Family reservation of the train abolished: price increase causes excitement!

Family reservation of the train abolished: price increase causes excitement!

Deutschland - Deutsche Bahn announced the abolition of the family reservation, which comes into force on June 15, 2025. From this date, all travelers, including children, have to pay for a seat reservation. Children and adolescents up to the age of 14 can still travel free of charge accompanied by an adult, but there is no longer any way to reduce the fees in the form of a family reservation. The price for a reservation in second class increases by 30 cents to 5.50 euros, in the first class a reservation will cost 6.90 euros in the future, instead of previously 6.50 euros. These changes were announced in an official notification of the railway, which emphasized financial necessities. In 2024, the railway showed a deficit of 1.8 billion euros, which caused the company to rethink its price structure. Weser-Kurier reports that numerous political voices, from CDU to the left The railway demands that the new prices could cause many families to switch to the car.

Family reservation, which was previously true for up to five people, was particularly popular with travelers with children. It rose from 10.40 euros to 22 euros for two children. For a return trip, the price adds up to a total of 44 euros. This means a significant increase in price, which was criticized by various associations. Greenpeace, the Social Association of Germany and the ecological traffic club VCD felt called through this decision to demand measures to protect the family and emphasize the importance of family reservations because it was essential for many families to have reserved places for a pleasant journey. Tagesschau reports that the family reservation was only used by 5% of the long-distance travelers, which corresponds to about 6.7 million passengers and that the price advantage of family reservation only at three traveling was.

criticism of the price increase

The announced price increase and the associated abolition of family reservations encounter broad criticism. Jörg Bruchertsifer from the Pro Bahn passenger association emphasizes that environmentally friendly trips have to be made more attractive for families. The VCD federal chairman also criticized the price increase, especially after the railway had already raised prices last December. Zeit cites Kerstin Haarmann from the VCD, who notes that families are often dependent on reserved seats to enable stress-free trips.

Deutsche Bahn justifies the changes with an economic approach. While the offers have to remain economically portable, many families feel disadvantaged by the price increases. The new regulation represents a significant burden for all families who rely on public transport in order to travel inexpensively and avoid the car. This means that it remains to be seen how this measure will affect travelers.