just a short distance from the S-Bahn station.

Very few pax in the 10 AM'ish RE, the afternoon S-Bahn the next day was relatively full but myself the only passenger in the 1st section which was pleasant as I had a large bag, garment bag and rucksack with me.

So, while at rush hour the benefits of 1st might be questionable, again a very nice experience also on regional and local trains.

Ber2dca

I always pay for 1st class on trains. It's not the seat you pay for, it's the company you *won't* keep that you pay for.

Tizzette

Food service at your seat is one very pleasant benefit of first class. It would make me nervous to leave my bags behind to go to the cafe car.

bruce80

However, whether service at your seat will be provided at the time you need it (or at all) very much depends on the route you are travelling on and the crew you get. All too often, the waiter will only arrive too late to order, be served and eat your food before you have to get off. In the beginning of this service a few years ago, they used to have call buttons much like in an airplane on the ICE trains, but now those are gone or no longer working.

Hence, if you really need to eat on the train, there often will still be no option other than going to the restaurant car (if it happens not to be out of service which also occurs quite frequently). And if there's no option to eat later (for example, if you have a tight connction to another service where you cannot get food), the only really safe option is to bring your own food onto the train.

mosburger

Some suggestions for this at my usual German long distance train stations:

Cologne City: The fish delicatessen shop at Eigelstein and the Turkish fast food outlets on the Weidengasse. All less than 10 minutes from the main station building and real gourmet food to be had.

Dusseldorf Airport: The "Kikaku" sushi outlet in the Airport terminal. Really good quality Japanese and fusion sushi prepared by a real Japanese sushi master

Dusseldorf City: Several Turkish restaurants 100 - 200 meters from the main station building. Just wade your way through the drug addicts and North African professional thieves at afternoon and evening & night hours

Frankfurt Airport: The "Heisse Theke" at the REWE supermarket above the railway station. Very decent prices and good German meat dishes and veggies for take away

Frankfurt City: The "Erich Zeiss" butcher shop downstairs in the underground shopping arcade. Despite being in the area of the asylum seeker drug dealers, top notch German meat delicacies for take away

Koby

This! Often, if I start booking 1st class and see that I cannot get a single seat I just cancel and restart booking 2nd class. The single seats are what makes it worth paying extra.

(A better changce to have some quietness is also an advantage, but nobody can guarantee that even in 1st class...)

JDiver

We found buying First in Sweden and Norway got us space, quiet and seats. In Secind, it was unbelievably crowded at times, jammed with people, back packs, you name it. Not commuter Japan jammed, but jammed.

Jeannietx

We always buy 1st class when it is available.

To me it is "worth it".

mosburger

Booked 1st class "Sparpreis" on a work related day trip from Frankfurt to Hannover and back later this year for 93 euro return including all day public transport ticket for Hannover.

Seat reservation now free of charge in 1st and was able to select single row seats on both legs. ^

8 am departure from Frankfurt, so just going to have a quick breakfast at the hotel and head straight to the train, but is the Hannover Hbf DB lounge good at least for a coffee in the late afternoon?