End of August London to Bolzano - book ahead or Inter rail

[Spoorslag '70]

We have a 20 minute changeover at Bruxelles to get the ICE to Frankfurt for onward connection to Munich. However I read on this thread here that that train can be cancelled and that I should have an alternative plan (eg, "Brussels to Welkenraedt, then the local train to Aachen"?) in case. Any thoughts on how I should best formulate a 2nd plan to get us to Munich?

Frankfurt to Munich - looks as though there are a number of trains to Munich in case we couldn't make the 19 minute connection at Frankfurt.

You could just use a journey planner, potentially specifying Welkenrath as a via-point. You could of course also try to get permission to travel on the 13:25 Thalys service from Brussel-Zuid (9435), but I cannot comment on how likely you are to be allowed onto that.
The "normal" option with IC and L trains would work roughly like this:
Brussel-Zuid d. 12:55 IC 511
Welkenrath a. 14:33
Welkenrath d. 14:41 L 5013
Aachen Hbf a. 14:56
Aachen Hbf d. 15:18 RE9 (10921)
Köln Messe/Deutz a. 16:27
Köln Messe/Deutz a. 16:44 ICE 725
München Hbf a. 21:32

And indeed, ICEs from Frankfurt/Main to Munich are rather frequent so you should be fine once you are past Cologne.

 

[Ian99]

You could just use a journey planner, potentially specifying Welkenrath as a via-point. You could of course also try to get permission to travel on the 13:25 Thalys service from Brussel-Zuid (9435), but I cannot comment on how likely you are to be allowed onto that.
The "normal" option with IC and L trains would work roughly like this:
Brussel-Zuid d. 12:55 IC 511
Welkenrath a. 14:33
Welkenrath d. 14:41 L 5013
Aachen Hbf a. 14:56
Aachen Hbf d. 15:18 RE9 (10921)
Köln Messe/Deutz a. 16:27
Köln Messe/Deutz a. 16:44 ICE 725
München Hbf a. 21:32

And indeed, ICEs from Frankfurt/Main to Munich are rather frequent so you should be fine once you are past Cologne.

Thank you for taking the time to comment, Spoorslag.

I might be missing something but can you see a potential downside of just waiting at Brussels midi for 2 hours to take the next ICE train?

• 14:25
  
  Bruxelles Midi
  
  
  ICE 17
  Frankfurt(Main)Hbf
  
  
  High demand expected
  Pl. 5
  17:31
  
  
• Frankfurt(Main)Hbf
  Pl. 19
• 19 min.
  17:503h 37min
  
  
• Frankfurt(Main)Hbf
  
  
  ICE 691
  München Hbf
  
  
  High demand expected
  Pl. 9
  21:27
  München Hbf
  
  

 

[Spoorslag '70]

Not exactly - but if that ICE is cancelled for some reason (which does happen sometimes), you wil be in Munich rather late.

 

[Ian99]

Thank you again. If I wasn't allowed to take the Thalys train - because for example they had no Interrail rail reservations left - is it likely that there might be any standard tickets left?

Presumably I'd get off at Köln Hbf - I assume that there is no other station in Koln with other connections towards Munich?

Oh and you mentioned Brussel-Zuid to take the Thalys but Deuteche Bahn says Bruxelles Midi?

 

[DanielB]

Presumably I'd get off at Köln Hbf - I assume that there is no other station in Koln with other connections towards Munich?

There isn't indeed.

Oh and you mentioned Brussel-Zuid to take the Thalys but Deuteche Bahn says Bruxelles Midi?

That's the same station, Brussel-Zuid is the Dutch name and Bruxelles Midi the French name.

 

[30907]

There isn't indeed.

Trains to Munich via Nuremburg leave from Messe/Deutz which you get to by S-Bahn from Hbf. Those via Stuttgart run direct from Hbf.

On the subject of the journey planner, in my very recent experience you don't need to worry too much - mostly staff just check that your ticket is enabled for that day.

 

[DanielB]

Trains to Munich via Nuremburg leave from Messe/Deutz which you get to by S-Bahn from Hbf. Those via Stuttgart run direct from Hbf.

Was already thinking about that station, but a quick look at the journey planner only gave trips from Messe/Deutz to Münich with changing at Hbf. So that's what I based my post on.

 

[Ian99]

Thanks all - all useful information.

Does anyone have any thoughts on if it is likely that I could buy 2 tickets on the Thalys if the ICE was cancelled and Thalys refused our interrails?

 

[rvdborgt]

General query - I've got 2 people's Inter rail passes on my phone - is there a back up option so that we are not reliant on my one phone?

In case you loose or break your phone, you need Interrail customer service to unlink the passes from your phone, so you can activate them on another phone. Use this form:

https://eurail.zendesk.com/hc/en-001/requests/new

Mention the pass numbers that need to be unlinked and that you are currently travelling. Reply is then normally within a few hours.