Germany has a rail network of over 40,000 kilometres. More than 33,000 trains run in Germany every day, carrying more than 4 million passengers. Such a dense network makes it possible for the passengers to reach any destination comfortably and on time.
Eurail Pass validity
If your Eurail Pass is valid in Germany, you can travel on:
- all trains from Deutsche Bahn (DB), the German railway company
- various private railway companies in Germany (PDF)
- DB trains to border cities Salzburg (Austria) and Basel (Switzerland)
German rail network
All major cities in Germany can be easily reached by rail. The major railway hubs are Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne and Munich. From here you can reach many destinations in Germany and abroad.
Train types
- InterCityExpress (ICE) trains offer modern comfort and high speeds. They run between major German cities and selected destinations in Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Belgium and Austria.
- InterCity and EuroCity (IC/EC) trains run on long-distance routes. They are less fast and stop more often than ICE trains.
- DB´s dense regional and local network (IRE, RE, RB trains) take you to smaller towns and villages in Germany.
- Your Eurail Pass is also valid on S-Bahn suburban trains in major cities like Berlin.
Berlin train stations
Berlin has multiple train stations. These are the most important ones:
- Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Berlin Central Station): the main railway station where most international trains depart. This impressive new station opened in 2006 and has a large shopping centre.
- Berlin Südkreuz: for intercity trains in the direction of Dresden and Leipzig and various regional services
- Berlin Ostbahnhof: S-Bahn, regional and long-distance services call at this station, servicing eastern parts of Berlin.
Eurail video: Berlin main station
International connections
Germany has a very central location and good rail connections with its neighbouring countries. Some popular international trains and average travel times:
- Berlin - Amsterdam (ICE, 6 hrs.)
- Frankfurt - Cologne (Thalys, 3 hrs. 20 min.)
- Hamburg - Copenhagen (ICE, 4 hrs. 44 min.)
- Berlin - Prague (EuroCity, 4 hrs. 40 min.)
- Munich - Vienna (Railjet, 4 hrs. 20 min.)
- Munich - Venice (EuroCity, 6 hrs. 40 min.)
Domestic trains
You can travel without advance seat reservations on most domestic German trains. We recommend to make seat reservations on ICE trains for long-distance journeys. Trains may be especially crowded on on Fridays and Sundays.
- No reservation needed: regional and local trains (RB, RE, IRE)
- Possible reservation: ICE, EC, IC trains
- Compulsory reservation: ICE Sprinter trains, Thalys (between Köln and Aachen), Berlin-Warszawa Express (between Berlin and Frankfurt/Oder) trains.
Overview of domestic reservation fees
International trains
- Compulsory reservation: Thalys, TGV, Berlin-Warszawa Express
- Recommended reservation: ICE, EuroCity, Railjet
Overview of international train reservation fees
Night trains
Night trains require advance reservation and a supplement for the sleeping accommodation. Popular night trains from and to Germany:
- City Night Line (to many countries)
- Berlin Night Express (to Sweden)
How to make a reservation
For train journeys within Germany it is possible to make an online reservation through the DB website. In the planner you enter the desired route. Click 'Purchase', then 'Continue without Bahncard', then select the option 'Seat reservation without ticket'. You can pay by creditcard and print the reservation yourself.
More on train reservations in Germany
Scenic routes
- Black Forest Line (Offenburg - Konstanz)
- Rhine Valley Line (Mainz - Koblenz)
- Eurocity (Munich - Innsbruck - Verona -Milan / Bologna / Venice)
- Höllental Line (Freiburg - Donaueschingen)
- Moselle Valley Line (Koblenz - Trier)
Itinerary suggestion: Munich - Weimar - Berlin
Use your Germany Rail Pass to explore the cultural heartland of Germany. Northern Bavaria offers superb towns. Then you head for former Eastern Germany where cities like Weimar and Dresden await your arrival. End your tour at the bustling German capital of Berlin.
Tour stages and average journey times:
- Munich - Eichstätt (1 hr 25 mins)
- Eichstätt - Steinach bei Rothenburg (1 hr 35 mins)
- Steinach bei Rothenburg - Würzburg (43 mins)
- Würzburg - Fulda (30 mins)
- Fulda - Eisenach (46 mins)
- Eisenach - Gotha (16 mins)
- Gotha - Erfurt (19 mins)
- Erfurt - Weimar (13 mins)
- Weimar - Leipzig (54 mins)
- Leipzig - Dresden (1 hr 10 mins)
- Dresden - Berlin (2 hrs 8 mins)
From Berlin there are numerous possibilities to continue your German railway adventure. Why not head north and explore the Baltic coast area?
Read a detailed description of this tour in the recommended guide Europe by rail, available from Thomas Cook Publishing.
Railway services
All ICE carriages have air-conditioning, are completely non-smoking areas and offer a choice between individual compartments and saloon carriages. In some trains special panorama lounges are located in the 1st class end carriages, offering a unique view of the route. During the journey travelers can enjoy a meal or a refreshing drink in the on-board restaurant.
Eurail aid offices in Germany
For questions about Eurail, you can go to the international ticket desks (Reisezentrum) at railway stations in Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt am Main, Hannover, Heidelberg, Leipzig, München and Stuttgart.
Details about the Eurail aid offices in Germany
Airport station links
- From Berlin airport Schönefeld you can easily reach Berlin's main railway station (Hauptbahnhof) in 28 minutes with the Airport Express which runs every 30 minutes.
- From Berlin airports Tegel and Tempelhof numerous bus and train connections will take you to Berlin city centre.
- From Düsseldorf airport there are connections by train (S-Bahn, every 20 minutes) to Düsseldorf Hbf and to many other destinations.
- From Frankfurt Rhein/Main airport there are train connections to Frankfurt am Main Hbf and to many other destinations (regional trains and S-Bahn, every 10 to 15 minutes). The airport is also directly linked to the long-distance ICE/IC network.
- From Munich F.J.Strauss airport there are connections to München Hbf and to many other regional destinations by train (S-Bahn, every 10 minutes).
Ferry connections
With your Eurail Pass you get discounts on ferries to Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Poland. Read about Extra Pass Benefits in Germany
