Yes, rail travel can be long and tiring, especially when things don’t go smoothly with the connection. But at least, thanks to the “DB Navigator”, you usually knew how late you were, whether you could still catch the connecting train or whether there were platform changes and changed car sequences. Deutsche Bahn now wants to replace this loyal helper with a completely new app.
“With Next DB, we are making our IT sales systems fit for the digital future of travel.” With these words, Deutsche Bahn is presenting its new app. And who would be better off with a hint of future viability than Deutsche Bahn? The so-called “Next DB Navigator” is not that new: the app has been available for download on Android and iOS since October 2022. However, not all functions have been developed to date. TECHBOOK reveals what the new train app can do and whether you really need it.
The technical future of Deutsche Bahn
The new app should be simpler, faster and more intuitive. Its predecessor, the DB Navigator, actually also delivered a very solid performance. The DB does not provide a detailed reason why there is now a completely new app. The app is part of Deutsche Bahn’s “future sales systems”, which also includes the website next.bahn.de.
In the long term, next.bahn.de and the Next DB Navigator are to replace the previous website bahn.de and the DB Navigator. According to the plans of the railways in the first quarter of 2024 be the case. This means that these so-called Next systems will then completely take over the role of the two old platforms. Both websites and apps are currently running in parallel and Deutsche Bahn wants to announce in good time when it will be deactivating the old DB Navigator and bahn.de. Sooner or later, customers will have to switch to the new app, but the timing of the switch should be carefully considered.
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Advantages of the Next DB Navigator
The new app takes up the existing functions of the navigator, but also offers some new applications and thus advantages.
- the previous customer account can still be used
- the essential functions should work as usual (particularly ticket bookings, seat reservations)
- Collect BahnBonus points as usual (do not forget to check the “Collect BahnBonus points” box when booking your ticket)
- neu: Ticket and invoice can now be separated from each other (different recipient and billing addresses possible)
- neu: available in German and English
- neu: Dark Mode
Although the design is described as more modern, it essentially does not differ from the user interface of the previous DB Navigator. The “Save Favorites” function, in which frequently used connections can be stored, could be helpful for commuters.
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Disadvantages of Next DB Navigator
On the other hand, there are also some disadvantages that the new app brings with it – especially at the moment.
- not all functions are available yet
- Tickets booked in DB Navigator or on bahn.de cannot yet be transferred to Next DB Navigator
- Tickets booked in the Next DB Navigator or on next.bahn.de cannot be transferred to the old DB Navigator
Deutsche Bahn has announced that it will successively retrofit missing functions. In such cases, you either have to switch to next.bahn.de or the old DB Navigator. The transfer of tickets in particular is a central function that is still a long time coming. Once set up, there are two options:
- with login: You will be able to call up your tickets via the “My trips” and “Show orders” tabs. Alternatively, you can use “Search order” to find the ticket using the order number and the surname of the person traveling.
- Without login: Under “My trips” and “Search order” you can call up your ticket after entering the order number and the surname of the traveler.
When is the new app worth it?
Overall, using Next DB Navigator and the old DB Navigator in parallel can lead to some complications. Therefore, a clean and complete switch to the Next DB Navigator is recommended as soon as all relevant functions are available there. The website next.bahn.de is not yet equipped with all functions. For example, the tickets for the associations VBN, VRT and VVW are only available as a mobile ticket in the Next DB Navigator.
TECHBOOK meint
“The design and functionality of the new Next DB Navigator are basically very appealing. But the incompatibility with the old DB Navigator, which still exists, is more than annoying. In addition, the advantages that a completely new app brings for customers do not really outweigh the current chaos of two apps and two booking websites. It remains to be seen what the particular future viability of the new Next systems is.” Natalie Wetzel