Hi Andy and Claire

We’ve taken our Pino tandem many times on German trains, often to get back to a start point where we left the car.  A few pointers:

Don’t consider using ICE high speed trains – they don’t even take solo bikes.  The next category down (IC) usually have pre-bookable bike spaces but you need to check on the DB website whether that train takes bikes.  For a full size tandem it might be prudent to email DB to check that the particular train takes tandems before booking.

We’ve never had difficulties when using the local trains.  Most are very easy to get on and off, but if you encounter a route with older rolling stock getting the tandem up into the train can be difficult.  We often make an overnight stop at the departure point, and I go down to the station the night before to inspect the rolling stock on that particular line.  There are good value regional tickets valid on local trains which are often cheaper than two singles.

Station lifts don’t always fit a tandem but if you are both fit you can hump the bike up the stairs.  Last year at Strasbourg (next station to the German frontier) our Pino fitted with 1cm to spare.

Because we have S&S couplings we always have a fallback position of splitting the bike, which removes anxiety.  However we’ve never needed to do this in Germany.  But to get to Germany splitability is vital, so that one can take the two bagged-up halves across France or Belgium.  Our Pino halves just fit within the regulation “housse” size of 90 x 120 cm which means they can be taken as hand luggage on TGVs.  It it possible to get S&S couplings retrofitted to a steel framed tandem (Kinetics quote just under £1000 to do this, which seems a lot but it will open up huge opportunities).  But you need to check dimensions – see attachment for our Pino.

Germany is a fantastic touring destination.  We use the Bikeline series of guides which cover all the main routes.

Good luck

Peter

In Baden Baden a few years ago the booking clerk said 'ja' to bikes - then I showed her our full length tandem - she chuckled and said 'nine'! 

Hertz one way car hire to the rescue (to Calais).

Hi Andrew

We've done a couple of trips in Germany, cycling from Rotterdam to Berlin and also Rotterdam ending up in Osnabruck.  In both cases we had pre-booked single journeys with the tandem to return to Rotterdam - you pay the equivalent of 2 single fares for the tandem.  The first journey from Berlin was a bit fraught as the train was packed and other cyclists had used our allocated space so we had to split the frame.  If I was to do the journey again I would travel from the Ostbahnhof to avoid the crush, the second journey went without a hitch.

This year we aim to travel back from Hanover which I think will be much simpler as the train from Berlin had emptied by the time it arrived in Hanover on our first trip.  Travel on the local trains is easy and also through Holland.  We found it cheaper to buy tickets using the bahn.de website than the dutch railways site.  To get a reservation for the tandem we found it best to talk to the sales team at bahn.de rather than trying to do it online.

Have a great trip

Simon

Hi there,
Since we're Germans we use trains quite often, especially local trains.I fully agree to Peter Mynors remarks. In our area (west of Frankfurt) and in many regions it's easy to do so. There are exceptions,for example Bavarias hideous rolling stock, where you enter on steep narrow stairways, a shame! (Also because this excludes all travellers in wheelchairs or with prams...) So beware of Bavaria... ;-)
From on May there will be the 49 Euro ticket valid on local trains one month per person, but according to your plans you might find cheaper offers. Really do go on bahn.com/en (english)
Have fun in Germany!
Pia

Hi, we actually live in Germany and have taken our Pino many times on trains. But the Pino is or can be made considerably shorter than a normal tandem.

If you ask for a tandem or Pino reservation at the counter you will usually be told no. I always made an online reservation (for a single bike) when travelling with Intercity trains and it always worked well.

In Intercity (IC)  trains often there is a big bike compartment and it is no problem. Sometimes there is a single bike hook in the passageway to the next waggon. There is less space but it still worked ok.

In regional trains it is sometimes a bit difficult to get around the corner just after entering. but then it worked well.

Selected ICE trains now offer bike transport as well but the space is so small and it must be hanged vertically. So there is no chance for a Pino nor a normal tandem. Plus I would be afraid to damage my rims when hanging the weight of the tandem  a small hook in a shaking train.

I hope this helped. Good luck!

 

 

We lived 10 years in Germany travelling many times with our tandem on on Regional trains particularly in Bavaria. As said earlier on IC and EC trains you need to book the space for a tandem, i.e. 2 x bicycles. If you are outside Germany when you reserve there is a wonderful reservation service in English/German/Italian +49 30311682904; they will book the space for your tandem. 

Beware for 2023 Deutsche Bahn are offering a 49 euro monthly ticket giving unlimited travel on Regional trains during the summer months. The Regional trains will be more crowded than normal. No a good idea to use the trains at weekends. nor during commuting times. 

The DB rules say in most Regions you need a ticket for the tandem, in fact two bicycle tickets per tandem.

Once we turned up on a Sunday afternoon to take a Regional train back to Munich from one of the lakes. Train was packed wall to wall with mountain bikers. Everybody just packed up a bit tighter to make space for us - absolutely amazing. Nobody was left behind.

Theye also have special bicycle trains in Bavaria going down to the lakes and mountains.

There is a new sleeper train starting in May 2023. Link here to view https://www.europeansleeper.eu/

I'm still waiting for a reply re tandem transportation. It looks like an exciting a good value option to open up environmentally friendly transport in Europe so I really hope so. 

We are going to another sleeper service this summer with our tandem, the one run by ÖBB, Austrian Railways, from Prague to Freiburg-im-Breisgau. They have quite a network of sleeper services throughout Europe.