Germany

• DB AG – Deutsche Bahn AG (German Railways)
• BSB/VSU - Bodensee-Schiffsbetriebe / Vereinigten Schifffahrtsunternehmen für den Bodensee und Rhein (See entry for Lake Constance)
• THI – THI Factory operating Thalys services (see separate entry under Global Fares)

DB AG FIP facilities

For public fares, children up to 6 years old travel free. Children up to 14 are eligible for a 50% reduction on the adult fare (but see the section below on free accompanying children). Persons aged 14 and older pay the adult fare.

Free accompanying children

DB AG have national travel discount rules for accompanying children (aged 6 to 13) to travel free with a FIP holder provided that the FIP holder is aged 15 or over and has a valid ticket or FIP permit to travel.[1]

Accompanied children taken free of charge do not have to be the children of the accompanying adult. This means that children travelling for free with an accompanied adult do not need to carry any kind of documentation.

On Long-Distance DB trains

Maximum 4 children per FIP traveller's ticket:

• FIP Discounted long-distance travel ticket with the FIP card
• FIP coupon
• FIP International Senior Manager free pass

These rules also apply if the long-distance ticket is used on local transport before or after the journey.

On Local DB trains

Maximum 3 children per FIP traveller's ticket:

• FIP Discounted local travel ticket with the FIP card
• FIP coupon
• FIP International Senior Manager free pass

The following applies to the travel tickets mentioned above:

• The accompanying children who are travelling free of charge do not have to be recorded on the ticket.
• Children who are not accompanied by persons over the age of 15 who are entitled to a travel concession must buy their own ticket.

Children under the age of 6 continue to travel free of charge and do not need their own ticket.

The table supplied by DB AG defines the boundaries of FIP availability across the DB AG railway network. For the meanings of (Gr) or (fr) suffixes, please see the section - Transit Points of FIP carriers.

Most long-distance services within Germany are provided by DB AG.  No supplement is necessary for travel on ICE, EC and IC trains for holders of FIP coupons, the International Senior Manager Free Pass or FIP Card discounted tickets. 

Seat reservation labels on DB AG services may display ggf. reserviert. This means that the seat has been set aside in the booking system for last minute reservations. The official advice is not to occupy the seat, but if you do, you will have to vacate it if a ticket holder has a reservation.

Planning journeys on DB AG services

When planning journeys, please look at the Auslastungsanzeige (i.e. Loading Indicators) at www.bahn.de and in the DB Navigator app. DB AG request you choose alternative services to those ones marked with the red icon.

Ticket purchase in Germany for DB AG services

FIP discounted tickets cannot be purchased on-board DB AG trains. This applies even when boarding a service from a station which has no open ticket office. FIP discounted tickets must be purchased in advance either from DB travel centres or travel agents.

Those found on a train without a ticket will receive a penalty fare charge of double the fare (at least €60.00) for the route already covered plus the flex price for the distance to the destination station.

Ticket vending machines offer 50% discounted tickets for other German schemes such as Bahncard. These tickets are not valid with the FIP Card.

In some areas of Germany a Verkehrsverbund (combined fares structure) is in operation. In many of these areas FIP coupons and FIP reduced rate tickets are not valid if your journey is entirely within the area concerned. There is no official list available to RSTL of which Verkehrsverbund areas accept FIP facilities. Local ticket offices will be able to advise

Booking DB services online

DB Fernverkehr AG has provided Rail Staff Travel with some information about their website which retails FIP discounted tickets. The website will let you buy FIP discounted tickets for journeys in Germany, and also for international journeys on DB services which originate or terminate in Germany.

This is the link to the website int.bahn.de/en/buchung/start?KL=2&ET=FIP_SONSTIGE

It is only necessary to specify the journey you wish to make to see the FIP discounted fares. You do not have to select a FIP Card in the “Passenger, bicycles, BahnCards” section on the main search page. FIP discounted fares will be shown once the train service has been selected.

Those travelling with FIP coupons can book seat reservations only using the “Book seat only” selector.

It is not possible for those holding 2nd class FIP facilities to purchase upgrades to travel in 1st class.

Barcode format tickets are delivered by e-mail. They can be printed off or presented on screen using a mobile device. An alternative for users who have created a registered account with DB is to receive tickets directly in the DB Navigator app.

The site is provided as a goodwill gesture by DB without any service level guarantees in relation to the availability of the site. Rail Staff Travel cannot answer any queries in relation to the site or deal with any enquiries in relation to tickets purchase through the site. Employees need to contact DB Fernverkehr AG directly with any booking, refund or ticket usage issues.

Special conditions

For journeys on High Speed Services between Germany and France, special conditions of use apply.

• For journeys entirely within Germany, FIP facilities may be used without seat reservation.
• For cross border journeys, a global price ticket and seat reservation endorsed ‘FIP Leisure’ is required. The International Senior Manager Free Pass is valid, but FIP coupons are not valid. Children aged 6 – 14 must also have a ticket with inclusive seat reservation. No child reduction on the FIP discounted fare is available. For security reasons, luggage must be labelled with labels downloaded from www.bahn.de.
• Cycles are not carried
• Luggage must be labelled with a luggage tag bearing the traveller’s name. Tags are required for all luggage placed in the luggage compartments located at the end of each carriage, above and between the seats. This rule does not apply to hand luggage which is kept on the the traveller’s person, such as handbags.

On Railjet services

• holders of 2^nd class FIP facilities may use Economy Class
• holders of 1^st class FIP facilities may use 1^st class or Economy Class
• under no circumstances can Business Class be used by holders of any FIP facilities, even if the Business Class supplement is paid.

DB-ÖBB Eurocity München – Innsbruck – Verona - Bologna

If using FIP free coupons on DB-ÖBB Eurocity services operated jointly by DB, ÖBB and FS via the trans-Alpine Brenner Railway (München – Innsbruck – Verona – Bologna):

• a DB, ÖBB or FS coupon is required for travel in the country concerned
• for journeys which cross the Italian border, or entirely within Italy the supplement is payable even if the coupon is endorsed No Supplement Necessary or the holder has an International Senior Manager Free Pass
• for journeys between Austria and Germany, or entirely within Austria or Germany, no supplement is payable
• holders of a 1^st class coupon not endorsed by a stamp stating No Supplement Necessary and travelling 1^st class within Austria must purchase a seat reservation ticket or travel authority ticket

Ferries

FIP discounted tickets are valid without restriction on the Harlesiel to Wengerooge ferry services.

FIP coupons and FIP discounted tickets are only valid on Scandlines ships in connection with a rail journey.

DB-AG IC Coach services

FIP reduced rate tickets are available but must be purchased in advance from staffed booking offices. They cannot be bought from ticket vending machines or on-board coaches.

FIP coupons may be used but reservations must be paid for in advance from manned booking offices. FIP coupons must be held for the carrier concerned when the IC Coach service is on a foreign section of route outside of Germany.

For journeys within Germany, DB family travel rules apply and accompanied children aged 6 to 14 travel free. Reservations are required for all children, including those under 6 years old.

For journeys on a foreign section of route outside of Germany, Children aged 6 to 14 must have a ticket and all children must have a reservation.

DB-AG bus services

FIP facilities are accepted only where the bus provides a rail replacement service arising from operational occurrences such as accidents.

Other operators

‘Global’ fares apply for travel on Thalys international services in France, Germany and the Netherlands. See THI Factory – Thalys.

FIP facilities are not available on other operators in Germany. This list of non-FIP operators comprises: