Today I’m trying the fastest Berlin - Nuits-sous-Ravières you can do, changing only in Strasbourg and Dijon

Why am I confident I’ll get to Nuits sous Ravières even if I miss my connection in Strasbourg?

Because I can go via Paris instead - which is staying on the train I am on

Yes, I don’t have a reservation for it. But it’s always easier to persuade a train manager to let you stay on than get on a train you’re not strictly allowed to take

And TERs I can take on Interrail anyway

@jon

Do you know the delay-statistics for this ICE?

@ajinkyapdahale Hmm, also tricky. I then leave a seat empty Paris-Strasbourg if the train does run on time! So I’m reluctant to do that. But there’s nothing to stop me doing that on Interrail indeed - Berlin-Strasbourg and Berlin-Paris seat reservations are the same price.

@jon It would feel bad indeed, but a better insurance against noncooperative conductors.

Also, it would replace a possible berlin-strassbourg + strassbourg-dijon reservation. I wasn't able to get a "seat only" quote on the DB app for this route, but for some other routes the reservation was 5.50€ regardless of whether it's one train or 3.

@ajinkyapdahale Even getting prices for Interrail seat reservations is a pain. I have Berlin-Strasbourg with DB Passzuschlag and Strasbourg-Dijon TGV reservation booked with Rail Europe

@ajinkyapdahale Hmm, also tricky. I then leave a seat empty Paris-Strasbourg if the train does run on time! So I’m reluctant to do that. But there’s nothing to stop me doing that on Interrail indeed - Berlin-Strasbourg and Berlin-Paris seat reservations are the same price.

Siemens builds good trains

(Sure they’re not always perfect, but they’re never dreadful. Siemens would never build a Régiolis.)

Siemens builds good trains

(Sure they’re not always perfect, but they’re never dreadful. Siemens would never build a Régiolis.)

@jon out of curiosity could you share that number? In my experience the cheapest early bird tickets are just about 10-20% over just the reservation, so for my upcoming trip I ended up canceling an eurail pass and booking a la carte.

@jon A single trip from Liège to Luxembourg in a Siemens Desiro ML can change this statement

Thinking further about this re-routing issue: my favoured re-routing if I need it (via Paris) is actually what would make most sense for SNCF as well (no trying to find space for me on another TGV)

But the rule that applies here - AJC - states precisely the opposite

I wonder how you could better allow “any suitable route” rather than same route?

@smveerman ah. The interior is crap. But that’s SNCB’s fault not Siemens’s fault. Desiro ML in Austria is fine.

@ajinkyapdahale €19 for Berlin-Strasbourg and €10 for Strasbourg-Dijon. But the cheapest regular ticket I could find for today was c. €150, so Interrail made sense

Passzuschlag is a special search on DB’s website

@jon It's the default interior from Siemens, surely that should be good enough ‍️

@smveerman for a S-Bahn. I don’t think even Siemens would suggest sitting in that for 3 hours!

Thinking further about this re-routing issue: my favoured re-routing if I need it (via Paris) is actually what would make most sense for SNCF as well (no trying to find space for me on another TGV)

But the rule that applies here - AJC - states precisely the opposite

I wonder how you could better allow “any suitable route” rather than same route?

@jon I would posit that the way you do this is to just allow any route, then accept that you can minimise the disruption this causes by holding trains when needed for connections and/or having a Frankreichtakt.

Yes, I know this would involve SNCF. Stop laughing up the back.

Thinking further about this re-routing issue: my favoured re-routing if I need it (via Paris) is actually what would make most sense for SNCF as well (no trying to find space for me on another TGV)

But the rule that applies here - AJC - states precisely the opposite

I wonder how you could better allow “any suitable route” rather than same route?

Just had to tell off an Italian guy for playing a video full volume on his mobile in the Ruhebereich (Quiet Carriage)

With 5 hours on this train it’s important to get the norms right at the start

Also on the Siemens builds good trains point

Desiro ML for SNCB is horrid - because SNCB ordered a terrible interior. Desiro ML for ÖBB is fine

Similarly a DB ICE 407 has a nicer interior but same engineering as a Eurostar e320