It’s not an easy start to the year for commuters. Anyone who relies on Deutsche Bahn will have to be prepared for chaos at the train stations and overcrowded trains in the coming days, if they run at all. The train drivers’ union (GDL) has again called for a warning strike – this time for an impressive six days. From Wednesday night to Monday evening it will once again be significantly emptier on Germany’s railway tracks.
Although there will be an emergency timetable again this time, many train travelers are faced with the question: How do I get from A to B reliably? If you don’t want to rely on Deutsche Bahn – and want to eliminate the risk of the selected connection falling victim to the strike – you can switch to alternatives. We’ll show you an overview of what they are.
Regional trainNot all trains on Germany’s rails also belong to Deutsche Bahn. In Germany alone there are around 300 rail companies that transport people. Many of them are responsible for inner-city local transport. Some also run between different cities and thus connect metropolises. In the north, for example, the metronome runs between Göttingen in Lower Saxony and Hamburg via Hanover several times a day; in northern Hesse the corresponding provider is called Cantus. The Nordwestbahn operates in North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony and Bremen. However, most regional trains only connect cities that can be reached within a few hours – and this is much slower than a Deutsche Bahn Intercity Express. The advantage, however, is that these trains are usually covered by the Deutschlandticket.
Foreign railway company The group is almost a monopolist in long-distance transport in Germany. If you are planning a long-distance journey by train in the next few days, you should at most switch to a night train on the Austrian Federal Railway (they run several times a week, for example from Hamburg via cities such as Hanover and Nuremberg to Vienna). Similar offers are also available from Czech railway companies. However, it’s worth being quick here – because these connections are often used as an alternative.
Long-distance busIf Deutsche Bahn goes on strike, the long-distance bus providers are happy – because as soon as the train is no longer available as a means of transport, the number of bookings for Flixbus and Co. increases rapidly. However, this also means that you should be quick if you want to change to the bus to reach your destination. Because in parallel with the booking numbers, the prices also rise because places are limited. Basically, when traveling by long-distance bus, you should plan a little more time and bring food on board, especially for long-distance trips that can take ten hours or more – for example from Hamburg to Munich.
TaxiIf the train is canceled and the passengers have no other option to reach their destination on the same day (e.g. with regional transport or a bus), then they can also take a taxi and have the money refunded by Deutsche Bahn afterwards. However, the route is also important here, as there is only a certain quota for taxi rides, which depends on the length of the remaining route. The maximum amount shown on the website is 120 euros for a taxi ride. So it should remain an emergency solution if you don’t want to end up with the additional costs.
CarpoolingLet’s stick with driving. There is also the option of finding a ride that will pick you up and drop you off near your destination. This is often the cheapest alternative to Deutsche Bahn, but there is also a bit of luck involved, as the offers on platforms like BlaBlaCar and Co. are limited – and quickly sold out, especially in times of warning strikes. So it pays to be quick here. And of course only get in if you feel safe with the driver.
AutoWhen there is a strike, the highways are full and the risk of traffic jams increases. That’s no wonder, because anyone who has their own car in the garage will, when in doubt, get behind the wheel to get to work. Here it is important to have a little more patience than usual and plan more time for the commute – because you are usually not alone with the idea and you share rush hour traffic with many other drivers.
Plane Last but not least, it is of course also possible to get on the plane instead of the train. In particular, other routes, such as from Hamburg to Munich or from Cologne to Dresden, can be completed quickly and easily by plane. Despite the problematic climate impact of domestic flights, many Germans resort to them when the more environmentally friendly rail alternative is denied due to a strike. However, the whole thing is not always cheap; here too, it is worth comparing providers and taking care of a seat on the plane early on.
