Germany : DB

German Rail Pass

  • Unlimited travel in Germany and extra trips to Brussels, Prague, cities in Austria and Italy on selected trains.
  • Discount for 2 people travelling together with the Twin Pass.
  • Children up to 11 travel for free.
  • Youth (12 - 25) discounts available

WHO

WHAT


Overview

The saying is as old as the hills. Why not see the hills where it just may have originated ? The German Rail Pass from Rail Europe gives you unlimited train travel from three to ten days. Plenty of time to frolic around the many rooms of the Schloss Neuschwanstein near Fussen, or marvel at Wartburg Castle built in 1067 AD.

And what would coming home to the castle every night be without a cold beer waiting ? Sample the finest of the local breweries in Germany without having to worry about airports or driving. Perhaps most of all, the history of Germany demands to be shared.

Rail Europe can help you plan a thoughtful itinerary that lets you travel through the footsteps of times past. And don’t forget the Black Forest and Rhine Valley. There may be a lot to see when you travel n Germany, but there’s really only one way to efficiently see it all. Rail Europe.

And now the German Rail Pass covers travel to popular destinations in Brussels, Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic without buying additional country passes or tickets. Use it to travel to and from Brussels on ICE International Trains, Prague on the DB Expressbus, Kufstein and Innsbruck in Austria, and Bolzano, Verona, Bologna and Venice in Italy on DB-OBB Eurocity trains.

Please note : Children under 6 years old travel free when sharing an adult travelers accommodations.


Marienplatz

How does it work?

Rail Passes in 3 steps

1. Pick the right rail pass

Pick the right rail pass

Rail passes are available in 1, 2, 3 or 4 country combinations for extensive travel on the national rail networks. Going for an extended trip? Try the Eurail Global Pass offering rail travel in 28 different countries.
Once you've selected your pass, its price will depend on the class of service, First or Second, selected and the number of rail travel days.

Use our Pass Finder

2. Reserve your seats

Reserve your seats

Traveling on local and regional trains provides you with an opportunity to freely explore. It’s easy to get on a train with your rail pass and find an open seat to enjoy the journey in. Seat reservations are required on many high speed, overnight, scenic, and international trains. It’s always a good idea to research the journey you are interested in and check for any specific seat reservation requirements.

Book Seat Reservations

3. Activate and travel

Activate and travel

Your rail pass requires that you activate it by getting it stamped at the ticket window at the departure station on the day of your first train journey. Once activated, you are all set and ready to explore.

Common Questions

Rail pass benefits

More than just trains

 Main discounts and bonuses in German Rail Pass

Trains

  • Travelers with a German Rail Pass do not pay supplement on ICE, ICE Sprinter, IC, EC trains or City Night Line trains (only if the pass covers the entire route)** Reservations, however, are strongly recommended during peak travel times and are mandatory on all night trains.
  • The pass and German TCV tickets cover the S-Bahn service
  • Travel on the DB Operated Trains (reservations are an additional cost)
    International trains to/from Liège and Brussels
    DB-OeBB EuroCity trains to/from Kufstein, Innsbruck, Bolzano/Bozen, Trento, Verona, Bologna, Venice.

Private Rail Road

  • Bayerische Zugspitzbahn - 10% reduction on round-trip tickets to Germany’s highest mountain, near Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Ferries and Cruises

  • 20% discount on boats of the Koln-Dusseldorf Rheinschiffahrt AG Line (KD Rhine Line) on :
    The River Rhine between Cologne and Mainz
    The Mosel River between Koblenz and Cochem am Mosel.
    A supplement is needed for the hydrofoil. (Ships with cabins are not included).
  • On the Lake of Constance a 50% reduction on all boats operated by Bodensee Schifffahrtsbetriebe
  • 25% off Spree and Havel river boat trips in Berlin (routes C, H or S) with Stern und Kreisschiffahrt GmbH

Buses

  • A 20% discount on the following Europabus routes :
    "Romantic Road" route,(Frankfurt am Main-Wurzburg-Augsburg-Munich-Fussen)
    It is strongly recommended to reserve seats about two working days in advance by contacting :
    Deutsche Touring GmbH, Am Römerhof 17, 60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
    Phone : +49 69 719126 261 ; Fax : +49 69 719126 156
  • Travel on the DB IC Buses (reservations are an additional cost) :
    Berlin Sudkreuz-Copenhagen
    Berlin-Wroclaw-Kraków
    Dusseldorf-Eindhoven-Antwerp-London
    Stuttgart Airport–Vukovar (Croatia)
    Frankfurt-Hahn-Trier-Luxemburg
    München-Ljubljana-Zagreb
    München - Milano
    Munich - Split / Pula (Croatia)
    München-Prague
    Nurembourg-Mannheim-Heidelberg-Strasbourg-Paris
    Mannheim-Nurembourg-Prague

Hotels

  • 10% discount on the daily rate at A&O hotels and hostels in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and other German cities.

Attractions

  • City Circle Sightseeing : 20% discount on a ticket for the Berlin Basic City Circle Yellow bus tour.
  • 25% discount on a night ticket to the TV Tower Alexanderplatz ( Berlin TV Tower)
  • Free CityCard or WelcomeCard in the following cities Augsburg, Erfurt, Freiburg, Heidelberg, Koblenz, Mainz, Münster, Osnabrück, Potsdam, Rostock, Trier, Wiesbaden and Würzburg
  • Discounted price on the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus in Hamburg.

Travel forum

From our travel community

Going from amsterdam to berlin: do i need germany on my pass? I'll be leaving from Amsterdam to go to Berlin, but won't be taking the train within Germany at all (excepting for that one train). Do I still need to add Germany to the countries, or will the Benelux pass suffice (I'll also have France and (...)

Conor Newton | 18a junio 2006 complete | 2 Comments
Reservations with rail pass. how do i make a reservation? How do I use my euro rail pass? how do I reserve train tickets? is euro rail accepted by all train companies?

Madeleine Johnson | 12a junio 2013 complete | 87 Comments
Is the eurail global pass the best option when traveling to many countries on a budget? My parents are planning a trip in Europe and want to take full advantage of their time there and visit many countries and also remain on a budget. The itinerary plan is as follows: First they will be traveling from Amsterdam to Munich. They want (...)

Lillyana Matamoros | 15a majo 2020 complete | 5 Comments
Rail pass - ireland, wales, scotland, germany, poland, czech, hungary, austria I want to buy the rail pass for Summer time vacation plan. Anybody know the ticket of pass is US$385.00 for all the place at different country in 3 months or have additional charge? Ireland Dublin > Ireland Shannon > Wales > Scotland (...)

katy | 12a junio 2005 complete | 4 Comments
How to reserve a seat using german rail pass and what is the cost of reservations. Hell Jeff, We are planning to make a trip around part of Germany using German Rail Pass. From Munich, Nuremberg, Bamberg, Dresden, Berlin etc. I tried to follow your instructions on how to reserve seats and failed. We have a twin flex pass for (...)

Yelena Solovey | 18a aprilo 2010 complete | 1 Comments

Read all

Reviews

Reviews & ratings

Overall rating (40)
  • Value for money
    Convenience
    German Rail Pass |
    "A superb train network in Germany suited perfectly a business trip for me and some add on sightseeing. Easy, efficient and fast. For me it worked but make sure you need the flexibility of a pass as they're not cheap. But for my schedule which I couldn't be certain of each day the pass was excellent value for money. If you are just travelling within Germany as I was don't be bullied into paying extra for reservations. You don't need them. They're only necessary going from one country to another. "

  • Value for money
    Convenience
    Traveling in Germany  |
    "With the German pass, travelling in Germany is really easy, convenient and comfortable. Any delays are quickly minimised by immediate rescheduling of trains to make up for lost time and to get back to schedule. Amazing ! "

  • Value for money
    Convenience
    From top to bottom |
    "We traveled by rail pass from Hamburg to Switzerland, via cities in between, and back again over the course of a couple of weeks. As usual we enjoyed the comfort, the speed, the views and the simplicity of booking and making connections. The food on the trains is nothing to speak of so we usually carried our own for the longer trips (longest about 6 hours). It's a relaxing and interesting way to travel in Europe. "

  • Value for money
    Convenience
    Train without 1 st Class Cabin |
    "That old train had no first class cabin and the rail staff just informed us to go to designated area within a second class cabin when we asked the whereabout of first class cabin. There should better be public announcement through the PA system. "

  • Value for money
    Convenience
    Germany - September 2015 |
    "Your passes are good and a real help in travelling. Though, I found that the Swiss pass (used in May 2014) was much better than the German pass. But overall, a Pass is a good buy. "

  • Value for money
    Convenience
    No matter when we want to go |
    "It's convenient for us to go to everywhere at anytime, we just need to check the time of train and take it. Even our plan change, it's not necessary to worry about the tickets. But booking the seat early is important. "

  • Value for money
    Convenience
    Best way to travel Germany |
    "Enjoyable and safe travelling, no better way to explore Germany. "

  • Value for money
    europa tour 2015 |
    "everything went perfect without any problems "

  • Value for money
    Convenience
    Nice ride |
    "Have reserved seats in advance but found it rather empty didn't require reservation "

  • German Trip |
    "It was value for money. "

    • 0 10 20

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FAQ

Common Questions, Simple Answers

  • Q. What are the classes of service which are offered on the Lyria train ?

  • Q. What is a Rail Pass month and how does it work ?

  • Q. Can I paying extra charges or abstain from making a reservation ?

  • Q. How do I know if I need a reservation ?

  • Q. Can students obtain a special discount ?

  • Q. What are the main differences between a Eurail Global Pass and a Eurail Select Pass ?

  • Q. Where can I find information regarding train timetables ?

  • Q. What are the classes of service which are offered on the Lyria train ?

  • Q. How much time in advance, can I book tickets for TGV trains ?

  • Q. Is there a check-in before the departure of an Frecciarossa train ?

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