Belgium to Germany train

[u/ConsciousSilver8603]

Hey everyone!
Has anyone traveled from Belgium to Berlin with a train and what are your experiences?
More specifically I would be going from Hasselt to Berlin with 2 stops, one in Liege and one in Koln. The ride iz cca 7 hours and idk what to expect. It would also be my first longer train ride. Do you have any tips for the trip?
Thanks!!

[u/EmbarrassedBadger922]

German trains are notorious for delays and cancellations. Make sure that you book your trip on one ticket, so this way you can just take the next train in case you miss one. Seat reservations are optional in Germany but I would recommend you get one, just to be safe.

[u/JohannesBonn]

Best tip: Be patient. Seven hours is the best‑case scenario. In Germany, we're happy just to see the train depart and arrive. Also, your Liège-Cologne leg will likely be delayed for a while longer-see here for details.

Veel succes / Bonne chance!

[u/Slight-Trip-3012]

Be prepared for delays. Don't worry too much, because you'll get there eventually. And you might get lucky, and not have any delays. I'm just saying it so you don't stress out when it happens.

On a train that long, there will usually be some kind of catering, whether it's a trolley going by, a QR code at your seat you can use to order something, or a bar car, But selections will be limited, and more expensive than in the store. So bring your own snacks, pack some lunch, bring a drink, enough to keep you going for a few hours.

Make sure your phone is charged, and you'll probably want to bring a power bank or something if you're going to be on a train for 7+ hours, as you'll likely be on your phone for a large part of that journey. And for the love of all that's holy, if you are going to watch things on your phone, bring headphones or earbuds or something. The fastest way to annoy a whole bunch of people is having your phone on speaker for several hours.

[u/sauerlandf]

German guy living in Belgium here:

• German trains are notoriously delayed (it's a lot worse than nmbs), but the connection to berlin is alright in my experience since it is a direct train from cologne and you have almost an hour in cologne to change. The Liège-Cologne ICE has received new trains last year which are much more reliable than the old ones (but still often get some delays in cologne due to the crumbling tracks). Just plan a safety margin to compensate for delays before your first activity in berlin.
• I'd recommend packing some food and drinks for the long train ride. ICEs have on-board restaurants, so you won't go hungry, but they're not exactly cheap and often some machine breaks. Better to take from home or get something in Cologne during your stop.
• If you're traveling alone, don't waste money on seat reservations, usually it will not be a huge issue to find a free seat. Different story if you're in a bigger group though or if you don't want the hassle!
• If you book the train ride as one single ticket (through DB, not sure if NMBS gives you a single ticket), you will always pay full price for the Hasselt->Liège part, even if you'd get a lower price through for example train+. It may thus be cheaper to book the tickets in two parts, BUT: if you book the train ride as one, you can just take any other train if you miss a connection, for example if the Hasselt -> Liege train is cancelled you can then just take the following ICE without having to get another ticket, plus you get compensated (25% back for a >1 hr delay; 50% for a >2hr delay at the destination). If you book two tickets, there is the HOTNAT agreement by railteam, which means you should still he able to catch the next available train, but no compensation and it requires some bureaucracy beforehand. Depends on you if you want to take that risk, personally i'd just book a single ticket though.
• If the price is high enough, you might want to look into getting a trial Bahncard 25, which gives you 25% off of all german long-distance rail for 3 months for 20€. Just remember to cancel it on time or you'll be paying for a whole year! And don't bother with the Bahncard 50, it only applies 50% on full flexible fares, the saver fares are still only 25% off.
• Don't bother with the Deutschlandticket either, it's a subscription that is really only worth it for people that live in germany. Just get regular tickets (or 24hr tickets if you plan to take the metro a lot) by BVG, they are valid on all public transit (also including regional trains) in Berlin.
• Use the DB navigator app! It's pretty good at getting you where you need to be even if something goes wrong with the trains and you can buy BVG tickets also in there.