DB Masks

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Hello

I’m making a small European trip at the end of August using Eurostar, Thalys, DB (ICE), CFL, SNCF (TGV) and SNCB.

When booking ICE (2) Dortmund Cologne and ICE (T) Cologne Koblenz, DB have said I will need not only a face mask, but one of those extra thick medical ones.

Is this still a requirement or have they just forgotten to take the notice down? And if (unbelievably) it is, is there a requirement like that on the other operators? I’m travelling to Brussels, Germany, Luxembourg and France.

Thanks

 

[XAM2175]

When booking ICE (2) Dortmund Cologne and ICE (T) Cologne Koblenz, DB have said I will need not only a face mask, but one of those extra thick medical ones.

Is this still a requirement or have they just forgotten to take the notice down?

Leaving aside the merits of the policy, it is indeed still current:

Information on rail travel and Covid-19

Here you will find important information on travelling safely by train, entering Germany, using your tickets flexibly and other relevant information about travelling by train during the coronavirus pandemic.

www.bahn.com

It is still compulsory to wear a medical-grade mask on Deutsche Bahn trains and on local public transport. We recommend using an FFP2 mask.

Masks are generally not compulsory at railway stations or in outside areas at the current time. However, we ask you to be considerate of other travellers. This rule may differ between the individual federal states, so please check the coronavirus rules in the relevant state.

This mirrors the situation on their domestic website:

Aktuelle Informationen zu Corona

Hier finden Sie wichtige Hinweise zum sicheren Reisen mit der Bahn, zur Einreise nach Deutschland, zur flexiblen Nutzung Ihrer Tickets sowie weitere relevante Informationen rund um das Thema Bahnfahren während Corona.

www.bahn.de

In den Zügen der Deutschen Bahn und in den Verkehrsmitteln des öffentlichen Nahverkehrs besteht weiterhin die Pflicht, einen medizinischen Mund-Nasen-Schutz zu tragen. ...

(Aboard DB trains and local public transport there is still an obligation to wear a medical-grade mask, etc etc)

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Leaving aside the merits of the policy, it is indeed still current:

Information on rail travel and Covid-19

Here you will find important information on travelling safely by train, entering Germany, using your tickets flexibly and other relevant information about travelling by train during the coronavirus pandemic.

www.bahn.com

This mirrors the situation on their domestic website:

Aktuelle Informationen zu Corona

Hier finden Sie wichtige Hinweise zum sicheren Reisen mit der Bahn, zur Einreise nach Deutschland, zur flexiblen Nutzung Ihrer Tickets sowie weitere relevante Informationen rund um das Thema Bahnfahren während Corona.

www.bahn.de

(Aboard DB trains and local public transport there is still an obligation to wear a medical-grade mask, etc etc)

Oh I see. Slightly annoying but oh well.
Thank you.

 

[sk688]

Having just done a week in Germany , masking is compulsory but on the S-Bahn and U-Bahn but no-one really cared and was'nt too enforecd

Also the inspectors on the RB trains I took did not take too serious a view when it came to masks

On the RE and ICE Trains during ticket inspections they were asking maskless people to put a mask on or face removal from the train.

 

[zero]

Masks are only required within German borders, regardless of the train operator. Legally I do not think FFP2 is required in NRW, only the medical type. It will usually be enforced on the ICE, but despite what DB's website says, any sort of thing covering your nose and mouth will be accepted.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Am I going to have to wear it on the Thalys from Brussels to Dortmund once we cross into Germany too then? I was looking forward to relaxing on these journeys. Those things make my face feel so hot.

 

[zero]

Am I going to have to wear it on the Thalys from Brussels to Dortmund once we cross into Germany too then? I was looking forward to relaxing on these journeys. Those things make my face feel so hot.

Yes. Perhaps you can try to be eating for most of the journey.

 

[jamesontheroad]

My tip is to spend a little more and get a higher quality FFP2 mask. I’m a bearded man and the difference between the cheap and slightly less cheap masks is significant. They fit better, stay cooler and are generally less irritating. However as others have pointed out, the requirement for specific FFP2 masks is not enforced, so as long as you cover the nose and mouth with some kind of legitimate mask, you’ll not be bothered by anyone.

 

[rg177]

FFP2 masks are only required in certain states and areas (Niedersachsen and Hamburg for example). I just wore a medical-grade mask most of the time as opposed to FFP2 and it wasn't an issue on any trains I used.

FFP2s can indeed be slightly more comfortable as they're less tight around the face, but for others they can be way too hot to wear. I abhorred wearing one in Italy in June.

 

[AndrewE]

If you have a beard you will not get a face-seal with any respirator and might as well not bother wearing anything other than a medical "mask" - which is designed only to stop droplets of your saliva being propelled by a sneeze or whatever. I.e. with a beard a FFP2 will give you no significant protection.

On the other hand FFP2 masks have an exhalation valve and hence offer no protection to anybody else if you have anything infectious...

Which is why there was so much controversy about the policies when they were first introduced (and that isn't even going into the quality of the items that were manufactured in haste by firms who didn'tknow what they were doing.)

 

[DBNR]

Living in NRW, I can confirm that FFP2 or Medical (the blue ones) are fine for public transport in NRW

 

[P Binnersley]

You can access the rules for individual German states at https://www.zusammengegencorona.de/en/current-information-for-travellers/.

Some of the links are in Germany, but Google translate seems to do a good job.

As fare as I am aware only Berlin and Brandenburg (the area around Berlin) require FFP2 masks; for the other states a medical grade mask is sufficient.

 

[AndrewE]

You can access the rules for individual German states at https://www.zusammengegencorona.de/en/current-information-for-travellers/.

Some of the links are in Germany, but Google translate seems to do a good job.

As fare as I am aware only Berlin and Brandenburg (the area around Berlin) require FFP2 masks; for the other states a medical grade mask is sufficient.

but none of it is scientifically justifiable...

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

My tip is to spend a little more and get a higher quality FFP2 mask. I’m a bearded man and the difference between the cheap and slightly less cheap masks is significant. They fit better, stay cooler and are generally less irritating. However as others have pointed out, the requirement for specific FFP2 masks is not enforced, so as long as you cover the nose and mouth with some kind of legitimate mask, you’ll not be bothered by anyone.

Big tick.
I'm not a fan of masks, not least because they fog my glasses up.
I found the FFP2 masks (mandatory in Italy and Germany) much more comfortable, and manageable for longer journeys.

 

[yorkie]

Tight-fitting FFP2 masks, if correctly worn/handled/stored and replaced regularly are effective but flimsy, loose fitting masks (such as blue surgical masks) are not.

I wouldn't wear an FFP2 as they do inhibit your breathing (as they actually do work!) and instead have plenty of water and other drinks and food available so that you can limit the amount of time wearing a mask.

I wore a breathable cloth mask in Germany and no-one complained.

The only time anyone complained was on some trains in Italy; on those trains I made sure to only be wearing the FFP2 mask for as little duration as possible.

Big tick.
I'm not a fan of masks, not least because they fog my glasses up.
I found the FFP2 masks (mandatory in Italy and Germany) much more comfortable, and manageable for longer journeys.

You should have got breathable cloth masks which are designed specifically for the purpose of adhering to mandates but do not inhibit breathing.

I have no current plans to visit Germany (or Spain/Italy); there are plenty of places to go to where people don't virtue signal their distrust of vaccines!

 

[AndrewE]

Tight-fitting FFP2 masks, if correctly worn/handled/stored and replaced regularly are effective but flimsy, loose fitting masks (such as blue surgical masks) are not.

Effective at what?

I wouldn't wear an FFP2 as they do inhibit your breathing (as they actually do work!) and instead have plenty of water and other drinks and food available so that you can limit the amount of time wearing a mask.

I wore a breathable cloth mask in Germany and no-one complained.

The only time anyone complained was on some trains in Italy; on those trains I made sure to only be wearing the FFP2 mask for as little duration as possible.

You should have got breathable cloth masks which are designed specifically for the purpose of adhering to mandates but do not inhibit breathing.

I have no current plans to visit Germany (or Spain/Italy); there are plenty of places to go to where people don't virtue signal their distrust of vaccines!

Try reading posts 10 and 13.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Tight-fitting FFP2 masks, if correctly worn/handled/stored and replaced regularly are effective but flimsy, loose fitting masks (such as blue surgical masks) are not.

I wouldn't wear an FFP2 as they do inhibit your breathing (as they actually do work!) and instead have plenty of water and other drinks and food available so that you can limit the amount of time wearing a mask.

I wore a breathable cloth mask in Germany and no-one complained.

The only time anyone complained was on some trains in Italy; on those trains I made sure to only be wearing the FFP2 mask for as little duration as possible.

You should have got breathable cloth masks which are designed specifically for the purpose of adhering to mandates but do not inhibit breathing.

I have no current plans to visit Germany (or Spain/Italy); there are plenty of places to go to where people don't virtue signal their distrust of vaccines!

Thanks, I had planned to wear a cloth one as I don’t mind those comfort wise. I’m only in Germany for a little bit as part of a trip done pretty much purely to make use of Eurostar vouchers from 2020, and I believe France, Belgium and Luxembourg won’t have such rules.

 

[yorkie]

Yep it's just Germany out of those countries who obsess over masks.

I'd have a flimsy surgical mask on me just in case, but wear a flimsy breathable cloth mask when not drinking unless challenged.

I only wore an FFP2 a few times in Italy but I really don't like them as they really do inhibit breathing.

Effective at what?

Well that's a good question; I am not saying they are effective at bringing case rates down or anything like that, but FFP2/3 masks are designed to filter aerosols whereas flimsy surgical masks are not. It's all discussed in other threads.

Try reading posts 10 and 13.

But it's not true to suggest FFP2 masks have valves; some do but not all by any means.

The problem of course is that there is no concensus on the purpose of mask mandates is, but that's beyond the scope of this thread and has been covered elsewhere.

 

[AndrewE]

But it's not true to suggest FFP2 masks have valves; some do but not all by any means.

in which case they are not worth buying. In cool air your exhaled breath will condense in the filter medium and choke it pdq. The whole thing is almost unjustifiable. Agreed, it has been discussed elsewhere, but when big misunderstandings of scientifically-established facts get repeated they need rebutting. promptly.
Medical "masks" do not protect you. FFP2 (or 3) do not protect anyone else. Fact.

 

[TPO]

Yep it's just Germany out of those countries who obsess over masks.

I'd have a flimsy surgical mask on me just in case, but wear a flimsy breathable cloth mask when not drinking unless challenged.

I only wore an FFP2 a few times in Italy but I really don't like them as they really do inhibit breathing.

Well that's a good question; I am not saying they are effective at bringing case rates down or anything like that, but FFP2/3 masks are designed to filter aerosols whereas flimsy surgical masks are not. It's all discussed in other threads.

But it's not true to suggest FFP2 masks have valves; some do but not all by any means.

The problem of course is that there is no concensus on the purpose of mask mandates is, but that's beyond the scope of this thread and has been covered elsewhere.

Aye, but a beard will render the face seal useless so no point in any mask really (other than for virtue-signalling/public display of submission to authority of course.....)

No FFP2 or FFP3 does owt useful unless you have a face seal which means being clean shaven- no beard, no stubble.

TPO

 

[AndrewE]

Aye, but a beard will render the face seal useless so no point in any mask really (other than for virtue-signalling/public display of submission to authority of course.....)

No FFP2 or FFP3 does owt useful unless you have a face seal which means being clean shaven- no beard, no stubble.

TPO

Agreed, well said, and it needs repeating (endlessly.) See post #10.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Aye, but a beard will render the face seal useless so no point in any mask really (other than for virtue-signalling/public display of submission to authority of course.....)

No FFP2 or FFP3 does owt useful unless you have a face seal which means being clean shaven- no beard, no stubble.

TPO

During ww2 pognophobia (discouragement of beards) was promoted too, allegedly because beards stop gas masks sealing.

In Berlin the announcements ask passengers to use FFP2 masks BUT the staff mostly wear flimsy blue OP masks!

The FFP2 masks are flimsy too, the loops break easily, best to carry spares. But you can wash and re-use them several times.

 

[Hans]

Very recently used a number of DB trains, did not wear a mask and no comment was made this included a unscheduled stop when police boarded the train to do random passport/id checks.

 

[185]

If in Berlin, the chemist upstairs in the Hauptbahnhof sells them for €3ish.

That said, more and more people on DB are wearing fabric masks, but just incase the cops get on I'd have an FFP handy in my bag.

 

[railfan99]

In Melbourne, Australia more than 50 per cent of passengers are NOT wearing a mask any longer (winter here), so sensibly, people decided it's unnecessary and they will look after their own health despite our socialist state government telling us we ought wear one on public transport.

The median age of death in my country from coronavirus (perhaps with comorbidities) is 83: mostly in what UK calls 'care' and we call 'nursing' homes.

With a UK/European holiday forthcoming, it'll be a real pain to have to wear a mask in Spain, Italy and briefly in Germany. Government overreach, obsessive behaviour from soulless bureaucrats determined to take the joy out of life, virtue signalling, and plain uncomfortable. I'll be constantly 'eating' and 'drinking' on many trains.

Thank God your former PM Boris saw sense and abolished this ineffective stupidity.

 

[yorkie]

In Melbourne, Australia more than 50 per cent of passengers are NOT wearing a mask any longer (winter here), so sensibly, people decided it's unnecessary and they will look after their own health despite our socialist state government telling us we ought wear one on public transport.

The median age of death in my country from coronavirus (perhaps with comorbidities) is 83: mostly in what UK calls 'care' and we call 'nursing' homes.

With a UK/European holiday forthcoming, it'll be a real pain to have to wear a mask in Spain, Italy and briefly in Germany. Government overreach, obsessive behaviour from soulless bureaucrats determined to take the joy out of life, virtue signalling, and plain uncomfortable. I'll be constantly 'eating' and 'drinking' on many trains.

Thank God your former PM Boris saw sense and abolished this ineffective stupidity.

There are loads of places in Europe which do not require masks; I'd avoid Spain, Italy and Germany.

The only place I've booked which requires masks is Portugal but I hope masks will no longer be mandated there. If they are, I will be wearing a flimsy loose fitting breathable mask which was specifically marketed as a way to 'cheat' mandates (legally it's perfectly compliant).

 

[Berliner]

There are loads of places in Europe which do not require masks; I'd avoid Spain, Italy and Germany.

The only place I've booked which requires masks is Portugal but I hope masks will no longer be mandated there. If they are, I will be wearing a flimsy loose fitting breathable mask which was specifically marketed as a way to 'cheat' mandates (legally it's perfectly compliant).

With all due respect, surely by wearing your flimsy mask, you're not challenging the mentality you claim to be against. You're just doing what everyone else is doing, which is wearing a face covering because they are told to. You're complying with something you don't believe is right.

An anti masker looking at you will see you as a "maskivist" even with your "fake" masks. Not sure what it is you're tyring to achieve to he honest, you cannot fight the system by complying with it, but I hope you enjoy Portugal anyway.

 

[yorkie]

With all due respect, surely by wearing your flimsy mask, you're not challenging the mentality you claim to be against. You're just doing what everyone else is doing, which is wearing a face covering because they are told to. You're complying with something you don't believe is right.

I pick my battles; don't get me wrong, I will wear a mask for as short a duration as practicable and in general I won't go to places that require masks.

But if there are times when I need to put up with it a little bit otherwise a trip I really want to to do wouldn't be possible, then I'll do the bare minimum.

An anti masker looking at you will see you as a "maskivist" even with your "fake" masks. Not sure what it is you're tyring to achieve to he honest, you cannot fight the system by complying with it, but I hope you enjoy Portugal anyway.

I go in 10 weeks so I'm hoping they will have seen sense by then. It's just a short trip, principally for the purpose of visiting the Douro Valley line.

Nowhere else I am visiting in 2022 requires masks as things stand; I had planned to visit Germany but I decided to shelve that idea and stick to countries like Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia etc.

 

[davetheguard]

Nowhere else I am visiting in 2022 requires masks as things stand; I had planned to visit Germany but I decided to shelve that idea and stick to countries like Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia etc.

Try to avoid Vienna if you can; masks on all public transport in the city is mandatory - but not required in the rest of Austria. What utter nonsense.

I've cancelled our twin centre September holiday to Austria & Slovenia as a result of these Vienna rules.

 

[yorkie]

Yep only passing through there briefly, maybe a couple of hours there max.

I guess they have their own equivalent of Sadiq Khan over there!