Eurail German Rail Pass
The Eurail German Rail Pass is the best way to discover Germany's gigantic beer festivals, beautiful nature, impressive history, and many other highlights. With the Pass you can visit popular cities like Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg, and Cologne, but you can also cross borders to go to some great destinations in Germany's neighbouring countries.
What is a German Rail Pass?
Travel all over Germany
With a mobile German Rail Pass you can enjoy unlimited rail travel throughout Germany. The Pass is accepted on all trains operated by the national railway company, Deutsche Bahn (DB), and many private operators.
A big advantage of exploring Germany by rail is that most trains do not require you to reserve seats. All you need to do is hop on and show your Pass on your mobile device and you're good to go.
Find more information in this overview by Deutsche Bahn.
The benefits of traveling with a German Rail Pass:
- Travel all over Germany and selected destinations outside of Germany with just one Pass.
- Available as 3, 4, 5, 7, 10 or 15 consecutive travel days, and 3, 4, 5, 7, 10 or 15 travel days within one month.
- Children can travel for free if they're 11 years old or younger on the date you choose to start your trip.
- Youth discount if you're 27 or younger on the date you choose to start your trip.
How to use the Pass
The German Rail Pass is only available as a mobile Pass. All you have to do you've purchased your German Rail Pass, is activate your Pass in our Rail Planner app when you're ready to start travelling. Everything you may need on your trip, from planning your trip to ticket inspection, is on your phone!
Reservations
Reservations for trains in Germany are usually no mandatory. If you want peace of mind and have a seat waiting for you, we recommend you to make a reservation a couple of weeks before you travel, but you can also book your reservation at the station right before traveling. Please note that for international trains reservations are mandatory.
There are several ways to make train reservations:
- At German rail stations
-
You can make reservations at a ticket office in the larger train stations in Germany. Tell the staff that you have a German Rail Pass and that you only need a seat reservation. You can usually make reservations starting from 3 months in advance.
- On the Deutsche Bahn website
-
You can make reservations online through the DB website.
- Go to the Deutsche Bahn website.
- In the search tool on the homepage, click 'Seat only (no ticket)', right under the date field.
- Follow the steps to make your seat reservation.
You can use the following credit cards for payment: American Express, Diners Club, JCB, Mastercard and Visa Card. You will receive your reservation as an e-ticket. You may be asked by the train staff to show the e-ticket together with the credit card that was used for booking.
- In the DB Navigator app
-
You can make reservations online through the DB Navigator app
- Install the app on a mobile device and open it
- Fill in the Trip Planner and hit 'search'
- Select the train you want to take.
- You'll get an overview of the train journey. Click 'Continue to booking'.
- Scroll down and select 'Only Reservation'.
- Log in or register and finalize the booking.
You can use the following credit cards for payment: American Express, Diners Club, JCB, Mastercard and Visa Card. You will receive your reservation as an e-ticket. You may be asked by the train staff to show the e-ticket together with the credit card that was used for booking.
- By phone
-
You can make your reservations through the call centre of the German railways UK booking center. They have English speaking staff and they can book all seat reservations in Germany.
You can contact the booking center by phone: (+49) 180 6 99 66 33 (Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. CET). You can make seat reservations up to 3 months in advance.
Can I go to other countries with a German Rail Pass?
See more of Europe
With a German Rail Pass, you can extend your trip to explore even more of Europe! Travel to exciting cities outside of Germany, such as Venice and Brussels. Check out the list of European countries below that you can add to your itinerary. With a German Rail Pass, the possibilities are endless!
Please note that for some international trains you may need a reservation. Check our timetable to find out.
- Included destinations
-
Routes from Germany to Austria
The German Rail Pass is valid on trains from Germany to the Austrian border:
- Munich - Salzburg / Kufstein / Innsbruck
Routes from Germany to BelgiumThe German Rail Pass is valid on the following direct routes to Belgium:- Cologne (Köln Hbf) - Brussels (Bruxelles-Midi)
- Cologne (Köln Hbf) - Liège (Liège-Guillemins)
Routes from Germany to ItalyThe German Rail Pass is valid to and from the following Italian cities with DB-ÖBB EuroCity and Railjet trains*:- Bolzano/Bozen
- Trento
- Verona
- Bologna
- Venice
*Please note that a supplement for these across the Brenner pass is required.
Routes from Germany to SwitzerlandThe German Rail Pass is valid to and from the following station:
- Basel Bad Bf
Your German Rail Pass is also valid on several Deutsche Bahn IC trains and coaches. Please note it's not possible to travel on any night trains.
Benefits in Germany
If you travel with a German Rail Pass you can get discounts on City Cards, tours, and many other activities.
Good to know
Keep this information close by on your trip:
Change of currency
You cannot change the currency once you have a Pass in your cart. Remove the Pass, and then change the currency on the website header.