To travel in germany by train, buy your ticket via the following booking link to deutsche bahn german railways. The simplest way is to ask at the ticket window at any of germanys 5,000plus train stations, many of which now have new, selfservice ticket machines at which you can also easily make reservations. The first and last parts of our trip will be visiting family in the giessen area. Traveling by train in europe can be a lot more fun if you know some of the tricks of the tradeparticularly in austria, germany, and switzerland. Explore the heart of bavaria with a stay in munich with its lovely nymphemburg.
Rail passes give you the flexibility to keep your plans open. If you live in the uk or have been there before, youll be glad to know the german ticketing system is far superior, with fewer variations of tickets meaning less confusion over the rules. Germany rail passes and train tips from rick steves. One of the best ways to discover germany is by train. Take advantage of our many years of experience in rail ticket booking, which customers from around the world have been doing since 2006. The popular interregio express trains zoom across country borders, connecting major. Travel aboard deutsche bahns sleek and efficient trains to river bank cities like cologne and heidelberg, medieval centers like nuremberg, or cultural hubs like berlin and leipzig. Rail tours in germany combine an excellent programme of excursions with elegant accommodation, relaxing rail travel and a selection of meals. Deutsche bahn offers discount fares called sparpreis. Discover the old and the new and be blown away by the natural beauty of the country and see why germany is so popular nowadays. One of most popular and travelled intercity routes in the country is berlin to frankfurt, a journey which takes approximately 4 hours. Can anyone recommend good travel books for these places that are honest about what to see and what not to waste your. They transport you right to the center of many of germanys most compelling cities and towns, from mustsee berlin and munich to smaller towns like trier and dresden.
Speed from edgy berlin to cultural cologne, visit the port of hamburg and lively munich, and travel through the magical scenery of the black forest, all using just one rail pass. On our escorted tours you can rest assured that a dedicated tour manager will be on hand you throughout your holiday, ready to solve any issues that may arise and answer any questions that you may have. Here you can find all offers and timetable information as well as booking options. Can we buy any parts of this trip while in germany that occur outside of germany. Up to two kids under age 12 travel free with each passholder. Heres how travelers can get the most out of rail travel in germany. The weekday version is called the querdurchsland ticket valid after 9. The pass is available only for residents outside europe, turkey and russia. Train travel in germany is considered a bit pricey, especially compared with trains in southern.
Visit great cities and attractive towns as we travel by rail, road and river through delightful countryside. In germany you travel the long distances by ice highspeed trains. Every day there is an average of 21 trains that run from berlin to frankfurt. The national rail company of germany is deutsche bahn db. Historic highlights of germany get city cards and attractive perks courtesy of historic highlights of germany at the following locations. Passengers can travel from berlin to frankfurt by train on services run by deutsche bahn. As with regular tickets, children under 15 travel for. It can be used throughout southern germany for eg a bayern laender ticket can be used throughout bavariawuerzburg to nuernberg to munich to salzburg, austria or to fuessen, germany where the laender ticket even covers the bus from the train station to ludwigs famous castles and all for only 21 euros as long as it is on regional and not ice.
And with the right germany rail pass in your pocket, you can explore it all at your own pace. Information, train tickets for germany and europa, onlinetickets, cheap offers for holidays and travelling. Visit germany, take a train vacation to germany, and enjoy a train trip in germany. Embark on a germany vacation and visit the capital city of berlin. Railbookers is the leading operator of independent rail holidays, offering an ever expanding range of expertly planned holidays by rail across europe, the usa, canada and beyond. Rail travel europe train tickets europe rail pass europe. Germany is one of the easiest european countries in which to make train reservations. Aug 17, 2010 by hannah johnson staying outside the city of frankfurt during the book fair this year. Both commuters and vacationers use the train system extensively. Germany has a large railway network with fast connections between all major cities.
Our mission is to take the complexity out of independent rail travel and offer all our customers hassle free service, incredible travel experiences and the very best value. Germany enjoys one of europes most advanced, efficient and reliable rail networks. German rail youth pass is exclusively available for 2nd class. Germany s trains are generally on time and provide a pleasant way to travel. The seats are exactly the same as you find on 2nd class, but theyre spaced farther apart unlike on airplanes, though, 2nd class seats arent packed nearly as tight. Trains in germany book germany train tickets trainline. Extensive information on both passenger rail travel and rail tourism for the united states, canada and worldwide with a primary focus on amtrak and via rail. The information is required by rail europe to process your subscription to rail europe newsletter. In some areas such as switzerland and most eastern countries, advancepurchase deals either dont exist or arent worth the hassle. The popular interregio express trains zoom across country borders, connecting major european cities. Experience the landscape changing as you travel for the north or baltic sea coast down to the mighty alps in the south. We want to take a day trip to switzerland and austria as well. See historic sites like the restored reichstag, charlottenburg palace and the brandenburg gate. Onsale dates vary by country, route, and time of year, with most starting two to four months in advance of travel, and six months ahead for germany and the eurostar chunnel train.
Train tickets to from germany cheap train travel in. Rurtalbahn gmbh regional trains from duren via julich to linnich. The german railway system is very well developed and reliable, and you can reach almost every city in germany by train. However, the rest of germany has not been ignored with time in the cities of frankfurt, leipzig, dresden and berlin. Holders a valid german rail pass can enjoy a host of discounts and benefits from our business partners. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles run on a prepared flat surface, rail vehicles rolling stock are directionally guided by the tracks on which they run. A eurail pass lets you explore everything there is to see in germanys dynamic cities and fairytale villages. There is an interesting twin discount for two people travelling together. Unlimited travel on the national network of austria and germany. Below well reveal some of the things travelers need to know in order to get the most out of rail travel in germany and europe. Train germany rail travel planner europe train travel in. There is an emphasis on train travel, particularly narrow gauge steam trains. Dbs ice trains travel at up to 186 mph from city centre to city centre, and if you prebook direct with the operator you can find some really cheap fares.
Reserve your preferred seat via the graphical seat display. Our rail experts have insider access to the leading rail companies and a passion for all things rail holiday. The first is the interrail germany pass, which allows for free train travel throughout the country on participating services. With over 41,000 km of railway tracks, trains go everywhere in germany. Fodors essential germany fullcolor travel guide fodors travel guides. Between the downtown areas of most german cities the travel time by train is as fast or faster than the travel time by plane, when you calculate in the time it takes to get to and from the airport. This guidebook takes you from fairytale castles, alpine forests, and quaint villages to the energetic germany of today. Germanys geographya myriad of majestic mountains, rolling countrysides, and cosmopolitan citiesmakes rail travel highly convenientand captivating. We will be on our own visting southern germany from about august 3rd to the 8th. Still, i think the most glaring thing that rail travel in the united states contains and its german counterpart lacks is a list of different routes and the cities they serve of course in germanys case such a list might quickly become unwieldy if every little rinkydink regional or local train network is. Trains to germany book tickets in english trainline.
Netherlands germany go by day from frankfurt 4hr or dusseldorf 2hr 10min with an ice train. Travelling between germanys major cities on a highspeed ice intercity express train is easy, comfortable and enjoyable, and a comprehensive regional network ensures that virtually any destination in. Content provided as an educational volunteer effort of the american passenger rail heritage foundation aprhf, a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Europes fastest trains, the french tgv and germany s ice intercity express, are technologically ahead of anything running on u. The appeal of this rail line lies in the fact that many of the steam locomotives and wagons used in this network are over 100 years old, allowing travelers to do a bit of time travel. Travel along germanys romantic road to the university town of heidelberg and medieval rothenburg.
Its a special fare when 2 or more people travels together all the time. I am currently planning a 4 week travel to germany for may 2014 visiting four cities munich, cologne, berlin, and hamburg. Visit romatic castles, charming old towns, peaceful nature and vibrant cities. A ticket inspector may also validate the pass when the holder arrives in germany on a train from abroad. Germany train travel train travel message board tripadvisor. This pass twin discount offers a 25 percent price break for two people traveling together. Southern germany by train for 5 or 6 daysitinerary help. Rail andor bus travel in germany on may 2014 germany. Augsburg, erfurt, koblenz, munster, osnabruck, rostock, trier, wiesbaden, wurzburg, bonn, heidelberg, potsdam, aachen, freiburg, lubeck.
Booking train tickets for german rail travel with us is a straightforward, stressfree process. How to book a train ticket in germany publishing perspectives. Rail transport or train transport is a means of transferring passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are located on tracks. Rick steves germany 2016 you can count on rick steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling in germany.
The range of train tickets, german rail passes, and rail passes that include other european countries is overwhelming. Two different rail passes are available for travel through germany. German trains are a great and easy option for regional, national, and international travel. To add to the choice, you can buy train tickets and passes for first or second class travel. Travel regionally and discover germany s most beautiful spots. We hope to be in munich in early january of next year. A german rail pass allows unlimited travel throughout germany in all trains on 310 days within a month. As with regular tickets, children under 15 travel for free if accompanied by at least one parent or grandparent.
This pass is also sold at main train stations in germany. European trains, including german rail, are among the best in the world. We will travel from munich to vienna, vienna to ostrava czech, ostrava to prague and back, ostrava to venice overnite and venice to munich. Rail europe rail travel planner europe train travel in. Proud home of einstein, beethoven and the brothers grimm, germany is a country of historic cities.
Trains, some useful tips on rail travel in germany. Rail travel is our specialty, and we guarantee professional, competent service with a smile. Italy germany travel from munich to venice 9hr or rome 12hr on the obb nightjet night train, or travel by day on eurocity ec between munich and venice. Europes fastest trains, the french tgv and germanys ice intercity express, are technologically ahead of anything running on u. Over 7 million people a day use the dbs 29,000 trains serving over 5,500 stations along 33,300 km of track. They transport you right to the center of many of germany s most compelling cities and towns, from mustsee berlin and munich to smaller towns like trier and dresden. Am going to germany for the first time, staying in the garmisch area. Germany takes you by the hand, leading you straight to the best attractions this country has to offer, from its beautiful castles and cathedrals to its popular beer halls, festivals, and christmas markets to walks and hikes through the countryside. Travelling between germany s major cities on a highspeed ice intercity express train is easy, comfortable and enjoyable, and a comprehensive regional network ensures that virtually any destination in the country can be reached by train. With an area of 27,200 sq miles, it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of germany. Deutsche bahn offers a trio of fabulous permanent rail deals. Germany train tickets explore germany rail passes by. German trains are clean, comfortable, reliable and fast. Rail passes not valid within kassel city centre, only on the routes from the central station to warburg, wolfhagen, melsungen and schwalmstadttreysa.
Theres an abundance of places worth a visit, including berlin, munich, hamburg, cologne, and frankfurt. Germanys trains are generally on time and provide a pleasant way to travel. The nostalgic train puffs through dense forests and snazzy beach resorts. We are going to be in germany from august 1 to august 12th. Slowtrain specials in germany include a wild schones wochenende happy weekend ticket for 40 plus 4 for each additional traveler.