Deutsche Bahn and Spar tickets
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 1,727
Deutsche Bahn and Spar tickets
I am considering buying a Spar ticket between Freiburg and Gdansk / Danzig in Poland. However, the most suitable connection involves a change of trains in Berlin with a 18 minute connection. Now I have done plenty of those connections in Japan, but unfortunately DB, while pretty good, is not JR as regards punctuality. Plus, having never been to the station in Berlin (lower level), I am somewhat apprehensive of making the connection, failing which my ticket becomes invalid.
What do the 'profis' suggest?
What do the 'profis' suggest?
#2
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Munich, Germany
Programs: Miles&More Blue, SPG Silver
Posts: 3,379
Under normal circumstances 18 minutes are enough in Berlin to change trains but it does not give you any buffer in case of a delayed train to Berlin. I guess there are only a view trains going from Berlin to Gdansk per day and missing it would cause you some long delay. If possible you should try to take a train earlier to Berlin to have between 30 and 60 Minutes. About the validity of your ticket. If the whole journey from Freiburg to Gdanks is on one ticket than in case of a delayed train you can take the next train to Gdansk. You just go to the Bahn Infopoint and get a note about the delay that caused you to miss the connection (this is the official way, many people just skip this and just take the next train which can theoretically cause some debate with the train staff). If you have separated tickets the same rules as in air travel apply meaning if you miss you connection you out of luck.
#3
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
Under normal circumstances 18 minutes are enough in Berlin to change trains but it does not give you any buffer in case of a delayed train to Berlin. I guess there are only a view trains going from Berlin to Gdansk per day and missing it would cause you some long delay. If possible you should try to take a train earlier to Berlin to have between 30 and 60 Minutes. About the validity of your ticket. If the whole journey from Freiburg to Gdanks is on one ticket than in case of a delayed train you can take the next train to Gdansk. You just go to the Bahn Infopoint and get a note about the delay that caused you to miss the connection (this is the official way, many people just skip this and just take the next train which can theoretically cause some debate with the train staff). If you have separated tickets the same rules as in air travel apply meaning if you miss you connection you out of luck.
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 1,727
Thanks for the tip! I did not even know about the Polish Rail site, but did check it out. Unlike the DB site, it did not offer Freiburg as a starting station and splitting up the trip in Berlin would make it much more expensive. In any case, it was good to know about another resource for future trips.
#7
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2017
Programs: M&S, Radisson
Posts: 758
But just a thought: Why not fly? Freiburg to Gdansk on the train takes like 13 hours minimum. And DB is much less reliable than JR indeed! The train from Freiburg to BSL takes an hour and then it's roughly 3:30 hours flight time (with a connection in MUC or FRA). Alternatively, you could take the train to FRA (2 hour ride) and then a direct flight to GDN.
#8
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: manchester, uk
Posts: 205
If he's talking lower level at Berlin in a previous post then he almost certainly is changing at the Hbf