ICE T (Germany)

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

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These trains travel at up to 230 km/h (140 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 Hannover ↔ Wurzburg and Halle / Leipzig ↔ Nurnberg.

Reservations are now only automatically included in these scenarios:

• for international journeys over the German border from 1 June to 1 September - the only international route typically taken by this type of ICE train is Wien - Linz ↔ Nurnberg - destinations north of Nurnberg.
• 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 between September 2nd and May 31st, 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 mandatory from 1 June to 1 September when making journeys in both directions between Austria and Germany, but they are optional on all other journeys by these trains.

All of these ICE-T trains have a bar/bistro service, but on some of these trains 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 within a 2nd class coach by the mobility accessible toilet.

The 7-coach version of these trains have now been fitted with bike racks, but spaces must be reserved prior to boarding.
Non-folding bicycles cannot be taken on the 5-coach trains, though when you look up a journey on DB, you can add the bike option - and won't then be offered trains without the bike racks.

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.

At first glance ICE T trains look similar to ICE 3 trains, but these ICE T trains are rather different - they're the most quirky trains in the ICE family.

The ‘T’ is in the name as these trains were designed to tilt on corners (like Pendolinos), to make them faster on curved tracks - though in SMTJ's experience the tilting is comparatively subtle to the extend that it didn't seem to have been activated, on multiple journeys.
However, the ICE Ts also have the ability to travel at high speed; typically reaching up to 230 k/mh on the high speed lines - note that they have slower top-speed than other ICE trains

There is nothing on the DB Bahn online booking site, or on any timetable, to show whether the train you will be taking will be an ICE T train, but these trains are mainly used on these four routes

(1) Wien/Vienna – Linz – Nurnberg – Wurzburg - Frankfurt (Main) – Koblenz – Bonn - Koln/Cologne (all departures)

(2) Wien/Vienna - Linz - Nurnberg - Erfurt - Berlin (all departures)

(3) Wien/Vienna - Linz - Nurnberg - Wurzburg - Kassel - Hanover - Hamburg (all departures)

(4) (Hamburg) – Berlin – Leipzig/Halle – Nurnberg – Munchen/Munich (some departures)

(5) Dresden – Leipzig – Erfurt – Frankfurt (Main) - (Weisbaden) (all departures)

ICE T trains are also used on some of the departures between Hamburg/Bremen and Munchen via Hannover and Wurzburg - particularly when separate trains from/to Bremen and Hamburg are joined/separated at Hannover.

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 compartment (when available)
• in a Quiet Zone
• 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, 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 T trains the family area is in coach 24.

Something that 1st class rail pass users in particular to be aware of is that ICE-T trains have a lower number of 1st class seats than other ICE trains.
Meaning that those optional rail pass reservations are particularly recommended if you will be boarding this type of ICE train and using a 1st class Eurail or InterRail pass.

If you have a reservation before arriving on the gleis/platform/track, check your ticket for the number of the coach in which your reserved seat is located.
Then use the info screens on the gleis/platform, to check in which zone on the gleis you should wait, for easy boarding..

A number ‘1’ by the doors indicates that the coach is 1st class, while a ‘2’ indicates second class.
But what these ICE-T trains don't have is an info screen on the outside of the train by the doors, showing the destination and train number.
The doors won’t open automatically so you may have to press the green button.

If you haven't reserved seats, a less obvious aspect of travelling by ICE T 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:

(1) Reservations are indicated by red text next to seat numbers, that show the stations, between which the seat has been reserved.
So if you board a Hamburg– Munchen train at Hamburg Hbf and see Hamburg – Munchen by a seat number, then this seat will be occupied for the entire journey.
However other seats may only be reserved between Berlin and Munchen, so if you’re travelling from Hamburg to Berlin you can sit in this seat.

(2) Seat numbers that have no text or are displaying 'bahn comfort' are available for all or the remainder of the journey.

(3) In our experience, if you see 'ggf. freigeben' this means that the seat is only possibly available - so avoid these seats.

(4) An unusual feature is that the red text turns itself off 15 mins after the train has departed, from a 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.

The differences between ICE T trains and ICE 3 trains are more noticeable in 1st class.

In 1st Class:

In 1st class on these ICE-T trains some seats are open plan style, but others are grouped into rather odd semi-compartments.
These ‘compartments’ don’t have doors, or floor to ceiling walls, so lack privacy and the ability to be shut off from the rest of the activity on the train.
They also make the train feel rather cramped.

The lounges:

Some 1st class and 2nd class seats are located in lounges at the end of the trains - which face down the track because they are located behind the driving cab.
This view down the track can be particularly thrilling on high speed lines, but only if the driver doesn’t mist the glass between the passenger lounge and the driving cab
However, the drivers seem to leave the glass misted more often than not.

Wi-fi:

You can access DB Bahn’s Wi-Fi network without having to register and it is free to use - though the data usage can be more restricted in 2nd class.
On international services you may to have log in again to access the Wi-Fi when the train crosses a border.

There is no trolley catering on ICE trains.
If you are travelling 1st or 2nd class you can opt to purchase food and drink from the bar/bistro car.
Though another quirky feature of the ICE-T trains is that they either have 5 or 7 coaches / cars and the difference between them is most noticeable in the bar / bistro car.
Because on some of the 7 coach trains a seating area is available in the bar / bistro area, so on these trains a restaurant service is available as food can be consumed at tables with seats.
However, on the other ICE-T trains, the bar/bistros are only equipped with counter tops where passengers stand to consume their food and drink.

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.