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01.12.2021 • Thu

What to do when your trains are canceled or delayed

There is one thing that I am amazed and impressed by (most) Germans: their organizational skill. Almost everything (checking up an apartment, visiting doctors, getting a haircut, etc.) is scheduled with an appointment and on time. Some German friends told me that they like how it works this way, so we do not waste the time of other people and ours. Yet, the train system in Germany is something else.

There were a few students who alerted me that trains in Germany (specifically, trains organized by the Deutsche Bahn or DB) were often delayed and could mess my schedule up badly. However, I refused to believe that since “I barely had any unpleasant experience with the train system, they were almost always on time, and only sometimes delayed for a few minutes”, I told my friend. Finally, I had my first time riding an emotional roller coaster with the DB this week.

There is one thing that I am amazed and impressed by (most) Germans: their organizational skill ... Yet, the train system in Germany is something else.

It wouldn’t be so troublesome for a short distance. The problem only appeared to me when I traveled for a long distance through many trains and different cities. The trains are interdependent; therefore, one delayed train might put you in a difficult situation. For my trip, originally, I had reserved a ticket from Düsseldorf to Stralsund via Berlin from 15:09 to 11:43. However, the DB sent me an email informing me that my timetable had changed (not the whole trip, only the train from Berlin to Stralsund was canceled), and they suggested a new schedule which was, to put it lightly, not exactly optimal for me because the trip would have lasted from 15:09 to 05:43 the next day. I really didn’t want to be stuck in a really small station at 2:00- 3:00 am and not be home until morning. But because my ticket had a train binding which didn’t allow me to change trains as I pleased. So, what should I do in this case?

• First of all, I went to the DB app/ website to search for an alternative route that offered a better connection (e.g. I found a route from Düsseldorf to Stralsund via Hamburg from 15:33 to 23:47)
• Then, I went to the Reisezentrum (Travel center) inside the Düsseldorf main station to ask for the right to take the new route instead of the recommended one from the DB (there is always a DB travel center/counter at the main station of a city). There, after I provided my booking number and last name, they printed my original ticket, stamped and signed it, lifting the train binding.
• Afterwards, I was able to take this authorized paper on the train, and show it to cabin crews when they wanted to check my ticket.

My new train route was Düsseldorf – Hamburg – Rostock – Stralsund. My happiness for this alternative wasn’t lasting for too long because I soon received the news that the first train I was supposed to take would be delayed for around 30 minutes.

If you have booked a journey by train through Deutsche Bahn (DB), first of all, I recommend that you download their app in advance. When your schedule has been changed, you should be informed by an official email from the DB. However, the DB app keeps you informed immediately. Besides, when you are on the train and you might not understand the announcement in German about the changes in your journey, you can just have a look in the app easily.

The good thing was that I still had more than 20 minutes to transit to the next train in Hamburg. Suddenly, my train was once again delayed. Nevertheless, I said to myself “It isn’t the worst thing. Instead of waiting for the whole transit time in Hamburg, I will just wait here. And, I still have 9 minutes to change to the other platform to catch my next train”. If it is your first time in Germany (and from a country where the train system is totally different), you might not be able to make your transit in 9 minutes if it is a large central station (Hauptbahnhof) without asking the local to let you know where to find the correct platform and running to it. With two years of experience, I could get used to the system and am confident enough to be certain that I can catch the next train just in time.

Life, however, doesn’t always happen as we expect it to. When I was on my train, I realized that my train was delayed twice. As a consequence, I wouldn’t have been able to catch the next train because my arrival time would be much later than the departure time of the next train.

Astonishingly, somehow our train managed to arrive “only” 4 minutes late and I was delighted when seeing the app notifying me that the train would wait due to connecting passengers. “Well, nobody told us that we had to wait”, that was what we, however, heard from a worker at a counter on the track. He advised me to contact the travel center when I let him know that the train was the last one which I could take to go home today.

In spite of all troubles, the DB offered great customer service which helped me solve the problem, and that is what counts in the end.

Lucky enough, the travel center agents at Hamburg central station were still working at around 20:30. Unfortunately, the one I talked to insisted that I couldn’t make the journey via Hamburg since my original trip was via Berlin. I tried to prove that my train on the other route was canceled (for some reasons, she couldn’t find it on her computer system and refused to take a look at my app or the email that the DB sent to me). Besides, I also explained multiple times that her colleagues in Düsseldorf issued a paper which was also accepted by the ticket controller on the train, therefore, that shouldn’t be my problem. After a long and exhausting discussion, the woman somehow accepted that my previous train was indeed canceled.

In the end, other passengers (who headed to the same direction as me and were also affected by the delayed train) and I were provided with a shared taxi to go home on the same day. I truly felt over the moon not only because I could be back home a bit sooner but also because I stood up for myself. If this had been my first journey in Germany, I would have already waited at the train station for hours and taken another in the morning.

Keep in mind that those are only my individual experiences with the DB and only during my latest long-distance trip. Usually, I am very satisfied with the service they provide, but in case anything goes wrong, which I hope it won’t, you now know how to proceed. In spite of all troubles, the DB offered great customer service which helped me solve the problem, and that is what counts in the end.

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Exchanging or cancelling tickets or reservations.

We have detailed information for you on how to change or cancel journeys. Simply select your ticket or reservation type in the list displayed below.

It is not possible to exchange booked tickets. However, you can cancel your purchased tickets and book a new trip.

Instant ticket cancellation

If you buy a ticket via int.bahn.de or the DB Navigator app, you can cancel it free of charge within a period of 3 hours (180 minutes) after purchase, in addition to the specific offer's terms and conditions. You can only cancel up to one day before the first day of validity. Payment will be refunded in full.

What ticket types is instant cancellation available for?

You can cancel the following long-distance offers (online/mobile) directly after booking. The ticket price will then be refunded:

• Super saver fare, super saver fare for young people, super saver fare for senior citizens, super saver fare Europe, super saver fare Europe for young people
• Saver fare, saver fare for young people, saver fare for senior citizens, saver fare Europe, saver fare Europe for young people
• Flexible fares (normal, plus, business, Europe)
• Group super saver fares (normal, Europe)
• Group saver fares (normal, Europe)

An instant cancellation includes all of the additional services you book when buying your ticket, such as a seat reservation, a bicycle ticket, City mobil and ticket insurance. It is not possible to cancel individual components of a ticket.

Does instant cancellation also apply to bookings made via www.international-bahn.de?

Offers booked via www.international-bahn.de are excluded from instant cancellation.

Are instant cancellations available for BahnCards?

When ordering a BahnCard, the option of instant cancellation described here does not apply. This does not affect the right of cancellation that applies to our BahnCard 25 and 50 offers.    Further information about BahnCards is available here.

How do I get my refund when I use the instant cancellation option?

We will transfer the full payment to the means of payment that you originally used. Any vouchers you used for the booking will remain valid. It is not possible to issue refunds for eCoupons.

How do I use the instant cancellation option?

Via your customer account on int.bahn.de  Go to the "My tickets" section and open the ticket. Activate the instant cancellation and click "Cancel now". A window opens. In it, click the "Cancel now" button again. This completes the instant cancellation and you will see the successful cancellation ("Ticket cancelled") in your ticket.  Via your customer account in DB Navigator  Go to the "My tickets" section and open the ticket. Under "Further actions" > "To cancellation", activate the instant cancellation and click "Cancel". A window opens. In it, click the "Cancel" button again. This completes the instant cancellation and you will see the successful cancellation ("Ticket cancelled") in your ticket.

How long is the instant cancellation option available for a specific ticket?

You can use the instant cancellation option within a period of 180 minutes or 3 hours after you book a ticket online.  Instant cancellation is possible only before the ticket's first day of validity.

Details: regular ticket cancellation process

Refunds due to delayed or cancelled trains.

Even if you have a train-specific ticket, you are entitled to the following if the train is expected to arrive at your destination with a delay of at least 20 minutes:

• Continue your journey at the next possible opportunity using either the same route or a different one
• Continue your journey at a later point in time if this reduces the delay in arriving at your destination station
• Use a different train that does not require a reservation

This does not apply to trains which require mandatory reservations, e.g. night trains. Using a more expensive train If you have a ticket for use on a local transport service (RE, RB, IRE, S-Bahn) but want to use a more expensive service (e.g. long-distance train such as an IC/EC or ICE), you can do so if you buy the necessary ticket or pay the difference/surcharge. You can then claim back the costs under your passenger rights . This option is not available for tickets with substantial discounts (e.g. a weekend ticket for Germany, a regional day ticket). Refunds Please apply for your compensation under passenger rights online via your customer account in DB Navigator or on int.bahn.de. Simply download, complete and sign the passenger rights form, then send it to the address indicated on the form. Important: Make sure you enclose your original ticket or a copy of your season ticket/BahnCard 100. We regret that we are otherwise unable to pay any compensation.

Super saver fare, super saver fare Europe

Super saver fare tickets are excluded from exchange and cancellation. Exception: instant cancellation up to 12 hours after booking.

Saver fare, saver fare Europe (booked online or on mobile phone)

You can cancel your saver fare ticket online or via the DB Navigator app if you booked it via int.bahn.de or the app. The value of the ticket, minus a processing fee, will be refunded in the form of an e-mail voucher that you can use to buy another DB product. Note: In the case of saver fare tickets for return journeys, the first day of validity refers to the day of the outbound journey. Charges

Saver fare tickets

• Up to one day before the first day of validity: cancellation fee of EUR 10, refund issued in the form of a voucher
• Cancellation is no longer possible from the first day of validity.

Saver fare Europe tickets

Passenger rights

• Continue your journey at the next possible opportunity using either the same route or a different one.
• Continue your journey at a later point in time if this reduces the delay in arriving at your destination station.

More about your passenger rights

Saver fare, saver fare Europe (purchased from a DB Travel Centre/agency or by phone)

Did you purchase your ticket from a ticket machine, by calling the travel service, at a DB Travel Centre or DB agency? Please present your ticket at a DB Travel Centre if you want to cancel it. If your ticket also includes a compulsory reservation, e.g. for the night train, you must bring the corresponding seat reservation with you in addition to the ticket.

Group saver fare

Group saver fare tickets booked online

• Cancellation for the entire group is possible up to seven days before departure for a fee of EUR 19 per group ticket.
• No cancellation/exchange for individual travellers in the group.

  Bookings made via your local DB sales point or by phone Cancellation for the entire group

• 14 or more days before the selected day of travel: free cancellation/exchange. No exchange afterwards.
• Between 13 days and one day before departure: cancellation for the entire group is possible for a fee of EUR 5 per person and ticket.

Cancellation for individual passengers

• 14 or more days before the selected day of travel: free cancellation.
• Between 13 days and one day before departure: cancellation is possible for a fee of EUR 5 per person. The remaining group must consist of at least six people.

Flexible fare/normal fare ticket (booked online or on mobile phone)

You can cancel your flexible fare or normal fare ticket online or via the DB Navigator app if you booked it via int.bahn.de or the app. The value of the ticket, minus a processing fee, will be refunded to the means of payment you used to buy the ticket. Charges

Before the first day of validity: Free cancellation On and after the first day of validity:

• Exchange or cancellation of flexible fare tickets for long-distance transport (ICE, IC/EC) incurs a fee of EUR 19
• Cancellation of normal fare tickets on local transport (DB Regio, transport associations, NE/SEE) for a fee of EUR 19

The fee is EUR 19 for any connection that involves at least one long-distance train. The validity period is printed on your ticket. Postage cannot be refunded. Deadlines

You can submit flexible fare or normal fare tickets for reimbursement within these deadlines:

• For journeys within Germany up to six months after expiry of your ticket's validity period
• For cross-border journeys up to one month after expiry of the ticket's validity period

  Changes to your travel plans? The flexible fare does not restrict you to a specific train. Simply take the train that suits you best on the day your ticket is valid.

Flexible fare plus

You can cancel the flexible fare plus free of charge until the end of the validity period, i.e. two days after the booked day of travel. After that, you can cancel the ticket for a fee of EUR 19.

Regional day tickets and day ticket for Germany

These tickets are excluded from exchanges and cancellations.

Transport association tickets

Special and promotional tickets.

The general terms and conditions of the individual offers apply. Most special offers are excluded from exchange and cancellation.

Tickets booked via international-bahn.de.

If you booked a ticket on   www.international-bahn.de and want to call it up again or cancel your booking in line with the applicable terms and conditions, simply go to www.international-bahn.de/de/ordersearch . If you want to change a booking in line with the applicable terms and conditions, please contact the relevant service centre and have your order number (must begin with "MCP-") to hand. You can find this number in the e-mail confirming your booking. Service centre telephone number: +49 61 729-13731 (costs depend on the provider) E-mail: [email protected] Times: 8:00 am - 8:00 pm on Monday-Friday; 10:00 am - 5:00 pm on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.

Details on exchanging or cancelling seat reservations

Long-distance seat reservations (first/second class).

The tariff excludes re-reservation of seats on long-distance services. This also applies to compulsory reservations (e.g. TGV)

Refund if you were unable to use your seat reservation

If reserved seats could not be allocated, if allocated seats could not be held ready or if you were unable to use them due to a delay, you are entitled to a refund of the reservation fee paid. You can also apply for a refund of the reservation fee informally at the Passenger Rights Service Centre, 60647 Frankfurt.