The German rail network is used to connect all of the major cities found in Germany using trains that operate at very quick speeds. The local trains, like Regional Express allow you to travel to almost any town in Germany on the train.

You can save some extra money if you have a Eurail Pass (for traveling by train in Europe and Germany) or by using a German Rail Pass for your other journeys by train. If you are going to spend a few months in Germany then you may want to consider getting a German Bahncard.

The German Rail - Some General Facts

It is very efficient and convenient to travel by train in Germany. The centrally located train stations are easy to get to in most of the towns and cities. You can then take a bus, a taxi, an S-Bahn, or a U-Bahn to get to your final place of interest.

The ICE trains are high speed and they are especially useful when you are traveling a long distance between different major cities in Germany. They are much quicker than spending hours driving on the Autobahn to reach your destination.

You can relax as you rest in a very comfortable seat and enjoy the German countryside as it passes by your window. There is probably not a better way to travel across long distances.

You may find this information about the trains in Germany and the train tickets that are available if you are planning a visit to Germany.

Trains in Germany

The ICE - Inter City Express train is very convenient and very fast and is known as the king of the German trains.

IC - Inter City trains will take you between the major cities in Germany and makes stops at frequent intervals. The EC or Euro city trains serve as connectors for travel to cities that are in the neighboring countries in Europe.

RE - Regional Express trains are used to link the local and long distance trains. They make connections in the smaller cities. Many commuters use these trains so they do not need to sit in rush hour traffic when they have a lot of luggage.

The RB, Regional Bahn, acts as a connector between the city centers and the rural areas and makes a stop at every train station on the way.

The S-Bahn trains run at frequent intervals and criss-cross the regional centers. You can use the S-Bahn to get yourself from the airport and into the city center and to the main train station, or Hauptbahnhof.

The U-Bahn and the available bus services are not operated by the same Deutsche Bahn. Private operators and government groups often own these companies. They can take you right to a certain doors step in the city.

Special Trains

DB Autozug - If you would like to get out and explore Italy, France, or even Austria in your own vehicle, why not take it on the train with you and avoid the long drive? Autozug has terminals in Dusseldorf, Hildesheim, Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Lorrach, and Neu-lsenburg (which is close to Frankfurt). You may even choose to use the DB Autozug to make your travel easier when you are in Germany, like a trip from Berlin to Hamburg or to Munich.

City Night Line - You may want to spend your days exploring so you can spend your nights traveling while you are sleeping. There are night trains that have been specially designed for the passengers to other European cities once you have finished with your travels in Germany.

German Rail - Train Tickets, Bahncard, or Rail Passes

Deciding which is best of the German rail passes, the train tickets and the rail passes to other European countries can be very confusing. In addition to deciding which pass you need, you can also decide between first and second class in your travels on the train.

The Travel Center Found In the Train Stations

Traveling by train in Germany can be fairly expensive when compared to traveling by train in the southern parts of Europe. At the same time, the reputation of the German railways is very good (the Deutsche Bahn - DB). Delays do happen occasionally but you will get to your destination comfortably and in time.

If you know you will be traveling in advance then you may be able to save some money by buying you point to point tickets in advance. If you do not want to limit your traveling schedule that far in advance then the rail pass will offer you the flexibility that you need.

Rail Passes

Any traveler that lives outside of Europe can find great deals in purchasing the German Rail Pass. This works especially well for those that will be traveling more than three days on the rail in Germany.

Are you sure you know what a rail pass really is? You can purchase rail passes that will allow you to travel on the railways anywhere from three to ten days in a month. You do not need to worry about where you can find the most inexpensive tickets. You only need to get your ticket validated before you use the first train in Germany. Once you have done that you will only need to write the dates of the other uses on the pass prior to making your next train trip.

Are you interested in visiting other European countries too? Not a problem. You can find Eurail passes for three, four, or five countries as well as the Eurail global pass that allows you access to twenty two European countries.

Bahncard

If you would like to reduce your travel expenses during your stay of a few weeks, or a couple months and you would like to do your traveling by train then purchasing a Bahncard is a good idea. Be careful with this though because you can only purchase Bahncard's with a subscription. Be sure you cancel the contract in enough time.