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Germany By Train

Germany is filled with interesting destinations, like the dynamic capital Berlin, the enchanting Neuschwanstein Castle, or major cities like Cologne, Hamburg, or Munich. You can also explore the dense forests, mountainous regions, river valleys, or sea coast. In short – Germany has it all.

 

Train types in Germany

The German railways are run by Deutsche Bahn. You can check train times on the Eurail train timetable or on the DB website.

 

Germany map major rail connections

 

Popular connections

In Germany it's not mandatory to have a seat reservation on the ICE trains. However, we recommend you to buy a seat reservation, especially if you're traveling in a group. This way you can not be asked to leave a seat, which might happen if you don't have a reservation. We'll explain more about reservations in Germany a bit further down on this page.

 

View approximate train travel times between Germany's key cities with high-speed ICE trains.

 

Route ICE
Berlin to Cologne 4h 30m
Berlin to Frankfurt 4h
Berlin to Hamburg 2h
Berlin to Munich 4h 30m
Frankfurt to Cologne 1h
Frankfurt to Munich 3h 30m
Hamburg to Cologne 4h
Hamburg to Frankfurt 4h
Hamburg to Munich 6h
Munich to Cologne 4h 30m
On the Eurail timetable RailJet trains are shown as 'RJ', ICE trains simply as 'ICE', Eurostar as 'ES' and TGV as 'TGV'. Reservations are compulsory for Eurostar and TGV trains. The international ICE route Frankfurt to Paris also has a compulsory reservation. For RailJet and ICE, reservations are optional but we recommend making reservations during weekends and busy periods.
ÖBB Nightjet trains appear on the Eurail timetable as "EN", same as the EuroNight trains. On these trains you're required to book seats or sleeping accommodation in advance.

 

Reservations

Eurail reservation self-service system

  • Eurail
  • IC, EC, ECE, ICE, TGV, RailJet, Eurostar, Nightjet, EuroNight, European Sleeper

Administration costs when booking through Eurail self-service

  • € 2,- p.p.per train
  • Additional € 9,- per order (for paper tickets)

With railway carriers

Other platforms

By calling Deutsche Bahn

  • By clicking the link above you'll find yourself on the DB contact page. There are phone numbers for English, French, Danish, Italian, Dutch or German speaking customer service representatives.

 

An explanation of how each booking platform works can be found here: How do I book my reservations

 

Locally at the train station in Germany

  • At the DB ticket machines at the station

Good to Know

Which trains in Germany require reservations?

  • No reservations: Regional (RE, RB, IR).

  • Optional (but highly recommended during busy periods): InterCity (IC) / ICE / EuroCity (EC) / ECE (Eurocity Express). €5,20 2nd class and €6,50 1st class.

  • Required: All international IC, EC, and ICE trains to and from Germany during summer season (June 1st until September 1st). 
    • Exception: To Switzerland, only trains Munich-Zurich have mandatory reservations. 
  • Required: All night trains, fees depend on destination and type of seat/bed booked.
  • Required: Supplement Eurocity (EC) trains to/from/within Italy. Optional for routes that don't start, end or run through Italy.

The ICE Paris-Frankfurt train has a limited amount of seats for Eurail Pass Holders. Our advice is to book this train well in advance, especially if you plan to travel in high season (May to September).

 

Eurostar trains are popular and therefore, usually sell out quickly. Make sure to get your seat reservation in time. Alternatively, find trains without seat reservations in our timetable by toggling on the ‘no reservation needed’ button.

Reservations for Thalys trains can no longer be made through the Deutsche Bahn website. You can instead make a reservation via a call center, a DB agency or at the ticket desks at German train stations. Find out how to make your Thalys reservations.

 

Get your Pass for Germany

German Rail Pass


Germany is not available as a Eurail One Country Pass.

If you only want to travel in Germany, check out the German Rail Pass.

 

Standard prices from $ 187

Global Pass

 

Be free to visit Germany along with the other 32 Eurail countries.


Standard prices from $ 233

 

Tips and tricks for Germany

Quick facts

  • Capital: Berlin

  • Population: 81.1 million

  • Language: German

  • Currency: Euro (EUR)

  • Dialing code: +49

Spelling of city names

On German train timetables and at train stations in Germany, you'll usually find the local spelling of German cities and stations.

Here is the local spelling of some popular German cities:

  • Hannover = Hanover

  • Cologne = Köln

  • Munich = München

  • Nuremberg = Nürnberg

German hub stations

Germany's main hub stations are Berlin Hbf, Köln Hbf (Cologne), München Hbf (Munich), and Frankfurt Hbf. At these train stations, it's possible to connect to trains to Germany's main cities and many international destinations.

 

Station facilities

Stations in Germany usually have excellent facilities, often including:

  • Luggage lockers

  • Foreign exchange desks

  • Restaurants and cafés

  • Tourist information offices

  • ATM cash machines

  • Elevators and escalators

  • Access for disabled passengers

Get around with the S-Bahn

Eurail Pass holders can travel for free on the S-Bahn (suburban metro railways) networks that DB operates in major German cities. The S-Bahn can be recognized by its logo (a white S on a green background).

 

Ferry buses to and from Germany

Free bus travel (reservation only) is an extra benefit of the German Rail Pass. Travel from Germany to Italy, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and many more countries.

See all Pass benefits in Germany

 

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