The German national rail operator DB provides a similar level of service to the cities of northern Switzerland as it does to many destinations in Germany, hence the latest type of the super-smart ICE trains are now used on this route.
Though only a small percentage of this journey is on a high speed line.
These trains will depart from the street level platforms/tracks at Zurich HB - gleis 3 - 18.
There is an additional IC train that departs from Zurich an hour after the final ICE train (it is attached to the overnight train heading to Berlin).
Avoid it if you can as it is 50 mins slower and usually costs the same price as these ICE trains.
Final Destination:
Until March 30th: Hamburg or Kiel
From April 1st: Berlin
All trains also call at: Basel Bad Bf, Freiburg and Karlsruhe
Until March 30th
Mon -Sat = 7 x trains per day
Sunday= 6 x trains
April 1st - June 10th
4 x trains per day
June 11th - December 9th
5 x trains per day
Additional connections will be available by changing trains at Basel SBB
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: 6 months ahead of the travel date
On the DB booking site look for journeys that have:
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.
Seat reservations
Reservations are recommended for this journey; book a 1st class ticket on DB Bahn and your seat will be assigned, but not in 2nd class.
They can also be booked separately at a later date on the DB website.
Using rail passes
For rail pass users reservations are optional, but if you do choose to reserve (recommended) book the reservation online on DB Bahn and avoid the booking fees you would be charged at the station in Switzerland.
Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
---|---|---|
DB | from €19.90 | |
Trainline | from €19.90 | |
Save A Train | from €19.90 | |
Happy rail | from €19.90 |
These trains use the high speed line between Offenburg and Karlsruhe and they also reverse direction on departure from Basel SBB station.
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