How to Get Around Germany: An Easy Guide to Transportation in Germany
For planning a Germany bucket list vacation to multiple cities, you’ll need to understand how transportation in Germany works. It’s a big country, but it’s very well connected through the train system.
Bus options are also good to consider, especially for budget travelers. Take a look at our guide to how to get around in Germany.
It helps to look at how long it takes to get from one part of the country to another, and to compare trains and buses. That way you can decide how much time you’re willing to spend in transit when planning your Germany itinerary.
And if you’re on a budget, sometimes a slightly longer option can save you a lot of money.
Where to stay in Berlin
Berlin has lots of great neighborhoods for you to stay in and explore. If you’re visiting Berlin for the first time, it might be best for you stay somewhere central.
Many of the attractions are in Mitte or easily connected to Mitte by Berlin’s public transport, so you should stay somewhere in that region. Here are a few hotels we recommend.
For a more detailed look at the different neighborhoods and our hotel recommendations, check out our guide to where to stay in Berlin.
Getting around Germany by train
Germany’s national rail company is Deutsche Bahn. Their website is excellent, available in English, and easy to use for planning routes throughout the country.
FlixTrain is another new option for trains in Germany. They are the same company as FlixBus, a popular bus company throughout Europe. Their bus site will even show you train routes, where available, alongside the bus options.
Deutsche Bahn fast train transportation in Germany
This is an ICE train in GermanyTraveling long distances from one region to another is easier and more efficient using Deutsche Bahn‘s fast trains.
ICE are the fastest trains, and IC or EC, are still fast but stop more often. These trains are best booked ahead of time.
The ticket prices are more expensive if you book last minute, so if you know when and where you want to go, you can save money.
For reference, ICE means Inter City Express, IC means Inter City, and EC means Euro City. So usually the ICE trains are slightly faster and/or have slightly fewer stops than the IC trains. EC usually means the train is traveling to a city in another country.
To give you an idea of distances, here’s how long it takes to get between Berlin and some of the major cities in Germany:
- Berlin to Munich: 4 to 5 hours
- Berlin to Hamburg: 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours
- Berlin to Heidelberg: 5 to 6 hours
- Berlin to Freiburg (Black Forest): 6 hours 30 minutes to 7 hours
- Berlin to Frankfurt: 4 to 5 hours
- Berlin to Cologne: 4 hours 40 minutes
- Berlin to Leipzig: 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes
- Berlin to Dresden: 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes
As you can see, there aren’t too many short journeys there. So every time you change cities, you will spent half or even a full day in transit. Be sure to work this into your planning.
>>Read: How Many Days in Berlin Do You Need?
Deutsche Bahn regional train transportation in Germany
Regional trains in Germany are sometimes – but not always – redGermany has several regions or states. Traveling short distances, especially within one state, can often be really affordable when you take the slower regional trains.
Each state has a day ticket that allows you to travel on the regional trains and city public transportation with up to five people traveling together. This can save you a lot of money if you’re traveling within one state.
These tickets are valid from 9am to 3am the next day on weekdays, and from midnight on weekends and official holidays. You pay a base fare for one person and an additional rate for each person up to five, and you can book the day you want to travel.
There are some variations depending on the state so be sure to check the rules first.
>>Read: 1 Week in Germany Itinerary: Berlin and Munich
Booking tickets
Germany is well connected by both train and busDeutsche Bahn train tickets are easy to book online since the website is also available in English. But you can also book tickets at machines, which also switch to English, in any train station.
Most train stations will also have a ticket counter if you want to buy from a person. But they might not always speak English and sometimes there are extra charges involved.
Certain tickets, usually savings fares, will bind you to a specific train. You must travel on the exact time and route you have booked.
The only exception is if you have a connecting train and your first train is late, causing you to miss your connection.
If you want more flexibility, book the standard fare which allows you to travel on a particular route but you are not bound to an exact time. You must still ride the same class of train as the ticket you have booked.
You don’t validate train tickets in Germany. But someone will come through and check your ticket almost every time, so don’t ride without a ticket.
You used to be able to buy a ticket on the train, but recently rules have changed, eliminating this as an option in most cases. Always buy a ticket before boarding the train.
>>Check ticket prices and routes on Deutsche Bahn.
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Seat reservations on Deutsche Bahn
This means seats 42 and 44 are not reservedDeutsche Bahn train tickets don’t automatically assign you a seat. If you want to reserve a seat, there’s an option in the booking process to do so.
It costs 4.50 euros per leg, and it’s only available on the long distance (IC, ICE, EC) trains. You can’t reserve seats on the regional trains.
Reserving a seat means you know exactly where to go and you don’t have to stress about searching for an empty seat or get split up from your traveling companions. There’s even a map on the platform telling you where to stand based on where your seat is.
If you don’t reserve a seat, when you board the train, look above the seats next to the seat numbers to find one that isn’t reserved. On rare occasions on popular routes at busy times, there could be no seats available.
In 11 years of living in Germany, I’ve only been stuck completely without a seat once, but it was enough for me to almost always reserve seat now. The small fee is worth it to avoid the stress, especially when I have lots of luggage.
>>Check out: When is the Best Time to Visit Berlin?
FlixTrain transportation in Germany
FlixTrain is a fairly new option in Germany, but it’s one that could save you money. They are good for medium to long distance travel.
Even though they don’t have as many routes, they do have the most popular routes you are likely to be interested in as a tourist.
Some example routes include Berlin to Cologne, Cologne to Hamburg, Berlin – Frankfurt – Heidelberg – Stuttgart, Hamburg – Berlin – Leipzig – Munich, and Munich to Frankfurt. These routes have other stops as well. FlixTrain also has one route in Sweden.
Train tickets on FlixTrain come with a guaranteed seat. You don’t have to worry about getting stuck standing. Most trains have free wifi and outlets at your seat.
FlixTrain also uses the normal train stations, so you don’t have to go someplace different to catch the train.
It’s definitely worth comparing FlixTrain with Deutsche Bahn since they could save you money on the same routes.
>>Read out guide to saving money while traveling to Berlin on a budget.
Getting around Germany by bus
FlixBus can be a great option for getting around in Germany since it is usually cheaper than the train. But you do have to weigh the cost savings with the amount of time it takes.
For some routes, the timing is similar, while others are much longer. Shorter distances are usually similar, while longer routes are usually faster with the train than the bus.
FlixBus is definitely worth checking out when you’re planning your routes. Their buses are modern, clean, and safe, and I’ve used them dozens of times, so I would recommend them for any type of traveler.
The FlixBus website also tells you when they have a FlixTrain option for the route you’re searching for, so if the bus takes too long, the train might be good.
For example, Berlin to Hamburg takes about 2 hours by train on Deutsche Bahn. If you look at FlixBus to compare with the bus prices, you’ll see that the bus takes 3 to 4 hours, which is not ideal.
But they tell you it’s faster with the train, and you’ll see that the FlixTrain option takes about 2 hours.
When I’m traveling around Germany, I always check the FlixBus site before I book my transportation. If it’s cheaper and similar timing, I’ll use FlixBus.
>>Check prices and schedules on FlixBus.
Book a tour for your trip to Berlin
Berlin Travel Resources
I want you to have the best trip to Berlin, and hopefully this guide to transportation in Germany is helpful. But there are lots more tips on the site!
- 101 Best Things to do in Berlin
- 23 Impressive Castles in Berlin (And Nearby)
- 27 Best World War II & Cold War Sights in Berlin
- 29 Fun Day Trips From Berlin
- 75 Things to Know Before Visiting Berlin: Essential Berlin Travel Tips
- What to Wear & What to Pack for Berlin, Germany: Your Ultimate Berlin Packing List
- How to Get Around in Berlin: An Easy Guide to Berlin Public Transportation
Ali is originally from the US, but she’s been living in Germany since 2011. In 2015, she and her husband moved to Berlin where they now live with their small dog. They even bought an apartment in Berlin in 2021 – Berlin is definitely home now! Ali’s goal is to show you everything you need to know for enjoying a trip to Berlin.
July 8, 2022 @ 7:24 pm
Hi Ali, very informative blog. It would help if you can please list the trains on each of the long routes that are included in 9 Euro deal.
And what I will really love would be few sample itineraries by public transportation and small, majestic places to see, rather than age old tourist traps big cities, museum and attractions. Thank you.
July 10, 2022 @ 9:07 pm
Thanks, San, I’m glad you’re finding the site helpful! I can’t really list all the trains that are included in the 9 euro ticket because it’s almost all of them. You can use the 9 euro ticket on all public transport, so all of Berlin’s Ubahns, Sbahns, trams, buses, and 99.9% of public transport in the rest of Germany.
You can also use it on most regional trains. The exceptions are trains that appear to be regionals but are not – and I know that’s confusing! Rest assured there are not many of those. In the Berlin area, those trains are the RE 56 (Potsdam-Berlin-Cottbus), the RE 17 (Elsterwerda-Berlin), and the RE 28 (Berlin-Eberswalde-Prenzlau). If you look at routes on Deutsche Bahn, in the details of a route, if you see “9-Euro-Ticket nicht gültig” or you see “Operator: DB Fernverkehr AG” then you can’t use the 9 euro ticket for that train. Those routes aren’t frequent – there are normal regional trains that run those routes, and when I look, I really have to dig to find those trains that are not eligible.
You can NOT use the 9 euro ticket for fast/long distance trains, so if the train number starts with IC, ICE, or EC, your 9 euro ticket is NOT valid.
I’m definitely working on more info for less touristy attractions and other places to visit. But most of my round ups include the popular and not-so-popular places. For example, in my day trips from Berlin post, you’ll find the classics, like Potsdam, but also lesser known places like Cottbus. In my castles in Berlin post, of course I’ve included Charlottenburg Palace, but many people don’t know about places like the Peacock Island castle or the Spandau Citadel, which are both super interesting. And I’ve put together a list of places where you can see remains of the Berlin Wall, which obviously includes the East Side Gallery, but also has interesting places even I didn’t know about until a few months ago when I started researching the article. So hopefully I’m helping first time visitors who want to see the big attractions, but also people like you who want some lesser known places!