Riding the Rails in Germany in a Wheelchair: What You Need to Know

ICE train at Frankfurt Airport (Flughafen) Station

Last summer, my family and I traveled from our home in the USA to France and Germany. Our itinerary for the German leg of this trip was particularly packed, including stops in Cologne, Aachen, Bremen, and Bremerhaven, and a flight out of Frankfurt. As my husband has no interest in driving in Europe, we relied completely on trains and public transportation to get around. In this post, I’ll provide all the necessary details of booking and riding the trains in Germany, in hopes making planning your next German vacation a little easier.

The trains in Europe are a fabulous way to travel. Grab a ticket online or at a kiosk, stroll onboard, and watch the beautiful European countryside roll by. You can travel across the EU (European Union) contenting with essentially no security and without having to pull out your passport or ID. For disabled travelers who require some assistance, the process is slightly more complex and varies from country to country. However, the information and tips here will get you rolling out of the station in Germany in no time.

Enjoying the great views from the ICE 611

First of all, I need to clear up one conceptual issue that had me hopelessly confused when talking on the phone with a Deutsche Bahn (DB) representative for the first time: a train ticket and a seat reservation are not the same thing. A train ticket is needed to ride the train, but it does not guarantee you a seat. During busy times, it is not unusual for some passengers to ride standing on German urban and regional trains. Even on long-distance trains, you may buy a ticket without purchasing a seat reservation. As a disabled passenger, you will generally require three different bookings: a train ticket, a seat reservation for a few dollars more, and mobility service booking which is free.

Types of Trains

Deutsche Bahn (DB) is considered the national railway company of Germany. DB and its subsidiaries operate many of the long-range, regional, and urban trains that travel in the country. I’ll start off with a brief summary of the types of trains that can be booked via the DB website (https://www.bahn.com/en) or the DB App (DB Navigator).

Intercity-Express (ICE)

ICE is the German high-speed train. It travels up to 300 km/hr (190 mi/hr) and provides fast service between cities in Germany and to cities in neighboring countries. On the ICE, you can expect a comfortable ride with heat or air-conditioning, a dining car with a variety of food and beverage selections, and WIFI. The trains have dedicated spaces for families and travelers in wheelchairs. We took the ICE for travel between Cologne, Bremen, Aachen, and Frankfurt.

ICE train at Cologne Main Station (Koeln Hbf)

Intercity/Eurocity (IC/EC)

The IC/EC trains also provide service between cities in Germany and to neighboring countries; they often run more frequently and cost less than the ICE. These trains still get you to your destination quickly, with top speeds of up to 200 km/h (120 mi/hr). The IC/EC trains also have good amenities, such as reserved seating, food for purchase, and WIFI.

IC train at Cologne Main Station (Koeln Hbf)

Regional-Express (RE)

The Regional-Express connects cities within a region and links local to long-distance trains. While there is wheelchair access, the RE often does not offer assigned seating. We took the RE to travel between Bremen and Bremerhaven.

Regionalbahn (RB) and S-Bahn

The Regionalbahn and S-Bahn provide service through the heart of cities and to suburbs. These trains provide the connection between city and regional service (RE).The S-Bahn travels through more densely populated areas and stops more frequently than the RB.

S-Bahn train at Cologne Main Station (Koeln Hbf)

More info about types of trains in Germany:

https://www.polrail.com/en/train-types-in-germany

Accessibility of the German Trains

The Intercity (ICE, IC) and Regional Express (RE) trains have specific cars in 2nd class that are accessible to wheelchairs. The entry door of the train is typically higher than the platform, so a ramp or lift is needed to enter the train. The most common mechanism for gaining access to the train is a manually operated platform lift. The lifts have a weight limits of 250 kg (550 lb) or 350 kg (770 lb) and are roomy enough to fit my Quickie power wheelchair with plenty of room in front of my feet.

Boarding the ICE train at Cologne Main Station (Koeln Hbf)

Inside the train car, the dedicated wheelchair area has ample space for a power chair. The wheelchair area and seats for family members can be reserved through the Mobility Service (see How to Make Your Reservation, below). We enjoyed our seating at a table with family members facing each other.

Onboard ICE 611 to Frankfurt

Restrooms are located down a corridor a short distance from the accessible seating. The corridor was wide enough to be navigable, with sufficient space to make the turn into the restroom door.

Corridor to restrooms and car exit on ICE 611

Restrooms onboard the ICE were spacious, and I had no problem making a full 360 degree turn inside with the door closed.

Accessible restroom on ICE 611

The Regional Express (RE) train did not have reserved seating. The accessible car resembles a rectangular room with seats around the edges. There is no dedicated wheelchair space. A wheelchair is easily accommodated by folding any of the open seats. The RE ride was less than an hour long, so I did not explore the restroom, but the doorway was narrower than the facilities on the ICE.

Onboard the RE 4452 to Bremerhaven

While the trains I took during my German vacation were sufficiently spacious, it is important to know that they are only required to accommodate chairs that adhere to the EU standards for wheelchair size and weight. For a power wheelchair, the maximum dimensions are 120 cm (47 in) long and 70 cm (28 in) wide and a total weight of 300 kg (660 lb) for both wheelchair and rider.

My wheelchair depth is a couple of inches over the limit, but I did not encounter any problems with wheelchair dimensions during my travels in Germany. There is generally ample space, and no one minded if I reoriented my wheelchair with my back to the window and feet pointing toward the aisle. (I did this to tilt my wheelchair back for a nap with my head against the window.) The stricter limit is the total weight of the wheelchair and passenger, since the platform lifts used to board the train have a maximum capacity 250 kg (550 lb) or 350 kg (770 lb), depending on the equipment.

As full description of mobility devices that can be brought onboard the train and the associated rules can be found here:

https://msz-bahn.de/pdf/leitfaden_mitnahme_orthopdischer_hilfsmittel_juni_2019.pdf

You’ll need to pull out Google Translate, because the document is all in German.

How to Make Your Reservation

Making your train reservation is a multi-step process because you actually are booking three separate services: a ticket to ride the train, a reservation for accessible seating, and a mobility service appointment. Each seat reservation costs approximately 4 euros in addition to the train ticket. The mobility service is free.

Step 1: Find the desired trains for your travel itinerary

Search trains online: https://www.bahn.com/en or on the DB Navigator app on your mobile device. Make note of train numbers (e.g. “ICE 611”), days, and times for your desired voyage. Before paying for these tickets, you will want to make sure one of the dedicated wheelchair spaces or other seating appropriate for your situation is available, so hold off purchasing until Step 3. Generally, riders can book tickets and seat reservations at the same time online, but the dedicated space for wheelchairs can only be reserved through the Mobility Service or at the ticket office in the train station. Some tickets cannot be purchased very far in advance (e.g. regional and urban trains), but you will still be able to proceed with Step 2.

Step 2: Reserve your seats and mobility assistance

To reserve accessible seating and/or mobility assistance, you will need to contact the Mobility Service (Mobilitätsservice-Zentrale, abbreviated MSZ). You can book seat reservations for everyone in your party at the same time using this service. Reservations can be made by phone, email, fax, or online. Agents are available 6:00 a.m.to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and holidays. Seat reservations and mobility service requests do not need to be made at the same time. Mobility assistance can be requested as late as 8:00 p.m. on the day before the trip (at least 48 hours in advance for international*).

• Telephone: 030 65212888 (from the USA, dial 011-49-30-652-12-888)

• E-Mail: msz@deutschebahn.com

• Fax: 030 65212899 (from the USA, dial 011-49-30-652-12-899)

• Online: https://msz-bahn.de/

To book seat reservations and mobility assistance, you will need to provide the following information:

• Name, address, phone number, and birth date of the disabled person (not needed for others in the party)

• Train numbers, dates, times

• Type of seating required (transfer info a seat or remain in wheelchair), number of seats

• Type of assistance required/or and type of mobility device you use

• Credit card number and expiration date (if purchasing seat reservations)

• A self-selected five-digit pin number that they will associate with your account

I made all my reservations via phone. This gave me the opportunity to ask questions, confirm accessibility of all trains and stations, ensure that I provided all the needed information, and provide my credit card and personal information in a secure way. The Mobility Service has agents who speak English; just request this when you call. However, there may be significant hold time for an English-speaking agent (in my case, 45 minutes). Be sure you have an affordable international calling plan!

The MSZ website (https://msz-bahn.de/) does not provide a way to enter credit card information: “The mobility service center will contact you if we have any questions or reservations that require payment.” So regardless of how you contact MSZ to start your booking, you might end up on the phone.

*For international travel, you will want to book your mobility assistance with the train company and country that operates the train you will be riding. For example, if you use the ICE to travel from France to Germany, then you can use MSZ as described in this post. However, if you ride the French TGV across the border, then the French mobility service, Acces Plus, will assist you.

Step 3: Purchase your train tickets

Now you can return to the website (https://www.bahn.com/en) or the DB Navigator application to purchase your tickets. Electronic tickets can be printed from your PC or downloaded in the DB navigator app for paperless travel.

For more information about riding the train in Germany with a disability, visit these websites. The translate option on Google Chrome will help you read them.

https://www.bahn.de/service/individuelle-reise/barrierefrei

https://msz-bahn.de/haeufige-fragen#faq3

Riding the Train

Before your travel day, you will receive an email confirming your seat reservations and mobility service. The confirmation will specify the train car, seat numbers, and meet-up location for assistance. The usual meeting point is “DB Information” which is a large well-marked counter inside the train station. Smaller train stations may not have a DB Information counter, in which case, the meeting place will be the travel center, “Reisezentrum,” in the train station.

Seat reservation and mobility assistance email confirmation

The DB personnel are committed to assisting you without causing any delay for the train. At some stations, the train stops for only a couple of minutes, so they want to be prepared before the train arrives. You must arrive at the meeting point no later than 20 minutes prior to the departure time. The agents will assist you with one piece of luggage, up to 20 kg (44 lb) maximum weight. They don’t weigh your suitcase, but if it feels very heavy, they can refuse to carry it for you. I never had this happen, but my luggage was a bit heavy, and one agent made a comment about it. The DB representative will take you and your suitcase to the platform at the specific location where the accessible car is supposed to stop. Sometimes they will ask you to pre-load onto the platform lift, so that they can get you on the train very quickly.

Taking a ride on the platform lift in Aachen

Other passengers, including your family members, will be asked to stand aside until you have boarded. The long-distance train cars typically have two doors, so your traveling companions can enter the train through the other door and meet you inside.

You do not need to show your ticket to board a German train (an agent will come by during the voyage to check tickets); however, the mobility agents may ask to see your seat reservation to direct you to the correct place. Once onboard, it is not uncommon for a stroller or luggage to be blocking your reserved space, or for other passengers to be in the seats reserved for your family members. This is no cause for alarm. Riders without a seat reservation may sit in any unoccupied seat, and I found that everyone was willing to vacate the wheelchair space and reserved seats when asked. Most Germans I met spoke at least a little English, and if you point to the seat numbers on your reservation, you can get your point across.

Each time I rode the train, I felt some anxiety about whether the mobility assistance agents would show up at the destination platform to help me off the train. But they were always there waiting when we pulled into the station.

Overall, my family’s experience traveling across Germany by train was extremely positive. I would recommend this as a great way to explore multiple towns and cities without the hassle of finding and driving an accessible rental vehicle. Gute Reise!