Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > Europe
Reload this Page >

Booking train tickets on Bahn's website

Search

Booking train tickets on Bahn's website

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jul 2nd, 2010 | 10:42 AM
  #1  
2g
Original Poster
 
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
Booking train tickets on Bahn's website

Any advice on how to use this website? Does it take non European credit cards? (Last year I couldn't use my credit card on Trenitlaia's website).

ALso, I do not have a printer, do I need to print the ticket at the time of purchase? OR, does Bahn email the ticket? If the later that's alright because I always buy tickets/book hotels., etc and then print everything at a friends. Is no printer a problem? Thanks.
2g is offline  
Old Jul 2nd, 2010 | 11:12 AM
  #2  
2g
Original Poster
 
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
One more thing, I just tried to make a faux booking and the only option I have is for tickets to be sent by mail. I am buying tickets from Berlin to Prague. What am I doing wrong? Thanks.
2g is offline  
Old Jul 2nd, 2010 | 12:02 PM
  #3  
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,916
Likes: 0
Disclaimer: I haven't actually booked tickets on the DB site, but I've played around on it a lot. I just did a dummy booking for Berlin-Prague and I would have been able to print my ticket. I think that a PDF file is sent by e-mail and you are free to print the ticket whenever you wish, but I have no experience to back this up.

I know from reading lots of threads that the site readily accepts North American credit cards.

What is your travel date and preferred departure time?
TimS is offline  
Old Jul 2nd, 2010 | 12:09 PM
  #4  
2g
Original Poster
 
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
This is for travel in late September, we don't have exact dates since we are still working out an itinerary we would prefer to travel in the morning.
2g is offline  
Old Jul 2nd, 2010 | 12:17 PM
  #5  
 
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 12,188
Likes: 0
I have had tickets mailed to my home address several times, and it does work. I'd allow plenty of time, though. I think the reason you can't do a self-print ticket is that you are traveling between two countries.
WillTravel is offline  
Old Jul 2nd, 2010 | 12:37 PM
  #6  
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,508
Likes: 0
Hi 2g,

I buy tickets at bahn.de all the time, usually for travel between two countries (Germany and France or Germany and Switzerland), and I always print them out myself. Yes, you get a pdf. I usually e-mail the pdf to myself as an attachment, then I can print the ticket anywhere.

I would try again to see if you can get the print option.

Yes, they take US credit cards -- AMEX and MC and Visa.

Have fun!

s
swandav2000 is online now  
Old Jul 2nd, 2010 | 05:47 PM
  #7  
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 16,295
Likes: 0
I bought Prague to Dresden and DB mailed it to me - no option ( Dresden to Berlin I was able to print)
danon is offline  
Old Jul 2nd, 2010 | 10:32 PM
  #8  
 
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
We traveled Prague to Berlin on Friday May 7th.
We purchased our tickets in April by internet and received them by mail about a week after we ordered them.
Cost for two persons was 98 Euros for two first class tickets
There is an additional fee for mailing.
We purchased our other tickets-Budapest to vienna and vienna to Prague- in the train stations.
You could purchase your Praha to Berlin tickets in the station a few days in advance of departure if you are concerned about receiving them in time.
We used an American Express credit card.
don82 is offline  
Old Jul 3rd, 2010 | 07:33 AM
  #9  
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,916
Likes: 0
2g,

If you can commit well in advance to a specific departure date and time, you can get a Europa-Spezial Tschechien Savings fare as low as €29.
TimS is offline  
Old Jul 3rd, 2010 | 08:57 AM
  #10  
 
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,899
Likes: 0
I opened my DB account several years ago and purchase tickets online regularly. It is a very user friendly site compared to many other country's websites.

We have them mailed to us and they have always arrived promptly. We also have used the site just to purchase seat reservations.

I use my AMEX card.

For those of you that choose to print your tickets, is there not a particular format that is required, not 8.5 x 11?
kfusto is offline  
Old Jul 3rd, 2010 | 09:05 AM
  #11  
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,916
Likes: 0
A4 is the standard size for paper in Europe, but 8.5 x 11 works fine.
TimS is offline  
Old Jul 3rd, 2010 | 09:27 AM
  #12  
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,508
Likes: 0
Yes, they specify A4, but I didn't have any trouble with the regular US 8.5x11 before I moved. I always am careful not to fold across or rumple the bar code, which the conductor scans with his/her handy dandy handheld scanner.

s
swandav2000 is online now  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
winnick
Europe
8
Jan 11th, 2010 11:42 AM
yk2004
Europe
8
Jul 29th, 2009 07:12 AM
Dettmann1
Europe
4
Apr 21st, 2005 05:08 PM
grandmere
Europe
12
Nov 4th, 2003 07:35 PM
vagabond65
Air Travel
4
Jun 5th, 2003 12:14 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement -