Can I take my bicycle into all German trains?
I want to take a train with my bicycle from somewhere in Germany to Switzerland. Concerning this, I have a couple of question that all go to the same direction:
Can I take my bike in every train? Or do I have to take a special train? How do I know if I can take a bike with me? Do I need a reservation for my bike?
In Switzerland, there is also a service where you can drop off a bike at almost any train station and the pick it up at any other destination for a very low fee (around 5-10 CHF), is there something similar for trains from Germany to Switzerland?
Best Answer
Short answer: you cannot take your bicycle into ALL German trains!
- when you are using long-haul trains (IC, EC, City Night Line, EN, D, CNL) you have to make a reservation. It costs 9 EUR (6 EUR if you have DB-card).
- when you're using regional trains it depends on the federal states. On DB Bahn Website (German) you can find information about the regulation in every federal state.
- when you're using ICE trains, there could be also a possibility to take you bike. From DB Bahn beförderungsbedingungen:
7.1 Traglast
Neben Handgepäck darf der Reisende ein Stück Traglast mit sich führen. Traglasten sind Gegenstände, die – ohne Handgepäck zu sein – von einer Person getragen werden können. Im Übrigen kann der Reisende Gepäck als Reisegepäck gemäß den hierfür geltenden Bestimmungen aufgeben.
8.1 Mitnahmemöglichkeit
In Zügen der Produktklasse ICE ist die Mitnahme von Fahrrädern ausgeschlossen.
So if you put your bicycle in a package and can carry it, it should be no problem to take it on the ICE train. I know it's not the best way to transport your bike, but it could be better than using slower trains.
Pictures about "Can I take my bicycle into all German trains?"
Are bikes allowed in German trains?
Taking a bicycle on an intercity trainYou need a bicycle ticket and reservation to take a bicycle on an intercity train. You can book and pay for this conveniently in one step when you buy your ticket for all intercity and Eurocity trains in Germany. The reservation for your bicycle is included in the price.Can I take a bike on ICE train Germany?
On long-distance trains operated by Deutsche Bahn, you can take your bicycle on special bicycle parking spaces on all Intercity and Eurocity trains and on an increasing number of ICE trains, but you must make a reservation in advance.Can I take my bike on the U Bahn?
Bikes can be taken along in S-Bahn and U-Bahn trains and in regional trains. Please enter only in the doors displaying the bike logo. Drivers reserve the right to deny a bike if space is limited. If the destination is outside of fare zone C, you will need a VBB Bicycle single trip ticket.Can I just take my bike on a train?
Yes, you can. Although the types of bikes allowed on trains can vary. Fully folding bicycles are allowed on all trains without restrictions or reservations. Reservations are sometimes required for full-size bicycles on certain services, and there are also restrictions on Peak-time travel.I took my road bike on the ICE train through Germany and this is what happened | Vlog #1
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Images: Khoa Võ, Plato Terentev, Lgh_9, Yan Krukov