Deutsche Bahn to Increase Family Seat Reservation Fee by 165%

Deutsche Bahn will increase the seat reservation fee for families and large groups on its trains in Germany by up to 165%.

Seat reservations for families and groups

To make it easier for families and large groups to travel together, Deutsche Bahn – the German Railways – offers a special option known as Familienreservierung (family reservation), which allows you to book assigned seats for the entire group with a single click.

For a fixed fee of €10.40 in second class or €13 in first class, you can reserve seats for a family or group of up to five people (provided the group includes at least one child), which is certainly more affordable than booking individual seat reservations at €5.20 per person (€6.50 in first class).

Although seat reservations are generally not compulsory on German trains, making an optional reservation for a small fee is an attractive option when travelling as a family or group, as it guarantees that you will be seated together.

S-Bahn and ICE trains of Deutsch Bahn riding through Berlin. ©AndyBTravels

Seat reservation fee increase

However, from this Sunday (15 June 2025) onwards, Deutsche Bahn will completely abolish the family reservation option, a move that has drawn criticism from consumer organisations.

Families and large groups must now pay a seat reservation fee for each individual, which can quickly increase the total cost when travelling as a group of four or five.

From 15 June onwards, individual seat reservation fees in Germany will also increase, with reservations in second class rising from €5.20 to €5.50, and in first class from €6.50 to €6.90.

Although this slight increase is negligible for a solo traveller, it adds up for families and groups, who can no longer book the more affordable family reservation option.

The German travel blog Travel-Dealz calculated that for a group of five, the abolition of the family reservation option combined with higher seat reservation fees results in a price increase of 165%.

Group saver fare

For groups of four or five, it may now be cheaper to book a group saver fare, as this special fare still includes free seat reservations.

Although the group saver fare is only valid for groups of at least six people, you can still book it if you are only four or five by adding a fictional fifth or sixth person to qualify, then simply informing the conductor that this person was unable to join the trip due to illness.

Of course, this option is only available if you are purchasing normal train tickets, as it does not apply to travellers using an Interrail or Eurail pass.

German ICE high-speed trains. ©AndyBTravels

Low-cost airline vibes

Although the abolition of the family reservation option on German trains may seem like a minor issue — especially if you don’t usually travel with your family or in a large group — it does have significant implications in several respects.

First of all, the family reservation option was not exactly a niche product.

According to Tagesschau — the German public television news — 5% of all long-distance travellers in Germany booked seats using the family reservation.

With 133.4 million passengers on Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance services last year, this means that around 6.7 million passengers used the family reservation option.

Secondly, it simply makes the train a less appealing option compared to other transport modes.

Jörg Bruchertseifer of passenger association Pro Bahn called upon German politicians to make travel by train more attractive in terms of price for families with children.

Mr Bruchertseifer said: “Especially when travelling with your family, the cost compared to travelling by car is an important deciding factor.”

Last but certainly not least, it gives strong low-cost airline vibes, where families and large groups are effectively forced to pay hefty seat reservation fees to avoid being separated by automatic seat assignment algorithms.

It’s hard not to see it as a cash grab and a move that makes train travel less appealing for families and groups.

Rail companies would be well advised not to follow the model of low-cost airlines in this regard, as on-board comfort and a family-friendly, seamless travel experience have always made train travel the more appealing option compared to flying.

First class seats on an ICE high-speed train in Germany. ©AndyBTravels

Conclusion

Deutsche Bahn – the German Railways – will abolish its affordable family seat reservation option, meaning that large groups and families must now pay a higher seat reservation fee for each individual member.

The abolition of the family reservation option combined with higher seat reservation fees can result in a price increase of up to 165% for small groups.

The move has drawn criticism from consumer organisations, which argue that it makes train travel less appealing for families compared to other modes of transport, such as the car.