How to travel from Berlin to Zurich by train

This train is usually scheduled to depart from the upper level (tief) in Berlin Hbf nightly between 20:30 and 21:30,

Final Destination: Zurich - the train is usually scheduled to arrive there at 09:42.

This train is also scheduled to depart from Berlin Ostbanhof at 20:56. and unlike the daytime trains from Berlin to Basel, it also departs from Berlin Zoologischer Garten, the main station in West Berlin.

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings open: 3 months ahead of the travel date on DB Bahn

The train conveys:

• Compartment Seats (Sitzwagen)
• Couchettes (Liegewagen); 4 berths AND 6 berths
• 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

Using rail passes:

Rail pass users must reserve before boarding these trains

However, these rail pass reservations can NO longer be booked online the DB website, but 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.

Or you can avoid the booking fees by arranging the reservations when you arrive in Germany, by purchasing them at a Reisezentrum travel desk, which you will find in any hauptbahnhof.
Though it's best to do this at the first hauptbahnhof (city centre station) that you will arrive at, the later you leave booking your accommodation, the more likely it is that your preferences will be sold out.

Until March 1st

During this period of time multiple routes taken by ICE trains are being altered due to maintenance work closing the main north <> south high-speed line.
So that Germany and Zurich can remain linked by trains which won't have to be diverted on to slower, alternative routes, which risks delays, the trains which normally travel between Berlin and Bern are being diverted in Switzerland, so that they can head to Zurich.
So until March 1st there will be 5 x direct ICE trains per day from Berlin to Zurich.

**On the usual timetable)

There are no direct daytime trains between Berlin and Zurich.

Look up this journey and you will see a multitude of options, but this routing, with a change of train at Basel SBB station, has the big advantage that tickets will be valid on any train on to Zurich from Basel.

So there won't be any actions required if the train from Berlin arrives in Basel SBB station too late to make the optimum 22min connection into the train on to Zurich.

There are minimum of two express trains per hour from Basel to Zurich.

Book in advance and save: YES

Online bookings usually open: 6 months ahead of the travel date

On the DB (German) national railways booking site  look for the journeys which have:

• a journey time of 8hr 30mins
• a '1' in the chg. column
• 'ICE' in the Product column