Names on tickets from DB website

[MichaelAMW]

I have booked a journey using the DB website for myself and a friend from Germany via Brussels to St Pancras, using the "London Special" tickets or whatever they are called these days. All fine and the price pretty good, except that I got to the end of the booking without my chum's name being requested. I now have a pdf print-at-home ticket with two seat reservations on all the trains but, obviously, only my name.

Does anyone have any idea how I resolve this? The Eurostar leg in particular will need both travellers names to be on the passenger list.

 

[gazthomas]

From what I've read this is normal, only the lead person is listed but both names are stored within the QR code on the ticket

 

[U-Bahnfreund]

Generally, names are never on DB tickets, only on online tickets they are used to identify one passenger as the paying party. About the Eurostar, though, I don't know.

 

[30907]

From what I've read this is normal, only the lead person is listed but both names are stored within the QR code on the ticket

But DB don't ask for the info, only the number and age of passengers (and the age is only to check for discounts etc).

TBH I didn't know ES operated a passenger list system like airlines.

 

[duesselmartin]

Thalys also has names on Tickets and Belgium seems to push that in international services.

 

[blackfive460]

Since DB tickets don't work the Eurostar gates you'll need to go to the manned desk at Midi where they'll ask for ID and note any required information.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Eurostar aren't that bothered about the passenger details on DB London Spezial tickets, on DB trains, the lead name is used for verification against the holders passport

 

[Bletchleyite]

TBH I didn't know ES operated a passenger list system like airlines.

They don't, and paper E* tickets issued by DB and I think NS don't have names on them. API is done at the point of check-in from your passport. (Unlike an airline, the process of printing the ticket out is *not* check-in).

The ID check requirement is purely so they know you haven't given copies to others or sold it.

 

[MichaelAMW]

Thanks for the various replies. I realise now that one factor in my question is that I have previously been checked off on a passenger list, on boarding, when I've found a worthwhile leisure select or standard premier ticket. I guess I've just assumed they want to know everyone's name but, as Bletchleyite explains, that is only necessary once you get to the station. I think, in practice, that if you travel standard your identity isn't checked against your ticket at all a lot of the time.

 

[k-c-p]

The DB has changed the ID requirement for their online tickets (I think in 2016). In the old days you had to provide some form of ID/number that could be verified by the train stuff during the booking process (e.g. number of the credit card/banking used for the booking, number on ID card/passport, Bahncard number). If you booked a ticket for someone else (as I did for my parents from time to time), you had to get this information before hand to avoid discussions with train staff. And more than once I witnessed situations were people forgot to pack the credit card or ...

Now, this has been changed and only the name of the person who booked the ticket is put on it. This person maybe asked for some form of ID (ID card, passport or BahnCard) on the train.

From my experience with the DB tickets: Eurostar does not care about the name on the ticket. They are only interested in the reservation number shown next to the Eurostar train number. They just hack this into the computer and you are checked it.

If you are travelling from London to the continent: Queues at the automatic gate tend to be long. But as stated already the gates cannot read the DB ticket. So you can bypass the queue by waving our ticket with a smile and the words "Deutsche Bahn Ticket" to Eurostar staff and you may go directly to a checkin counter.

 

[MichaelAMW]

I emailed the enquiries people for online booking, in Germany I believe they are given that the UK office said they couldn't help, and received a prompt and reassuring reply:

thank you for your email.

For most of Deutsche Bahn's offers, only the name of one traveler is indicated on the online ticket. So also with your ticket with the number KAPKM7.

However, your ticket is valid for two persons. At Eurostar, therefore, no problems are to be expected. Our online tickets are accepted by Eurostar.

We would be glad to continue to welcome you on our pages and in our trains.

With kind regards

yours www.bahn.de service-team

So it seems, as others had pointed out already, that I was worrying too much!

 

[dutchflyer]

Generally, names are never on DB tickets, only on online tickets they are used to identify one passenger as the paying party. About the Eurostar, though, I don't know.

NO-this has CHANGEd late last year. Before (due to the very strict DE-privacy fobia) it was via a nr of creditcd/Bahncd/Bonus cd. Now its by name as about any other railway also does and yes, on the first check they do ask for some ID- i showed my Slovak Senior Discount card (its railway, it has a foto+ full name on it) just ''for fun'' and this was also taken (I am Dutch myself). There was some transition period-but this has now ended (for tickets booked very long before travel).