Rail Travel in Germany Austria | Practical train travel tips

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Traveling by train in Europe can be a lot more pleasant if you know some of the tricks of the trade—particularly in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. European trains, including Deutsche Bahn (German Rail), are among the best in the world. Europe’s fastest trains, the French TGV and Germany’s high-speed ICE (InterCity Express), are technologically ahead of anything running on US rails.

A train departure (Abfahrt) sign in Frankfurt’s main station. Note the train codes next to the times. PHOTO © Hyde Flippo

Although the speedy ICE trains now run on many former standard routes, the normal, everyday InterCity (IC) and EuroCity (EC) trains still crisscross Germany and Europe, offering convenient connections. The discontinued D-Züge (through-trains) and the slower Eilzug will not be missed. (Although eilen means “to hurry,” an Eilzug wasn’t really fast at all.) The regional trains are now designated RB (“Regio” - RegionalBahn, stops everywhere) and RE (RegionalExpress, faster, does not stop everywhere). Learning to read the train codes (RE, EC, IC, ICE, etc.) on German schedules can help you find the fastest train to your destination. (See the full German train code list below.)

A regional train at Aschaffenburg’s main station.
PHOTO © Hyde Flippo

Since all big or medium-sized cities, as well as many smaller communities in German-speaking Europe have a train station (or two or three), train travel is convenient and efficient. The main train station (Hauptbahnhof) is usually located in the center of town, from which commuter trains, taxis, streetcars, and buses can take the traveler straight to a final destination. The weakest link in this otherwise efficient chain is often the station ticket office, where it seems there are always too few ticket agents for too many passengers. Long lines and long waits are all too common. (TIP: Try the automated ticket machines, which have an English option!)

Deutsche Bahn also has a (deserved) reputation for delayed trains and other frustrations (technical failures, strikes, dirty coaches) for its passengers, but when things go right, travel by rail in Germany can be a pleasant experience. Compared to rail travel in some other European countries (Italy comes to mind), German trains are above average. (I could write an entire chapter about my misadventures on an Italian train from Venice to Rome!)

You can use the practical Wagenstandanzeiger shown here to find your car on the long rail platform and avoid walking through half the train to find your seat. The platform is divided into sections labeled "A" to "E." The car locator can tell you almost to the nearest meter where your car will stop.

YOU GOTTA HAVE CLASS | European trains are divided into first and second class. Look for a large 1 or 2 label on the car near the door. Some special trains (EC, IC, ICE, etc.) also have a surcharge (Zuschlag) added to the price of the ticket, whether it is first or second class. If you have not already paid the surcharge, the conductor will require payment when checking your ticket. The surcharge for ICE trains varies, depending on the connection.

BAHNCARD | Deutsche Bahn offers its so-called BahnCard that can get you various discounts on some types of train tickets, or even a flat rate. If you are living in Germany or will be there for an extended period of time, a BahnCard may be a good option. See the Deutsche Bahn website (in German) for prices and benefits. More on the next page.

CREDIT CARDS | Credit card use in Germany is much less frequent than in most other countries. The “new” Deutsche Bahn AG did not enter the 20th century by accepting credit cards until 1992! But today bearers of Visa, MasterCard, or American Express cards can usually pay for German train tickets with plastic with no problems.

INLAND and AUSLAND | DB used to act as if train travel outside of Germany was so exotic that they had to separate ticket sales for “Inland” (domestic) and “Ausland” (foreign). Now there are universal counters without separate Ausland counters for international trains. And they even take credit cards!

Deutsche Bahn Train Types and Codes

Intercity-Express (ICE) - High-speed long-distance trains mostly on national routes, but also to some EU countries (Austria, Belgium, France, etc.)
EuroCity (EC) - International long-distance trains (former Trans Europ Express, TEE, pre-1987)
InterCity (IC) - Long-distance trains linking German cities
EuroNight (EN) - National and international night trains with sleeping cars
City Night Line (CNL) - National and international night trains with sleeping cars
German Regional Trains

Regional-Express (RE) - Faster regional trains with fewer stops than the RB trains below
RegionalBahn (RB) - Standard regional trains
S-Bahn (S) - Local commuter rail service in larger cities
U-Bahn (U) - Underground commuter trains in larger cities

Privately Run Trains - Some German Bundesländer (states) have contracted with private rail operators like NordWestBahn or Arriva PLC (owned by DB) for regional train service.

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Rail Travel in Germany and Europe

Deutsche Bahn Train Types and Codes

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