Did you book your train tickets at SNCB International, either online, through our app or via our contact centre? With MyTrain, you can find all your booking details, such as departure times or seat numbers, very easily.
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With SNCB International, you can book your tickets for the ICE high speed trains (Inter City Express) at the lowest fares. Deutsche Bahn's ICE trains offer direct services from Belgium or the Netherlands to Cologne and Frankfurt, where you benefit from numerous onward connections everywhere in Germany (Berlin, Hamburg, Hannover, Stuttgart, Munich etc...) and beyond, e.g. to Austria and Switzerland.
These new ICE trains have been in use in Germany's domestic service since December 2022.They are now used on the Belgium-Germany and on the Netherlands-Germany routes as well.
Numerous new features ensure optimum comfort:
2nd class
1st class
The on-board bar and restaurant (« BordBistro and « Bordrestaurant ») are available to all passengers and offer a selection of international specialities that change on a monthly basis, healthy organic dishes, snacks, as well as beverages.
ICE trains offer a wide range of facilities for families with children:
The ICE 3 trains (which run among other routes on the high-speed line between Brussels and Frankfurt) offer a Panorama Lounge where passengers can watch the train driver thanks to a glass partition. Panorama Lounges are available in 1st and 2nd class.
Book your seat in the Panorama Lounges via our Contact Centre on +32 70 79 79 79 (€0.30/min) or at one of the 28 Belgian stations with international offer.
On ICE trains, seat reservation is not compulsory. However, given the popularity of most international ICE trains, reserving a seat is strongly recommended.
Travelling in 1st class? Discover the Deutsche Bahn Lounges in German train stations before your departure.
You can take your bike on most trains. But conditions vary from one rail company to another:
On the Paris-London route, normal bicycles can be transported through Eurostar's baggage check-in service if they are unclipped and packed, and if booked in advance via travelservices@eurostar.com. Until further notice, this service is not available in Brussels and Lille.
Folding bikes and bikes in a cover measuring a max. of 130 x 90 cm (front wheel unclipped) can be taken on the train free of charge, provided they are placed in the space reserved for luggage. This space can be found at the end of the carriages. Due to limited space, bikes which are not folded up or have not had their front wheel unclipped are not allowed on board TGV.
All luggage (including bikes) that you place in luggage compartments must carry a label with your name and seat number. Labels are available free of charge at your station of departure.
Folding bikes can be taken free of charge as luggage on all ICE trains.
On ICE trains with a bicycle compartment (including the ICE 3neo trains operating the Brussels-Cologne-Frankfurt route), you can take a normal bike (or tandem, tricycle or bicycle with a trailer) if you purchase a special bike ticket, available online, at our Contact Centre or at ticket offices of stations with international ticket sales. The price of this ticket depends on the distance, but may also vary from one train to another depending on the expected occupation.
On the InterCity Brussels-Amsterdam train, you can take your bike (or tandem, tricycle or bicycle with a trailer) if you purchase a special bike ticket, available online, at our Contact Centre or at ticket offices of stations with international ticket sales.
As the number of spaces is limited, we recommend you travel at off-peak times. For security reasons, the number of bicycles admitted on the IC Brussels-Amsterdam is limited to 4.
Loading and unloading bikes are the passenger's responsibility.
The price for your bike ticket depends on the distance. A few examples (price each way) :
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Like on our domestic trains in Belgium, you can take your bike (or tandem, tricycle or bicycle with a trailer) on our cross-border regional trains if you purchase a special bike ticket, available online, at our Contact Centre or at ticket offices of stations with international ticket sales.
As the number of spaces is limited, we recommend you travel at off-peak times. Loading and unloading bikes are the passenger's responsibility.
Destination | Fare departing from Belgium |
The Netherlands (via Roosendaal or Maastricht) | €4 |
Aachen | €4 |
Luxembourg | €4 |
Lille, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Maubeuge | €4 |
Buy your bike ticket
Taking your bicycle on Nightjet is only allowed on the trains equipped with a dedicated carriage for luggage and bicycles, with a compulsory reservation for a fixed price of €12 per bicycle each way. Such a carriage is available on the following connections:
Taking your bicycle on the direct Brussels-Vienna connection is not allowed.
However, you can take a foldable bike with you as free hand luggage if it's folded and packed in a format that makes it possible to store it above your seat or in the luggage racks of couchette or seater compartments.
For security reasons, it is not allowed to remove the pedals and/or turn the steering rod, nor to leave your bicycle in the corridor or near the entrance doors of the train.
On most trains, you can take your pet with you. But rules vary from one rail carrier to another:
"conventional" daytime trains (e.g. Intercity or regional trains) to/from Belgium
ICE and other trains operated by Deutsche Bahn
Eurostar between Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands
Exception: animals are not allowed on board Eurostar Snow and Eurostar Sun.
Eurostar to/from London
Animals are not allowed on board Eurostar trains to/from the United Kingdom. Only guide dogs accompanying a blind passenger are authorised under strict conditions. They must have:
A special free ticket is issued for the transportation of a guide dog accompanying a blind passenger.
TGV INOUI
Overnight trains
The booking period differs from one type of train to another. The main international trains at a glance:
Exceptions:
If you have a Bahncard 100 card or an ICE 1st class Flexpreis ticket for the same day (or a 1st class ticket for an InterCity train run by Deutsche Bahn), you can use the DB Lounge at your station of departure or your station of arrival, if they have these lounges.
DB Lounges are pleasant relaxing spaces, offering a Wi-Fi connection, meeting rooms, a self-service bar offering hot and cold drinks, along with a selection of international newspapers and magazines.
You can find DB Lounges at the following stations:
Berlin Hbf, Bremen Hbf, Dresden Hbf, Düsseldorf Hbf, Essen Hbf, Frankfurt/M. Hbf, Frankfurt/M. Flughafen Fernbahnhof (Frankfurt Airport Railway Station), Hamburg Hbf, Hannover Hbf, Köln Hbf (Cologne), Leipzig Hbf, Mannheim Hbf, München Hbf (Munich), Nürnberg Hbf (Nuremberg), Stuttgart Hbf
It depends on the fare paid for the ICE ticket.
If you chose the Flexpreis fare, which is flexible, your ticket is valid on any train on your route during the period of validity stated on the ticket (one day for electronic tickets covering a distance under 100km, two days for electronic tickets with a distance over 100km, and four days for conventional paper tickets issued at railway stations).
If you opted for the Supersparpreis, Supersparpreis Europa or Sparpreis Europa saver fares, your ticket is only valid on board the IC or ICE train(s) selected when the ticket was purchased, the train number of which appears on your ticket. However, if you travel on a regional train for part of your journey, your Sparpreis ticket is valid on any regional train of your choice.
The validity of your ticket (as described above) is completely unaffected, whether or not you decide to reserve a seat on board one or more ICE trains.
Generally speaking and unlike most high-speed trains, InterCity and regional trains in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands do not require a reservation. For these trains, when choosing a Flex/Standard ticket, you get an open ticket, valid on any train (at any time of the day) on the date and route mentioned on your ticket. Great flexibility!
Exception: if you travel with a cheaper Saver ticket on the EuroCity or Eurocity Direct train between Belgium and the Netherlands, your ticket is only valid at the time and on the specific train selected at the time of your purchase.
Similarly, on IC and ICE trains run by Deutsche Bahn, seat reservation is optional. Consequently, most tickets for journeys in Germany do not necessarily show the time either. Remember though, that the Supersparpreis, Supersparpreis Europa and Sparpreis Europa economy fares do require you to use the specific train you chose when buying your ticket. In this case, the train number and time of departure are shown on your ticket.