How to use Bahnsparer

With „Fixed date“ Bahnsparer searches the exact date you selected and opens its available connections directly. To compare several days, choose „Date range“ to start with one week, then extend it to as many as two weeks using the date fields. Either search can begin today.

Use the plus beside the destination to add a second destination station. When you open a travel day, the app loads its lowest-priced complete connection too. On a return journey, that direction can start from either destination. Each opened day requires one additional request.

In the search, open „Travellers & options“ and turn on „Bicycle“ . The search will then include connections that carry bicycles. Check with the provider whether you need a bicycle ticket or reservation.

Recent searches appear below the form. Opening one restores every date that is today or later and moves past dates to today. The star saves a route permanently, but does not create a price alert.

Each day shows the lowest complete fare from DB and every active provider, even if only another railway finds a journey. Green marks lower-priced days and a dot marks a direct connection. For converted fares, the app names the original currency and marks the euro amount with „approx.“. For today, „from now“ shows only departures still ahead; future dates cover the whole travel day.

Select a day to see its connections. An empty day has no saver fare available; hatched days were not requested because of your selection.

The list starts with „Recommended“. The other choices are „Lowest fare“, „Fastest“ and „Most reliable“. Under „More“ you can sort by departure, occupancy, wait time, the train's historical punctuality and „Safest transfer“. This order uses the measured likelihood of making every transfer.

For a second-class search, the app can also check the lowest-priced complete first-class connection on the opened travel day. Connections to your chosen destination come first, followed by a second destination if supplied, then first class. This keeps the lowest second-class fare prominent.

The class remains visible on every DB connection; the price difference refers to the lowest complete second-class connection. If a figure is only a first-class supplement, the app says so and does not treat it as a complete ticket. It does not know local-network first-class supplements for the Deutschlandticket, which may cost less than DB's fare. Turn the comparison off in search options or set the default in your profile. Choosing the first-class connection keeps the second-class results.

„Reliability“ shows how likely the whole connection is to work based on past journeys: every transfer succeeds and arrival is less than six minutes late. „Arrival“ gives the historically typical time as „usually“; for a full timetable period, „9 out of 10 by“, the time by which nine out of ten measured arrivals occurred. Values from the most recent 30 days are labelled „last 30 days“.

If data is missing for a segment, the app names the gap. Details warn about trains whose cancellation rate falls in the highest tenth, while the measurement period and number of arrivals remain visible. These values are not a forecast for your travel day. How they are calculated.

If the selected connection has a risky transfer, the summary shows „If the transfer is missed“. Choose „Check next connection“ to search from the transfer station for the next connection to your destination. The result gives the later arrival and time lost. It is information, not a promise of onward transport.

Expand a connection to see platforms, transfer times, expected occupancy, typical delays and cancellations for each segment.

Bahnsparer starts its price comparisons automatically when you open the booking summary. On a return journey, each direction runs separately. Results for seat reservations, the same journey in other shops, the Deutschlandticket and split tickets appear below the relevant journey. If one source fails, DB booking and every other result remain available.

For a direct long-distance connection, Bahnsparer requests DB's current reservation price and checks ČD, MÁV and ÖBB when the route and train fit their offer. ČD is the Czech railway and reserves seats on many German ICE and IC trains even when the ticket comes from DB. All 158 comparable offers in the test cost less than DB, typically by €2.43 or 44%. If no alternative is available, DB's price remains visible. The app converts foreign currencies using the current ECB reference rate and notes that bank fees are excluded.

If another provider costs less, the booking action starts a fresh official session with route, date, train, class and reservation already selected, checks the price again and then opens the prepared dialog. You do not need to search for the journey again. The shop price is binding, and each provider covers only certain routes, trains and classes. Seat results and technical limitations.

For an already selected connection, Bahnsparer automatically checks whether ČD, MÁV, PKP Intercity, SNCF Connect, European Sleeper or Snälltåget sells the same train for less. A result appears as „Book the same train for less“. The standard DB booking remains visible beside it.

Only a complete price for the same traveller, class and connection can win. Known disadvantages such as no cancellation or rebooking appear before the booking link; the app rejects unclear conditions and partial fares. The link opens the exact fare in the official shop. Each shop can be disabled individually in the profile, which stops only its price check and never removes a DB connection. ÖBB tickets, SBB and Trenitalia are not checked automatically because the benchmark found no robust price advantage there. All providers and results.

Compare Super Sparpreis, Sparpreis and Flexpreis for the exact connection, including train restrictions, cancellation and City-Ticket.

Mark the Deutschlandticket for the relevant travellers. The app recalculates the selected connection for that party and also searches for a regional-only connection with no additional fare.

Bahnsparer checks possible split points and shows only lower-priced combinations. Each part is a separate ticket; when the split includes a transfer, you carry the connection risk between the two tickets. More about price and risk.

Journey search is independent of the shop comparison. FlixTrain, Westbahn, Leo Express, GoVolta, European Sleeper and Snälltåget provide their own trains. MÁV, PKP Intercity, SNCF Connect and ČD also find complete international connections. Suitable results appear alongside DB in the calendar and connection list.

If a provider's station is not the chosen origin or destination, its fare counts as a total only after a fully priced rail connection before or after it is included. Bahnsparer allows at least 30 minutes between separate tickets. If a provider cannot price the complete party, class or extra, the app explains why and excludes it. BahnCard and Deutschlandticket apply only where the provider explicitly supports them. Passenger rights apply per ticket.

Each direction has its own date range. The summary shows the total price; under „Other travel days“ you can compare more pairs of travel days.

Under „Travellers & options“ you can use „Via station“ to require an intermediate stop. The railway then prices both segments, which can produce a different fare.

Bahnsparer does not sell tickets. Prices are non-binding, partial fares are deliberately excluded and the purchase is completed with the relevant provider.

After a search, each direction has its own price limit and add button. The default is €1 below that direction's current low, and you can change both limits separately before adding them. A fixed-date alert watches that exact day, a flexible alert watches the searched range and recurring alerts watch selected weekdays.

The calendar and background checks include DB and every journey source enabled in the profile. A price alert can therefore report a lower-priced provider journey or a day for which DB has no complete fare. Disabled providers are not queried.

The app checks an alert for today immediately and then during normal background checks. It ends at midnight or once no bookable departure remains; „Check now“ remains available until then.

The savings prompt appears only for a fixed travel day: when the fare returns to a previously observed low or a low at least 20% below the current fare remains useful context. A first low, small changes and flexible date ranges do not trigger it. This is not a price forecast.

Every selected journey can be saved from the booking summary with „Track journey“ . If DB's interface recognises the same train and stops, Bahnsparer shows its live forecast, platforms, tight transfers and possible alternatives on the travel day. If no matching live train is found, the scheduled journey remains saved and explicitly says that live data is unavailable.

Shared journeys from DB Navigator and bahn.de links can be imported too. For a live match, „Current DB arrival“ shows DB's forecast. That time may change during the journey.

Between 15 minutes and six hours before the scheduled arrival, „For planning · 9 out of 10 by“ may appear below it. The time comes from journeys with a similar DB forecast. The large arrival time remains DB's current forecast; alerts, ticket restrictions and alternative searches use only that value.

If no live forecast is available, the label reads „Scheduled arrival“. If the destination stop is cancelled, the app shows „Arrival cancelled“. If carriage-order data is available, the app identifies the unreserved sections in your class. Choose „Follow this one“ to make Bahnsparer follow a replacement connection you use; the originally booked arrival remains the basis for possible compensation.

When you adopt a connection from Bahnsparer search, the app stores its complete displayed fare with the journey. You can change it if you booked a different offer. A DB account import supplies the fare type, class, booking date and reservation, but no fare that can be assigned unambiguously; add it if needed.

If the fare is missing after you choose „Track journey“ in the summary, the app asks once for the fare paid for that journey. The field remains blank until you enter an amount. For a return journey on one ticket, enter half for each direction. Choose „Later“ to skip it.

Bahnsparer shows a measured saving only when a matching alert covers the same travel day, travellers and fare options; otherwise it remains unknown. Completed journeys start collapsed, and journeys more than 30 days old move to the archive.

After the journey, the app compares scheduled and actual arrival. From 60 minutes late, it estimates possible compensation. On mobile, it can notify you that the passenger-rights details are ready. „Share facts“ creates text containing train numbers, the route, and scheduled and actual arrival. Choose „Open DB claim“ to open past journeys at DB directly. „Show claim steps“ explains the process in three steps first. Bahnsparer does not submit a claim. Without a fare, only the estimated amount remains unknown. When you may be entitled to compensation.

In the profile, set defaults for class, travellers, a bicycle and first-class comparison. Under „Options“ you can change them for one search. The default filters below apply immediately to connections already loaded.

Under „Provider“ starts with every available source enabled. „Additional trains“ and „International journeys“ control which journeys appear in search, the calendar and price alerts. Under „Automatic price comparisons“ you can disable ticket and seat-reservation shops individually. These switches affect only the price check in the booking summary; DB remains visible as a booking option.

A price alert needs two permissions: the app must be allowed to check the fare in the background and show a notification. The final onboarding step and the profile show the current state under „Notifications“. Choose „Open system settings“ takes you directly to the app page in your device settings.

Open Bahnsparer's system settings. Under „Battery“ or „App battery usage“ enable background use. If your device offers several levels, choose „Unrestricted“. If „Pause app activity“ is offered, turn it off. With background use disabled or set to „Restricted“ , Android can stop price checks completely.

Open „Settings“, then „General“ and „Background App Refresh“. Both the feature and Bahnsparer must be enabled. Low Power Mode restricts background refresh. Do not close Bahnsparer from the app switcher; iOS may otherwise suspend further checks until the app is opened again.

Android and iOS do not run background checks on a reliable schedule. Usage, battery, network access and device settings can delay them. A price alert therefore cannot promise a fixed check time. The app reads any new results when it next opens.

You do not need a Bahnsparer account. Price alerts, journeys, saved routes and search settings live on your device first. On iPhone and iPad, you can use „Data“ to sync them through your private iCloud account. Price histories, notification permissions and sign-in data remain on each device.

In the installed app, you can optionally sign in to DB and import current and past trips into „Journeys“ . Sign-in takes place on DB's page and Bahnsparer never receives your password. Imported journeys remain if you disconnect the DB account later.

Under „Data“ is where you delete your Bahnsparer data. If iCloud sync is on, this also deletes Bahnsparer data stored there; your DB account itself is unchanged.

For update checks, the app sends only the platform and app version to bahnsparer.de. Routes, travel days and fares are not transmitted.