Bikes - trains - Europe

[Julia9054]

I have travelled across Europe by train and am generally considered to be Queen of the Train Apps!!
I am currently planning a trip across several countries with my bike this summer and am exploring booking my bike (and myself!) on the train for the longer journeys
All the train apps have lovely clear instructions on how to do this within one country but I'm struggling to work out how to book the bike on when crossing borders.
Does anyone have experience of doing this?
To be specific, between The Netherlands and Germany and also Germany to Belgium.
Advice appreciated - I don't want to just turn up.

 

[The Crofted Crest]

Have you tried the Deutsche Bahn planning app?

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I have travelled across Europe by train and am generally considered to be Queen of the Train Apps!!
I am currently planning a trip across several countries with my bike this summer and am exploring booking my bike (and myself!) on the train for the longer journeys
All the train apps have lovely clear instructions on how to do this within one country but I'm struggling to work out how to book the bike on when crossing borders.
Does anyone have experience of doing this?
To be specific, between The Netherlands and Germany and also Germany to Belgium.
Advice appreciated - I don't want to just turn up.

When I was living in NL I booked myself and bike through to Switzerland (via Germany) by speaking to the very pleasant, English speaking lady at NS International. https://www.nsinternational.com/en
I could "see" the options online but couldn't book me and the bike the whole way through.
That was several years ago, so things may have changed.

People here and elsewhere speak highly of Deutsche Bahn.

A lot will depend on time of year, size of group and the actual route.

One big advantage of my international booking was that I was deemed exempt from the usual ban on bikes on Dutch intercity trains during rush hour.

 

[Julia9054]

Deutsche Bahn app is great - I've used it alot. You can use it to book train reservations all over Europe. You can book seat reservations without buying a ticket so it can be used in conjunction with an interrail ticket. It has a brilliant feature where you see which trains take bikes and book bikes on, also without needing to buy a person ticket. However, this feature only seems to work for trains within Germany and not cross border
I have a bit of a dread of talking to people on the phone (wet, I know!) but if it's the only way . . .

 

[The Crofted Crest]

Speaking from experience, DB also works cross-border. NS International is als good, as Hobbes says, but not very helpful if things go awry.

 

[Julia9054]

Speaking from experience, DB also works cross-border. NS International is als good, as Hobbes says, but not very helpful if things go awry.

Interesting. I've been playing with the app this morning and can't work out how to make it let me.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Interesting. I've been playing with the app this morning and can't work out how to make it let me.

I use the site online, and it's fairly easy:

Select "bicycle transportation possible" (yellow box below)...

And it will only select trains that you can carry a bike on, and tell you if you need a reservation. I think ICE's always require reservation, but I rarely use them. Alternatively select "Local trains only" because in Germany they usually allow bike transport these days and they're cheaper. Unless you're travelling right across Germany or city centre to city centre, they are'nt always that much slower either.

 

[scragend]

Something I don't understand is this. On the "IC Berlijn" from Amsterdam to Berlin, NS International says:

Implying the bike will cost €16. But the DB web site appears to be letting me book a bike for €9:

Is it just that it's cheaper to book it on DB rather than through NS International? Or am I missing something? I did wonder if DB was only booking the bike for the section of the journey in Germany, but it does say "Amsterdam Centraal - Berlin Hbf", which suggests that that isn't the case.

 

[mjr]

Is it just that it's cheaper to book it on DB rather than through NS International?

I don't know but it wouldn't be the only case of an international ticket being sold at different prices by the collaborating operators.

 

[TheDoctor]

Pffft. It's thanks to this sort of nonsense that I tour by Brompton these days.

 

[Greasy Gilbert]

This is my "go to" site for anything train related.
Although it's not cycle specific, I've never gone wrong following his advice.
https://www.seat61.com/
There was, if I remember correctly, something called Capitaine Train which was like Trainline and allowed you to book all your international journey in one go. Not sure how good it is/was as I've never used it.

 

[mjr]

This is my "go to" site for anything train related.
Although it's not cycle specific, I've never gone wrong following his advice.
https://www.seat61.com/

I've gone expensively wrong. It's probably the best site, but still check everything and don't put too much store in his booking site recommendations, especially where one is a sponsor.

There was, if I remember correctly, something called Capitaine Train which was like Trainline and allowed you to book all your international journey in one go. Not sure how good it is/was as I've never used it.

Bought by Trainline 2016. It's OK but all sites seem to struggle with booking bikes.

 

[Greasy Gilbert]

I've gone expensively wrong. It's probably the best site, but still check everything and don't put too much store in his booking site recommendations, especially where one is a sponsor.


Bought by Trainline 2016. It's OK but all sites seem to struggle with booking

I was just trying to offer a starting point, for what my opinion is worth.