Fast and efficient German trains take you to just about any city or town in Germany you can think of...and many more. Here's a map showing the major routes of the German rail system; there are many smaller train lines. The countries attractions are numerous, so a trip to discover Germany should not skimp on the days alloted.
Germany Rail Map
Guide to German Trains
Typical Journey Times Via German Trains
- Munich-Berlin: 3 - 4.5 hours [schedules & tickets]
- Cologne-Munich 4:30 [schedules & tickets]
- Hamburg-Berlin: 1:43 [schedules & tickets]
- Dresden-Leipzig: 1:09 [schedules & tickets]
Classes of Trains in Germany
Besides the high speed ICE trains there are Intercity (IC) trains and Eurocity (EC) trains plying the regional routes and ingernational routes at maximum speeds of 200km per hour, just slightly slower then the Intercity Express (ICE) trains. You can book tickets for these trains 90 days in advance.
Germany’s regional (RE, RB, IR) trains do not require reservations.
Night Trains, once a very popular way to save on a night's hotel, are gaining in popularity again in Europe.
Travel Tips
Travel on weekends is usually quite a bit cheaper than during the weekdays. Off-peak trains are cheaper than morning and evening trains taking people to work or to meetings in other cities.
Germany's main hub stations are Berlin Hbf, Köln Hbf (Cologne), München Hbf (Munich) and Frankfurt Hbf. HBF stands for Hauptbahnhof, the central train station in a city or town in Germany.
You can book individual tickets online on the DB website.
To compare the price of tickets and the duration of any European trip on a plane, bus, or train, see the Omio box below.
