DB sparpreis - rules for booked trains

[BRX]

Does anyone know whether the complete itinerary on a multileg DB advance ticket must be kept to, or is it only the IC/ICE parts, with some flexibility for the legs on S bahn or RB and so on?

 

[duesselmartin]

It is only in long distance trains IC ICE EC ect.
You are flexible in regional services unless you plan an unreasonable detour.

 

[bspahh]

https://www.bahn.com/en/view/offers...2_D002_KIN0059_FOOTER-ANGEBOTE-SPARPREIS_LZ01 says:

Train Specific Travel

You may only travel on the long-distance trains (ICE, IC/EC) and on the days indicated on the ticket.

When starting or completing your journey on regional or local trains (RE, RB, IRE, S-Bahn), you are not restricted to specific trains or times. Your journey must be completed by 10 am the following day.

 

[BRX]

Thanks... Actually i have super sparpreis, looks like the conditions might be slightly different?

 

[superjohn]

I was in the same situation a couple of weeks ago, the thread is here:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/db-sparpreis-va-supersparpreis.200014/#post-4434126
The consensus was that only the ICE/IC/EC trains are compulsory. If you have a pdf ticket these will be specified in the box at the top. The full itinerary printed further down is for information only.

I had Supersparpreis tickets for the journeys in question and didn’t use any of the planned regional (or IC in Netherlands) trains and nobody batted an eyelid.

 

[Bletchleyite]

If you look in the Route/Via field this makes clear (in coded form) what you must do on any DB ticket.

 

[bspahh]

Thanks... Actually i have super sparpreis, looks like the conditions might be slightly different?

I think the differences between a Sparpreis and Supersparpreis ticket are the City plus for public transport at the start and end points, and the flexibility.

I did once mess up and book a Supersparpreis ticket for the wrong date. I noticed the mistake 5 minutes after making the booking. Online it said that it could not be changed, but I phoned their customer service, and kindly they cancelled the old ticket for me so I was able to rebook.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I did once mess up and book a Supersparpreis ticket for the wrong date. I noticed the mistake 5 minutes after making the booking. Online it said that it could not be changed, but I phoned their customer service, and kindly they cancelled the old ticket for me so I was able to rebook.

I've had that done a couple of times, once by KLM and once by VTWC as-was. I just phoned up immediately, said I'd made a mistake and asked what could be done to help. The former said the ticket hadn't issued yet so just cancelled it for me to rebook (that one was a non-changeable and non-refundable fare so the consequences could have been high), the latter rebooked for me with no admin fee (OK, would only have cost me a tenner, but no harm in asking).

 

[BRX]

If you look in the Route/Via field this makes clear (in coded form) what you must do on any DB ticket.

I guess it makes clear if you understand the code.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I guess it makes clear if you understand the code.

In terms of booked trains it's fairly simple, if you see a train number in there (e.g. ICxxxx or ICExxxx) then you must use that train as booked. Other stuff is about routeing using IRE/RE/RB/S, which is used by defining an area box using station codes - this is more complex, but in most cases the most obvious route is fine, same as in the UK where almost nobody bothers looking at the Routeing Guide.

 

[paul_munich]

In terms of booked trains it's fairly simple, if you see a train number in there (e.g. ICxxxx or ICExxxx) then you must use that train as booked.

That's correct, unless the train you are supposed to take has a delay of more than 20', then you can just take the next one of your choice!