Those planning excursions to the area around Munich are often bothered by the closing times for taking bicycles on the S-Bahn.

They are now to be eliminated during the Easter and Whitsun vacations. This is the second test run - after the first one was not conclusive.

During the Easter vacations, passengers are allowed to take their bicycles on Munich's S-Bahn trains around the clock. On school days, there are normally cut-off times in the morning and afternoon.

During the vacations, the ban on taking bicycles on the train in the afternoon has usually been waived. Now passengers are also allowed to take their bikes with them in the morning between 6 and 9 a.m., as the S-Bahn announced. However, only with a ticket: the bike ticket costs 3.10 euros for a whole day.

"More and more passionate cyclists among our passengers want all-day bike transport, especially during the vacation season," explained the S-Bahn. This also applies during the Easter vacations, which are now beginning, "For many people from the region, this means vacation at home and bicycle excursions into the surrounding area." This wish is to be taken into account, he added.

There had already been an initial test during the summer vacations. "Partly due to the unusually rainy summer weather, however, there were significantly fewer cyclists on the road than usual," the S-Bahn described. Therefore, no conclusions could be drawn from the experience at that time - and the experiment will be repeated during the Easter and Whitsun vacations.

The reason for the otherwise prevailing closure times is the high number of passengers and the dense train timing during rush hours, especially on the main line. The central route through the city center is Europe's busiest railroad line. Deutsche Bahn has formulated "three golden rules" for bike transport on the S-Bahn.

Here's how it works with bikes on the S-Bahn

Use multipurpose areas wherever possible: Multi-purpose areas are available at the beginning and end of each train section. In most of the S-Bahn fleet, this is the right place for your bike. Exceptions are marked with appropriate pictograms. Aisles must not be blocked with bicycles. Please remember to secure your bike well. Freight bikes and bike trailers are not permitted.

Show consideration: People in wheelchairs and strollers also use the multipurpose areas. Mutual consideration is required here. Bicycles are not permitted in train stations for safety reasons and consideration for other passengers.

Choose the right ticket: Bicycles up to and including 20-inch tire size can be carried free of charge if there is sufficient space on the train. For all other bikes, a bicycle day ticket is the right choice. It costs 3.10 euros for the entire MVV network. For the entire Bavarian regional transport network, including MVV and VGN, it costs six euros.

Image by Couleur