DB ICE Surf & Rail
Dec 12, 2006 | 3:18 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Geneva/Marbella
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Posts: 992
DB ICE Surf & Rail
Arriving to FRA on LA 705 that is on average a half hour delayed and has a 10% extremely delayed status.
Will oneway fares on DB ICE always be the same as the oneway fare that comes up on the net. Are there ever any discounts buying just before departure? I assume not.
I find DB has fares now called Surf and Rail that appear to only be sold roundtrip in advance on net. On the FRA CGN route the ow is 55 euro but I find these fares for 39 euro rt.
Is it therefore advisable to book these?
If I am unlucky and severely delayed to FRA how does DB deal with situations like this. If I book much later train will they be able to change to earlier at FRA?
Will oneway fares on DB ICE always be the same as the oneway fare that comes up on the net. Are there ever any discounts buying just before departure? I assume not.
I find DB has fares now called Surf and Rail that appear to only be sold roundtrip in advance on net. On the FRA CGN route the ow is 55 euro but I find these fares for 39 euro rt.
Is it therefore advisable to book these?
If I am unlucky and severely delayed to FRA how does DB deal with situations like this. If I book much later train will they be able to change to earlier at FRA?
Dec 12, 2006 | 8:43 am
#2
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 7,566
You should be able to find full terms and conditions on the bahn.de web site, but AFAIK these cheap advance-booking fares tend to be non-changeable and non-refundable - i.e., you either travel on the train you booked or you forfeit your ticket.
The regular fare is the same regardless of how and where you book.
In the situation you describe I would get a regular ticket, and buy it at bahn.de to save time on arrival.
The regular fare is the same regardless of how and where you book.
In the situation you describe I would get a regular ticket, and buy it at bahn.de to save time on arrival.
Dec 13, 2006 | 5:58 am
#3
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: SAT
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actually, not true...
if you book your ticket on the train, it costs you more.
In my experience, booking in advance is advisable, simply because you can reserve seats (smoking, non-smoking, compartment, large open space, table, etc).
If you do not make your train because of the delay of your flight, but you are leaving on the same day/routing, most conductors will let you slide. You may lose your seat, but especially if you pull the tourist card, very few of them will actually make you pay the fare difference
if you book your ticket on the train, it costs you more.
In my experience, booking in advance is advisable, simply because you can reserve seats (smoking, non-smoking, compartment, large open space, table, etc).
If you do not make your train because of the delay of your flight, but you are leaving on the same day/routing, most conductors will let you slide. You may lose your seat, but especially if you pull the tourist card, very few of them will actually make you pay the fare difference
Dec 13, 2006 | 8:04 am
#4
Join Date: Dec 2005
Programs: OW Emerald, *A Gold
Posts: 6,939
actually, not true...
if you book your ticket on the train, it costs you more.
In my experience, booking in advance is advisable, simply because you can reserve seats (smoking, non-smoking, compartment, large open space, table, etc).
If you do not make your train because of the delay of your flight, but you are leaving on the same day/routing, most conductors will let you slide. You may lose your seat, but especially if you pull the tourist card, very few of them will actually make you pay the fare difference
if you book your ticket on the train, it costs you more.
In my experience, booking in advance is advisable, simply because you can reserve seats (smoking, non-smoking, compartment, large open space, table, etc).
If you do not make your train because of the delay of your flight, but you are leaving on the same day/routing, most conductors will let you slide. You may lose your seat, but especially if you pull the tourist card, very few of them will actually make you pay the fare difference
But be aware if you by a discounted ticket for a special train. The conductors will not let you pass here but force you to buy a new ticket. I have experienced this quite often that passengers had to buy a new ticket because they missed the train they where booked on.
Dec 13, 2006 | 2:54 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,739
Dec 15, 2006 | 12:11 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 7,566
If you do not make your train because of the delay of your flight, but you are leaving on the same day/routing, most conductors will let you slide. You may lose your seat, but especially if you pull the tourist card, very few of them will actually make you pay the fare difference
Dec 18, 2006 | 10:41 am
#7
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: SIN, dreaming of SFO and YVR
Programs: BD *S, SQ nada
Posts: 765
Arriving to FRA on LA 705 that is on average a half hour delayed and has a 10% extremely delayed status.
Will oneway fares on DB ICE always be the same as the oneway fare that comes up on the net. Are there ever any discounts buying just before departure? I assume not.
I find DB has fares now called Surf and Rail that appear to only be sold roundtrip in advance on net. On the FRA CGN route the ow is 55 euro but I find these fares for 39 euro rt.
Is it therefore advisable to book these?
If I am unlucky and severely delayed to FRA how does DB deal with situations like this. If I book much later train will they be able to change to earlier at FRA?
Will oneway fares on DB ICE always be the same as the oneway fare that comes up on the net. Are there ever any discounts buying just before departure? I assume not.
I find DB has fares now called Surf and Rail that appear to only be sold roundtrip in advance on net. On the FRA CGN route the ow is 55 euro but I find these fares for 39 euro rt.
Is it therefore advisable to book these?
If I am unlucky and severely delayed to FRA how does DB deal with situations like this. If I book much later train will they be able to change to earlier at FRA?
I bought my tickets for 62EUR, for Aachen-Heidelberg return (that's quite cheap right?). So even though I had discounted tickets, the DB office still found me a place on subsequent trains.
Hope this helps abit.
Dec 18, 2006 | 3:26 pm
#8
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 7,566
Hello! I found myself on a regional train that was late, and missed my ICE and another regional train as a result. I bought super-cheap tickets, and yet I was able to get the DB office to get me seats on the following ICE and the subsequent regional train. Please note that they stuffed me into the smoking carriage on the following ICE! Oh how I suffered, until I begged the conductor to get me a non-smoking seat.
And DB will always allow you to travel on the next train if you miss a connection. In fact you could probably have got the attendant on your late-running train to endorse your ticket, which would have saved you from having to queue up at the ticket office. S/he probably wouldn't have been able to get you a reserved seat, but that wouldn't have been a problem because seat reservations are not compulsory.