ICE Train vs. FLIX Train
Photo by Erich Westendarp (top right) holzijue (bottom left) (Pixbay)
Recently, I undertook a trip from my house to Berlin, which is a three-hour train ride if everything goes according to plan, which most of the time never does. Since I am as curious as humans come, I tried different transportation providers. Certainly not because of financial reasons did I make that decision.
The reason as to why I went to Berlin is a story for another time and is currently not a very important topic.
In Germany, there is one big train transportation provider and it is DB or Deutsche Bahn. The DB is responsible for most trains in the german train transit system, which says a lot because there are plenty of trains in Germany.
The second biggest train transportation provider would be to my knowledge Flix trains. Frankly, this one does not even come close to the DB due to the lack in quantity. However, it has been growing in prominence and started to rival DB minimally.
Therefore, I wanted to see for myself which one of these trains is better in quality and most importantly price since for most students money is the deciding factor.
The booking process for both trains was super simple. Just type in the departure station and arrival train station, choose the date and time and pay. That is pretty much it. There is nothing more to it. Therefore for the booking process category, there is no clear winner. Both sites have useable website layouts for a simple booking experience, which has become industry standard.
As for the ticket option, DB got so much more complicated. There are four ticket options and decisions needed to be made which makes simple things very confusing. The first price on the DB site is very misleading because the cheapest option is normally the first price you see but it will never be that cheap since there are always extras that needed to be booked for long-distance cross-regional trains. For instance, seat reservations are always recommended as well as intercity tickets and some other extras that make your life easier.
First class is also one of the four options available which include intercity ticket, free train choice, seats, etc…. My point is that there are many steps within the simple booking process that makes the booking experience as a whole a tad frustrating.
The Flix Ticket options are limited, to say the least. Since the company cannot offer anything else besides seat reservations and extra luggage, they just simply don’t. You are not met with thousands of options, just a simple page with distinct extras. Everything is on one side and nothing more.
Photo by Anncapictures (Pixbay)
On my trip to Berlin, I took the ICE from a train station close to my house but not the closest train station. Therefore, I had to take a train from the train station close to my house to the departure train station which with the current DB track record got me worried. I ended up taking one train earlier to the departure train station just to wait an hour due to the train delay.
As someone who gets bored easily, I don’t take waiting for something which was supposed to be punctual lightly. I knew it was a possibility all along since DB trains have a glowing track record of breaking the german punctuality stereotype. Yet I was still irrationally irritated to put it lightly.
Besides the train delay, the train ride itself was quite pleasant. My fellow passengers weren’t being incredibly rude. The train staff were being perfectly nice. And I even managed to watch a few movies without much coming from my phone and without any distractions.
Everything went smoothly. The seats were comfortable and it didn’t feel as if I am being squished into a row with a complete stranger. The train sped down the rails at 200km/h making it a quick ride. A thing I noticed about the ICE was that it is also awfully quiet when it sped down the rails.
On the train was a restaurant wagon. The items on that menu are bloody expensive for a student but the availability of one is dearly appreciated because I can be quite forgetful and really hungry sometimes.
The ICE also has a lavatory available to all passengers. Against my belief, the lavatory was quite clean. It felt weird to use the lavatory while the train was travelling 200 km/h but the lavatory came with everything necessary to go.
On my way back home, I took the FLIX train and luckily for me, it brought me straight back to the train station closest to my house so I don’t have to take another train to get back home, which I found quite convenient considering the scare I had on my way to Berlin.
The train I took started its journey at the departure station I had booked, which makes the whole journey a bit more relaxing because I can just take my time to search for the right wagon and look for the right seat taking my dear time.
At the starting train station there weren´t many passengers so I don’t have to push and shove to get into the train and to my seat. Which again is very pleasant because I get very anxious boarding a train because I fear that it will close in my face and leave without me.
Since it was the first train on the way, there were no delays of any kind so I can´t quite judge the punctuality of the train. On the way, the train did delay by a few minutes but it managed to arrive on time at my stop, so the train I took was quite punctual.
Unlike the ICE train, the FLIX train was quite empty when I looked around. Maybe it was the time of day or the general fact that most people choose other trains, but I liked how empty it was and how I had a whole row to myself.
The train itself didn’t have extras like the ICE with their restaurant wagon. However, the FLIX train did have a lavatory, which I didn’t see the need to check out. From the outside the lavatory was small and as a solo traveller, I wouldn’t be able to fit my luggage in there.
There were no screens showing how fast the train was going, what the next stop would be or where the train currently was. You just had to rely on the train conductor for that information. The train conductor spoke both English and German so it would not be too big of a loss for international travellers.
As for the train itself, I disliked how loud it was on my trip. In the ICE it was quiet and the speed of the train did not affect the noise level but the faster the FLIX train was going, the louder it got in the train car which is annoying if you wanted to make a phone call (which I tried and failed).
When I was exiting, I noticed that the door didn’t open with a press of a button which got me a tad worried. Turns out the train door wasn’t automated either and there was a lever that needed to be pried open. Luckily, there was a stronger person who opened the door.
The general design of the ICE train was sleek and modern. If I can be frank, the train had a fancy modern interior. I am just pointing it out because I like the interior design of ICE trains. In no way am I saying that other trains suck from an interior design standpoint, but I just like the ICE design.
All the doors were automated and would open with a press of a visible button or just by walking towards them. This is quite convenient when you have luggage that you need to carry with you on your trip.
I had no idea what I should expect from the FLIX train on the other hand because I never travelled via FLIX before. However, I heard good and bad (but mostly good) stories when it came to FLIX so I had some standards going in.
The first thing I noticed it how the train smelled. I cannot fully explain it but the train had a certain smell. Not necessarily a bad one, just a smell. Throughout the whole ride, the smell did not go away and I swear that it was not me since the smell only hit me when I entered the train.
Another thing I noticed was that the door separating the passenger area from the train door was not automated which meant that I had to shove it open since I had my hands full with the luggage I was carrying. This was not fun but luckily the train was not moving otherwise this would have ended badly (for me).
The train design was not too special, it was just the best design to put the most people into a wagon for the smallest price. The seats were comfortable and there was luggage space so it is not too bad for the price that needed to be paid.
As promised, within the ICE train was Wi-Fi widely available. The internet might have not been the fastest or the best but for my music, it was enough. Since I get bored easily, I don’t rely on the train´s internet since most of the time it sucks.
On the other hand, there was the FLIX train which, on their site, stated that Wi-Fi would be available on the trip I booked but I checked multiple times and found nothing coming close to free Wi-Fi onboard that train.
On that day of my trip to Berlin, I can’t deny the fact that the train was a little full but luckily, I reserved a seat so I don’t have to stand for the three-hour train ride. From the app including the order of the train cars, I could exactly see in which wagon my seat was and in which section of the train station I needed to wait to get to my seat on the quickest route.
Having the DB app is quite the relief for someone who travels via train most frequently. It shows delays and alternatives. It also saves all tickets bought and reminds you when the train is leaving and from which platform.
However, since I didn’t download the Flix app I wouldn’t be able to compare both apps fairly so I would just ignore the app. Let’s just leave it at the DB app saved me from squinting at train station displays. In my defence, I don’t use flix often which makes downloading the app a tad unnecessary. Nevertheless, if I do download the app, I will make sure to edit this part of the article.
Photo by Mohamed Nuzrath (Pixbay)
DB and FLIX truly are on different levels in this aspect. The ICE train staff had uniforms they are obligated to wear but there are variations of the same uniform so no ICE ticket controller looked like the next.
The ICE uniform also looks sleek, modern and dare I say chic. I would totally wear the ICE uniform if I were given the choice between that and a casual, barely fitting shirt. The blue and red combination just looks very professional.
What was funny to me was that the ticket control equipment they used on the ICE trains ranged from old to new. The funny part being that the younger employees are using the old equipment while the older employees are using smartphones.
The train conductor from the ICE had a very professional tone. They announced the next stop and the connections as they should. Some train conductors would crack some jokes but most wouldn’t do so. Most of the time, I only listen when it is important so I didn’t collect all the data available.
If I can be frank, I can´t judge anyone on their customer service because some staff members are incredibly nice and easy going and some others are strict and intimidating. That could be because they are just the way they are or because of something that happened during the day.
Therefore, I refuse to comment on the customer service skills of the train staff from either travel company. That is just superficial and frankly not my place.
The FLIX train employees on the other hand just wore a simple polo shirt with the company logo and the company colour. The trouser choice was probably left up to the employees but I am not sure. At least, the trouser didn’t look like an obligation, unlike the polo shirt.
The FLIX train conductors did announce all the stops and everything but their tone just seemed more relaxed. Likely, the company policies are not too strict so the employees are just more easygoing or the employees were just having a good day.
What I found incredibly interesting were the passengers aboard each train because from that it was easy to tell which train is preferred by whom.
The ICE were full of elderlies going on a weekend trip while the FLIX trains were filled with younger passengers who had a very casual approach to life. I am not trying to comment on their financial state but it was obvious.
Frankly, I cannot say which one of them both was the better train. From the price tag standpoint and convenience, the FLIX train would win easily. However, from a comfortability and professionalism standpoint, the ICE train would win.
At the end of the day, it is just dependent on what you need and what you are willing to spend to get it. If FLIX is more convenient and more within your price budget, then take that. If you want quality and price is not the issue take ICE.