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Berlin to München / Munich by train
What won't be obvious when looking up a journey by train from Berlin to München / Munich is that the ICE trains between the two cities now take four different routes:
- Berlin - Halle - Erfurt - Nurnberg - München (the fastest services on this route with the fewest station calls are known as 'Sprinter' services)
- Berlin - Halle - Leipzig - Erfurt - Nurnberg - München (diverting off the direct route to serve Leipzig only adds around 40 mins to the journey time)
- Trains that have taken either of the two routes above to Nurnberg can be diverted off the direct route between there and Munchen in order to serve Augsburg; this adds around 30 mins to the journey time.
- Other trains take a Berlin - Leipzig - Erfurt - Frankfurt - Stuttgart - Munich route, which is much longer, so it has been excluded from the options below.
Take care to avoid these trains if you will be travelling with a rail pass.
However, the departures are not evenly distributed, aside from trains travelling via Leipzig typically departing only in even hours, there is no pattern.
So if you need to be in Munich/Munchen by a specific time then be guided by that and don't pay too much attention to the journey time.
The cheaper tickets on the faster trains inevitably sell out faster, so if you won't be booking weeks ahead, the slower a particular departure is, the more likely it is that you'll save money by travelling by it.
But if you'll be using Eurail or InterRail passes you may as well target the faster trains.
Another unusual feature of this route is the variety of the types of ICE trains used.
If you want to have a meal in the restaurant car during the journey, you'll need to take the ICE 1 or ICE 4 trains, if you want to travel with a non-folding bicycle, you'll need to take an ICE 4 train.
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Routes
Option 1: taking the faster 'Sprinter' services
Journey Summary
Sprinters = 4hrs;
Daily
Travel Information
The departures with a journey time of around 3hr 55mins can be referred to as 'Sprinter' services and they now provide the fastest ever train service between Berlin and Munchen/Munich.
Between Halle and Erfurt they're scheduled to travel faster than any other train in Germany!
ICE 3 trains are used for the ICE Sprinter departures - 'Sprinter' is the name that DB gives to a service and not the train.
They're also faster because they don't divert off of the direct route to call at Leipzig, but some of these trains which don't call in Leipzig have had additional station calls added to their schedules so they no longer qualify for Sprinter status.
Other types of ICE train including ICE 1 and ICE 4 trains are used for those slower services.
Departing from Berlin:
These trains usually depart from the lower level (tief) in Berlin Hbf.
These trains also call at Berlin Sudkreuz - which is to the south of the city centre
Connections are available at Berlin Sudkreuz from S-Bahn trains from the eastern and western edges of the city centre, as well as S-Bahn (local) trains from Brandenburger Tor and Postdamer Platz and Anhalter stations.
Check your connections in Berlin on this public transport map.
Final Destination: Munchen
All trains also call at: Nurnberg
Sprinter services:
6 x trains per day
Tickets
Book early and save:** Yes
Online bookings usually open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date - but this period of time is shorter when looking up journeys in August to October.
A choice of tickets
Four types of tickets are available:
Two types of discounted tickets, which will be cheaper the further ahead you book - Sparpreis and Super Sparpreis
Two types of non-discounted ticket - Flexpreis and Flexpreis Plus
A key difference between these types of tickets is refunds:
- Super Sparpreis tickets are cheapest, but they can't be refunded at all.
- Sparpreis tickets can be refunded for a fee, but the refund will be in the form of travel vouchers to be used for alternative / future journeys.
- Flexpreis and Flexpreis Plus tickets can be refunded at no additional charge.
The other key difference is that both types of Sparpreis tickets are only valid on the specific departures selected when booking, but both types of Flexpreis tickets live up to their name, as they can be used on any departure on your travel date.
Note that none of the tickets can be exchanged to a different departure.
There's no need for this to be available for Flexpreis tickets, as they aren't train departure specific.
If you book a Sparpreis ticket and want to travel by a different departure you can refund it and then use the travel voucher towards the cost of the new booking.
Super Sparpreis tickets can't be exchanged or refunded.
When travelling to and from the major cities, the Sparpreis, Flexpreis and Flexpreis Plus tickets also include 'City tickets', which can be used on public transport between locations in the Berlin and Munich city centres and the stations where the trains depart and arrive.
Seat reservations
Seat reservations are optional on ICE trains for journeys within Germany.
They cost €4.90 when travelling in 2nd Class and €5.90 when travelling in 1st class.
When a journey involves two or more trains on which seat reservations are available, the fees when first booking, cover all trains.
Specific seats can be selected from seating plans - you don't have to accept the seat(s) that you will be automatically offered.
They are included within the cost of booking 1st class Flexpreis tickets and both 1st and 2nd class Flexpreis Plus tickets.
Though despite seats being automatically assigned when booking these three types of ticket - and these tickets being valid on any departure, you will need to pay to re-book the reservations, if you subsequently decide to travel on an alternative train.
So because you won't save by booking these types of tickets in advance, it can be a good idea to wait until you are sure when you will want to travel.
When booking Super Sparpreis, Sparpreis and 2nd class Flexpreis tickets, you have the option of purchasing seat reservations later.
It can be worth re-looking up a journey a week or two ahead of travel, because the DB website will indicate how busy a departure will be.
1st Class tickets
No matter what type of ticket booked, if you choose to travel 1st class, you will have access to the same seating areas on the train, ICE trains do not have Business or Executive lounges.
Though only those who have booked 1st class Flexpreis or Flexpreis Plus tickets can access the DB Lounges at the major stations.
Booking on the DB website
You can find these direct trains more easily by making a proactive selection of 'Direct Trains Only'.
Or to see all the combinations of trains and journey options, some of which may be cheaper, take off the 'fastest connections' default.
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so if you can be flexible with your departure time use the 'best prices' tool - at the top right on the list of journey options.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| DB | from €27.90 | |
| Omio | from €27.90 | |
| Save A Train | from €27.90 |
On this journey
Journey Features
Good to Know
Despite being faster a premium ticket price is not typically applied to the 'Sprinter' services; though the limited numbers of discounted 'Sparpreis' tickets will inevitably sell out quickly.
This is a scenically uninteresting journey, so what gives this journey its wow factor is its speed.
After departure from Halle the train will move on to the high speed line.
It will then spend around 80 minutes travelling at speeds of up to 290 km/h until it switches back to the conventional railway just to the north of Bamberg.
It will use a second stretch of high speed line for the 40 minute journey between Nurnberg and Ingolstadt.
Option 2: the more frequent trains which travel via Leipzig
Journey Summary
4hr 32 - 4hr 47min
Daily
Travel Information
This is the most frequent service of ICE trains between the two cities, but they divert off of what is now the direct route in order to call at Leipzig; where they REVERSE direction.
These trains with a journey time of between 4hr 32min and 4hr 47min also take the high speed line between Nurnberg and Ingolstadt.
As indicated above, the new ICE-4 trains are being used for most of these Berlin - Munich journeys with a journey time of around 4hr 30mins - 4hr 45mins (the trains on this route which travel via Leipzig, but not Augsburg).
Though ICE 1 and ICE-T trains are still used for a few departures.
Final Destination: Munchen
Departing from Berlin:
These trains usually depart from the lower level (tief) in Berlin Hbf.
They also call at Berlin Gesunbrunnen station - which is to the north of the city centre and at Berlin Sudkreuz - which is to the south.
Connections are available at Berlin Sudkreuz from S-Bahn trains from the eastern and western edges of the city centre, as well as S-Bahn (local) trains from Brandenburger Tor and Postdamer Platz and Anhalter stations.
Check your connections in Berlin on this public transport map.
These trains all call at: Berlin Südkreuz; and Nurnberg
Some trains also call at: Bamberg
1 x train every other hour
Tickets
Book early and save:** Yes
Online bookings usually open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date - but this period of time is shorter when looking up journeys in August to October.
A choice of tickets
Four types of tickets are available:
Two types of discounted tickets, which will be cheaper the further ahead you book - Sparpreis and Super Sparpreis
Two types of non-discounted ticket - Flexpreis and Flexpreis Plus
A key difference between these types of tickets is refunds:
- Super Sparpreis tickets are cheapest, but they can't be refunded at all.
- Sparpreis tickets can be refunded for a fee, but the refund will be in the form of travel vouchers to be used for alternative / future journeys.
- Flexpreis and Flexpreis Plus tickets can be refunded at no additional charge.
The other key difference is that both types of Sparpreis tickets are only valid on the specific departures selected when booking, but both types of Flexpreis tickets live up to their name, as they can be used on any departure on your travel date.
Note that none of the tickets can be exchanged to a different departure.
There's no need for this to be available for Flexpreis tickets, as they aren't train departure specific.
If you book a Sparpreis ticket and want to travel by a different departure you can refund it and then use the travel voucher towards the cost of the new booking.
Super Sparpreis tickets can't be exchanged or refunded.
When travelling to and from the major cities, the Sparpreis, Flexpreis and Flexpreis Plus tickets also include 'City tickets', which can be used on public transport between locations in the Berlin and Munich city centres and the stations where the trains depart and arrive.
Seat reservations
Seat reservations are optional on ICE trains for journeys within Germany.
They cost €4.90 when travelling in 2nd Class and €5.90 when travelling in 1st class.
When a journey involves two or more trains on which seat reservations are available, the fees when first booking, cover all trains.
Specific seats can be selected from seating plans - you don't have to accept the seat(s) that you will be automatically offered.
They are included within the cost of booking 1st class Flexpreis tickets and both 1st and 2nd class Flexpreis Plus tickets.
Though despite seats being automatically assigned when booking these three types of ticket - and these tickets being valid on any departure, you will need to pay to re-book the reservations, if you subsequently decide to travel on an alternative train.
So because you won't save by booking these types of tickets in advance, it can be a good idea to wait until you are sure when you will want to travel.
When booking Super Sparpreis, Sparpreis and 2nd class Flexpreis tickets, you have the option of purchasing seat reservations later.
It can be worth re-looking up a journey a week or two ahead of travel, because the DB website will indicate how busy a departure will be.
1st Class tickets
No matter what type of ticket booked, if you choose to travel 1st class, you will have access to the same seating areas on the train, ICE trains do not have Business or Executive lounges.
Though only those who have booked 1st class Flexpreis or Flexpreis Plus tickets can access the DB Lounges at the major stations.
Booking on the DB website
You can find these direct trains more easily by making a proactive selection of 'Direct Trains Only'.
Or to see all the combinations of trains and journey options, some of which may be cheaper, take off the 'fastest connections' default.
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so if you can be flexible with your departure time use the 'best prices' tool - at the top right on the list of journey options.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| DB | from €17.90 | |
| Omio | from €17.90 | |
| Save A Train | from €17.90 |
On this journey
Journey Features
This is a scenically uninteresting journey, so what gives this journey its wow factor is its speed.
Around 10 minutes after departure from Leipzig, where the train will reverse direction, the train will move on to the high speed line.
It will then spend around 80 minutes travelling at speeds of up to 290 km/h until it switches back to the conventional railway just to the north of Bamberg.
It will use a second stretch of high speed line for the 40 minute journey between Nurnberg and Ingolstadt.
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