The transport of recumbent trikes with Deutsche Bahn and other railway operators is surprisingly clearly regulated and unambiguous. By calling 01806 996633 (20 cents/call from a landline, max. 60 cents/call from a mobile phone), Deutsche Bahn staff are available around the clock to answer customers' questions and, if necessary, forward enquiries to competent staff on the hotline.

Long-distance transport

Travellers on long-distance services must purchase a so-called "Bicycle Card Plus" and reserve parking spaces before starting their journey. Basically, the "Bicycle Card Plus" is nothing more than two bicycle cards. However, the bicycle spaces reserved with it must be next to each other in the carriage and have corresponding consecutive numbers. Bicycle carriage on long-distance trains is ALWAYS subject to reservation and tickets can be booked both at the DB ticket counter and online. The "Bike Card Plus" for international train journeys is ONLY available at DB ticket counters and DB travel agencies.

During the holiday season, the parking spaces on long-distance trains are usually very full and there is little room for additional bikes, even in the larger bicycle compartments. It therefore makes sense to book in good time. Nevertheless, the chaos when boarding the train must have been so great at times that the last time I took my bike with me at Berlin Central Station, nice ushers took care of placing the bikes on the hooks. A completely new service experience! In the wonderful IC train to Amsterdam, there is half a carriage at the end of the train for bikes, but in the holiday season it is well filled with two-wheelers.

What's more, the doors of the IC are still old-fashioned and therefore very narrow. One triker reports that he had to lay the trike on its side to be able to take it on board. Another told of taking a Hase Kettwiesel on an overnight train from Lübeck to Freiburg. On the recommendation of the railway information desk, probably with a "tandem reservation" (presumably the "Fahrradkarte Plus"). In Freiburg, however, the lift was too narrow, so he had to take the stairs...

When folded, bicycles are considered luggage. In the "Bahn Community" you can read the following: "If you fold up your bike and stow/pack it in such a way that it can be stowed like hand luggage, you can take your bike with you free of charge." The extent to which a trike can meet these requirements can be assessed on the basis of this sentence on the railway website "Luggage on the train": "The following standard dimensions were assumed when dimensioning the luggage racks and almost always fit: 700 x 500 x 300 mm."

Further information on taking bicycles on long-distance trains: www.bahn.de/p/view/service/fahrrad/07rad_fahrradzuege.shtml

Local and regional transport

Taking recumbent trikes on local and regional rail services is less complicated than on long-distance trains. While the latter usually have spaces where the front wheel has to be hung on hooks, the more flexible bicycle, wheelchair, pushchair and luggage spaces are located directly next to the doors on local and regional trains. More and more space is being created for bicycles on local and regional trains.

As with two-wheelers, spontaneous trike transport is only possible on local and regional services, if at all. However, you should avoid peak times, as there is no guarantee that you will be able to take your bike with you if the train is packed. And of course you always have to buy a single(!) bike ticket for the trike. This is valid, on request from the railway, for tricycles as well as for two-wheelers. I am not aware of any deviating regulations for local railway providers.

Tram

In many trams it is now possible to take TWO bikes, e.g. in Berlin, Stuttgart or Munich. But even that sometimes depends on the type of tram. On older trams in smaller towns and cities, things get tight. In any case, it can be assumed that, similar to city buses, the carriage of recumbent trikes is excluded in the vast majority of trams in Germany.

Underground and urban railway

Bikes with more than 2 wheels are not permitted on Berlin BVG underground trains. In many cities, there are even curfews on the transport of two-wheelers. There are also curfews on S-Bahn trains. This is what the "Rheinbahn" writes on its website: "Strains and trains without a multi-purpose compartment cannot take bicycles from 6.30 am to 9 am on Mondays to Fridays. At all other times, you can park your bike in the door area."
The reference to the "multi-purpose compartment" is crucial here. In general, multi-purpose compartments are probably the most uncomplicated way of transporting recumbent trikes on public transport.

Bus

According to the Kreisverkehrsgesellschaft Lippe (KVG), local public bus transport in North Rhine-Westphalia does not allow the carriage of recumbent trikes. Long-distance buses are also cramped for recumbent trikes. Flixbus, for example, explicitly excludes "tricycles" from carriage. www.flixbus.de/service/fahrrad-mitnahme

Photo: Frank Möller