German railways are considered one of the most efficient public transport systems not only in Europe but also in the world. Therefore, traveling on German trains is not only fast, but also comfortable. But, of course, such efficiency costs money. Although competent tourists, using various discounts and tariffs, may well travel around the country on a fairly budgetary basis. Now we will tell you about how railway transport operates in this country. You will also learn how to travel around Germany and even beyond its borders by train in such a way that it is not very expensive for your pocket.
Germany: Railways
The first trains in this country appeared in eighteen thirty-five. It was then that the railway connection between the cities of Nuremberg and Furz was opened. Twenty-five years later, eight thousand kilometers of rail covered the country. Improved steam locomotives appeared in 1925, 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. Intercity pilot trains 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 test 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 became owned by one state monopolist called Deutsche Bahn. The country is connected by rails with those states that have the same gauge. These are France, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium. Today, the length of railways in Germany is forty-two thousand kilometers. This is the sixth place in the world in terms of length. Electrified about twenty thousand kilometers.
Train stations
From the stations begins any journey by rail. 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 “Hoptopbahnhof”. Railway stations in Germany are most often equipped with everything necessary for the traveler. Even at the smallest stations there is a cafe or bistro, ticket offices or vending machines, a timetable with signs and signs on how to get to the tracks. Even if there is no indoor station, there are always comfortable benches with glass walls that protect from the wind. Most stations have facilities for people with disabilities and elevators. Large stations are whole mini-towns. Unlike small stations, they work around the clock, and there are many cafes and restaurants, as well as shopping galleries and boutiques. At some stations, Lidl type supermarkets are open. Left-luggage offices are available at most stations in the country. Tourists prefer automatic because they are more convenient and cheaper.
Types of trains
This must be known to every tourist traveling in Germany and choosing a tariff that suits his goals and budget. In general, German trains are divided into two large groups. We would call them long-distance and short-distance railway transport. They are also called fast (trunk) and regional. The former are usually white and the latter red. But there are exceptions. But then the system becomes more complicated. Intersity Express, as well as just IC or EU, fall into the category of “high-speed train”. They go inside the country and abroad. Sleeping night trains with lying beds also belong there. Regional trains are analogues of our 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 ones often replace the metro and trams. No smoking on trains of any type. This rule has been in force for several years.
The fastest
The ICE train (Germany), or the Intercity Express, is considered to be high-speed, reaching three hundred kilometers per hour. He also makes the minimum number of stops. His locomotive looks like a silver bullet. But quite often, in practice, the speed of such a train is not much different from other main ones. Intercity is good to use if you cover a distance of five hundred to six hundred kilometers and, for example, you travel from Cologne to Berlin or Munich. So you not only save an hour or a half, but also do not make transfers that are inevitable on other types of trains. They also feature a high level of comfort. Such trains usually run during the day. Travel time can be compared with movement in a car, but it will be much more comfortable!
ICE cars
Everything is thought out here for the convenience of passengers. The class of a wagon in Intercity Express is indicated by a large gray number. The number is on an electronic board near the door. There you can see the route along which the high-speed train moves. By the way, be careful when landing. Often the composition is divided in two, and one half can go to a completely different place. Doors close automatically. Seats. In the second class there are usually two rows of twin armchairs. 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 socket for a laptop. Some trains run wifi. There is a headphone jack in the handle of the chair to listen to the radio. Luggage can be placed both on shelves above the seats, and in special compartments. Some wagons have six-seater coupes. The display at the end shows how fast the train is moving. The cars are usually airtight, and the rails are jointless, so no noise is heard.
Other main trains
Between the major cities of Germany go the so-called "Intercity". This mark is a regular fast train. It no longer looks as “cosmic” as Intercity Express. Places are also sedentary. Most have tables and sockets. Sometimes there are two ten-seater coupes for the entire train. If you travel by similar ambulance to other countries, then it will be marked with the EU. You can often see how passengers occupy neighboring places with their belongings. This is a German custom. They vacate this place only at the request of other passengers. One of the cars is a restaurant. It is divided into two parts. In the first of them - with a bar counter and high tables - you can order tea, coffee or beer. And the second is a real restaurant with waiters, menus and beautiful appliances on the tablecloths. Night trains are called CityNight Line. There is a coupe with beds, where bedding is provided. Usually they connect megacities. If such trains move between European capitals or major cities, then they are labeled as EuroNight.
Regional and suburban rail transport
This type of train already includes not only state but also private lines. Usually they go a distance of one hundred to two hundred kilometers. Regional express trains make stops in major cities. German Railways have special varieties of this type of train on some routes. They are called interregional express trains. There are trains that make frequent stops. They are called simply regional. Suburban transport, which is part of the railway system, is S-ban or Stadt-ban. Such trains usually pass through large cities and / or connect neighboring settlements. They are part of a local transportation network. Such trains run both in tunnels (instead of the metro) and on land lines (like trams). They can be used when traveling inside the city and the surrounding area.
What are the fares for fast trains
German railways at first glance have a rather complicated ticketing system. However, if you look into it, you can find great benefits for yourself. There are so-called basic rates. Prices for them, so to speak, bite. If you want to travel at such a fare from Berlin, for example to Dortmund, then you will 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 the price. The same system applies to night trains. But they are much more expensive. If the fare from Berlin to Munich costs a basic fare a little more than one hundred and fifty euros, then in a night express the price will rise to two hundred and even three hundred. In fast trains it is possible (and sometimes necessary) to reserve a place - at the window or passage. But most often they just buy a travel document. Without reservation, you can sit on any unoccupied seats in second-class cars. If there are no free seats, you can be in the vestibule or restaurant.
Discounts
However, if you buy tickets in advance, you can get discounted prices, the so-called spares. Then you can leave for the same Dortmund and 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 with comfort, but not at an exorbitant price? The same sparice system is to help you. A first-class carriage (indeed, more comfortable, the seats in it are similar to airplanes) will cost a minimum of twenty-nine euros, and for long distances - 39. The price of night trains with early booking can also drop by two, or even three times.
Group tickets on regional routes
You can travel around Germany by train and very cheaply. Just for this you need to choose special discount tickets for regional railway transport. And there are plenty of such opportunities. For example, there is an unlimited ticket with which you can ride throughout the country from nine in the morning until midnight for one day on regional trains (excluding fast). It costs forty-four euros per person. It even has a name “across the country from end to end”. But on such tickets it is better to travel in company - the more people (up to five), the better. For each next passenger you pay eight euros. As a result, a large family or company of five can travel throughout the country during the day for only seventy-six euros.
Even better opportunities for such journeys are provided by the German railways on weekends. A weekend ticket has the same advantages as an unlimited one, only it is valid from midnight to 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, such tickets are valid not only on trains, but also on public transport, as well as on regional buses in any corner of Germany.
Federal offers
Not only nationwide can be group train tickets. 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, this way you can travel not only in this federal state, but also in neighboring regions - up to Meinheim and Karlsruhe in the south, to Limburg and Wiesbaden in the east and to Bonn in the north - and even get to two border French cities. And if you pay another six euros for this ticket, you will get the opportunity to ride in Luxemurg. This discount is valid on weekdays, from nine to midnight, and on weekends - from twelve nights to three in the morning of the next day. And from the land of North Rhine-Westphallia on a regional ticket, you can call in to Holland and return back. Its price is twenty-six euros for the first passenger. And according to the Bavarian ticket, they even go to Austria. Traveling from Munich to Salzburg and back is entirely possible for twenty-four euros. There are still night tickets. They allow you to move within its area of action between 18.00 and six in the morning.
Where to buy tickets
In Germany, this can be done in several ways. You can simply go to the railway ticket office at the train station (Riesencentrum). In the main trains, tickets can be bought as a last resort from the controller (but at the full fare and without discounts). In regional rail transport it is better not to do so. If they find that you are without a ticket, you will be seriously fined. In an exceptional case, you must find the controller yourself and tell him that you were not able to purchase a travel document. You can also use the most advanced online booking system in Europe - the Deutschean website. This is where Sparrise discount tickets are favorably bought. But for this it is better to register in the system. A ticket purchased through the Internet is printed on a printer. He and his ID will need to be presented 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 need to show the controller the credit card with which you bought it.
Automatic machines
But there is the easiest and cheapest way to travel on German trains. To do this, you need to buy tickets in the machine at the station. There you can buy travel documents at a discount, and regional, and even not only by credit card, as in most European countries, but for cash, which is often convenient for foreigners. In addition, when buying tickets at the 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 at vending machines. They are usually bilingual. The bonus is that you can choose the most convenient route for yourself and print it for free in the same machine.
Discount cards and travel cards
Sometimes, especially with frequent and regular trips, it is advantageous to buy special offers from DeutscheBan. These are cards 25, 50 or 100. The numbers indicate the percent discount on the regular ticket price. For example, if the cost of the 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 throughout Germany without a ticket at all. Cards are valid for a year and are registered. They can be used only by one person - the one on whom the document is written. 100 cards are very expensive and cost at least four thousand euros. But you cannot combine BahnCard discounts with weekend or regional tickets. Buying such a card makes sense if the total cost of your tickets without discounts is several hundred euros for twelve months. There is also a pan-European pass, called the “Interrail”. Using it to travel around Germany is expensive, but if you plan to travel to other countries or often use rail, it may suit you.