Content
EC (Switzerland - Germany/Austria)
Welcome to the guide to travelling on the EuroCity trains which provide some of the international services that link Switzerland with both Austria and Germany.
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At a Glance
Travel Pass Supplement
Rail Pass Reservation Fees
Reservations
Available
Time of Day
Day
Catering
Food services available
Restaurant
Bar (sandwiches, snacks, salads)
Accessibility
Accessing the train
Wheelchair Spaces
Bikes Allowed
Train Specification
Attributes of the train
Has a Conductor
Country
Which country these trains operate in.
Austria
Germany
Switzerland
Travel Passes
Eurail
InterRail
On Board
First Class
Perks
Power Socket
The power sockets on this train are compatible with standard E.U. two point plugs.
Trolley Service:
A catering trolley with hot and cold drinks and snacks should be taken through the train at some point during its journey.
Second Class
Perks
Trolley Service:
A catering trolley with hot and cold drinks and snacks should be taken through the train at some point during its journey.
EC (Switzerland - Austria & Germany) travel guide:
The same single deck trains that SBB uses for some IC express routes in Switzerland are used on these four EC routes between Switzerland and both Austria and Germany.
This is a positive, they may not be the most modern and sleekest of European trains, but compared to most high speed trains, they’re spacious and comfortable.
Though on these trains there is an obvious contrast between 1st and 2nd class - the 1st class seating saloon is particularly comfortable...
...but the 2nd class is more basic (2nd class on German IC trains is arguably superior).
The regular coaches on these trains also have comparatively large widows that can enhance any journey.
A big plus is that the seats line up with the windows in both 1st and 2nd class - ideal for the most scenic parts of the routes these trains take - including The Rhine Valley.
So you’re highly likely to have a pleasant journey on of these trains – when they’re not too crowded.
On the trains used for these EC services, there are power sockets for both standard E.U. and Swiss 3-pin plugs.
The observation cars:
Some or most of the 1st class seating in these trains can be in observation cars that have particularly large windows and no premium is charged, so any 1st class tickets are valid.
Users of 1st class rail passes can also travel in seats in these cars at no additional cost.
So travelling in them provides second to none views on scenic routes, such as when these trains travel through the Rhine Valley*, or for virtually the entire Zurich <> Graz journey.
*= They are typically available on the train which takes the Hamburg - Koln - Koblenz - Mainz <> Freiburg - Basel - Zurich route, but not on the train which takes the Hamburg - Koln - Koblenz - Mainz <> Freiburg - Basel - Bern - Interlaken route.
Seat reservations are optional (and are an additional cost to the ticket) on these trains so it's worth checking when boarding to see if seats are available in these cars when boarding with a 1st class ticket.
If you do want to reserve a seat in one of these cars it's best to do so at an Advance travel desk at the main stations in Austria, Germany or Switzerland.
Or when booking online on the DB website, you can choose seats in the observation car on the seating plan,
The visual clue is that it will be the 1st class coach / car that does not have a bicycle storage area.
Routes:
(1) Interlaken - Bern - Basel - Karlsruhe - Mannheim - Koblenz - Koln/Cologne - Dusseldorf - Dortmund - Bremen - Hamburg
(2) Zurich - Basel - Karlsruhe - Mannheim - Koblenz - Koln/Cologne - Dusseldorf - Dortmund - Bremen - Hamburg
(3) Zurich - Buchs - Feldkirch - Innsbruck - Kitzbuhel - Graz (this is the 'Transalpin' service)
They can also be used for some departures on the Zurich - Stuttgart route
Travelling between Germany and Switzerland:
If you will be travelling between Germany and Switzerland and book a 1st class end-2-end journey ticket on DB Bahn or at a German station, a reservation will automatically be included - you will have an assigned seat.
However, if you book 1st class tickets on OBB or SBB, or book at an Austrian or Swiss station, or will be travelling with a 1st class rail pass - the seat reservation fee will be optional.
The 1st class seat reservation fee = €5.30
However, in 2nd class seat reservations are available, but always optional.
The 2nd class seat reservation fee = €4
Seat reservations can be purchased separately - if you already have a ticket OR a rail pass - either online or at the station at a Reisezentrum ticket desk, or from a DB ticket machine.
If you have a rail pass and want to make the optional rail pass reservations for a journey FROM Switzerland, book them online on DB.
Do that and you can avoid the CHF-11 fee that will be charged at Swiss stations.
If you have not reserved the availability of seats is NOT guaranteed - if need be walk through the train to find available seats.
Bicycles:
These trains have bike racks for non-folding bicycles, but bike tickets must be purchased prior to boarding, they can't be booked online, so will need to be arranged at the station, but it's best to avoid leaving this to the last minute just before boarding.
Look out for the bike symbols on the train's exterior, you'll need to target these coaches when boarding.
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