Ein junger Mann sitzt mit angewinkelten Knien auf dem Sitz und schaut auf sein Handy

How full is my train? Information about seat availability

When you view your selected connection on bahn.de/bahn.com or in DB Navigator, you can see how full your train is likely to be. So you can decide, if you want to reserve a seat or prefer to catch a different train.

1/3

  • Travel information

    The symbols beside a connection show how high demand is for a specific train. The "Show details" section explains the meaning of the symbols.

  • Changing trains

    The level of demand refers to the part of a journey when a train is at its fullest. If you are changing trains, the system shows the level of demand for each train.

  • Information in DB Navigator

    To see the symbols, click the details of a specific connection.

What do the symbols mean?

Low demand expected

Many of the seats on this train will be unoccupied.

Medium demand expected

At least half of the seats on this train will probably be occupied. However, there will still be some empty seats. Reserve your preferred place now.

High demand expected

Some seats on this train will be unoccupied. We recommend reserving a seat.

Exceptionally high demand expected

The train will be very full on certain sections of its route. Many passengers will be forced to stand. For this reason, you can no longer buy tickets or reserve seats. Unless you have already bought a ticket for this train, we recommend using a different connection.

Answers to FAQs

The information about demand always pertains to the class you select when searching for a connection. Second class is the default setting.

  • Demand levels are visible only for DB's long-distance trains (ICE, IC, EC). Our system cannot show demand levels on other operators' services, in particular regional trains.
  • Our system is also unable to display information for certain other trains, in particular services operating outside of Germany.
  • This information is normally on display 28 days before the day of departure. No information is displayed for connections that are more than 28 days in the future or if no data is available.

If this is the case for all connections displayed as search results, then the "Demand" column is not visible on your screen.

Information about demand is based on forecasts. As a result, the actual conditions in a given train can be different to our system's prediction.

Additionally, the information pertains to the train as a whole (plus each travel class). Demand can vary considerably from carriage to carriage: for example, more seats are normally available at the ends of the train than in the middle.

Your ticket remains restriction to a specific connection. This means that you cannot use it on another train.

Our tip: book your ticket as early as possible. This way, you will probably be able to select the seat you want. Demand can change, and if lots of people want to take a specific train, you might not be able to reserve a seat after a certain point. We therefore recommend booking as early as possible.

Book ticket + seat
Reserve a seat only