$1 US standers = €0.70 Euros in Germany
Rail: Germans are known to gripe about just about everything, but don't listen to them when they complain about their trains. Germany easily has one of the world's best and most efficient passenger rail systems. There aren't many places that it doesn't get to, and the trip will be comfortable, economical, and punctual. Europe in general has a high utilization of trains, and Germany is especially reliant on them. Other than the automobile, rail is by far the most common means of transportation.
Although there are a few independent regional rail lines, the main passenger rail system in Germany is theDeutsche Bahn (DB, or GermanRail), also known colloquially as "Die Bahn". Over 4.5 million people a day use the DB's 29,000 trains serving over 5,500 stations along 35,000 km of track. The Deutsche Bahn was formerly a government corporation but is now completely privatized (although it is still owned entirely by the government.) It was created from the old West German Deutsche Bundesbahn (German Federal Railways) and East GermanReichsbahn (Imperial Railways). Connections between the former eastern and western halves of the country have been upgraded and expanded, and high-speed lines now reach all of the major eastern cities. Nearly all of the roadbed in the eastern part of the nation has either been upgraded or junked. The DB was developing the world's first magnetic-levitation passenger train line between Berlin and Hamburg, but it was cancelled due to a number of political issues. But another maglev line, connecting Munich's central station and airport, is now being considered.
Even though it's declined a bit in recent years, trains in Germany are generally very punctual. While you may not be able set your watch by the trains anymore, the DB reports that 90% of trains arrive within five minutes of schedule.
It's worth noting that Germany is a union country, and transport strikes (Streik) can occur at any time and for any ol' reason, although it is still a fairly rare occurrence and there is usually plenty of advance notice. Still, travelers should be aware that even a short "warning strike" (Warnungstreik) in one city can ripple through the entire system causing long delays and even cancellations. On these days, be prepared to adjust your travel plans and wait longer than usual. An interesting note about these situations: since trains and punctuality are so important in the German world, conductors will hand-out official "certificates of train tardiness" (Bescheinigung über Zugverspätung) if a train is significantly late. You can use these as "excuse slips" for arriving late to work, school, or other appointments, or keep them as souvenirs of your encounter with European organized labor.
Most of the rolling stock in Germany has been recently upgraded with fewer and fewer of the old hand-me-downs still around. But you will see many trains in big cities (especially the Frankfurt and Rhein-Ruhr areas) with exteriors covered by graffiti. Generally, it's mainly the lower-end local and regional trains that suffer from these problems and no matter what the exterior of the train looks like, the interior will usually be quite clean. Oftentimes, train sets will contain cars or locomotives from neighboring countries.
Rail: Germans are known to gripe about just about everything, but don't listen to them when they complain about their trains. Germany easily has one of the world's best and most efficient passenger rail systems. There aren't many places that it doesn't get to, and the trip will be comfortable, economical, and punctual. Europe in general has a high utilization of trains, and Germany is especially reliant on them. Other than the automobile, rail is by far the most common means of transportation.
Although there are a few independent regional rail lines, the main passenger rail system in Germany is theDeutsche Bahn (DB, or GermanRail), also known colloquially as "Die Bahn". Over 4.5 million people a day use the DB's 29,000 trains serving over 5,500 stations along 35,000 km of track. The Deutsche Bahn was formerly a government corporation but is now completely privatized (although it is still owned entirely by the government.) It was created from the old West German Deutsche Bundesbahn (German Federal Railways) and East GermanReichsbahn (Imperial Railways). Connections between the former eastern and western halves of the country have been upgraded and expanded, and high-speed lines now reach all of the major eastern cities. Nearly all of the roadbed in the eastern part of the nation has either been upgraded or junked. The DB was developing the world's first magnetic-levitation passenger train line between Berlin and Hamburg, but it was cancelled due to a number of political issues. But another maglev line, connecting Munich's central station and airport, is now being considered.
Even though it's declined a bit in recent years, trains in Germany are generally very punctual. While you may not be able set your watch by the trains anymore, the DB reports that 90% of trains arrive within five minutes of schedule.
It's worth noting that Germany is a union country, and transport strikes (Streik) can occur at any time and for any ol' reason, although it is still a fairly rare occurrence and there is usually plenty of advance notice. Still, travelers should be aware that even a short "warning strike" (Warnungstreik) in one city can ripple through the entire system causing long delays and even cancellations. On these days, be prepared to adjust your travel plans and wait longer than usual. An interesting note about these situations: since trains and punctuality are so important in the German world, conductors will hand-out official "certificates of train tardiness" (Bescheinigung über Zugverspätung) if a train is significantly late. You can use these as "excuse slips" for arriving late to work, school, or other appointments, or keep them as souvenirs of your encounter with European organized labor.
Most of the rolling stock in Germany has been recently upgraded with fewer and fewer of the old hand-me-downs still around. But you will see many trains in big cities (especially the Frankfurt and Rhein-Ruhr areas) with exteriors covered by graffiti. Generally, it's mainly the lower-end local and regional trains that suffer from these problems and no matter what the exterior of the train looks like, the interior will usually be quite clean. Oftentimes, train sets will contain cars or locomotives from neighboring countries.