Rough notes on using European trains for bicycle touring

September 6, 2019 by TheCuriousCyclist Filed under Advice

There is a separate region for trains in the northern country with different logistics
- Usually small.
- Quite easy to roll your bike on and stand next to it.
- At some stations you will need to exit the small train and transfer to another one to continue in the direction you want.
Stations are relatively small and easy to navigate.
You may need to pay money to use the bathrooms.
Buy a ticket in their app or at local kiosks, which take credit cards.
Tickets are checked by a conductor
In south Denmark, trains are larger.
- There are designated bike cars. When the train approaches, look for the symbol of a bike on the outside of the car.
- There are nominal location numbers given for your bike but it does not seem to matter much.
- You may not realize it at first but the larger trains have electrical outlets over the seats.
- It is casually acceptable to just find an open seat and sit in it, until someone with a ticket for that seat comes along.

These are usually double-decker trains.
A conductor will come around on the train and check your ticket.
Certain cars are designated for bikes.
- When the train approaches, look for the symbol of a bike on the outside of the car.
German train stations are much busier, often dirtier, and more confusing at first. But once you know how they work, you’ll appreciate the efficiency.
- Take special note of the fact that some trains will arrive and then split, with one half going the opposite direction. Don’t board the wrong half!
You can buy regular tickets at a kiosk but you will need to go to the ticket counter to purchase a ticket for your bike.
- (Note: As of 2026, this is no longer true, and you can use the phone app to purchase a ticket for your bike, and even filter trains by which ones allow bikes.)
On the bike cars, the bike goes into the lower deck. Find an open spot and strap your bike in place.
The competition for spaces can get pretty intense. People will try and pile their bikes on any which way.
To make room you may need to remove your bags.
If you have a first class ticket, you can go upstairs to a really nice work area with desks and outlets.

A conductor will come around and ask for your ticket.
Certain cars are designated for bikes.
- When the train approaches, look for the symbol of a bike on the outside of the car.
- It’s usually the car on the end of the train, but be aware that the train can change direction in the station.
You will need to drag your bike up two steps to get it onto the car.
- This can be a huge pain and you may need to remove your bags.
Your bike needs to go in a designated numbered holder in the bike car.
- Refer to your bike transport ticket.
To fit the bike in the holder you may need to remove your bags and place them on shelves.
If there is space you can just hang out in the bike car. Otherwise, find your numbered seat and claim it.
You can buy tickets at kiosks, which accept credit cards, contactless payment (Apple Pay), and euro coins. There is also a phone app that works well.
To get through the turnstiles with a ticket you bought in the app, just display the ticket code in the app and hold your phone over the reader as though it was a paper ticket.
You need a ticket for yourself and a separate one for your bike.
To get your bike through the turnstile at the station, badge your ticket at the gate for handicapped access. It’s wider than the others.
Bikes are not allowed on trains at all during commute hours. Confirm when those hours are.
- This is a huge pain for bike tourists.
- But it explains why there are hundreds or thousands of bikes locked up outside all the major train stations.

Designated bike cars, but can be hard to spot.
Narrow entrances and several steps up to haul your bike on board.
- Sometimes you have to also drag your bike through some double doors after it’s in the car.
If you buy a ticket that has a transfer, take heed that the transfer time is likely to be physically impossible.
- For example, you may need to take an elevator down from your platform, run to another elevator on the opposite side of the station, take that up to a different platform, and board the next train, all in the space of five minutes.
- If the train is even one minute late, which is very likely, you are screwed.
- Elevators may also spontaneously be out of service.
People behind the counter will blithely sell you an itinerary with transfers like this. You will need to work out a schedule with sane intervals by yourself, then tell the attendant the exact schedule you want, or just buy it yourself in the app.
If you miss a transfer due to the first train being late, the French attitude is, that was your fault. You will not get a refund.

Generally the same as Netherlands trains.
Larger stations can be confusing because they will merge unceremoniously with other businesses.