How to Travel Germany by Train: Exact Routes, Costs + First-Timer Tips

Yes! Germany rail travel is extensive, efficient, and surprisingly beginner-friendly for first-time visitors.

One of the biggest advantages is how centrally located the train stations are.

Unlike airports, most major stations place you right near hotels, public transportation, and city centers.

For our trip, we never rented a car and never felt like we needed one.

Since our itinerary focused on major cities and day trips, trains ended up being the easier option.

Some of the biggest advantages we found were:

• No parking stress
• No navigating unfamiliar roads
• Easy city-center to city-center transportation
• Comfortable rides with bathrooms and luggage storage
• Scenic countryside views
• Frequent departures between major cities

The only times we chose guided tours instead were for our Rhine Valley day trip from Frankfurt and our Neuschwanstein Castle day trip from Munich, where having transportation and logistics handled for us was worth the extra cost.

A Broad Recommendation: Staying within walking distance of Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof and Munich Hauptbahnhof made train travel significantly easier, especially for early departures and day trips.

👉 You can compare hotels near Frankfurt Main Station and hotels near Munich Hauptbahnhof here.

During our Germany trip, we used both Trainline and Deutsche Bahn (DB), but for different purposes.

Trainline was our preferred booking platform because it made it easy to compare routes, manage tickets, and keep our group’s reservations in one place, especially as international travelers.

However, the DB Navigator app became our go-to app during travel days.

We used it regularly to:

• Check platforms
• Track delays
• Monitor schedule changes

Since platform changes happened more often than we expected, having DB Navigator open saved us a lot of stress.

If you’re traveling Germany by train for the first time, I’d recommend using Trainline for booking and DB Navigator once you’re on the ground.

👉 Check Germany train ticket prices here.

Before this trip, I knew we’d be relying heavily on trains, but I hadn’t spent hours researching Germany’s rail system beforehand.

Some travel days were incredibly smooth. Others involved last-minute ticket purchases, minor delays, and one memorable evening standing in the rain in the Rhine Valley wondering when our train would finally arrive.

Rather than giving generic advice, here’s the exact Germany train itinerary we followed over 7 days, including the routes we took, what worked well, and a few lessons we learned along the way.

This was our longest train ride of the trip—and honestly one of the easiest.

We took Germany’s high-speed ICE train from Frankfurt to Munich, which took roughly 3.5–4 hours.

The train was modern, comfortable, and much smoother than I expected, and we booked seats together in advance, which I’d definitely recommend for longer train rides.

After several packed sightseeing days, this ended up being one of the most relaxing parts of the trip.

We grabbed snacks at the station, watched vineyards, farmland, and small German towns roll by outside the windows, and appreciated having a few quiet hours to recharge before Oktoberfest.

👉 If you’re planning your own trip to Munich, my guide to 3 Days in Munich may come in handy.

Because we knew we’d be arriving and departing by train multiple times, we intentionally stayed within walking distance of Munich Hauptbahnhof.

This made train departures and Oktoberfest logistics much easier.

👉 Compare hotels near Munich Hauptbahnhof here and see exactly where we stayed in my guide to Where to Stay in Munich for First-Time Visitors.

One of my favorite train routes of the trip was Munich to Salzburg.

The ride only took about 1.5–2 hours, making it one of the easiest day trips we did from Munich.

We booked our tickets a couple of days in advance through Trainline, caught an early morning train, and still had a full day to explore Salzburg before returning to Munich that evening.

The route itself was also incredibly scenic, especially as we got closer to Austria and started seeing more alpine landscapes outside the windows.

Compared to some of our longer Germany train days, this one felt very straightforward and required almost no planning once our tickets were booked.

👉 My complete Salzburg day trip guide is coming soon!

Our final route ended up being one of the most memorable train days of our entire Germany trip.

We first took regional trains from Frankfurt toward Eltz Castle before hiking through the forest to reach the castle itself.

After visiting Eltz Castle, we continued on to Braubach in the Rhine Valley.

Originally, we planned to spend a couple of hours exploring before heading back to Frankfurt.

But when we accidentally discovered a local wine festival, what was supposed to be a quick stop turned into several hours wandering between festival tents, listening to live music, and sampling local Riesling.

By the time we finally headed back to the train station, we’d completely lost track of time.

Unfortunately, this is where our “go with the flow” approach backfired a little.

We ended up waiting much longer than expected for our train, delays started stacking up, and eventually the 4 of us found ourselves standing on the platform in Braubach in the pouring rain wondering when we’d actually make it back to Frankfurt.

At the time it felt miserable, but looking back on it now, it’s one of the travel memories we laugh about the most. Plus, we had a really nice view of Marksburg Castle from the platform!

We don’t have the exact receipt anymore, since we purchased these tickets directly at the station, but the regional routes for this day were relatively inexpensive compared to our long-distance ICE tickets.

👉 I share lots more here to help you plan your own Eltz Castle Day Trip.

For our group, we spent about $1,354 total on train tickets, which worked out to roughly $339 per person (not including our tickets to Eltz Castle, Braubach, and back to Frankfurt).

That included:

• Multiple intercity routes
• High-speed ICE trains
• Roundtrip travel between Munich and Salzburg
• Several regional day trips

Note that our most expensive tickets were the ones we purchased at the last minute.

Keep in mind these costs reflect travel during Oktoberfest season, one of the busiest and most expensive times of year to visit Munich.

All prices listed above were paid in late August or September and may vary depending on the season and how far in advance you book.

For major routes like Frankfurt → Munich, I’d recommend booking as early as possible.

In our experience, prices were usually much lower when we booked weeks ahead compared to waiting until the last minute.

For shorter regional routes, you usually have more flexibility.

Here’s what worked well for us:

• Long-distance ICE trains → booked several weeks early
• Regional day trips → booked closer to travel dates
• Oktoberfest period → book everything earlier than you think

If you’re visiting during Oktoberfest, book earlier than you think you need to.

Between Oktoberfest crowds, hotel demand, and train traffic, planning ahead made the trip dramatically less stressful.

Before our trip, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Germany’s ICE trains.

After taking multiple ICE routes between Frankfurt, Munich, and beyond, I was genuinely impressed.

The trains felt modern, clean, spacious, and surprisingly comfortable for longer travel days.

Our longest route was Frankfurt to Munich, which took roughly 3.5–4 hours, but the ride honestly went by quickly.

A few things stood out to us:

The seats felt larger and more comfortable than most economy airline seats, with decent legroom and fold-down tray tables.

Because we were traveling as a group, reserving seats together ahead of time made the ride much smoother.

One of my favorite parts of traveling Germany by train was simply watching the countryside pass by outside the window.

Vineyards, castles, forests, and small villages made the train rides feel like part of the trip rather than just transportation.

Germany’s rail system is very good overall, but it’s not perfect, and we experienced a few delays throughout the trip.

Nothing major disrupted our itinerary, but I’d still recommend building some flexibility into your schedule rather than planning ultra-tight connections.

Even though some routes offered first-class upgrades, we personally stuck with standard second-class tickets throughout the trip and found them completely comfortable.

For most first-time visitors, I honestly don’t think first class is necessary unless:

• You want quieter cars
• You’re traveling during major holidays
• Ticket prices happen to be close during booking

We also had no problem booking seats together for train tickets we purchased in advance.

Based on our experience, booking earlier was almost always cheaper for long-distance routes.

Germany’s long-distance ICE tickets often become more expensive closer to departure.

Buying our first train tickets after landing in Frankfurt felt more confusing than any other part of the trip.

Once we downloaded DB Navigator, everything became much easier.

We used it for:

• Checking platforms
• Tracking delays
• Monitoring schedule changes

Seat reservations aren’t always required, but I’d absolutely reserve seats for longer ICE routes like Frankfurt to Munich.

This was especially helpful during Oktoberfest season when trains were noticeably busier.

One thing that surprised us was how often platforms changed shortly before departure.

Don’t panic if this happens.

Germany’s stations are generally well organized, and DB Navigator usually updates changes quickly.

Germany’s trains are luggage-friendly, but you’ll still be carrying your own bags through stations, onto trains, and across platforms.

Traveling with carry-ons and backpacks made our trip much easier.

Most of our trains were on time, but small delays happened often enough that I wouldn’t recommend planning tight connections.

Giving yourself extra time between trains makes travel days far less stressful.

Yes. Germany has one of the best rail systems in Europe, with excellent connections between major cities and smaller towns.

Most major stations have English signage, ticket machines, and digital departure boards that are relatively easy to navigate.

For itineraries focused on cities like Frankfurt, Cologne, and Munich, no. We completed almost our entire trip using trains and guided tours.

I could see a car being useful for exploring the Rhine Valley on your own though.

Usually yes, but small delays are common.

Most of our trains arrived either on time or only slightly delayed, especially on regional routes.

Yes. German trains don’t have airline-style baggage restrictions, and most ICE trains offer overhead racks and luggage storage areas.

Just remember you’ll be responsible for carrying and storing your own bags, so packing lighter definitely makes travel days easier.

Yes, overall we felt very safe using trains throughout Germany.

As with most large transportation hubs in Europe, it’s still smart to:

• Stay aware of your belongings
• Avoid leaving luggage unattended
• Pay attention in crowded stations

But overall, Germany felt very beginner-friendly for train travel.

ICE trains are Germany’s high-speed long-distance trains connecting major cities like Frankfurt and Munich.

Regional trains are slower local trains that connect smaller towns and shorter routes.

During our trip, we used both:

• ICE trains for longer intercity travel
• Regional trains for local day trips and shorter connections

Absolutely! We completed almost our entire Germany itinerary using trains and guided tours without renting a car once.

For first-time visitors focused on cities like Frankfurt, Cologne, Munich, and Salzburg, Germany is one of the easiest countries in Europe to explore entirely by train.