Germany by Train: ICE Routes, DB Tips & the Best Rail Journeys

ICE (InterCity Express) trains are the backbone of German long-distance rail:

• - Berlin → Munich: 4h, trains every hour
• - Hamburg → Berlin: 1h45, very frequent
• - Hamburg → Cologne: 4h
• - Frankfurt → Cologne: 1h10
• - Frankfurt → Munich: 3h15
• - Munich → Stuttgart: 2h15
• - Cologne → Brussels: 1h50 (Thalys/Eurostar)

Most ICE trains do not require mandatory seat reservations with a Eurail/Interrail pass — you can board without booking, though reservations (€4.50) are recommended for busy routes.

🍇 Rhine Valley (Koblenz → Mainz, 1h15 regional) — The most scenic section of the Rhine Gorge. Castles on every promontory, vineyards on every slope. Take the slow regional train, not the ICE.

• 🏔 Bavarian Alps (Munich → Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 1h20) — Base for Zugspitze (Germany's highest peak) and a short drive from Neuschwanstein Castle.

🌲 Black Forest (Freiburg → Offenburg via Schwarzwaldbahn, 1h40) — A narrow-gauge railway through one of Germany's most scenic landscapes.

🏙 Romantic Road: Regional buses connect the medieval towns (Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Dinkelsbühl) — not rail, but worth the detour if you're in Bavaria.

Eurail/Interrail passes: Germany is one of the best countries to use a rail pass — no mandatory reservations on most ICE trains means genuine freedom to hop on any train.

DB Navigator app: The essential tool. Real-time departures, digital tickets, and connection alerts. Download before you arrive.

Deutschlandticket: A €49/month ticket covering all regional (not ICE/IC) trains, S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams, and buses across Germany. Extraordinary value for slow travellers.

Advance booking: Point-to-point ICE tickets start at €19.90 booked early on the DB app. Prices rise sharply in the final days.

Berlin — Europe's most dynamic capital. Divided history (the Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Holocaust Memorial), extraordinary museums (Museum Island), and a nightlife scene that starts at midnight. 3–4 nights.

Munich — Southern Germany's powerhouse: the Englischer Garten, world-class art museums, and Marienplatz. Day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle. 2–3 nights. Oktoberfest runs late September–early October — book rooms a year ahead.

Hamburg — Port city with a gritty soul. The Speicherstadt warehouse district (UNESCO), the Reeperbahn, and some of the best fish in Germany. 2 nights.

Cologne — The Cathedral alone is worth stopping for. Combined with Düsseldorf or Bonn as a day trip. 1 night.

Dresden — East Germany's baroque jewel on the Elbe. The Zwinger palace and Frauenkirche. 1–2 nights.

DB is improving: After years of punctuality issues, DB has invested heavily in infrastructure. Delays still happen but less than a few years ago — build 15-min buffers into connections.

Strikes: DB workers have staged occasional strikes. Check the news before major journeys and have a backup plan.

Night trains: DB's own night train network is limited, but ÖBB Nightjet covers Hamburg–Zurich, Munich–Vienna–Rome, and other key routes from German cities.