Booking tickets on bahn.de
 

I will be purchasing tickets for four adults (2 couples) to travel in a 4-person couchette from Munich to Rome in April. I've never booked with bahn.de and I'm a bit confused. The website states that "Only valid for the passenger in person with own identity card" and then "You have to book the ticket for yourself (not for a third party)". Does this mean that I cannot book the tickets for the four of us at the same time? I'm worried that if we book our tickets and they book their tickets we won't be in the same couchette. Any thoughts or help would be appreciate.

Thanks!
Tracy

In December we booked a number of trips for four adults. I don't remember that statement BUT you are required to present the credit card that purchased the tickets along with the printed ticket to the conductor. And we were checked frequently unlike some trips where we have never seen a conductor. When we ordered the ticket we just put in 4 passengers in and my name was the only name on the ticket. And the one printed ticket indicated that it was good for four adults. We found the site easy to use and no problems with printing the tickets.

You can book the tickets for four peeople, but you have to be one of the four - that's what it means. Your name will be on the ticket.

Remember to carry the very same credit card you paid the ticket with. It serves as your ID and is checked by the conductor together with the ticket.

Thank you both! That's what I was assuming but I wanted to be sure. I guess what was throwing me was not having the option to enter in the other passengers' names. Now I feel better about making the purchase.

Thanks again!
Tracy

Remember you are not flying on an US airline where each traveler has to have permission from the federal government to fly. All Bahn wants to know is how many tickets have paid for. Of all the European train sites, I find Bahn the easiests to use.

You are right. I seem to remember that when we took our last overnight train, from Vienna to Florence, we each had our own ticket but maybe I am wrong.

Hi all,

I'd just like to add some information that folks often get wrong.

You must designate a credit card as idientification during your purchase, but it does NOT have to be the very same card that you used to buy the tickets with.

I always put my travel purchases on one particular cc, but while I'm actually travelling, that cc is in a hidden wallet. When you go through the purchasing process, when you get to the identification part (after you've purchased the tickets), the default is to keep the same card. But there is the option to click another button to use another cc as identification. I do this all the time, really, all the time, and just travelled with an online DB ticket a week ago.

So, if you're like many Americans with many credit cards, and if you're like me with specific purposes for a card, that may be useful information.

Have fun!

s

Hi S,
you are the only person I ever hear this from. DB state differently in the terms and conditions on their website. I have just observed one lady just saving her neck by obtaining the number of her forgotten credit card by phoning her husband at home. She had other cards with her but they would not help. Better not count on this. Carry the very same card, that's my advice.

No, quokka, I think one can count on this. I'm sure that woman forgot the cc that she had designated! Yes, you do have to designate a card, and you must have that designated card on you, but (honestly) you are free to designate another card.

Honestly, I have done this about four or five times in the past two years.

I've never read the small print; I just click the button that allows me to designate another card. The next time you go through the process, be looking for it!

s

Do I (finally!!!) understand correctly: You designate another credit card as ID during the process of booking the ticket. That's a different story - that does not mean producing a random card on board the train. You must have that very card you entered into the system. Well, I use my BahnCard as ID because I have to carry and present it with the ticket anyway.

To sum this up, you have to define a certain card as your ID during the booking process and carry it. Other cards with your name on it would not do.

Exactly!

You DO have to designate a credit card as identification.

You do NOT have to designate the very same card you used to buy the tickets with.

s

I am trying to buy tickets from Cologne to Paris and they will only mail my tickets, printing them out on the computer is not an option. Do they mail the tickets to the USA? Has anyone had their tickets mailed to them. Could this be a problem. Thanks

Hi morningstar:

I purchased 2 rail tickets on bahn.de about a month ago for Koln to Paris (next week). The website would only allow tickets by mail, it would not permit self-print. I ordered them nonetheless and they arrived in my mailbox in Georgia within 1 week--no problem.

Happy travels,

maytraveller

Thank you so much, I was concerned about the tickets arriving.

Hello,

I am a Canadian trying to book a ticket from Koln to Kassel for mid June online through BAHN. I can select the times and prices, but then when I select the continue button on the selections page, the connection fails. I have been unable to get to the Tickets&Reservation page.

Can anyone help me with this? The exact message that comes up is: The connection to the server was reset while the page was loading.

I have looked up the technical requirements, and my computer has everything listed on BAHN's site, so that shouldn't be the problem, but I'm not sure what else it could be. Does this site just not work on Canadian networks?

Any help would be much appreciated!

I assume it's a technical problem of their website.
It's sun/mon night here, so I guess tech support needs longer to get it fixed than during regular daytime hours.

If you want to give it one more try, you could clean your cache first. And then go to bahn.com again.
Otherwise, just try again tomorrow.

I've bought some online tickets in DB web site last month. I used my own credit card as identification ID, as requested by the website.

The problem is that my identification card now is BROKE . The magnetic part is not working. I still have the card with me and it's possible to see all the information, but the magnetic part is broken (a guy dropped my card and broke a little bit...). So i can present the card but i won´t be working...

Can i still use that card as my ID for validate the tickets on the train? The card has to be working without errors? Because i heard some people saying that the DB staff put it into a machine in the train... i don't know if it will work...

Please help me..

That does not matter, all is well. Carry and present the broken card. If swiping does not work, which happens frequently, they will not even ask questions but simply type the credit card number manually into that electronic control thingy.