Germany
Our local Eurail ambassadors and community members from Germany share their secret spots and favorite finds from past trips in their home country.
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.
- Route map
- Domestic trains
- International trains
- Night trains
- Scenic trains
- Private
Regional and intercity trains in Germany
S-Bahn
Suburban trains that run within most major cities.
No reservations required.
Regional Express (RE)
Connections between regional towns and larger cities. Frequent stops.
No reservations required.
Regional Bahn (RB)
Connections across all local towns. Slower than Regional Express trains.
No reservations required.
Interregio-Express (IRE)
Connections between Germany’s regions.
No reservations required.
InterCity and Eurocity (Express) (IC, EC, and ECE)
Domestic and international connections between major cities. Frequent stops.
No reservations required.
High-speed trains in Germany
InterCity Express (ICE)
Connects major cities and travels at speeds of up to 320 km/h (200 mph).
Includes an on-board restaurant.
1st class may have extra benefits, like newspapers and power sockets.
Reservations optional (but recommended during busy periods).
- Frankfurt/Munich/Stuttgart/Freiburg to France.
- Reservations optional for trips within Germany.
- Reservations required for trips to France.
International high-speed trains in Germany
- Frankfurt – Paris/Brussels/Amsterdam/Zurich
- Stuttgart - Paris.
- Hamburg - Zurich
- Dortmund - Vienna
- Reservations for Frankfurt-Amsterdam are compulsory during summer season (June 17th till August 18th)
- Reservations for Frankfurt-Paris are compulsory all year round
- Frankfurt – Paris/Marseille
- Munich/Stuttgart/Freiburg - Paris
- Frankfurt – Bordeaux. Running on Saturdays 08 July – 26 August
- Freiburg – Bordeaux. Running on Saturdays 01 April – 02 September
- Reservations optional for trips within Germany
- Reservations required for trips to France
- Dortmund - Cologne - Brussels - Paris
- Reservations are compulsory.
- Munich – Salzburg/Vienna/Budapest
- Reservations are mostly optional, and compulsory when travelling to Hungary.
International conventional trains in Germany
EuroCity Express (ECE)
- Munich - Zurich
- Frankfurt - Milan
EuroCity (EC)
- Hamburg – Zurich/Interlaken
- Bochum - Klagenfurt
- Hamburg/Berlin - Prague - Budapest
- Berlin – Gdynia/Warsaw
- Berlin – Wroclaw – Krakow – Przemysl
- Frankfurt – Munich – Salzburg – Ljubljana - Zagreb
- Reservations are optional.
- Munich to Venice, Verona and Bologna (Italy)
- Mandatory supplement if you are travelling to/from/within Italy. You can purchase it before boarding, but you can also do so on board of the train (for a €5 fee).
- 1st class: €15
- 2nd class: €10
InterCity (IC)
- Hamburg – Copenhagen/Aarhus
- Berlin - Amsterdam
- Hamburg - Zurich (part of the NightJet)
- Amsterdam - Cologne - Frankfurt – Zurich (part of the NightJet)
- Stuttgart - Zurich
Train stations of bordering countries
With a Eurail pass valid in Germany you can travel to the following train stations of countries that border Germany:
Basel (Switzerland)
Salzburg (Austria)
Domestic night trains in Germany
ÖBB Nightjet (these trains continue or/and start abroad)
- Düsseldorf - Cologne - Frankfurt – Nürnberg - Munich
- Düsseldorf – Cologne – Frankfurt – Nürnberg - Passau
- Hamburg – Hannover - Frankfurt – Freiburg – Basel
- Berlin – Leipzig - Frankfurt – Freiburg - Basel
- Dresden – Leipzig – Frankfurt – Freiburg – Basel
International night trains in Germany
- Berlin - Hamburg – Copenhagen Örestad – Malmö – Stockholm
SJ Euronight (EN)
- Berlin (from 31 March) - Hamburg - Copenhagen Airport - Malmö - Stockholm
ÖBB NightJet (NJ and EN)
- Munich - Florence – Rome (not between 10 June – 9 September)
- Munich – Bologna – Ancona (10 June – 9 September)
- Munich - Verona – Milano – Genoa - La Spezia
- Stuttgart - Munich - Udine – Venice
- Hamburg - Basel - Zürich
- Hamburg - Linz - Vienna
- Hamburg - Munich - Innsbruck
- Hamburg - Nuremberg - Vienna
- Amsterdam/Brussels - Düsseldorf - Linz - Vienna
- Amsterdam - Düsseldorf - Cologne – Innsbruck
- Amsterdam – Düsseldorf – Cologne – Basel – Zürich
- Paris – Munich - Vienna
- Berlin - Wroclaw - Bratislava - Budapest
- Berlin - Wroclaw – Vienna – Graz
- Prague/Berlin – Leipzig – Basel - Zürich
- Stuttgart - Munich - Salzburg - Vienna - Budapest
EuroNight Lisinski (EN)
- Stuttgart - Munich - Ljubljana – Zagreb
EuroNight Opatija (EN)
- Stuttgart - Munich - Opatija - Rijeka
Scenic train routes in Germany
- Offenburg to Konstanz, through the Black Forest and small villages.
- Koblenz to Mainz, through the German wine country.
Elbe Valley Line
- Dresden to Czechia, along the Elbe river in Saxon Switzerland.
Neckar Valley Line
- Stuttgart to Heidelberg, along the picturesque Neckar river.
Mosel Valley Line
- Koblenz to Trier, small towns and wine along the Mosel river.
Private railway companies in Germany
Your Interrail Pass can also be used on several private railway companies in Germany.
Popular connections
- Domestic routes
- International routes
- Ferry routes
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 |
| Route | Which train? | Travel time | Reservations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin to Amsterdam (Netherlands) | InterCity | 6h 20m | Optional |
| Berlin to Prague (Czechia) | EuroCity | 4h 30m | Optional |
| Berlin to Warsaw (Poland) | Berlin-Warsaw Express | 5h 30m | Required |
| Berlin to Zurich (Switzerland) | ÖBB Nightjet | 12h 15m (overnight) | Required |
| Dresden to Wroclaw (Poland) | trilex regional train | 4h | Not required |
| Düsseldorf / Frankfurt to Amsterdam (Netherlands) | ICE | 2h 15m / 3h 55m | Optional (Required June 17th till August 18th) |
| Frankfurt to Brussels (Belgium) | ICE | 3h 05m | Optional |
| Frankfurt to Paris (France) | TGV / ICE | 3h 55m | Required |
| Hamburg to Zurich (Switzerland) | ICE / ÖBB Nightjet | 7h 35m / 10h 55m (overnight) | Optional / Required |
| Hamburg to Aarhus (Denmark) | IC train | 4h 26m | Required from June 17th until August 21st |
| Hamburg to Copenhagen (Denmark) | IC train | 4h 40m | Required from June 17th until August 21st |
| Munich to Innsbruck (Austria) | EuroCityBrenner | 1h 45m | Recommended, supplement required |
| Munich to Paris (France) | TGV | 5h 40m | Required |
| Munich to Rome (Italy) | ÖBB Nightjet | 11h 30m (overnight) | Required |
| Munich to Venice (Italy) | EuroCityBrenner / ÖBB Nightjet | 6h 50m / 8h 40m (overnight) | Recommended / Required |
| Munich to Vienna (Austria) | RailJet | 4h 10m | Optional |
| Stuttgart to Zagreb (Croatia) | EuroCity / EuroNight | 10h 45m / 14h 10m (overnight) | Required |
| Stuttgart to Budapest (Hungary) | EuroNight | 12h 50m (overnight) | Required |
| Berlin – Stockholm | EuroNight / Snälltåget | 15h 20m / 17h 15m (overnight) | Required |
| Berlin – Budapest (Hungary) | EuroCity / EuroNight | 11h 30m / 13h 30m (overnight) | Required |
| Frankfurt – Milan (Italy) | EuroCity Express | 7h 45m | Recommended |
International ferry connections to and from Germany
You can also travel to and from Germany by ferry. Get a discount on specific routes with a Eurail pass.
Finland – Germany
Sail with Finnlines from Rostock or Travemünde to Helsinki (Finland). Get a 30% discount with Eurail passes.Poland – Germany
Sail from Rostock to Gdynia with Finnlines and get 30% off with Eurail passes.Sweden – Germany
Travel from Travemünde to Malmö (Sweden) with Finnlines. Get a 20% discount with Eurail passes.
On the Eurail timetable RailJet trains are shown as 'RJ', ICE trains simply as 'ICE', Thalys as 'THA' and TGV as 'TGV'. Reservations are compulsory for Thalys 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
Which trains in Germany require reservations?
No reservations: Regional (RE, RB, IR).
Optional (but recommended during busy periods): InterCity (IC) / ICE / EuroCity (EC) / ECE (Eurocity Express). €4,50 2nd class and €5,90 1st class.
- Required: All night trains, fees depend on destination and type of seat/bed booked.
- Required: ICE trains from and to Amsterdam in the summer season (€4,50 from 17 June until 18 August).
- Required: trains from and to Denmark in the summer season (€4,50 from 17 June until 21 August).
Required: Supplement Eurocity (EC) trains to/from/within Italy. Optional for routes that don't start, end or run through Italy.
All the trains listed above are included in Eurail passes (where Germany is a chosen country), you only need to make reservations for those trains mentioned. For international trains, the Eurail pass must be valid in all countries the train runs through.
Please note that the number of seats available for Eurail pass holders is limited on the ICE Paris-Frankfurt train. We advise you to reserve this train as far in advance as possible especially during peak season (May-September).
How to make reservations for German trains
You can make reservations for domestic and international high-speed trains and night trains:
Through our Reservation Service.
Through the Rail Planner App
At a ticket desk or self-service machine at local train stations.
Online through the DB website.
Please note that you can only make reservations for domestic trains and international night trains departing or arriving in Germany.By phone through the Deutsche Bahn call center.
Phone number: +49 1806 996 633
Opening hours: 24/7
When you call, you'll hear a German menu. Select extension "9" for an English menu, then "1" for train information and bookings. This call center does not charge a booking fee. Delivery costs are €3.50 to every country.
You can also pick up your reservations at larger German train stations. Just take the order number you received on the phone, to a ticket window or a 'self-service' machine in the station.
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 $ 167
Global Pass
Be free to visit Germany along with the other 32 Eurail countries.
Standard prices from $ 211
Tips and tricks for France
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.
Get inspired
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1 week in Germany Thanks to a stellar rail network, 1 week in Germany will give you enough time to explore its beautiful regions and fascinating cities! Travel Germany by train with our convenient Eurail pass. -
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Berlin The city of Berlin is a wonderland mixed with history, culture and extraordinary landmarks. With the Eurail Pass, you can travel to the city of Berlin by train and see what Berlin has to offer. Don't miss out! Book your train ticket now #eurailberlin
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