DB Personenverkehr Reviews 

Our train from Berlin to Hamburg (DB) was delayed and then cancelled due to a mechanical fault. DB puts us up in a hotel overnight and rebooks us for the next day. On the rebooked journey through Denmark with DSB (ICL 50050, Fredericia to CPH Lufthavn), our reserved wagon isn’t part of the train — it doesn’t exist on the platform. No clear communication, just confusion trying to find a seat with children in tow.

Between the two operators, our combined journey is now delayed by more than 6 hours. This is what our kids are learning right now: that trains mean cancellations, missing wagons, and standing around confused with your family instead of a fun and relaxing way to travel. Not the memory we wanted to give them.

Traveling with children should not be this stressful. This is a level of unreliability we haven’t experienced with rail travel elsewhere.

Misleading online portal, miserable customer service via useless forms, misleading and incorrect information, staff who do not know what is going on, no communication with the passengers stranded at a station to advise about alternatives, and totally unpunctual and cancelled trains as well as stingy refund policy.

Very late at all trains I took, extremely rude staff
Last time I take a train with them

everything is wrong here, nothing works as it should

Even 1 star is actually to much. One can simply not rely at all on Deutsche Bahn. Today I had 5 hours delay. The journey took 9 hours instead of 4 hours between Berlin - Dusseldorf. To cry for...

Worst in the world. Shame!

Miserable experience, avoid.

Very rude and clearly racist staff. I saw the difference in treatment. Avoid if you're not white.

Every German knows - but I write it in English so everyone knows: the German railway is the worst system in the entire world. In the middle of the night, you get stranded somewhere and the app and the people at the train station tell you a train is coming. But it won’t. and no one will tell you anything. You just wait at a random station in the middle of the night because you put trust in the German railway system - it is not acceptable. If you want to make Germany more productive dear government maybe fix this - communication 0/10, feeling safe 0/10, me being ready to work after this 0/10 the next day. This is a joke.

IF I CAN GIVE IT ZERO STARS I WOULD. WORST TRAIN SERVICE I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED. THE WHOLE SYSTEM NEEDS A CHANGE.
DISGUSTING

Booked a train with seat reservations months in advance. It gets cancelled right before departure. Sadly, this is the least surprising thing in the world and rather "ganz normal".

At this point, traveling with a train more like NOVELTY and absolutely nothing you can depend on. Absolutely shameful.

After many years a traveling with this company, I have finally had it. Will never ride with this Deutsche Bahn again.

avoid traveling with deutsche Bahn at all cost. Even though the Germans are known to be punctual and extra weird about their rules, this does not apply to their train service. Don’t travel with deutsche Bahn or you will probably start questioning the entire German infrastructure.

Horrible in all senses

horrible. did not reach my destination

Just to share, it’s June 2026, and nothing has changed. Our regional train is regularly late for 30min or longer, screwing up our holiday plans. Half the time, the track changes with mere minutes to scramble and no English announcement. Try that with kids or with luggage, it’s a fricking nightmare. Miss your train or flight? Too bad.

If this happened in my country, management would have been fired long ago, or at least have the conscience to resign. Here? Most likely a politician’s dumbass nephew in charge is my guess.

DB brings shame to Germany every . single . day when travellers visit and use its services.

Worst german thing i can think of. Yes, THIS is the shittiest thing about this country. Not one time lack of delays. You pay for tickets, no rebursement if journeys get canceled and so on and so forth. If i could give 0 stars i would.

The worst company one can ever imagine. Delays, cancellations, a nightmare not a trip. Never ever in my life I will use it again.

If I have an option to choose 0, i will do it.
Delays and cancellations every day.
No quality of service.
Nothing means nothing.

In 10 years using DB, there is no a single time that it came on time! In 10 years!