Germany train strike

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I was just I formed by nightjet that Germany will be going on strike from 2000 GMT on Sunday (May 14) until at 2200 GMT on Tuesday (May 16).  This is during the window in which we are traveling via train to Germany and then on to the Netherlands.  

They did not say that our tickets were cancelled, just that I should postpone my travel.  Is that the same as canceling my ticket or will they still have limited service and I should continue as planned?  As for postponing that is not possible, we are on holiday travel and will need to get back to the Netherlands to catch a flight. How should I proceed?

33 replies

R
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Don't count on any trains running in Germany, since many staff in the signal boxes are also on strike.

You always have the choice between:

  1. Not travel at all and get a full refund (or in case of the night train: get a full refund for the reservation, supposing you have a pass)
  2. Travel at the earliest opportunity.
  3. Travel at a later date of your choice.

If you have to be somewhere, then either find a way around Germany or another way of transport.

If you say from where you're leaving and when you have to be at Schiphol (?) for your flight, then people can suggest alternatives.

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
B
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I have the same issue in that I cannot get to Hamburg for my connection to Copenhagen on to Stockholm. I have therefore purchased flights and additional accommodation in Austria to get me to Stockholm as cheaper than Copenhagen. I assume that I can make a claim to DB for these costs ? Got caught in last month’s train strike as well !

T

I have the same problem. We where planning to travel from the Netherlands all through Italy, starting with the Nighttrain to Zürich. We cancelled our nightjet through the OEBB website: https://www.oebb.at/en/reiseplanung-services/kundenservice/refundierung-chatbot (which is where I booked it) We where able to cancel the return nightjet through the interrail website (which is where I booked it) Also we where able to cancel our connecting train trip from Zürich to Milaan.

 

My problem is: the other intercity train reservations are non-refundable. But since the strike caused the cancellation of my trip, shouldn't I still be receiving a refund for these reservations? 

 

Can someone tell me how I can request a refund for the reservations of these intercity trains? Should Deutsche Bahn pay for this?

 

Thank you in advance.

A
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@Tamar If you understand German, here is information about travellers' rights in connection with the strike. 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mdr.de/brisant/ratgeber/bahn-streik-rechte-116~amp.html

 

Please note that I don't work for Interrail/Eurail and that I don't reply to personal messages.
R
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@Tamar If you understand German, here is information about travellers' rights in connection with the strike. 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mdr.de/brisant/ratgeber/bahn-streik-rechte-116~amp.html

That article (partly) only reproduces what DB say, who in this case claimed that you're not allowed to wait until the strike is over, which is a breach of EU legislation, German legislation and their own conditions of carriage. DB have now changed that on their info page but they still don't clearly offer the three-fold choice you have, they just refer to the "general passengers’ rights” applicable.

This page is a better representation of your rights:

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/rail/index_en.htm

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
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Do these rules also apply to reservations with Interrail pass ? I have had no communication from DB about the strike ….

R
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Do these rules also apply to reservations with Interrail pass ? I have had no communication from DB about the strike ….

You can have your reservations changed free of charge, availability permitting of course.

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
T
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@bandamanda what is your route ? We can maybe help with journeys avoiding Germany. There would be Flixbus too but I assume that most tickets are sold out

R
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My problem is: the other intercity train reservations are non-refundable. But since the strike caused the cancellation of my trip, shouldn't I still be receiving a refund for these reservations? 

Can someone tell me how I can request a refund for the reservations of these intercity trains? Should Deutsche Bahn pay for this?

If you can't use your reservations because of the strike, then you can get a full refund from the place where you booked them.

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
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hi Thicabe - I am in Innsbruck tonight having travelled from Bellagio Italy (12th) with reservation Sunday (14th) to Munich then overnight stay in hotel and going to Hamburg (15th) leaving 17th to go Copenhagen. Could not get a reservation tomorrow to get to Hamburg with my Interrail and not prepared to pay silly money for a ticket just to get to Hamburg and losing my holiday stays in Innsbruck or Munich. I am now staying here in Innsbruck till 16th and train to Vienna and flying to Stockholm (my final destination on 17th). Flights to Hamburg from Munich are ridiculous prices - my cost flight plus overnight in Vienna is cheaper than the Munich flights. I will argue like anything with DB over these two costs getting reimbursed (not hotel in Innsbruck) - I got 3 hours sleep last night trying to sort this and think I’ve done the best I could…

T
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Reservations are optional in Germany so you could have always boarded any train, although it would be a bit chaotic without reservations right now.

There are hundreds of seats for Innsbruck - Munich - Hamburg tomorrow available on bahn.de (4.50€ for the whole journey) : direct train 08:40 - 18:36 or faster connections via Munich (departure 08:40, arrival 17:24 as an example). You could also travel early Sunday morning from Munich to Hamburg.

Hamburg - Copenhagen could easily be done on 17th May (30 DKK reservation for peace of mind), all the way to Stockholm too. Morning train Hamburg - Copenhagen 08:56 - 14:11

But I guess everything has already been booked and is non-refundable ? Then take the Vienna route and you’ll be fine (I hope that DB will refund but it will be hard and may take months...)

 

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Hi Thicabe 

yes I could go tomorrow but that means I lose money and it messes my BOOKED holiday plans …. It’s not my fault so I will argue fully with DB and my booking to Hamburg from Munich in my app is not saying cancelled -they really are a shower - thank goodness for OEBB letting me know otherwise I’d be none the wiser …. Vienna is now booked so we will see what happens with the claim! I have yet to make my claim from the last strike as well … they will love me … Not ! 
thank you for taking the time to reply and looking as well - much appreciated

B
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By the way my Interrail is 1st class pass ….

T
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I completely agree that it is such a mess… I really hope DB will refund you but I do not know what your rights are for all that

You don’t have to pay for 1st class optional seat reservations (through tickets.oebb.at) + more trains would have been available but in the end your travel plans are still changed

Btw do you mean Rail Planner app ? It never shows cancelled or delayed trains. Please never use that one to plan. On the other hand bahn.de is way more reliable across all of Europe

B
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No I booked all my reservations via Db and OEBB - this what I still have now for my trip to Hamburg (in the DB app) - still not cancelled and neither is the correct time according to their timetable now….. more steam out of my ears !

 

T
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This is not the timetable but the booking confirmation (6 letter and number combination). You should've received an email from DB though...

If you search for trains between Munich and Hamburg on 15th May then you'll see that they're all cancelled.

B
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Yes I got an email for the reservation but on the app the info has not changed one bit - (signed out and in) sorry but DB are no way near the service level of OEBB - and yes they are all cancelled but I do not expect to have to search the timetable for a booking I have…..

OEBB emailed me this morning to tell me train fro Como to Verona was 9 minutes late ….  DB a timetable change / cancelled NOTHING

As said reservations ONLY booked as have 1st class pass …

 

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And now …: Innsbruck to Vienna cancelled - I am beyond angry now 

Angelo
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Yes the train from Innsbruck to Vienna goes via Germany (non stop in germany, but is afected by the strike)!

 

There is a rail replacement bus between Wörgl and Salzburg or you can take extra trains via Austrian Alps from Wörgl to Salzburg (takes longer than the train via Germany 1,5-2h longer)

Do you have any questions? Feel free to ask in the community! Known languages: Deutsch, Italiano, English.
C
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So it looks like I just need to cut out our trip to Munich. Our original plan was 2 over night trains fron Rome to Munich and then again Munich to Amsterdam. This also allowed for over half a day to explore munich.  Now I need to figure out how to get from Rome to Amsterdam without going through Germany. Any suggestions would be helpful.  From what I gather I can get a train to Paris and then on to Amsterdam. Any other routes?

 

Also, what is the best way to book the tickets and still be able to specify the seats we want and use out Global pass?

T
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Definitely go via Switzerland.

I'd avoid Paris because there is a lot of extra fees. Milan - Paris cost 30€ and is surely sold out + Paris - Amsterdam is highly likely sold out, it can be the case weeks in advance

If you let me know your travel dates I'll make you a precise itinerary suggestion but for now here's what I'd do :

- DAY 1 Rome - Milan (13€) - Lugano/Locarno or Lucerne (no reservation)

- DAY 2 Lugano/Locarno/Lucerne - Basel - Strasbourg

- DAY 3 Strasbourg - Metz - Luxembourg - Brussels - Amsterdam OR Strasbourg - Lille (20€) - Kortrijk - Antwerpen - Amsterdam. Both options roughly take the same time and you could stop along the way in whichever city you'd like (everything is reservation-free except the Strasbourg - Lille TGV)

If you have 2 travel days then Rome - Basel/Strasbourg on day 1 and Basel/Strasbourg on day 2 : totally manageable, don't worry :)

A
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So it looks like I just need to cut out our trip to Munich. Our original plan was 2 over night trains fron Rome to Munich and then again Munich to Amsterdam. This also allowed for over half a day to explore munich.  Now I need to figure out how to get from Rome to Amsterdam without going through Germany. Any suggestions would be helpful.  From what I gather I can get a train to Paris and then on to Amsterdam. Any other routes?

 

Also, what is the best way to book the tickets and still be able to specify the seats we want and use out Global pass?

A nice trip would be through Switzerland. If you take a high speed train to Milan you can then travel with reservation free trains to and through Switzerland. 

Please note that I don't work for Interrail/Eurail and that I don't reply to personal messages.
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Hi Angelo / Thicabe

Thank you for your messages

We went to the oebb ticket office here in Innsbruck and now have an itinerary going via Kitzbuhel. The timings of the rail replacement from Worgl were not known so onwards booking from Salzburg couldn’t be made … very surprised at that so we decided to go the long pretty route 

Keeping everything crossed this works !

A
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I have the same issue in that I cannot get to Hamburg for my connection to Copenhagen on to Stockholm. I have therefore purchased flights and additional accommodation in Austria to get me to Stockholm as cheaper than Copenhagen. I assume that I can make a claim to DB for these costs ? Got caught in last month’s train strike as well !

You might be unlucky i Sweden as well as there might be a partial train strike there at the end of next week. For how long time will you be staying in Stockholm?

Please note that I don't work for Interrail/Eurail and that I don't reply to personal messages.
T
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Hi Angelo / Thicabe

Thank you for your messages

We went to the oebb ticket office here in Innsbruck and now have an itinerary going via Kitzbuhel. The timings of the rail replacement from Worgl were not known so onwards booking from Salzburg couldn’t be made … very surprised at that so we decided to go the long pretty route 

Keeping everything crossed this works !

Nice that they could help

And yes the Kitzbuhel route is pretty scenic :)

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