What are trains in Germany like?

Germany has an efficient, dense railway network. High-speed ICE trains connect all cities within hours, IC trains take you to holiday destinations in the Alps or in the North, and regional trains provide fast and efficient transport around cities and to smaller towns. Happyrail offers all train tickets, passes, reservations and package deals, with over 20 years of experience.

On this page, you can see an overview of all train types in Germany, what they are like, and everything you need to know about booking tickets.

ICE high-speed trains

ICE, short for InterCity Express, are the flagship high-speed trains of the German state railways DB. They run up to 300 km/h, with frequent connections between all large cities as well as individual trains connecting smaller touristic regions, and international connections to the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, and Austria.

Reservations are not mandatory but highly reccommended, and can be bought alongside your ticket in the Happyrail rail planner sevice (select your desired seat in the seating map). Eurail passes are valid with or without a reservation. In 2024, reservations on international connections are mandatory. For a one-click fully booked package with all needed train tickets and reservations, make sure to check our our German Rail Tours.

Second class features adjustable seats in a 2+2 layout, some with tables, others airplane-style. Free wifi, plug sockets, and luggage space are available in all cars. Each train has at least one designated quiet car and one designated car for families with children.
First class features adjustable leather seats in a 2+1 layout, some with tables, others airplane-style, with more legroom and wider seat pitch than in second class. Free wifi, plug sockets, and luggage space are available in all cars. Stewards will take your order at your seat for drinks or meals from the dining car.
A dining car is also available, with 16 to 24 seats and a take-away option for all drinks and meals. Reservations are not possible for the dining car: anyone with a valid ticket can take a seat.

Intercity long-distance trains

Intercity or IC trains are long-distance trains run by German state railways DB that reach up to 200 km/h. They run on convential railway lines, as well as on international connections to Amsterdam. These trains are either single-deck ordinary passenger cars similar to ICE, or double-decker trains. No dining car is available, some connections have coffee and vending machines on board.

Second class features 2+2 seating with similar seats as on ICE but with less legroom. Luggage storage is limited and mostly available around the vestibule areas.
First class features leather seats in a 2+1 configuration or in 6-person compartments. More luggage space is available compared to second class.

Regional trains (IRE, RE, RB)

IRE and RE are regional semi-fast trains not stopping at all stations, with first and second class available. RB are local trains stopping at all stations, usually second class only.
Reservations are not possible: you are free to take any seat with a valid ticket, and are not bound to a specific connection.
Most trains have free wifi, plug sockets and screens with route and schedule information available. Some older trains might not have all these amenities available.
Some trains are single-decker, some are double-decker.

Commuter & metro trains (S-Bahn)

S-Bahn, or S trains, are commuter, metro-style trains that run around and between big cities, stopping at all stations.
These trains are convenient for travelling within cities to and from your hotel and for sightseeing.
In big cities like Berlin or Munich they run as frequent as every 2 minutes, in other cities they run every 15 or 30 minutes depending on the time of day.
These trains are usually second-class only, with wifi usually available. Any connection can be taken with a valid ticket.

Railjet international express trains

Railjet (RJ) and Railjet Express (RJ) are Austrian long-distance trains running on the following connections from Germany:

Munich - Salzburg - Vienna - Budapest (every 2 hours)
Munich - Salzburg - Innsbruck - Verona - Bologna/Venice (every 2 hours)
Munich - Salzburg - Klagenfurt (once per day)
Berlin - Dresden - Prague - Vienna - Graz (once per day)

Railjet trains are supremely comfortable and feature second, first and business class. For more information, see the page 'What are trains in Austria like?'

Eurocity international express trains

Eurocity (EC) trains are comfortable international express trains with dining cars. They differ per route in their interior and amenities, as they are operated by the national railway carriers of the countries they serve. All trains however feature comfortable first and second class with plug sockets and free wifi, mandatory seat reservations, and a dining car. The following main EC connections run from Germany:

Berlin - Polan (Warsaw/Krakow/Gdanks), every 1-2 hours
Berlin - Prague (-Budapest), every 2 hours
Munich - Zürich, every 2 hours
Hamburg - Copenhagen, every 2-3 hours (no dining car available)
Several inidividual connections to Austria

Tickets to Poland can only be booked short in advance (2 months), other tickets can be booked 4-6 months ahead. A seat reservation is required. All tickets, passes and seat reservations can be booked via the Happyrail rail planner service. For a complete package tour featuring Berlin, Prague and Krakow, check out our Central Europe Rail Tour including all necessary tickets and reservations.

Second class often features seats in 6-person compartments, although open-plan cars can be available as well. The exact interior and amenities depend on the route. Wifi and plug sockets are always available.
First class often features seats in 6-person compartments, although open-plan cars can be available as well. The compartments have more legroom and a larger seat pitch than in second class. The first class coach is usually next to the dining car. Wifi and plug sockets are always available.

High-speed TGV trains to France

High-speed French TGV trains run on several routes from Germany to France. Reservations are mandatory and Eurail passes are valid; all tickets, reservations and passes can be booked via the Happyrail rail planner service. They run on the following routes from Germany:

Stuttgart - Karlsruhe - Paris (5x/day)
Frankfurt - Mannheim - Paris (5x/day)
Munich - Frankfurt - Paris (1x/day)
Frankfurt - Lyon - Marseille (1x/day)
Frankfurt - Bordeaux (1x/day only in summer)

The high-speed trains feature second and first class and a café car. For more information on the trains themselves, please see the page 'What are trains in France like?'

International Nightjet sleeper trains

Austrian Nightjet sleeper trains run on international routes from Germany. All Nightjet sleeper trains feature 2nd class seating, hard sleeper (couchette), soft sleeper & soft sleeper deluxe (with private bathroom & shower). All Nightjet tickets and reservations, for all travel classes, can be booked with no additional booking fees via the Happyrail rail planner service.

For more information on Nightjet trains, please see the page 'What are Nightjet sleeper trains like?'. In Germany Nightjet trains run on the following routes:

Hamburg - Hannover - Vienna
Hamburg - Hannover - Munich - Innsbruck
Berlin - Vienna - Graz
Stuttgart - Munich - Venice
Munich - Verona - Milan - La Spezia (Cinque Terre)
Munich - Bologna - Florence - Rome (not in summer, in summer Munich-Bologna-Ancona)
Berlin - Zurich

The following international sleeper trains run as EuroNight (EN) trains, which are less modern than Nightjet but broadly similar in terms of comfort and travel classes. Most of these can also be booked via the Happyrail rail planner service, with no additional booking fees.

Stuttgart - Munich - Ljubljana - Zagreb
Stuttgart - Munich - Ljubljana - Rijeka
Stuttgart - Munich - Budapest
Berlin - Budapest
Munich - Krakow - Warsaw