German railways are considered one of the most efficient public transport systems not only in Europe but also in the world. Therefore, traveling by German trains is not only fast, but also comfortable. But, of course, such efficiency comes at a cost. Although competent tourists, using various discounts and tariffs, may well travel around the country on a fairly budget. Now we will tell you about how the rail transport operates in this country. You will also learn how to travel within Germany and even beyond by train in a way that is not too expensive for your pocket.
Germany: railway work
The first trains in this country appeared in 1835. It was then that the railway connection between the cities of Nuremberg and Fürz was opened. Twenty-five years later, eight thousand kilometers of rail covered the country. ATIn 1925, improved steam locomotives appeared, and in 1936, German trains set a speed record, reaching two hundred kilometers per hour for the first time in the world. In 1988, an even higher bar was taken. Experimental trains "Intercity" showed the possibility of four hundred kilometers per hour. The idea of using electric energy in transport also belongs to the German - Werner Siemens. He also built a trial site near Berlin. The electrification of German railways began in the nineteenth century and continued after the First World War. After the reunification of Germany, all railways began to belong to one state monopoly called "Deutsche Bahn". The country is connected by rails with those states that have the same gauge. These are France, Switzerland, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium. To date, the length of railways in Germany is forty-two thousand kilometers. It is the sixth longest in the world. About twenty thousand kilometers have been electrified.
Stations
Any railway journey starts from the stations. If in small villages and towns, as a rule, there is only one station, then in large cities there are several. You will immediately understand that in front of you is the main station when you read the name "Hoptbahnhof". Railway stations in Germany are most often equipped with everything necessary for a traveler. Even the smallest stations have cafes or bistros, ticket offices or vending machines, timetables and signs to get to the tracks. Even if there is no covered station, there are always comfortable benches withglass walls to protect from the wind. Most stations have facilities for people with disabilities and lifts. Large stations are whole mini-towns. Unlike small stations, they are open around the clock, and there are many cafes and restaurants, as well as shopping galleries and boutiques. At some stations there are chain supermarkets like Lidl. Luggage storage is available at most stations in the country. Tourists prefer automatic because they are more convenient and cheaper.
Train types
Every tourist who travels in Germany and chooses a fare that suits his goals and budget should know this. In general, German trains are divided into two large groups. We would call them long-distance and short-range rail transport. They are also called ambulance (trunk) and regional. The first is usually white, and the second is red. But there are exceptions. But then the system becomes more complicated. The category "high-speed train" includes "Intercity Express", as well as simply IC or EU. They travel within the country and abroad. Sleeping night trains with lying places also belong there. Regional trains are analogues of our electric trains, with the difference that they are immeasurably cleaner, more comfortable and travel at a speed of at least one hundred kilometers per hour. Suburban trains often replace metro and trams. Smoking is prohibited on all types of trains. This rule has been in place for several years.
Fastest
The ICE train (Germany), or "Intercity Express", is consideredhigh-speed, reaching three hundred kilometers per hour. It also makes the minimum number of stops. His locomotive is like a silver bullet. But quite often in practice the speed of such a train is not much different from other main lines. Intercity is good to use if you cover a distance of five hundred to six hundred kilometers and, for example, travel from Cologne to Berlin or Munich. So you not only save an hour or an hour and a half, but also do not make transfers that are inevitable on other types of trains. They also offer a high level of comfort. These trains usually run during the day. Travel time can be compared to traveling in a car, but it will be much more comfortable!
ICE cars
Here everything is thought out for the convenience of passengers. The class of the wagon in Intercity Express is indicated by a large gray number. The number is on the electronic board next to the door. You can also see the route along which the high-speed train moves. By the way, when landing, be careful. Often the composition is divided in two, and one half can go to a completely different place. The doors close automatically. Seating places. Second class usually has two rows of twin seats. Between them is a passage. In the center of the car there are several seats opposite each other. Each chair has a table. Below the window is a laptop socket. WiFi is available on some trains. There is a headphone jack in the arm of the chair to listen to the radio. Luggage can be placed both on the shelves above the seats and in special compartments. Some carriages have six-seater compartments. On the scoreboard at the end it is shown, withhow fast the train is moving. The cars are usually sealed and the rails are jointless, so no noise is heard.
Other mainline trains
So-called "Intercity" go between the major cities of Germany. This marking is worn by an ordinary fast train. It no longer looks as “cosmic” as the Intercity Express. The seats are also seated. Most have tables and sockets. Sometimes there are two ten-seat compartments for the entire train. If you are traveling in a similar ambulance to other countries, then it will have an EU marking. You can often see how passengers take their belongings to neighboring places. This is a German custom. Such a seat is vacated only at the request of other passengers. One of the carriages is a restaurant. It is divided into two parts. In the first of them - with a bar and high tables - you can order tea, coffee or beer. And the second is a real restaurant with waiters, menus and beautiful tablecloths. Night trains are called "CityNightLine". There is a compartment with lying places where bed linen is issued. They usually link metropolitan areas. If such trains move between European capitals or major cities, then they are marked as "EuroNight".
Regional and commuter rail transport
This type of train includes not only state, but also private lines. Usually they walk a distance of one hundred to two hundred kilometers. Regional express trains make stops in major cities. German railways have special varieties of thistype of trains not on some routes. They are called inter-regional express trains. There are trains that make frequent stops. They are called simply regional. Suburban transport, which is part of the railway system, is the S-bahn or the Stadt-bahn. Such trains usually pass through major cities and/or connect neighboring communities. They are part of the local transport network. Such trains run both in tunnels (instead of metro) and over ground lines (like trams). They can be used when traveling within the city and the surrounding area.
What are the rates for fast trains
German railways seem to have a rather confusing ticketing system at first glance. However, if you understand it, you can find great benefits for yourself. There are so-called base rates. The prices for them, so to speak, bite. If you want to travel at this rate from Berlin, for example to Dortmund, then pay about ninety euros for a regular fast train. And Intercity Express will cost even a hundred. A trip to Dresden from the German capital will cost half as much. The same system applies to night trains. But they are much more expensive. If the fare from Berlin to Munich costs a little more than one hundred and fifty euros at the basic fare, then the price on the night express will rise to two hundred or even three hundred. On fast trains, you can (and sometimes need to) book a seat - at the window or aisle. But most often they just buy a travel document. Without a seat reservation, you can sit on any unoccupied seats in second-class carriages. If there are no free seats, you can stay investibule or restaurant.
Discounts
However, if you buy tickets in advance, you can get discounted prices, the so-called sparprice. Then you can go to the same Dortmund for forty euros. And if the distance of your trip is no more than two hundred and fifty kilometers, then you can try to buy tickets for 25 and 19 Є. True, their number is small, and to catch them, you need a fair amount of luck. On some trains crossing the whole country, you can buy a ticket at a discount for twenty-nine euros. But it will be almost impossible to return it if the trip fails. Do you want to travel around Germany in comfort, but not at an exorbitant price? To help you - all the same sparprays system. A first-class carriage (really more comfortable, the seats in it look like an airplane) will cost at least twenty-nine euros, and for long distances - 39. The price of night trains with early booking can also drop two or even three times.
Group tickets on regional routes
You can travel very cheaply in Germany by train. Just for this you need to choose special discount tickets for regional rail transport. And there are many such opportunities. For example, there is an unlimited ticket with which you can ride throughout the country from nine in the morning to midnight for one day on regional trains (excluding ambulances). It costs forty-four euros per person. It even has a name "across the country from end to end." But for suchtickets are better to go with a company - the more people (up to five), the better. For each next passenger you pay eight euros. As a result, a large family or a company of five people can travel around the country during the day for only seventy-six euros.
Even better opportunities for such travel are provided by German railways on weekends. A weekend ticket has the same benefits as an unlimited ticket, only it is valid from midnight until three in the morning of the next day. In addition, one passenger can ride on it for 40 euros, and each subsequent (up to five) pays 4 Є. By the way, these tickets are valid not only on trains, but also on public transport, as well as on regional buses anywhere in Germany.
Federal Offers
Group train tickets can be not only nationwide. Germany, as you know, is divided into federal states, and each of them has its own system of discounts when traveling around the region. For example, in Rhineland-Palatinate, a regional ticket will cost twenty-four euros per person. For each next passenger (up to five), the price will increase by another 5 Є. Interestingly, in this way you can travel not only in this federal state, but also in neighboring regions - up to Mainheim and Karlsruhe in the south, to Limburg and Wiesbaden in the east and Bonn in the north - and even get to two border French cities. And if you pay an additional six euros to this ticket, you will get the opportunity to ride to Luxemourg. This discount applieson weekdays, from nine to midnight, and on weekends - from twelve at night to three in the morning of the next day. And from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, on a regional ticket, you can call in Holland and return back. Its price is twenty-six euros for the first passenger. And on the "Bavaria ticket" go even to Austria. Traveling from Munich to Salzburg and back is quite possible for twenty-four euros. There are also night tickets. They allow you to move within their coverage area between 6 pm and 6 am.
Where to buy tickets
In Germany, this can be done in several ways. You can just go to the railway ticket office at the station ("Reisenzentrum"). On mainline trains, tickets can be bought from the controller as a last resort (but at full fare and without discounts). In regional rail transport, it is better not to do this. If you are found to be without a ticket, you will be heavily fined. In an exceptional case, you must find the controller yourself and inform him that you were unable to obtain a travel document. You can also use the most advanced online booking system in Europe - the Deutschebahn website. It is there that they profitably buy discount tickets "Sparprice". But for this it is better to register in the system. A ticket purchased via the Internet is printed on a printer. You will need to show it and your ID to the controller. If you are not registered in the system, then you will not be able to purchase a ticket for another person. In this case, you will also have to show the controller the credit card with which youbought.
Automatic machines
But there is the easiest and cheapest way to travel on German trains. To do this, you need to buy tickets from the machine at the station. There you can buy discounted and regional travel documents, and not only with a credit card, as in most European countries, but in cash, which is often convenient for foreigners. In addition, when buying tickets in a machine, you pay two to five euros less than at the box office. The main thing is to understand how they work. But after that, you will immediately feel their benefits. In addition, at night or at small stations, tickets can only be bought from vending machines. They are usually six-lingual. The bonus is that you can choose the most convenient route for yourself and print it out for free in the same machine.
Discount cards and travel cards
Sometimes, especially with frequent and regular trips, it is beneficial to buy special offers from Deutsche Bahn. These are cards of 25, 50 or 100. The numbers indicate the percentage of the discount from the regular ticket price. For example, if the cost of a trip is ten euros, then with a 25 card you pay seven and a half, with a BahnCard 50 - five, and 100 - you can travel all over Germany without a ticket at all. The cards are valid for a year and are nominal. They can only be used by one person - the one for whom the document is issued. 100 cards are very expensive and cost at least four thousand euros. But you cannot combine BahnCard discounts and weekend or regional tickets. Buying such a card makes sense if the total cost of your tickets without discounts is several hundred euros duringtwelve months. There is also a pan-European travel card, which is called "Interrail". It's a bit pricey to use it to travel within Germany, but if you're planning to travel to other countries or use the rail a lot, it might be for you.
