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Berlin to Stuttgart by train
How to travel from Berlin to Stuttgart by train
Taking the train from Berlin to Stuttgart is very straightforward thanks to the direct ICE trains which leave Berlin every other hour on a route via Leipzig.
Though something to watch out for is that there also slower direct ICE trains from Berlin to Stuttgart and they will stand out on the departure info at the station because they terminate at Stuttgart.
However, as they take a slower route via Kassel and Frankfurt flughafen (airport) DB does not sell tickets for journeys by these trains.
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Routes
Option 1: taking the ICE trains
Journey Summary
5hr 40min (approx)
Daily
Travel Information
Departing from Berlin:
These trains also usually depart from the lower level (tief) in Berlin Hbf.
They 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 Hbf or Stuttgart Hbf
8 x trains per day
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 6 months ahead of the travel date - usually
When making an online booking, check that you’re looking at booking info for the direct trains.
On the DB booking site look for journeys that have:
- 0 in the Chg. column
- ICE (and only ICE) in the Products column.
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares.
Use the earlier/later buttons to search for the cheapest ticket prices.
This is a journey when the cheapest fares for the direct train can seemingly be hard to track down unless you're booking 5 - 6 months ahead.
It can be (much) cheaper to book a journey that involves a change of train.
Reservations:
Book 1st class tickets and your seat(s) will be automatically assigned as reservations are included.
However, if you book 2nd class tickets or will be travelling with a rail pass, then reservations are available, but optional.
Opting to pay the reservation fee is recommended for such a long journey; particularly if you will be travelling on a Friday or Sunday.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| DB Bahn | from €17.90 | |
| Omio | from €17.90 | |
| Happy rail | from €17.90 | |
| Save A Train | from €17.90 |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Note that the new ICE 4 trains now operate some of the trains on this route, if you want to travel with an ordinary bicycle you'll need to take these trains.
The train will reverse direction on departure from Leipzig and from Frankfurt (Main).
From April 1st to December 9th
The trains on the usual route are being diverted away from Stuttgart between these dates, but they are being replaced by trains which will have very similar journey times, because instead of diverting off the direct route to call at Leipzig, they will instead make a diversion to the station at Frankfurt Flughafen / Airport, where they will reverse direction.
Journey description:
This journey has six distinct phases.
- From Berlin to Leipzig the train will travel across unexciting largely flat countryside.
- The train will reverse direction on departure from Leipzig and around 20 mins later it will move on to the high speed line, on which it will travel at 250 km/h for around 40 minutes prior to arrival in Erfurt.
- From Erfurt to Fulda much of the journey is through rolling countryside and this the slowest, but prettiest section of the journey.
- On to Frankfurt the train will remain on a conventional railway
- After reversal at Frankfurt (Main) hbf the train will pass through a string of towns until Mannheim
- The final depart of the journey from Mannheim to Stuttgart is on another high speed line
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Option 2: taking the FlixTrains
Journey Summary
5hr 56min - 6hr 6min
Not Every Day
Travel Information
Final Destination: Stuttgart
All trains also call at: Darmstadt and Heidelberg
In contrast to the ICE trains, the Flixtrains don't also depart from any other station in Berlin.
Monday = 1 x train
Friday = 2 x trains
Saturday = 1 x train
Sunday = 2 x trains
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: up to 3 months ahead
Something to be aware of when booking tickets for journeys by FlixTrain is that Flix is predominantly a bus operator, so the train travel options for booking tickets are listed alongside the bus travel options; also some of the info around ticket exchanges and FAQs in general can point at the FlixBus website.
To make a it easier to hone in on a train journey it can be a good idea to look up the timetables to check the departure times which suit and then keep these times in mind looking for your rail ticket(s).
Much of the general advice around booking and using rail tickets in Germany doesn't apply to journeys by FlixTrain.
Tickets booked with DB, the German national rail operator, can't be used on FlixTrains, as Flix has used its own terms and conditions and set its own policies for how its tickets can be booked and used.
What are particularly different from DB is the reservation / seat selection on FlixTrain and how tickets can be exchanged (how tickets can be exchanged on FlixTrain also applies to FlixBus).
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Flix | * |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
These Flix trains take a similar route to the ICE trains, except that they don't use the high speed line between Halle and Fulda, or most of the high speed route between Mannheim and Stuttgart.
The Flix trains also don't divert off the direct route to call at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, so they don't reverse direction during 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.
See if there’s a unique journey guide for your trip, featuring info on the trains, tickets & stations.
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