ICE 2 (Germany)

ShowMeTheJourney has anticipated what questions are most often asked about travelling on these ICE-2 trains managed by the German national rail operator, DB.

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These trains travel typically travel at up to 270 km/h (165 mph) when on the high speed lines and up to 200 km/h (125 mph) on other routes.
The high speed lines which these trains use are:

• Berlin ↔ Wurzburg
• Hannover ↔ Wurzburg

Reservations on these trains are now only automatically included when booking Flexpreis Plus tickets for 1st and 2nd class travel - these are the most expensive types of ticket sold by DB.
When booking any other type of ticket reservations can be added for an additional fee.

Yes, this is typically available when both opting to reserve and in the scenarios when seats are automatically assigned.
If your preferences include seats at tables or seats in Quiet zones, you will need to use the seating plan.

They are available, but optional for journeys by these ICE-2 trains.

All of these ICE-2 trains have a bar/bistro service and a restaurant service is also available.

A non-complimentary at-seat catering service of the full menu is available in First class.

Yes - it is available free-of-charge in both 1st and 2nd class.

Yes and the sockets are compatible with standard EU plugs.

These trains have 'Quiet zones' in both 1st and 2nd class, though to ensure your seats(s) are either located within or outside of the areas on the train in which mobile calls are permitted, it's best to opt to reserve and then use the seating plan.

In addition to hand luggage, one additional larger piece of luggage or item can be taken on board of charge, provided this load can be carried by one person alone.
The luggage racks on the train have been designed to handle a maximum item size of 700 x 500 x 300 mm (height x width x depth).

Yes and they are located at one end of a 2nd class coach, closest to the mobility accessible toilet - which is in the adjacent coach that houses the restaurant car.

Not on this type of ICE train.

Small dogs which can be placed in pet-carriers can be taken on board any train as hand luggage and there is no charge for doing so.

Dogs which can't be fitted in carrier/container, because they are larger than a typical domestic cat, require tickets,
So when booking online for a journey by ICE or IC trains with DB, the German national rail operator, add a larger dog as 'a passenger'.
The price charged will be 50% of the adult rate
If you want to travel 1st class you will need a 1st class ticket for the dog.

In the family of ICE trains the ICE 2s are the most conventional, they lack some of the touches that give the ICE 3 trains their wow factor, though are still rather fabulous, bright and comparatively spacious with a smooth ride.

What sets ICE 2 trains apart from the other ICE trains, is that they were designed so that two trains could be joined together and then easily separated

Therefore ICE 2 trains are always used on the Berlin – Koln & Dusseldorf service, on the departures two train units are usually joined together between Berlin and Hamm and the trains then separate, with one unit heading to Koln via Wuppertal and the other heading to Dusseldorf via Dortmund and Essen.
On this route the trains used the high speed line between Berlin and Hannover.

The other route that ICE trains are used on is the route between Bremen and Hamburg to Munchen/Munich via Wurzburg
On the Hamburg - Wurzburg - Munchen route some of the trains are split and joined at Hannover so that they can serve both Bremen and Hamburg, so these ICE 2 trains are used for most of these departures.

Therefore if you don’t have a reservation, check that you are travelling in the correct part of the trains ,the destination info and main calling points of each part of the train are shown on the respective indicators on the gleis (platform/track)..

Reservations are now only automatically included when upgrading Flexpreis tickets to 1st class, or when booking Flexpreis Plus tickets for 1st and 2nd class travel.
When purchasing the cheaper Super Sparpreis and Sparpreis tickets for journeys by express train, you can opt to either:

• travel 2nd class and add a seat reservation for an additional fee of €5.20.
• book 1st class / upgrade a 2nd class ticket to 1st class and add a seat reservation for an additional fee of €6.50.
  When booking Flexpreis tickets for travel in 2nd class, you can add a seat reservation for an additional fee of €5.20.

If your journey involves more than one ICE train, you will only have to pay one reservation fee, as it will cover all the trains you will be taking.

It is also possible to book reservations at a later date separately from the ticket booking, both online or by using DB branded ticket machines at stations.
Although if you do book your reservations later and your journey involves more than one train, you will then have to pay for separate reservations per train.

Select specific seats

When you opt to reserve, or automatically assigned reservations when booking 1st class Flexpreis tickets/ Flexpreis Plus tickets, DB tends to assign seats randomly.
So if you want your seats to be:

• by a window or on the aisle
• adjacent to a luggage rack
• in a Quiet Zone; 1st class in coach 27/37; 2nd class in coach 22/32
• at a table
  you can select any seats which are still available on the seating plan
  Note that facilities such as compartments and Quiet Zones may be in an entirely different coach / carriage to that in which the seats you have been initially assigned are located.

All ICE trains have family compartments and / or family areas in 2nd class, but when making a booking for a party of adults + children, if you opt to add a reservation, you won't automatically be assigned seats in these family areas.
So you will need to find and select them (when still available) on the seating plan.
On ICE 2 trains they are in coach 25/35.

A number ‘1’ by the doors indicates that the coach is 1st class, while a ‘2’ indicates second class.

These numbers are the only indication of whether a coach is 1st class and vice versa and they can be hard to spot on a fast arriving train.

There is also nothing on the exterior of ICE 2 trains to indicate their destination and calling points, so avoid assuming you are boarding the correct train, always confirm the destination on the gleis/platform/track info screens.

The doors won’t open automatically, so you may have to press the green button to the right of the door.

If you haven't reserved seats, a less obvious aspect of travelling by ICE 2 trains is that they have 'Quiet' and 'Phone' zones'
So look out for the signs on the exterior and interior of the trains indicating whether a particular coach has these zones.
You can then either target or avoid seats in these areas.

Finding A Seat:

Reservations are indicated by electronic red text next to seat numbers that show the stations, between which the seat has been reserved.

Seat numbers that have no text beside them, are available for all or the remainder of the journey.

You may see 'ggf. freigeben' displayed which indicates that a seat MAY be free, but avoid if possible, as in our experience it usually means that the seat WON'T be free for the entire journey.

An unusual feature is that the red text by the seat number, turns itself off 15 mins after the train has departed from the station from which the seat is reserved.
The logic being, is that that if the holder of the reservation doesn’t claim the seat, then passengers without reservations who board at the next station will know that the seat is available.
So if you do have a reservation and are travelling alone, take care to not be absent from your seat when the train calls at stations.

There is no trolley catering on ICE trains.

If you are travelling 1st or 2nd class you can opt to purchase hot/cold food and drink from the bar/bistro car, or have a meal in the restaurant car

Travelling 1st class:

An attendant will also pass through 1st class taking orders for food and drink to be delivered to your seat – try to avoid confusing them with the conductor who will check the tickets etc.
Be aware that you will be charged for all items that you order at your seat.

If you’re travelling 1st class and are particularly thirsty/hungry, don’t wait for the catering attendant to make their round, go to the bar counter and order in person.

Worth knowing:

On ICE trains glasses and china plates and cups are used and not paper and plastic.
Very classy and probably more eco-friendly too, but take care!
It is not unknown for items to fly off tables when brakes are applied or when trains take corners at high speed.

Only folding bikes can be taken on board ICE 2 trains as hand luggage.