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Dealing with contradicting reservation informations & train times

  • July 13, 2025
  • 3 replies
  • 93 views
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Railly clever
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Hello everyone

Today, I planned to take the ICE between Liège and Brussels. Based on the information from the DB Navigator, the railplanner app and seat61, I assumed that reservations are optional.

However, I encountered this information at Liège-Guillemins:

So is SNCB spreading misleading information or are seat reservations indeed mandatory for domestic journeys?

I had a similar experience two years ago where there were announcements about mandatory seat reservations in Austria at Bratislava Hl. St. which turned out to be nonsense.

But today, I decided not to take the risk and used the hourly IC via Leuven. But does someone know if I would have come into trouble by taking the ICE? And what do you usually do in such situations? Have you also experienced similar things?

Strange enough, the departure time on the DB navigator was wrong while the departure time on the railplanner app and at the station was correct. So someone relying on the DB navigator as often suggested may have missed his train.

Interesting especially because DB is operating the service...

Best answer by Danhiel

Hello ​@eurocity101 

I travelled last week between Köln and Bruxelles, no reservation was required. 

This is probably to indicate that this train is not available for people with domestic tickets. It doesn't appear in the SNCB app. I think that they use the same text for Eurostar and ICE:

This is a DB train, but only SNCB knows and can communicate the real times. A technical problem with the interface between DB and SNCB systems is always possible, In my opinion local displays are more accurate as the apps.

I'm NOT working for Interrail/Eurail.

    3 replies

    D
    Keeps calm and carries on
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    • Danhiel
    • Keeps calm and carries on
    • Answer
    • July 14, 2025

    Hello ​@eurocity101 

    I travelled last week between Köln and Bruxelles, no reservation was required. 

    This is probably to indicate that this train is not available for people with domestic tickets. It doesn't appear in the SNCB app. I think that they use the same text for Eurostar and ICE:

    This is a DB train, but only SNCB knows and can communicate the real times. A technical problem with the interface between DB and SNCB systems is always possible, In my opinion local displays are more accurate as the apps.

    The information I provide may contain errors and are not official responses from Eurail/Interrail.
    E
    BrendanDB
    Full steam ahead
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    • BrendanDB
    • Full steam ahead
    • July 14, 2025

    If you were travelling with interrail, it’ll probably wouldn’t have been a problem. Staff is usually quite attentive and would be ciritcal to let you on board, but with Interrail you should’ve be okay to travel on it.

    Tickets bought via NMBS/SNCB automatically sell a reservation for the ICE, if I’m not mistaken so not illogical to display this message.

    The message is meant to deter domestic travellers (with ordinary NMBS/SNCB tickets) to get into the ICE for domestic journeys. This is to avoid overcrowding in the ICE since the travel flux to Brussels can be very high for the relatively small ICE.

    DB navigator isn’t that reliable in real time in Belgium. But the NMBS/SNCB isn’t that always in the delay prediction if the train still is in Germany. Once the ICE crosses the border the respective information should be correct (DB navigator in Germany, NMBS/SNCB information in Belgium).

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    R
    Railmaster
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    • rvdborgt
    • Railmaster
    • July 14, 2025

    Tickets bought via NMBS/SNCB automatically sell a reservation for the ICE

    Not anymore, that was only in the first few years of ICE in Belgium.

    The message is meant to deter domestic travellers (with ordinary NMBS/SNCB tickets) to get into the ICE for domestic journeys. This is to avoid overcrowding in the ICE since the travel flux to Brussels can be very high for the relatively small ICE.

    The domestic tickets are just not valid in the ICE.

    DB navigator isn’t that reliable in real time in Belgium. But the NMBS/SNCB isn’t that always in the delay prediction if the train still is in Germany. Once the ICE crosses the border the respective information should be correct (DB navigator in Germany, NMBS/SNCB information in Belgium).

    Indeed. The realtime info in Belgium that DB show for the ICE to Brussels is just their prediction from when it crossed the border. It doesn't update after that. For other trains in Belgium though, DB do use the realtime info from NMBS/SNCB.

    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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