Germany has perhaps the most powerful and efficient railway system in the world. The railroad accounts for the vast majority of intercity and suburban travel by public transport, as well as a significant proportion of intracity travel. A dense network of lines is available in most regions of the country, and railway stations are usually the main transport hubs in cities.
Train types
Germany has a fairly complex system of train types. They are divided into main (Fernzuge or Fernverkehr) and regional and suburban (Nahverkehr). Mainline trains are white, regional trains are usually red.
Main lines include:
- ICE (InterCityExpress) - high-speed (in some areas up to 300 kilometers per hour) express trains with the fewest stops. However, on many routes they are no faster than other ambulances.
- IC (InterCity) - fast, following between the major cities of Germany.
- EC (EuroCity) - similar to InterCity, but go abroad.
- CNL (CityNightLine) - sleeper night trains, mostly international. Lying places are only in them.
Regional and suburban include:
- RE (RegioExpress) - a regional train with stops in large and medium cities.
- IRE (InterRegioExpress) - a relatively rare type of trains found on separate long routes. Otherwise similar to RE.
- RB (RegionalBahn) - regional train with frequent stops.
- S (S-Bahn, Stadtbahn) - suburban train. The route always starts or passes through a major city and is part of a network of such lines. Often used for intracity trips, supplementing or replacing the subway.
Movement features
Most of the lines are very busy. All trains, except for night trains, run at clock intervals. In the vast majority of cases, it will be hourly, half-hourly, 20-, 15-, or 10-minute. There is often a choice of 5-10 different trains per hour between nearby cities. Traffic usually starts at 5-6 o'clock in the morning and ends at about midnight, on a number of routes - an hour or two later. In addition to sleeper trains, regular daytime trains occasionally run on some popular lines at night.
Rates
The tariff system at first glance is also very confusing. However, if you understand it, moving around Germany can be relatively inexpensive.
Basic fares (tickets that allow you to board any train on the desired route and make stops of your choice) are very high. For example, a 3.5 hour journey between Berlin and Dortmund costs €86 on IC/EC and €98 on ICE. A standard ticket from Cologne to Munich (4.5-6 hours) will cost 108 euros for IC/EC and 112-142 euros for ICE. The road from Berlin to Leipzig or Dresden (1.5-2 hours) costs 40 euros in IC / EC and 47 euros in ICE. A little cheaper and tickets for regional trains. The first class is about one and a half times more expensive.
However, when buying in advance (at least a day in advance, but the earlier - the cheaper), Sparpreis discount tickets are available. They are available in advance for all domestic and most international routes from Germany at prices of 19, 25, 29, 35, 39, 45, 49, 55, 59, 65, 69, 75, 79 and so on up to 119 euros (for long distances). At the same time, the number of seats for each price level in each train is limited, and tickets for 19 and 25 euros are available only for crossings with a distance of no more than 250 kilometers.
Thus, when planning in advance, the price can be brought down several times, and with some luck you can cross the whole country for 29 euros. But it should be borne in mind that such a ticket is valid only for the selected train. Return and exchange of these tickets is possible with payment of a fee of 15 euros.
In first class, Sparpreis fares start from 29 euros (on routes over 250 kilometers - from 39 euros). The booking must include at least one mainline train (IC, EC or ICE).
A similar system operates on night trains. For example, the standard fare on the train Berlin - Munich is 152 euros in a seated car, 162 in a six-seater couchette, 172 in a four-seater, 207-335 euros in various options for a sleeping car. If you buy in advance, the price can be reduced by 2-3 times.
When buying Sparpreis tickets, you should pay attention to the numerous possibilities of the www.bahn.de website booking system - the most advanced in Europe. In particular, there you can choose the type of trains - say, abandon the most expensive - ICE, or completely limit yourself to only the cheapest - regional.
In addition, the passenger can indicate at which station he wants to make a transfer and how long he wants to spend there. For example, if you are driving from Frankfurt to Hamburg, but would like to see the Cologne Cathedral on the way, indicate the need for an hour or two hour stop in Cologne. In this case, the ticket will be single and will cost much less than two separate tickets from Frankfurt to Cologne and from Cologne to Hamburg.
There are also discount offers for regional trains. In particular, on any weekend you can buy a Wochenende-Ticket. It gives you the possibility of unlimited trips all day throughout Germany for 44 euros for five people at once, but only on regional trains - RE, IRE, RB and S-Bahn, as well as in public transport.
On weekdays, a similar ticket Quer-durchs-Land-Ticket is valid only from 9:00, and for 44 euros only one passenger can travel, and the surcharge for each subsequent one is 8 euros. In addition, on any given day, the same but cheaper offers (Länder-Ticket) are valid for trips within the federal states.
For a number of areas, it makes sense to consider the proposals of local urban and suburban tariff systems. For example, a day of travel in the VRR fare system between Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Bochum, Wuppertal, Mönchengladbach, Kreve (plus the Dutch Venlo and Nijmingen) costs 26 euros for the first passenger and 4.5 euros for each subsequent passenger.
For most tickets, there is a €5 surcharge when purchased at the box office (not online or from a ticket machine). You cannot board regional trains without a ticket, you can board main trains, but you will have to buy a ticket at the full rate. In the event of a serious delay or cancellation of a flight, passengers are entitled to compensation, including reimbursement of the cost of travel by alternative transport, including taxi or hotel fees if the last evening flight was canceled.
From time to time there are other good deals on German railways. For example, relatively cheap monthly passes are sometimes sold in the summer. In other cases, with intensive travel or regular visits to Germany, it makes sense to consider buying a BahnCard 25 or BahnCard 50 discount card.
Another option is the pan-European InterRail pass (www.interrailnet.com). Its German-only version is not cheap, but it can pay for itself with a large number of trips. Unlike many other European countries, in Germany, InterRail passengers do not need to pay extra for the use of high-speed trains or have to reserve seats on them. Theoretically, booking a specific seat on mainline trains is possible for all passengers, but it makes sense only on peak flights, where there is a risk of being left without a seat.
Stations
Large stations in Germany, as a rule, work around the clock, medium and small ones can be closed at night. The main city station is almost always referred to as Hauptbahnhof (abbreviated as Hbf.). At large stations there are always many food outlets, mini-markets and more. Luggage storage can be expensive, while automatic ones are always cheaper than manual ones.
So, let's say that you decide to take a trip to. The decision is quite justified: this is the largest country in Europe, which has preserved a lot of historical heritage, and there really is a lot of interesting things in it. The question arises: how to move across Germany?
Of course, the first thing that comes to mind. Indeed, this is a convenient way - the rental service in Europe is well developed, and German roads are famous all over the world for the convenience and speed of moving along them. However, let's say you want to save money, or you don't have a driver's license, or you just don't want to be burdened by car-related worries. Moreover, in Germany there are wonderful traditions of brewing! What to do?
It's time to remember that in Germany there is a superbly organized rail service. Deutsche Bahn railways in Germany are something completely different from what Russians are used to. At least out of natural curiosity, it is worth getting acquainted with them!
Railway communication in Germany is carried out by several companies, and not only German ones - after all, there are no borders, both physical and economic, in Europe. However, Germany's main rail operator is Deutsche Bahn AG, also known as DeutscheBahn or simply DB. It is easy to recognize it - a logo with red letters DB.
Purchase of single tickets
Railway ticket sales in Germany fully automated so you don't have to deal with cashiers. Terminals are located at all railway stations. You will need at least a minimum knowledge of English.
The process itself is extremely simple: you choose the starting and ending point of the route, and the system offers you several options (which we will discuss in more detail below). It does not matter where you are at the same time: the terminals are combined, and at a small station somewhere in Bavaria you can easily buy a ticket for a long-distance train departing from Hamburg.
What's more: you can choose destinations not only in Germany! There is no need to worry about connecting DB with rail carriers, for example, France or the Netherlands: ticket will be the same regardless of the number of transfers.
Payment made by bank cards and cash.
Be sure to have cash with you - not all ticket vending machines accept Russian bank cards!
After payment, you will receive a printed ticket on paper, and in case of a difficult route, you will also receive a schedule on a separate piece of paper. Transfers tend to fit perfectly - rarely when the waiting time for the next train on a more or less popular route is more than 10-15 minutes. Navigation at German railway stations is organized very well, so you can not be afraid to get lost and be late.
By the way, tickets for DB trains can also be bought in advance - via the Internet, on the company's website. Everything is extremely simple, as on the airline's website. Tickets and timetable - form on the main page.
No one checks tickets when boarding, but controllers walk on the train in motion. They do it punctually in German, even at very late and very early times, even at short distances - so it's better not to try to drive "hare". The penalties are very serious!
Prices are on average higher than regular intercity buses, but the speed and comfort are worth it. The fare between the same points can be completely different depending on the type of train chosen. More on this below.
Types of passenger transportation within Germany
DeutscheBahn carries out many types of transportation, among which in our case we need to highlight four: Intercity Express, Regional Express, regionalbahn And S-Bahn.
Before we start talking about them in more detail, we note an important point: train speeds in germany not at all what we are used to. Regular intercity communication is carried out at a speed of 150-200 km/h, and high-speed trains running over considerable distances (from one end of the country to the other) develop up to 300 km/h. Between cities within the same federal state, you can easily move in half an hour, or even 15 minutes - while the bus will travel for at least an hour.
The choice of a specific type of transportation depends on how much you want to save money or time, as well as on the destination - "express" stops far from everywhere. Now let's talk about the types of trains themselves.
S-Bahn
S-Bahn is something like commuter trains familiar to us. The speed of such trains is low. They unite closely located cities, and also dock with the metro of large cities (called U-Bahn).
In other words, we can take such an electric train in the suburbs of some Berlin or Hamburg, enter the city, and immediately transfer to the subway. The S-Bahn is also used within a large city if a trip is planned from the center to a remote area, or, say, to the airport.
S-Bahn cars are nothing special: they are just a comfortable, clean electric train, which always provides space for transporting a bicycle.
regionalbahn
RegionalBahn, also abbreviated as RB, are short-distance intercity trains.
On lightly loaded routes, RB may well be the only type of rail transport. On larger lines regionalbahn works in parallel with the more expensive and faster Regional Express. RB trains stop at all stations and often take a slightly less "direct" route than the Regional Express. The length of RB routes rarely exceeds 200 kilometers.
It is worth noting that due to the low price of the ticket, you may not have quite pleasant fellow travelers in RB, although you should not worry about security - the DB security service and the police monitor it strictly.
Choose RegionalBahn if you want to save money - but the speed of travel on such trains is approximately the same as the maximum speed of domestic electric trains (usually no more than 80 km / h).
Regional Express
Regional Express, also known as RE, is the main type of rail transportation within Germany. These trains cover quite significant distances and run every 1-2 hours.
RegionalExpress trains stop only at large stations and travel quite fast: their maximum speed is 200 km/h, and the average is about 150 km/h. As a result, it may well turn out that you will get to the station longer than on the train itself to a rather remote city.
A characteristic feature of the RE - trains consist of unusual double-decker cars, so their capacity is very high. As a rule, inside there is a division into "first" and "second" classes, but they differ little, and in the "first" class usually almost no one rides. Regional Express are ordinary "sit-down" carriages with free seating.
Travel time is up to six hours. RE lines are operated not only by DeutscheBahn but also by other German rail operators.
RegionalExpress is the best way to travel between German cities in terms of price-comfort-speed, unless you are crossing the country from one end to the other.
Intercity Express
Intercity-Express (ICE) are high-speed trains serving mainly long-distance destinations. However, they also run between major cities located nearby - for example, Dusseldorf And Cologne.
The speed of ICE, moving along specially equipped tracks, is up to 330 km/h - in practice, this is the fastest way to move around Germany, even faster than air transport.
The ICE lounges are very comfortable - they look more like an airplane than a train. Also, ICE usually has a restaurant car. In a word, the comfort and speed of the trip are quite consistent with the high cost of the ticket.
Rail transport in Germany is convenient
We hope that the above descriptions are sufficient arguments for you to try out this way of moving around Germany. This is worth doing if only for the sake of seeing firsthand what the rail transportation system should actually be like in a fairly large country.
We really like trains and railways in Germany.
We were fascinated by the developed railway network in Germany. By train you can get to almost any small town. And also to neighboring countries: France, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands. Do you understand scale?
The main official carrier in Germany is DeutscheBahn, a state-owned joint stock company. Its trains are easy to recognize by the red DB logo on the trains.
In addition to Deutsche Bahn, there are a number of private railway companies related to a particular.
This is worth remembering if you want to get to the place you need by train. There are many trains on the DeutscheBahn website, but not all, but only the company's DB with its fares and travel conditions. For a complete picture, it makes sense to go to the website of the land railway. There may be more routes (for this area) and other tariffs. More on this at the end of the article.
Comfort and service in Russian trains, especially in electric trains, does not always correspond to the ticket price. Until now, with a shudder, I remember the Moscow-Dubna winter train. Will the heating be turned on? You run around the cars, looking for the warmest, and it’s not a fact that the stove will heat up to the final station. Horror, horror!
Not so on German trains. Sit down and enjoy:
- It is not hot in the carriages in summer and not cold in winter. The air conditioners are perfect.
- There are toilets in every carriage. And with toilet paper!
- Car doors open as you approach. Closes automatically when you move to the right distance
- There are designated areas for bicycles and wheelchairs. Monitors with the route schedule are installed in the cars.
- If a section of the railway is being repaired, then passengers are asked to get off the train and transfer to a bus, which was launched specifically for the time of repair. These buses stop right at the station. They pick up all passengers of the train and depart 5-10 minutes after the train stops. The required number of such buses is strictly monitored and there are no problems with lack of seats. Payment is not required. The same ticket you bought is still valid. You have already paid for your journey from point A to point B.
I am now describing the usual conveniences of an ordinary commuter train. About high-speed trains, I generally keep quiet. There are conditions, as in a business class cabin.
Of the minuses: many have heard about German punctuality. So, when we got to the cities we needed, we often waited for a train on the platform for 20-30 minutes. Or they were sitting in the car halfway to their destination, hoping that the train was about to move. But he stood, passing other electric trains.
Apparently this is somehow connected with the general railway schedule and with the priority of the train route. We have encountered this situation only on regional routes.
Probably punctuality works, but in a special mode.
Why is this happening?
In Germany, and indeed in Europe, there are many small intervals between transfers and a short parking time.
For example, to get by train from Nuremberg to Rothenburg ob der Tauber (80 km), you need to make 2 changes in 1 hour. It often happens that if one train is late, another train is waiting for it, then the third one, and so on in the chain.
Now imagine that there are such frequent transfers between cities throughout Germany and delays of 5-10 minutes are very difficult to remove. Sometimes there is a decent delay time. Maybe the workers somehow sort everything out at night.
We once drove from Munich to Nuremberg. Our train stopped for 40 minutes. We were told that we were waiting for an oncoming train to pass, which in turn was waiting for another train to pass.
Conclusion: If you have a ticket for a plane or an international train (they will not wait for a passenger) and you are limited in time, add 30-40 minutes more time to the route.
Types of trains in Germany
There are several types of trains. They vary in distance.
For a better understanding, I will compare with the types of our train classes. But you must remember that the conditions inside the car on German trains are 120 times better.
High-speed
- Intercity-Express (ICE), Inter City (IC), EuroCity (EC) - run over long distances, including to other Schengen countries. For example, from Berlin to Düsseldorf can be reached in 4 hours and 20 minutes. This is comparable to our Sapsan Moscow-St. Petersburg.
High-speed trains reach speeds of up to 300 km/h. Special paths have been built for them. Inside, the car looks more like an airplane cabin.
Regional
- S-Bahn - City train. In cities, they connect with metro trains at stations. Connect nearby cities, and unite suburbs. It's a kind of subway. I can't find an analogy with our train.
- RegionalBahn (RB) - run between cities within the same state of Germany. The maximum distance is 100-300km.
They stop at almost every station. They go every 1-2 hours. It can be compared with my train Moscow-Dubna - 120 km in 2.30 minutes.
- RegionalExpress (RE) is an improved version of RB. They go faster, stop less often, mostly at large stations.
A distinctive feature - the cars can be double-decker. On this we drove from Dresden to. It can be compared with the express train Moscow-Dubna, Moscow-Vladimir.
Railway ticket - what is it?
It is clear that the ticket that we buy at the box office is a ticket. But the railway ticket in Russia and the railway ticket in Germany are different. To avoid trouble on the road, let's figure out what the difference is and what we pay for.
In Germany
Two services may be included in the ticket price:
- Travel by road
- Platz card - payment for a seat (car class 1st or 2nd, your seat), i.e. comfort.
What does this mean for us?
This means that having bought a ticket, we can get off at any station along the way (for example, in the city we like), take a walk there, and then continue the trip using the same ticket.
In Russia
Having bought a ticket and paid for the journey from point A to point C, you can get off at the point B you like. But it’s not a fact that you can continue your trip with the same ticket.
Example: We were returning from a forest near Moscow as a large friendly company. We bought a ticket at the station, went to the platform through the turnstile and suddenly realized that it would be worth going to the toilet, because. waiting for the train for another 20 minutes and it is not known whether there will be a working toilet in it.
There was no establishment at the station. Strange, right? But we were even more surprised when we approached the station workers near the turnstiles. We learned from them that if we leave the station area (the border is a turnstile, and the toilet was just behind the turnstile), then we will have to buy a new ticket, because. this one becomes invalid upon exit (!)
We asked why, because we paid the fare? The question turned out to be what is called "backfilling". About 6 people gathered around us, who heatedly began to discuss the “problem” whether we have the right to travel on a paid ticket or we will need to buy a new one.
Finally, one of the employees allegedly referred to some document unknown to everyone else, which says that you can leave once, but only for a “good” reason. What is a "good" reason in the document, apparently, was not explained ... The workers voted and found our reason important. True, they warned us not to “do that again” ... Normal?
What is absurd in this story - we did not begin to find out the rules of the railway lines or the illiteracy of the workers. But the savagery is amazing.
Russian turnstiles for suburban trains. There is no turning back
In Germany
You can safely enter and exit at stations along the train route and use your paid ticket, because. you have already paid for your journey on the road and you do not need to pay for the same distance again and again.
What to look out for
On a platz card or additional conditions of travel.
- If you bought a 2nd class ticket, then on the next train you also get into a 2nd class carriage.
- If you bought a ticket with a fixed seat, you will lose your seat when you exit. But you can continue your trip on the same ticket, taking an empty seat in the carriage of the same class. A ticket with a reserved seat is more expensive and is convenient when traveling long distances or during peak hours, when there may not be empty seats.
- If you bought a ticket for a special promotion (for example, a cheap ticket for a regional train of a certain company), then you can continue traveling with this ticket not on any train that passes here, but only on the train of the company whose ticket you purchased.
What happens if you make a mistake and get on the wrong train (car)
- You will have to pay extra to travel.
- You'll have to pay a fine.
- You will have to buy a ticket for this train from the controller. There is no need to get out of the car and wait for the next train.
The fine will cost more. Compliance with the rules is strictly monitored by Controllers.
Attention! Be sure to read the conditions when buying a ticket. If the ticket is cheap, then there is some kind of restriction on its use.
For long-distance trains, the conditions are the same. When buying a ticket, you should personally clarify them, because. information may change.
Can I return a purchased ticket?
Yes. More on that below.
Railway tickets are economical and convenient
Do you know that you can travel by German railways not only comfortably, but also economically? Comfort, by the way, while you will not lose.
What is the convenience of a standard ticket
The tariff for them is called normal. And the tickets are expensive. But they have a number of advantages:
On a ticket with a normal fare, you can ride on any of the trains that pass that day on this route.
You can freely exchange or even return a ticket with a normal fare, receiving the same money back, but the day before the trip.
Restrictions
If you would like to exchange or return your normal fare ticket on the day of travel, you can do so as well, but the cost will not be fully refunded.
What is the advantage of an economical tariff
- Standard fare tickets are usually expensive. Therefore, I propose to learn how to use a weekend ticket and across all the lands of Germany. With the help of these tickets, we saved 25% of the budget from.
- The ticket can be exchanged / returned the day before the trip, if there is no note in the conditions that the ticket cannot be returned.
Restrictions
- With a special economy ticket, you can travel only on certain trains and/or only at specified times.
- It is not possible to return a special ticket on the day of the trip.
If not by train, then how?
If you want to visit small authentic towns in Germany, it is better to rent a car. Trains probably go to small cities, but still by car there is a feeling of freedom of time and the owner of your vacation.
We rented a car in Germany and did not regret it at all: maximum comfort, good free roads, excellent roads. Caught in a traffic jam and then because of road repairs. The amount for rent and gasoline came out the same if they traveled by train.
We wrote a number of articles about German roads. You can see them:,.
Railway ticket purchase sites
So, in Germany there is a network of Deutsche Bahn railways and private railway companies.
1. This is a map of DB railway lines and transfer hubs.
DeutscheBahn official website of German Railways - www.bahn.de.
Here you can view and buy train tickets of this company.
2. Regional trains of private companies.
To find the regional train you need for a certain land, do the following:
We enter the magic words Karte der Verkehrsverbünde und Tarifverbünde in Deutschland into the search bar of the Google browser.
We go here. We see such a map. We click on it.
This is a map of all transport associations in Germany. On the map you see different letters, OWLV, VRR, NRV-Tarif, ZVON and other symbols. Select the desired designation and duplicate it in the search engine. If not found, add the words bahn or Tarif to the designation. Be sure to search for websites of local railway companies in Germany.
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Sincerely,
When traveling in Germany, it is often necessary to buy train tickets. Some people buy them just before leaving the station. But much cheaper to buy train tickets in Germany in advance, and this can be done with the help of the great and mighty Internet.
If you are wondering how to buy train tickets in Germany, then you have come to the right place. I present detailed step-by-step instructions for buying train tickets through the official website of Deutsche Bahn bahn.de and on the Russian-language search engine for options for moving between cities (look for a promotional code for 10 euros below).
Train tickets in Germany - purchase on the official website of the German Railways
In order to buy a train ticket, you must first find a suitable option. To do this, go to the English version of the site in the ticket search section. Into the fields from and to we begin to enter the cities of interest to us and select the desired option from the drop-down list.
Just below choose date and time, from which want to go (switch in position DEP) OR enter the date and the time by which we must be at our destination (switch in position ARR).
I’ll warn you right away: if you don’t like filling out a lot of data and delving into all sorts of ticks, it’s better to scroll down and go to the section “How to buy train tickets in Germany on the GoEuro website” (without unnecessary red tape).
Train tickets in Germany - Search
Let's say I want to arrive from Munich main station to Berlin by November 15 at 16:00 (switch in position Arr) to meet up with friends. I leave the rest of the options as they are and click Search.
There is an even more advanced search using stopovers. If you are going to visit a city for up to 48 hours, you can buy just one stopover ticket and pay 2-3 times less!
Next come out travel options. The option at 9:18 suits me, especially since it works on it attractive tariff — only 29.9 euro for a 6 hour journey. Click on the option you like, the button To offer selection.
Train tickets in Germany - Fares
In the next window choose a tariff.
Sparpreis and Sparpreis 1st class- economical fare, valid for a specific date, time and the selected train and only for it. Exchange and return is possible 1 before the start of the trip with a fine of 19 euros.
Flexpreis– flexible fare, with this ticket you can travel on any train on the specified date. Exchange and return is possible 1 before the start of the trip for free, later - with a fine of 19 euros.
It is possible that you bought a discount ticket from you, and the train indicated in it left because the previous one was late, and you did not have time for a transfer. In this case, you can safely take the next train in the same direction - most often the conductor will be aware of the situation and will not ask anything at all.
If the train you need is late, you can also take another train, provided that the delay exceeds 20 minutes.
If over time you have decided (and for the difference of 105 euros, I think it would be better to decide :)), choose the tariff 29.9, by clicking on Continue under this price.
The expediency of buying these cards needs to be calculated, especially since there are troubles with their purchase and annual subscription. The BahnCard topic is not trivial and deserves a separate post.
That's why select Don't buy a BahnCard and click Continue.
Oops! Now we are asked log in to your account (Log in and book) or register (Register as new customer and book). But there is also an option to continue without registration (Book without registering).
I advise you all the same register on the site, because you will always have access to your ticket(suddenly, it will be lost in the electronic box, where to look later?) and it will be easier manage your booking.
If you already have an account on the Bahn.de website, simply enter your username and password and click the Log in and book button. If you are not afraid and / or do not want to register, click Proceed in the Book without registering window.
Train tickets in Germany - Registration on Bahn.de
In the window Register as new customer and book click Proceed.
In the new window, fill in all the fields marked with * .
- user name- come up with a username for yourself, it is also a login (minimum 8 characters).
- Password, repeat password- password and password repeat (minimum 6 characters, of which at least 1 digit or special character, such as an underscore _).
- First name and Last name— name and surname, as in a foreign passport!
- Email- E-mail address.
If you want to receive news and information about promotions- put tick on Subscribe to the bahn.com newsletter.
After filling click Register and continue.
If you did everything correctly, the system will return you to buying tickets.
Train tickets in Germany - Buying
We continue shopping. In the new window select the way we want to receive the purchased tickets.
There are three ways:
- Online-ticket- e-ticket in pdf format. Here you also need to indicate for whom you are buying a ticket - for yourself (For myself) or for another person (For someone else, I am not traveling).
- mobile phone ticket— get a ticket in the DB Navigator app.
- order and receive- receive a ticket by mail for an additional fee of 4.9 euros.
Personally for me the most acceptable way is an electronic ticket which I will print out and take with me. And do not worry if the phone suddenly runs out of power or stops turning on at all (anything happens). And I don’t see the point in paying for the delivery of a ticket by mail.
Also, at this stage, reserve a seat for 4.5 euros. For myself, I don’t see the point of doing this, but if you want, put check the box next to Reservation of ... and then select the number of seats.
- Any - any option.
- Open salon - general salon.
- Open salon with table - common salon, places with tables.
- Compartment - coupe.
- Window - at the window.
- Aisle - at the aisle.
- Phone zone - a zone for conversations.
- Quiet zone - a quiet zone.
In general, choose the method you like, if necessary, reserve seats and press Proceed.
The next section asks you to complete our personal information and choose a payment method. Fill in the fields marked with * .
- street number- street, house number.
- Postcode/zip- index.
- town/city- city.
- Country- a country.
We put tick Send online ticket to my e-mail address(as an unencrypted attachment) so that the e-ticket is sent to your email.
Choose below payment method. I think the standard way is credit card payment(need to enter card details) and PayPal- no need to explain. Click Continue and proceed to the payment process.
Train tickets in Germany - buy online Omio (GoEuro)
Another way to buy tickets is use the search engine for tickets for buses and trains in Europe Omio (GoEuro).
Now they have a promotion: you can get from them bonus 10 euro for the first booking. To do this, you need to register on the site, in your personal account in the "Referral Bonus" section, enter the promo code tatiag5q5f3w
And don't forget to arrange insurance every time you travel! I always draw up a policy directly via the Internet, and I recommend choosing the best options
German Railways (Deutsche Bahn, DB)
Train schedules throughout Europe, fares in Germany and to / from Germany, tickets and special offers. Internet sale of tickets. Special internet offers.
http://www.bahn.de/p/view/index.shtml
German Railways: Berlin Main Station Berlin-Hauptbahnhof
http://www.hbf-berlin.de/
Inter-regional line company in East Germany InterConnex
http://www.interconnex.com/
http://www.connex-gruppe.de
Suburban trains of Berlin S-Bahn Berlin
http://www.s-bahn-berlin.de/
Regional trains in Bavaria Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft
http://www.bayern-takt.de/
For convenience, we will divide all trains into 2 groups (night trains going to the Netherlands and Switzerland are not considered here) - fast (ICE - up to 300 km / h, IC, EC - up to 200 km / h) and slow, like our electric trains (S, RB, RE, IRE, and some private lines like ME). All seats in both groups of trains are seated - basically these are cars that are not divided into compartments, some of the cars are divided into 6-seater compartments. The division into fast and slow trains is convenient in order to understand which ticket is the most beneficial for the trip.
In Germany, there are (the list is constantly changing) the following main types of tickets:
1. Ordinary ticket - the most expensive - valid for a round trip on all types of trains - you can sit on absolutely any train at any time. Exchange and return of the ticket is free. Additionally, for a small (3.5 euros or 1.5 euros via the Internet) surcharge, you can book a specific seat on a specific train, in the absence of such a reservation, you can sit on any empty seats in the car of the corresponding class (there are 2 classes in total - they are written in capital letters on the car). Reservations can only be made on fast trains. In the absence of seats in all trains, you can stand or sit all the way in a restaurant or vestibule.
2. Tickets with 25% discount - Sparpreis 25 - and with 50% discount Sparpreis 50 - a limited number of them are sold at least 3 days before the trip on specific trains. Sparpreis 25 provides for the possibility of exchanging or returning a ticket for a surcharge of 15 euros. Sparpreis 50 provides for the possibility of a return trip no earlier than the following weekend or later. For these types of tickets, there are 50% discounts for passengers traveling with you. All these tickets can be bought online (except for most international lines), at vending machines (the interface is six-language - no Russian) or at the Reisezentrum ticket office at the station (2 euros more expensive than vending machines).
I note that direct trains run between major cities, and usually you have to make several transfers - they take a little time, the ticket shows the arrival and departure routes, and at the junctions of the main lines, late trains usually wait. In any case, if you did not have time due to the train being late for the connection, your ticket will be valid for the next train in the right direction.
3. Group tickets valid for an unlimited number of journeys on slow trains for groups of up to five people inclusive.
There are 2 main types of such tickets - a Schönes Wochenende Ticket for 33 euros, which allows you to ride throughout Germany from 00:00 to 03:00 the next day on one of two weekends or holidays.
The second type of group tickets - land (NiedersachsenTicket, NRW-Ticket, etc.) - they are usually valid within the same federal state on weekdays from 9.00 to 03.00 the next day, or on weekends from 00.00 to 03.00 the next day. The price in different lands fluctuates around 25-28 euros. In some states, there are Single options - at a price of 18 euros.
In addition, there are tickets for groups of 6 people and other options for discounts and offers. For example, under the Surf&Rail program, the ticket price for some popular destinations starts from 19 euros (purchase only via the Internet). To buy a ticket online, you need to register on the DB website, print it out on a printer and present it to the controller on the train along with a credit card (in your name) with which this ticket was paid.
I will try to make life easier for those who will acquire
1. Familientageskarte ticket, which gives the right to travel [i] around Dresden and the surrounding area (like Meissen, Moritzburg, etc.). It costs 14 euros, you can ride on it for a day for two adults and 3 children.
This is what the hellish car looks like
Click on the blue box here
Choose language (English)
Again on the blue rectangle
Here choose Verbundraum
Here Family map
If you did everything right, then the final picture is this:
You can pay by card or cash. Doesn't ask for a PIN.
2. land ticket - costs 27 euros, up to 5 people can ride it a day. Such tickets are available in all states of Germany.
Now a red rectangle
Second rectangle from top in first column (Landerticket)
Here you choose which ticket you need: for the state of Saxony family, single, Saxony-Bohemia family, Saxony-Bohemia single. We chose the family one (the one for 5 people)
Choose when you go
If you have a bike with you, then you also need a ticket for it))
You can pay by card or cash, no PIN required.
German railways in pictures
Unlike the French railways, trains are generally much more decent, as are stations, which are divided not into stations of a large-medium-small city, but into a metropolis station and stations of a small town (these are very clean, pleasant, and often represent monument of local architecture).
An example of a metropolis station is one of the largest stations in Europe - Frankfurt.
An example of a small station is the station in Bad Nauheim
Train-type locomotive
A more modern steam locomotive is a two-story one.
in Limburg they also saw such trains - this is a private railway company, but it seems that it operates according to general rules (unlike the Umbrian railways in Italy, for example).
and special Deutschebahn bikes
So far we have learned about them purely theoretically. The general meaning is as follows: take your iron horse at the special parking lot, and call the number indicated on the frame (you need to register in advance on one of the DB sites (http://www.callabike-interaktiv.de), they deposit 5 euros, which are immediately are credited to your account and will be used to pay rent), they tell you the code for the bike lock, and you ride as much as you need. When you've done it, you return the bike to the station (Stuttgart or ICE stations) or, in some large cities, you can leave the bikes at road signs or special bike stands. When you close the lock, indicate that you are returning the bike, the account code will light up on the lock. Next, call again and report the account code and the place where you left the bike (in the second case) or the parking number (in the first case). The rental costs 0.08 euros per minute, 9 euros per day maximum, 36 euros for 7 days.
... and a few words about the land ticket
On the trip, we traveled on a land ticket in the land of Hesse, which costs 30 euros per day (and I remind you that 2 to 5 people can ride on it). I note that many use this: for example, one day a grandmother was walking along the carriage, who asked everyone if they were traveling on a land ticket. It turned out that she was looking for companies of 2-4 people, to which she could join and ride for free. Before reaching us, she already found a company for herself - four elderly Americans who enthusiastically accepted her idea: crazy:
We still didn’t understand how to purchase a land ticket for the land of Hesse in a machine that stands right on the platform of the Frankfurt station (once we poked around for about 15 minutes, we found that for some reason there are all types of travel cards, except for those that we need, and we didn’t spend more time on this), besides these, there are also spacious ticket offices (with an electronic queue) and machines at the entrance to these ticket offices (where you can buy the necessary land ticket, but the machine did not want to “eat” our cards, demanding cash).
A strange story happened here: on one of the days, when we took an electronic queue ticket and entered the hall with cash desks, an elderly aunt, a railway employee, rushed across us, who usually asked people at the entrance, on what issue they were, and sent them to different windows ( in addition to the actual cash registers, there are some other windows). We modestly replied that we had come to buy a land ticket, to which she grabbed the queue ticket from her hand and exclaimed "why stand in line!" dragged us to the machines (which considered our cards tasteless, yeah). The husband, as a well-mannered man, began to explain to her that the automatic machine would not suit us, because. We don’t want to pay in cash, and the machine doesn’t take our cards, but the aunt began to press some buttons with an expression on her face: “We’ve come here in large numbers, they don’t know how to use machines.” I, as an ill-mannered creature and [s]not wanting to be late for the train, went and took a new ticket for the electronic queue. Approaching the machines, I found that the aunt was proving to her husband how cool it was to pay the machine in cash (cards, of course, the machine did not want to "eat"), and, waving the queue ticket (prudently keeping it away from the aunt), [ s] told my aunt to leave us alone, smiled sweetly at the lady, and told my husband to follow me to the cashier who had already called us. So I didn’t understand why this aunt decided to make us fork out for cash - maybe she recently found out that vending machines also sell tickets, or maybe they didn’t fulfill their cash plan? :)
