Family Reservation Costs Skyrocket Significantly

Skyrocketing Train Seat Reservations for Families: families bear the brunt of Deutsche Bahn's pricing policy shift

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Family train reservations experiencing significant price hike noticed by all. - Family Reservation Costs Skyrocket Significantly

Get ready to loosen those purse strings, families! Traveling with Deutsche Bahn just got a lot costlier. The state-owned company announced, as posted on their website, that the family seat reservation will cease to exist with the upcoming timetable change this Sunday. The move has drawn flak from various quarters, from associations to political parties.

From now on, everyone, regardless of age, will need to cough up for a seat reservation. In addition, the price for a second-class reservation will soar to 5.50 euros (up by 30 cents), and in first class, it'll be 6.90 euros instead of 6.50 euros.

This means that a family of four with two children will now have to shell out 22 euros for a one-way trip, resulting in a whopping 44 euros for a round trip. Ouch!

The ecological transport club VCD demands the railway to keep the family reservation alive. "Families with children are particularly dependent on reserved seats," stated the federal chairwoman Kerstin Haarmann. "They are now faced with another hike in prices; barely six months after the last regular increase in December." She advises the railway to prioritize keeping the general offer affordable rather than focusing on short-term discount offers.

Jörg Bruchertseifer from the passenger association Pro Bahn advocates that rail travel needs to be more affordable for families with children. "The rising costs compared to cars are a critical factor in family travel decisions," he remarks.

Greenpeace cries foul

The environmental organization Greenpeace is none too pleased either. "Deutsche Bahn seems intent on pushing families into their cars," says traffic expert Lena Donat. "If a four-person family must pay 44 euros just for the reservation, that amounts to more fuel consumption than many cars cover over 400 kilometers." Greenpeace chair Michaela Engelmeier underlines, "Every additional financial burden makes the decision for a climate-friendly train journey more challenging."

Political parties have also jump-started criticism, demanding a change of heart at the railway. "Families with children need adjoining seats in the train. Gouging them for this necessity is a disgrace," said the Green member of the German Bundestag Victoria Broßart.

The CDU member of the German Bundestag Christoph Ploß told the "Rheinische Post" that the railway needs to reassess its approach.

The Deutsche Bahn defends its action by stating that children up to and including 14 years of age can travel free of charge with an adult. However, the elimination of the special reservation option will hardly impact families, as the family reservation was only a price advantage when there were three or more travelers.

Only 5% of long-distance travelers have booked family reservations so far, equating to approximately 6.7 million passengers out of 133.4 million long-distance travelers with Deutsche Bahn last year.

DB Insights 🚆 Passenger Association Pro Bahn on the plans

• Reservation
• German Rail
• Children
• Car
• Seat
• Pro Bahn
• Berlin
• VCD

In light of the increased costs for family train reservations, Pro Bahn has suggested that the German Rail should focus on making rail travel more affordable for families with children, as this impact on family travel decisions can lead to increased car usage. Meanwhile, the ecological transport club VCD, like Pro Bahn, is calling on the railway to maintain the family seat reservation, arguing that the removal of this option will especially affect families with children.

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