interessierterlaie

No. You have the options when booking: Centre aisle coach or Compartment and Window seat or Aisle seat. Subject of availability of course. By default it is set to centre aisle and window seat. So I suspect that there was either no availability or you've chosen Compartment by error maybe?

When boarding the train just check the displays above the seats. If not occupied or reserved you can take any seat that is vacant and if there is nothing available in 27 check 28 as well and if you're not lucky you still have two seats reserved.

I don't know the order of the coaches of this particular train so I can't tell. It might change on short notice as well.

KC*

Thanks, interessierterlaie.

You have been most helpful. Wealth of information. Really appreciate it!

Cheers, bro!

Helena Handbaskets

I need to book tickets on the Deutsche Bahn web site. I need to book 4 adults, 2 kids and get seats a close together as possible. The main booking engine will only let me book 5 tickets at a time, presumably because starting with 6 tickets, you qualify for group rates. Well when I try to make a group booking, it tells me that 2 kids count as 1 adult, and so usng that math I no longer qualify for a group booking!

Anyone know how to book these tickets online at the same time?

If not, and I'm forced to book the 2 adults and 2 kids, and then try to immediately book the other 2 adults, will this automatically assign the other 2 adults seats close to the seats from the first booking? If not, is there any way I can boost the chances of proximal seating, or have seat assignments changed after the fact? These are for an ICE train, so seat reservations are required.

interessierterlaie

I just tried it myself and it's indeed strange as if you try to book 4 adults and 2 kids (6-14yrs) which according to the bahn qualify as one adult you can't buy a normal ticket.

You can only book one ticket at the same time.
No, unless you're really lucky.
You can use the same preferences as for the first ticket but chances are really slim.
Seat reservations can't be changed after booking.
If you buy a group ticket YES, if you book two separate tickets NO unless you book a ICE Sprinter. For regular ICEs you don't need a seat reservation (except when booked on a group ticket) although it's recommended especially for peak times.

Maybe a TA can help you out?

Helena Handbaskets

Thank you for the answers, interessierterlaie.

I just got off the phone with DB (hey, my German was good enough to have an actual phoneconversation and understand what was said - at least most of it!), and got exactly the same response as what you posted. There is actually no way to book 4 adults and 2 children together. You could book 4 adults and 1 child or 4 adults and 4 children (as a group), but not 4 adults and 2 children (also a problem with 3 children, I assume). And booking separately, the two groups may very well end up in different seating areas and even in different cars.

So the best I can do at this point is to book my wife and me and our 2 kids in one booking and then book my in-laws in a separate booking and tell them we'll probably just have to sit separately.

I may have mis-represented the train as an ICE train, or maybe not, as I don't know all the distinctions, but it's a TGV (at least nominally - don't know if "TGV" only applies to itineraries within France) from Stuttgart to Paris, and the booking form says reservations are required, so I won't be able to just buy 6 tickets and then hunt for seating. I wouldn't want to try that even if I could, because the results would probably be worse. But we'll certainly be looking for empty seats to correct the situation once we board the train.

Helena Handbaskets

Here's another question, though I think I know the answer to this one.

My rental car reservation has me dropping the (Budget) car off at the Stuttgart airport, because I could get the car cheaper through Expedia and Expedia only offered me the airport return. However, if I booked it directly with Budget, they do have a return location at the Stuttgart Hbf, which I would prefer. We'll have kids and grandparents and luggage and I'd prefer to avoid a rushed train transfer if I can.

Because the rental currently has the drop-off at the airport, I'd like to go ahead and buy tickets from the airport to Paris (same price as Hbf-Paris, and connects at the Stuttgart Hbf). But then, if I can get Expedia or Budget to modify the rental to drop the car off at the Stuttgart Hbf, can't I just use the same tickets and board the train at the Hbf?

SmilingBoy

Yes, you can; this is not like an airline. The train from the airport to the main station is an S-Bahn (kind of like the RER in Paris) which does not conductors. So most likely nobody will check your ticket anyway so nobody on the next train will know whether you were on the S-Bahn or nor.

interessierterlaie

The TGV runs severals times a day from Stuttgart to Paris but a seat reservation isn't required for route segments within Germany but as you mentioned in your case it might better to have one before you end up with all your folks spread across the train.

Helena Handbaskets

Because I'll be driving in from Oberammergau, and considering the chance of encountering staus, particularly on A8, I'm reconsidering my plans. I'm thinking of driving to Munich and catching an ICE train there to connect with the Stuttgart-Paris TGV. The ICE from Munich arrives on track 10, and the TGV to Paris departs on track 9. The scheduled connection time is only 7 minutes.

So the questions are:

1. Is the connection from track 10 to track 9 at Stuttgart one where you simply cross the platform, or would I need to run around the ends of the trains to get to track 9?

2. I know German trains are famous for being on-time, but I have been on at least one that was a few minutes late (thank goodness - I would have missed it otherwise). Am I asking for trouble with a 7 minute connection, or can I count on an on-time arrival?

3. I've already bought discounted tickets for the TGV. If I buy separate tickets from Munich to Stuttgart and that train arrives late and I miss the connection, is that a condition under which DB would transfer my discount TGV tickets to the next train at no additional cost, or would I be looking at buying full-fare tickets for the next train?

Since it will occur to someone to ask, yes, I'm also considering taking the next earlier train from Munich (40 minutes earlier), which eliminates the problem of a tight connection in Stuttgart. But since we're going to have to leave fairly early from Oberammergau to make the 10:23 train from Munich, I'd like to not have to leave any earlier if I can count on making the tight connection. If I have to, though, that's my backup option.

interessierterlaie

It's indeed easy. Just across but be aware that the track might change on short notice.

There is a map available online for Stuttgart.
http://www.bahnhof.de/site/shared/de..._stuttgart.pdf

If the direct link doesn't work try it via:
http://www.bahnhof.de/site/bahnhoefe...nhofsplan.html

I always thought the trains in Switzerland were famous for being on-time. If the German trains were famous for that, these times are gone but that's just my experience I made in the last months.

But as I suppose your ICE will start its trip in Munich an on-time arrival in Stuttgart is more likely than on other routes.
Ticketwise you can't miss a connection as you are booked on Munich-Stuttgart. For the DB it won't matter that you have another ticket from Stuttgart to Paris. They normally do their best to help people reaching their connections but I really doubt that they will open your ticket for the next Stuttgart-Paris without any costs. What do the terms and conditions on your TGV ticket say about that?

schley

Great resource......

1. I want to go from Frankfurt airport to Cologne.
2. 5 people on the ICE train
3. How do I know which place is which? Is this correct?
Frankfurt(M) Flughafen Fernbf
Köln Messe/Deutz Gl.11-12



This trip is May 27-returning May 28 and getting 80.5 euro's each for roundtrip 2nd class. Cheapest?

Thanks for any help as the site is somewhat difficult to navigate, but pretty comprehensive it seems.

SmilingBoy

Unless you have a specific reason to be in Deutz, you selected the wrong Cologne station. Should be something like Köln Hbf, Köln Hauptbahnhof or Cologne Main Station. The main station is in the city centre.

barman2891

something similar... you may find some info in my thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/europ...-question.html

interessierterlaie

SmilingBoys was pointing in the right direction already. Is Köln Messe the destination you want to go to?

The 28th is a Friday which makes it more difficult to find some cheap tickets. But if your timing is flexible you should find some nice discounts. Right now there are plenty of connections FRA-Cologne Main Station (Köln Hbf) available. I did some dummy bookings and found return tickets for 5 people for 118€ return=23,60€ for each of you excluding reservations of course (2,50 each).

schley

Wow glad I asked about the Cologne train station.

I'm staying at the Le Meridien Dom hotel right across from the Cathedral. Is the Köln Hbf still the best place for me to arrive?

The return mentions 1 change somewhere, how does this factor in? Are changes meaning a change in the train at some point I assume? Anything I need to look for?

Thanks again as this is my first time booking a train.