Taking your e-bike on a train: this is what you need to know.
Are you one of those people who likes to leave your car at home in the morning and commute to work on your FLYER e-bike?
This means that you not only benefit from more exercise in your everyday life, but that you are also doing your bit for the environment. Some commuters not only travel to work by e-bike, but also use public transport. This is a good solution when you live quite a long way from work, but still don't want to drive there.
Taking your e-bike on a train in Switzerland.
It is easy to take your e-bike on a train in Switzerland. All you need is a valid bicycle ticket. It is best to buy a day ticket for 14 Swiss francs or a reduced-fare ticket for a short journey. If you often take your e-bike on a train, it is worth buying a bicycle season ticket that costs 240 Swiss francs for one year.
You need to make a reservation on some IC trains. Trains that require a reservation are marked with a bicycle symbol in a rectangular frame in the SBB on-line train timetables.
Taking your e-bike on a train in Germany.
Transporting pedelecs (up to 25 km/h) is usually not a problem on trains with a bicycle compartment. Here again, you need a bicycle ticket in addition to your own rail ticket. You can then lock your e-bike safely in the bicycle compartment and take a seat in the passenger carriage. You need to make a reservation for intercity journeys. This is free of charge if you book the reservation when you buy the ticket for your bicycle.
In some German states, you can even take your bicycle free of charge on certain journeys at certain times. It is best to find out from Deutsche Bahn which rules apply in the different German states and transport systems.
Taking your e-bike on a train in Austria.
It is not a problem to take your e-bike on most local trains and long-distance trains. You will need to buy a special bicycle ticket, which costs 10% of the full ÖBB second-class ticket price for the journey. If you travel a lot, it might be worth buying a weekly or monthly ticket.
As long as there are enough empty seats, it is not a problem to take your bicycle on local trains. You will need to book a space for your e-bike for intercity journeys. This is easy to do online or using the ÖBB app.
Taking your e-bike on a train in France.
Your bicycle can travel free of charge on regional trains. It is not possible to make a reservation. In the Paris region, you can also take your bicycle with you free of charge at certain times. For intercity journeys, you need to buy a train ticket for your bicycle for 10 euros when you book your own ticket.
The most convenient way to buy your tickets is online or using an app. If you are using your e-bike on public transport for the first time, it is best to check with the local ticket office or find the information online so that you can prepare accordingly for future journeys. Make sure that you leave plenty of time for your first journeys, in particular, so that you arrive on time.
By the way, our folding bicycle – the FLYER Upstreet2 – is particularly convenient to take with you; this is free of charge in some places. Find out about this from your local transport authority.
