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I was traveling on a Deutsche Bahn ICE with a 1st class ticket. Part of the route was operated by a replacement bus that had not been announced when I had booked my ticket a few weeks earlier.

The bus connection worked fine and I wasn't delayed by more than 60 minutes, so I don't need delay compensation. But I did have to travel two hours on a bus rather than the ICE 1st class I had paid for. Can I get some kind of refund? Being refunded at least the difference of 1st and 2nd class prices would seem fair. But I can't seem to find anything on the DB site to request this.

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According to 9.2.2 of the Beförderungsbedingungen Personenverkehr: You are entitled compensation in the event that you have a 1st class ticket and the booked transportation should have had a 1st class but actually did not have one during your trip.

Thus, as the replacement bus is normally only considered 2nd class, you should be entitled to compensation. The height of the compensation would depend on your type of ticket: If you have a FLEX (full price) ticket you should get a refund of the difference between the 1st class and 2nd class ticket

9.2.3BB: Werden Züge der Produktklassen ICE oder IC/EC, die planmäßig die 1. Wagenklasse führen, nur mit Wagen der 2. Wagenklasse bereitgestellt, erhalten Inhaber einer Fahrkarte zum Flexpreis für die 1. Wagenklasse nach Nr. 3.2 gegen Nachweis (z. B. Bescheinigung des Zug personals) für die Strecken, in denen die 1. Wagenklasse nicht genutzt werden konnte, eine Entschädigung in Höhe des Differenzbetrages zwischen den Flexpreisen der 2. und 1. Wagenklasse, für alle in der Fahrkarte eingetragenen Personen.

If you have a SPARPREIS (discount price) ticket you are entitled to a flat 20€ refund (but no more than the actual price of the ticket)

9.2.2BB: Werden Züge der Produktklassen ICE oder IC/EC, die planmäßig die 1. Wagenklasse führen, nur mit Wagen der 2. Wagenklasse bereitgestellt, darf die 2. Wagenklasse in diesen Zü- gen auch mit Fahrkarten Sparpreis, bzw. Super Sparpreis, nach Nr. 3.3 für die 1. Wagenklasse genutzt werden. Inhaber einer Fahrkarte Sparpreis, bzw. einer Fahrkarte Super Sparpreis für die 1. Wagenklasse erhalten gegen Nachweis (z. B. Bescheinigung des Zugpersonals) einmalig einen Betrag in Höhe von jeweils 20 €, für alle in der Fahrkarte eingetragenen Personen.

Either way you need some kind of proof that you were affected (e.g. some kind of signed letter from the staff etc. documenting that you needed to use the bus)

The easiest way would probably be to go directly to a trainstation and speak with the staff at the info-desk there; otherwise you could try contacting them via chat or the service hotline.

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  • I don't live in Germany so going to a station is not practical for me. The chat seems to only be a chatbot (only in German), I asked it a question and it directed me to this contact form: int.bahn.de/en/help/contact/online-contact-forms. I sent a message through there but after a few days have not yet received a response.
    – Jsl
    Commented Jul 13 at 9:23
  • Hmmm, that may make things rather more difficult as the "default" english language passenger rights form seems only to cover the usual "train delayed/cancelled" cases. Have you tried via int.bahn.de/en/buchung/meine-reisen or perhaps the english-language hotlines will be able to help you. I guess it also depends on how much you value your time and how high the fee difference is between first and second class (if you had a full-price FLEX ticket; 20€ flat at most if you had a reduced fare SPAR ticket).
    – CharonX
    Commented Jul 15 at 8:10

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