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How to take a train journey from Berlin to Paris
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Berlin to Paris by train
From December 15th
There will be a new ICE service direct from Berlin to Paris
Until December 14th
When travelling by train from Berlin to Paris, there is typically a choice between
- travelling direct on an overnight train, though it will only be initially available when departing Berlin on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays
- travelling during the day on a combination of high speed trains.
What may not be obvious when looking up the daytime train journey from Berlin to Paris on the ticket booking websites, is that the journey options follow two routes:
-
An ICE train from Berlin to Koln hbf and then connecting there for a Thalys train on Paris, the Thalys trains arrive at the Gare Du Nord.
-
An ICE train from Berlin to a station where connections are possible into the 'DB-SNCF trains to Paris, which arrive at the Gare de l'Est.
Connections between trains can be a available at different stations including Frankfurt (Main) hbf, Mannheim hbf and Karlsruhe hbf -as per the route guide below.
The ticket agents will offer a combination of connections which provide for the fastest end-to-end journey time.
However, it's easier to make the transfer between trains at Frankfurt (Main) hbf, at that station all the platforms/tracks are on the same level, so making the connection there simply involves walking from one train to the other.
In times of distance travelled this second combination of trains is further than the options via Koln/Cologne, but the high-speed lines and the fastest connections mean that journey times can be similar; if you're willing to gamble on making connections of under 30 minutes.
However, DB offers its 'Europa Spezial' ticket deals on this route, so this routing is usually cheaper
DB doesn't do this on the route via Koln as it doesn't operate the Thalys trains.
Routes you can take to go from Berlin to Paris
When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.
Choose one of the following options:
Looking for connections?
Route Information
Option 1- taking a direct train
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
from 14hr 10min (approx)
Frequency
Three nights per week
Travel Info
Departs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Rail Europe ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option when booking international journeys with connections and for travellers who don't reside in western Europe. Use the easy options on its home page if you will be booking tickets with a railcard: Or purchasing rail pass reservations.
Other Ticket Providers
DB Guide
DB is the national railway operator in Germany, so its website can be used for booking journeys by German express trains; the ICE and IC trains and it doesn't charge booking fees.
It also sells tickets for journeys by direct trains on all international routes from Germany regardless of whether DB is operating the train service.
It also sells an extensive range of end-to-end journeys which involve making connections both within Germany and in neighboring countries, but journeys between Germany and Britain cannot be booked on DB.
On journeys within Germany and on most international journeys from and to Germany on trains operated by DB:
- For journeys by the express trains, EC. IC and ICE trains an adult (on German railways an adult is a person aged 15 and over) can take up to four children aged 6 - 14 with them at no additional charge.
- Tickets need to be booked for children aged 0 - 5, but there is no charge for them.
- Those aged 65 and over can take journeys at a discounted rate.
- Dogs, which are too large to be placed in pet carriers, require tickets which cost 50% of the adult rate.
When booking both types of the discounted 'Sparpreis' tickets seat reservations are an optional extra, so need to be added when booking if you want an assigned seat(s).
OBB operates the Nightjet trains and it's bespoke booking path for these trains is particularly easy to follow, with detailed explanations of the accommodation options.
Nightjet Guide
Booking places in the sleeping cabins
When entering 2 travellers as 1 male and 1 female, you will automatically be given the option to book a 3-bed cabin for the sole use of the two of you - the 'double' cabin option.
So you will be in the cabin together with no other travellers.
3 men + 2 women or 3 women + 2 men = three beds in a triple cabin + two beds in a double cabin is what you will be offered, though the cabins will then be male and female only.
So if the combination of travellers is 1 male/female couple + 1 male/female couple and a child, you will need to make two separate bookings so that the two couples can each share a cabin.
When 4 Adults are travelling together you will be given the option of booking double or triple cabins.
If you select 'Double' you will automatically be assigned 4 beds in two double cabins.
Because the Triple cabins are segregated into male and female, when two women + two men are in the travel party, the two men will be sharing a triple compartment with another traveller, as will the two women
When 3 men + 1 woman or 3 women + 1 man are the travel party, the fourth person will then be sharing a three bed cabin with two other people.
Travel Information
From December 15th there will be a new direct daytime connection by ICE train, which will typically follow this schedule:
- Berlin-Ost, depart at 11:41
- Berlin Hbf, depart at 11:54
- Berlin-Spandau, depart at 12:12
- Paris Gare de l'Est, arrive at 19:59
Departing From Berlin:
This train is usually scheduled to depart from the lower level in Berlin Hbf at around either 19:35 or around 20:15, depending on the travel date - due to the length of the journey the schedule often has to altered due to works on the lines.
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: Paris Est
The train is typically scheduled to arrive in Paris at around 10:25.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: from 6 months ahead of the travel date
The train conveys:
- Compartment Seats (Sitzwagen)
- Couchettes (Liegewagen); 4 berths AND 6 berthsm
- Standard sleeping cars (Schlafwagen) with 3 bed, 2 bed and 1 cabins
- Deluxe sleeping cars with showers (Schlafwagen) with 3 bed, 2 bed and 1 cabins
The first price you will see on the OBB ticketing site will be for the compartment seats.
Click the train details below for more info including the rail pass reservation fees:
Rail pass users must reserve before boarding these trains,
You can now book rail pass reservations without paying booking fees on the OBB website (OBB operates these trains).Though the process for doing so isn't particularly obvious, hence this step-by-step guide.
Route Information
Via stations: Karlsruhe Hbf
Option 2: travel by day and arrive at Paris Est
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
9hr 35min (via Karlsruhe)
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
Purchase Tickets
DB Guide
DB is the national railway operator in Germany, so its website can be used for booking journeys by German express trains; the ICE and IC trains and it doesn't charge booking fees.
It also sells tickets for journeys by direct trains on all international routes from Germany regardless of whether DB is operating the train service.
It also sells an extensive range of end-to-end journeys which involve making connections both within Germany and in neighboring countries, but journeys between Germany and Britain cannot be booked on DB.
On journeys within Germany and on most international journeys from and to Germany on trains operated by DB:
- For journeys by the express trains, EC. IC and ICE trains an adult (on German railways an adult is a person aged 15 and over) can take up to four children aged 6 - 14 with them at no additional charge.
- Tickets need to be booked for children aged 0 - 5, but there is no charge for them.
- Those aged 65 and over can take journeys at a discounted rate.
- Dogs, which are too large to be placed in pet carriers, require tickets which cost 50% of the adult rate.
When booking both types of the discounted 'Sparpreis' tickets seat reservations are an optional extra, so need to be added when booking if you want an assigned seat(s).
Travel Information
Two things which are good to know about taking this journey option which arrives at Paris Est:
- Booking tickets:
DB Bahn tends to offer the cheapest train tickets for journeys between the German and French capital, but it's cheaper Super Saver Fare Europe tickets are only seemingly available on this route.
2: Choosing Your Connection:
However, a complication of taking trains on THIS route via Frankfurt (Main) is that the standard connections between trains that will be offered by the ticket agents are generally less than ideal.
When looking up the journey, if you DON'T adjust the connection time between trains then the options either involve;
- making one connection of less than 15 mins – which is a gamble when travelling long distance by train in Germany, OR,
- making two connections, both of which are under 30 mins and making those connections can’t be guaranteed either.
In the event of missed connections due to late running trains, the tickets/reservations can be transferred free of charge to alternative later departures, but the train service between Germany and Paris Est isn’t particularly frequent.
Therefore ShowMeTheJourney recommends that when looking up journeys on DB increase the connecting time between trains to more than 30 minutes.
Do so and there will only be one viable option, departing Berlin at 08:30, but this option involves spending more than 1hr 30mins at Karlsuhe Hbf between trains.
However, because this connection can be virtually guaranteed, SMTJ has used this option for the journey time above.
This journey is made up of 1 change.
Train 1
Between Berlin Hbf and Karlsruhe HbfYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
It is a journey of five distinct phases:
- One of the highlights of the journey comes right at the beginning of the trip when the train travels on a viaduct across Berlin with great views over the city centre
- Then between Berlin-Spandau until around 10 mins before arrival in Braunschweig the train will be on a high speed line across dull farmland.
- Shortly after Hildeshiem until Fulda, the train will make use of Germany's first high speed line; this is the part of the journey with a wow factor as the trains will travel across dozens of viaducts and bridges, which occur as flashes between numerous tunnels.
- The train will reverse direction on departure from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf.
- Between Frankfurt (Main) and Karlrsruhe the train will race through a string of towns.
Train 2
Between Karlsruhe Hbf and Paris Gare de l'Est / Paris EstYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Between Karlsruhe and Strasbourg the train will be travelling comparatively slowly, particularly between the German border and Strasbourg when it shares the railway with local commuter trains.
Shortly after departure from Strasbourg the train will move on to the high speed line and won't leave it until the outskirts of Paris, trains travel exceptionally fast on this route, speeds in excess of 300 km/h will be reached on some parts of the trip
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 ticket are typically available:
Two types of discounted tickets, which will be cheaper the further ahead you book - Sparpreis Europa and Super Sparpreis Europa
Two types of non-discounted ticket - Flexpreis Europa and Flexpreis Plus Europa.
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 Europa and Flexpreis Plus Europa 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 Europa tickets, as they aren't train departure specific.
If you book a Sparpreis Europa 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 Europa tickets can't be exchanged or refunded.
The Sparpreis, Flexpreis and Flexpreis Plus tickets also include 'City tickets', which can be used on public transport to Berlin Hbf from locations in Berlin city centre.
Seat reservations
Reservations are mandatory on the train on to Paris, so will be included, when booking tickets, but if you will be using a rail pass you will need to make a reservation.
Seat reservations are optional on the ICE train from Berlin.
They cost €4.90 when travelling in 2nd Class and €5.90 when travelling in 1st class -
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.
On this journey which involves two trains on which seat reservations are available, the fees cover all trains - if reservations are added when initially booking.
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.
Though if you opt to add reservations later you will have pay the fees per train.
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 lounges at the stations.
Booking on the DB website
To see all the combinations of trains and journey options, some of which may be cheaper, take off the 'fastest connections' default.
Making the connection or extending the transfer time:
These journey times and the associated train specific tickets are dependent on making a transfer between ICE trains in Frankfurt (Main) station of around 15 mins.
This connection is not guaranteed - it is not particularly unusual for the ICE trains from Berlin to arrive late in Frankfurt (Main) hbf station.
IF the ICE does arrive too late - then tickets/reservations can be swapped free of charge to subsequent connections at the Reisezentrum travel desk.
OR minimise your chances of encountering this stressful scenario, by using the transfer tool on the DB home page
You can then book journey options which allow more than 30min to make the transfers between trains; though the connections you will then be offered can involve making the transfer between trains at other stations than Frankfurt (Main() hbf.
And these alternative routings can be more expensive.
Route Information
Via stations: Köln/Cologne Hbf
Option3: travel by day and arrive at Paris Nord
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
8hr 16min (via Koln)
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
3 x connections per day
Change trains in: Koln/Cologne
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
Travel Information
Take this route and you will arrive at Paris Nord station.
The connecting time between trains at Koln Hbf will be around 34mins, so it's likely that you will make the connection, but this isn't guaranteed.
(See the Ticket Information below)
Trains on THIS route via Koln are not available on the DB website, as it does not sell tickets online for journeys by Thalys trains, which also involve making connections.
This journey is made up of 1 change.
Train 1
Between Berlin Hbf and Köln/Cologne HbfYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Koln Hbf/Dusseldorf Hbf or Koblenz Hbf
Departing From Berlin:
These trains commence their journey at Berlin Gesunbrunnen station - which is to the north of the city centre.
They also usually depart from the lower level (tief) in Berlin Hbf.
*If your journey is commencing in West Berlin, the quickest option is to take a Regio or S-Bahn train from Berlin Zoologischer Garten station to Berlin-Spandau station and join these trains to Koln there.
Check your connections in Berlin on this public transport map.
The train heading to Koln or Koblenz will be joined to another train heading to Dusseldorf.
The trains are separated on arrival at Hamm (West).
So check the electronic departure screens on the gleis/platform at Berlin Hbf, so that you're waiting in the right zone for easy boarding into the part of the train heading to Koln/Cologne.
Trains travel at more than 250 km/h on the high speed line between Berlin-Spandau and Wolfsburg.
But aside from that this is an exceptionally uneventful journey, so having something to read or watch with you, is recommended.
Train 2
Between Köln/Cologne Hbf and Paris Gare Du Nord / Paris NordYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Paris Nord
Journey description:
For virtually the entire train journey from Koln to Paris the trains, will either be travelling at up to 290 km/h on purpose built high speed lines, or up to 200km/h on section of railway, that has been re-engineered to allow trains to travel faster.
It is a journey of seven distinct phases:
- Between Koln and Aachen the trains travel at up to 200 km/h on a re-engineered stretch of railway.
- Then for most of the the 25 min journey between Aachen and Liege the train will travel at up to 290 km/h on a high speed line; this is also the most scenic part of the trip.
- Then for around five minutes after departure from Leige, the train will travel fairly slowly on a route which ascends from the city.
- Next up is the HS2 Belgian high speed route as far as Leuven, in theory the ICE and Thalys trains can accelerate back up to around 290 km/h on this part of the trip.
- From Leuven to just north of Brussel-Nord station the maximum speed is 200 km/h.
- For most of the journey between Brussel-Nord and Brussel-Zuid the railway crosses the city centre in a tunnel.
- Between the suburbs of Brussels and the outskirts of Paris the train will race along a high speed at line at speeds of up to 290 km/h
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This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please go here to say thank you.
Tickets
Book in advance and save: YES
Online bookings usually open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date.
On Trainline look for the options which have a journey time of 8hr 16min AND both the ICE and Thalys logos.
You will have to pay a booking fee on Trainline.
Missing a booked connection at Koln Hbf:
If the ICE from Berlin arrives too late in Koln to make the booked connection into the Thalys train on to Paris, you should be able to transfer your tickets to subsequent departures - IF you have booked the end-to-end journey in a single transaction.
If a delay causes you to miss a connection in Koln/Cologne, it's likely that the quickest alternative option will be to take an ICE train on to Bruxelles/Brussels and then connect there for a Thalys train on to Paris.
If you have booked the end-to-end journey in a single transaction, the Reisezentrum desk in Koln Hbf SHOULD now re-issue tickets/reservations for connections which involve taking a Thalys train on from Bruxellles/Brussels to Paris.
The alternative ticket booking options:
If you want to minimise the risk of encountering this potentially awkward scenario, then an option is to book separate tickets for the Berlin to Koln and Koln to Paris journeys - ensuring that you select an earlier ICE from Berlin, so that you will have more than 1hr 30mins to make the connection at Koln Hbf.
Booking separate tickets for each part of the journey can also be a money saver; because the discounted prices for the Thalys train don't seem to be available when booking end-to-end tickets which combine both trains into one transaction.
But if you do opt for that, keep the connecting time between trains front of mind, because by making a separate booking per train, you will forsake any protection against having to re-book, in the event of a train delay causing a missed connection in Koln/Cologne.
Meaning that if a delay causes you to miss the Thalys train on to Paris that you have booked tickets for, you may have to re-purchase tickets for that part of the journey.
This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please consider saying thank you.
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