If you travel by train without a smartphone constantly to hand, you can still prepare your journey on paper. In Baden-Württemberg, DB Regio will stop issuing printed folded route timetables when the timetable changes on 13 December 2026. Instead, the railway operator plans to offer route timetables as downloadable PDFs, expected to be available from early December.
The change concerns the format, not the ability to print out a timetable. The key is to use paper for planning and check last-minute service updates separately.
1. Download a route timetable as a PDF
Before travelling, find the relevant route timetable on the DB Regio Baden-Württemberg website and save or print the PDF file. DB says it will organise the files by timetable route number. You can take a printout with you and read it on the move without a battery or mobile signal.
When downloading, check which timetable period the document covers. If your journey involves a change, highlight the relevant departures and note the station where you change, the platform – if known – and a possible later connection. The timetable shows the scheduled service; it does not provide continuous updates on current operations.
bwegt also provides maps and timetables in PDF format on its website. You will also find individual service timetables and a state-wide journey planner there. Which documents are suitable for a particular journey depends on whether it involves buses, regional trains or several transport operators.
2. Note down your exact journey and connections
A route timetable helps you get an overview of a service’s frequency and departures. For a journey involving a change, a tailored itinerary is usually more useful: enter your starting point, destination, travel date and time, choose a suitable connection and print out or copy down the times. If there are several legs to the journey, include the relevant services and interchange stations on your sheet of paper too.
If you cannot or do not wish to search online yourself, you can ask at a DB travel centre or service point before travelling. Which local offices are open and what information they offer varies. Check opening hours in advance.
3. Check service updates separately
Engineering works, cancellations and changed departure times can make a paper printout out of date. DB Regio recommends using digital journey information services immediately before setting off. According to the railway operator, DB’s journey planner shows current alternatives when services are disrupted; these connections may change again.
If you do not have your own smartphone, there are still several options: someone you trust can check the connection shortly before departure and pass on any updates by phone. If you have internet access on a computer, you can open the journey planner before leaving and print out the latest details. At the station, displays, notices and staff can help, depending on the facilities available. If you are unsure, it is worth asking there before heading to the platform.
DB’s disruption and engineering works newsletter provides important information by email about replacement services on routes you subscribe to. It is a useful addition to your preparations, but does not replace checking your specific connection immediately before travelling.
At a glance
From the timetable change on 13 December 2026, DB Regio Baden-Württemberg’s folded route timetables will be replaced by downloadable PDFs. Print out the relevant timetable or your specific itinerary and take the details of any changes of train with you. For engineering works, delays and cancellations, you need up-to-date information: paper records your plans, but not the live running of services.
Original reviewed by the editors · 14 November 2026
