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Train Hamburg - Mannheim ''high demand expected'' but reservation not required. Can we get on?

  • 17 July 2022
  • 7 replies
  • 564 views
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Hello,

 

Me and a friend have 2nd class passes and are on our way to hamburg. From hamburg we are supposed to catch another train to mannheim. However, when I checked this morning the bahn website stated that they expect high demand in second class. Since the rail planner app did not recommend / require seat reservations we did not make any for the train to Mannheim. Does anyone have experience with this route and can explain what our chances of getting on that train are? 

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Best answer by ChristophR 17 July 2022, 10:25

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7 replies

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Hej,

I think you can use this train and maybe get also two seats. The train starts in Hamburg (-Altona), so there should be a chance to get a seat in Hamburg-Hauptbahnhof. The the highest capacity utilization is only from Göttingen to Frankfurt regarding reservated seats. Thats the cause why you can’t book seats now for this destination. Try Car 8 (between firts class and restaurant, there should be not reservated seats (but other people know this also) or car 1 or 2 (most people dont’t go to the end or top of the train. Probably you get a problem in Mannheim, where the connection train maybe already full.

Seat reservations are free 15 minutes after departure when no one comes with this specific reservation.

Alternative: There is a train at 12:01 from HH-Hauptbahnhof direct to Basel (direction to Zurich) and you are in Geneve also at 21:55. When you arrive in Hamburg, you take a S-Bahn to HH-Altona (track 2, 11:01 S1 to Wedel, 6 stations or 11:06, S3 to HH-Elbgaustraße) and enter the train in Altona. There (train ICE 77, departure 11:44 in Altona) you are the first in train and should get two seats.  :)

 

Hope this helps.

Trevlig resa
Christoph

 

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Addition1: The “Deutsche Bahn” actually is very anxious with the label “extrem hohe Auslastung erwartet” . Some trains are really very full, some trains not. Unfortunately you can not predict whether the train will be full or not and how many of the seat reservations are really used.

Addition2: Trains in Germany often have a few minutes, sometimes more delay. Maybe it is a problem to get the connection in Basel with the train at 11:44 from HH-Altona. But there is a second chance in basel at 19:25 (arrival in Geneve at 22:44). Swiss railroads are usually better in time.  :)

Christoph

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last addition: If you decide to use the train from Hamburg-Altona (I believe it is less stress and more comfortable, but you know it first when you are in Basel resp. Geneve), then take the S-Bahn to HH-Altona (as mentioned in my first answer from platform 2). There is a normal supermarket (EDEKA) in the station building in Altona, where you can buy some food and drinks at normla prices. And then go to the platform 9 in Altona. I don't know exactly when the train will be made available at the platform (it is a terminus station like Malmö in the upper area), but just be on the platform around 11:25. Then you should be one of the first and have enough time to find two free seats.

Christoph

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How do I canhe my journey - 8’m taking the 12:01 from Altona

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As far as I know, just add the new Journey to your trip and deactivate the old one. 

 

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Or just say, I missed the train. I believe only the destination is controlled not the train itself when there is no reservation required. 

Christoph 

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Hopefully you were 11:44 in Altona and not 12:01 and reached the train? 

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