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Getting Around Germany: Train, Car & Bus Tips

Getting Around Germany: Train, Car & Bus Tips

I landed in Berlin on a Tuesday morning with a vague plan to hit Munich and Frankfurt, plus a few smaller towns in between. Over two weeks, I tried Deutsche Bahn trains, a rental car on the Autobahn, and long-distance buses. Here’s what actually worked, what didn’t, and where I’d spend my money next time.

Should I take the train or rent a car in Germany?

It depends on your route. Trains connect the big cities like Berlin, Munich, and Frankfurt faster than driving, and you skip traffic and parking costs. But if you’re heading to the Bavarian Alps or the Moselle Valley, a car gives you freedom that rail just can’t match.

I took the ICE (InterCity Express) from Berlin Hauptbahnhof to Munich Hauptbahnhof — 4.5 hours, comfortable seats, and a dining car with decent coffee. The train ran exactly on time, which surprised me after hearing horror stories. For city-to-city travel, trains are the easy winner.

  • ICE trains run between Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Cologne at speeds up to 300 km/h
  • Regional trains (RE, RB) are slower but cheaper and cover smaller towns
  • Rental cars make sense for multi-stop road trips through wine regions or the Black Forest
  • Parking in city centers like Munich’s Altstadt costs €3–5 per hour; many hotels charge €15–25 per night

How do I book train tickets and save money?

Buying flexible tickets at the station costs double what you’d pay booking ahead online. I learned this the hard way in Frankfurt: a last-minute ICE ticket to Berlin cost me €98. A week later, I booked the same route for €29 on Deutsche Bahn’s website.

The trick is to book Sparpreis (saver fares) at least two weeks in advance. These are non-refundable but tied to a specific train. If you miss it, you buy a new ticket. For flexibility, the Flexpreis costs more but lets you hop any train that day.

  • Deutsche Bahn’s Sparpreis starts at €19 for regional trains, €29 for ICE
  • Bahncard 25 gives a 25% discount and pays for itself on one long trip
  • Trainline is a good third-party app with a cleaner interface than DB Navigator
  • Regional day tickets (like the Bayern-Ticket for €25) cover unlimited travel within a state — great for day trips from Munich to Nuremberg or Regensburg

What’s it like driving on the Autobahn?

I rented a compact car from Sixt at Frankfurt Airport for a week. The Autobahn is fast, well-maintained, and mostly free of tolls for cars. But “no speed limit” is a myth — about half the sections have limits, and cameras are everywhere.

My route from Frankfurt to Munich via the A3 and A9 took about four hours. I kept to the right lane at 130 km/h and watched Audis blast past at 200+. The real challenge wasn’t speed but navigation: exits come up fast, and GPS lag can send you into the wrong lane. I missed one turn near Würzburg and added 20 minutes.

  • No tolls for passenger cars on most Autobahns (trucks pay)
  • Speed limit is 130 km/h on many sections, 100 km/h on rural roads
  • Winter tires are mandatory from October to April — rental cars include them
  • Fuel costs about €1.80 per liter (roughly $7 per gallon) — budget for it
  • Parking at Munich Airport’s P20 lot cost €12 per day; city garages were double

Are long-distance buses a good option?

I took FlixBus from Munich to Frankfurt once. The bus was clean, had WiFi (spotty), and cost €15 — half the train price. But the trip took six hours instead of three, and we stopped twice for driver breaks. For budget travelers, buses are unbeatable. For anyone with limited time, they’re a last resort.

FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus cover every German city, including smaller ones like Heidelberg and Rothenburg ob der Tauber that trains skip. The stations are often near city centers — Munich’s bus stop is right at the Hauptbahnhof. Just bring snacks and a power bank.

  • FlixBus dominates the market with routes to 2,000+ destinations
  • BlaBlaCar Bus (formerly Ouibus) competes on price but has fewer departures
  • Travel time is roughly double the train for long distances
  • Amenities include power outlets, WiFi, and a bathroom — but don’t count on the AC in summer

Which cities are easiest to get around without a car?

Berlin, Munich, and Frankfurt all have excellent public transit. You don’t need a car in any of them. In fact, a car is a liability because of congestion, one-way streets, and parking scarcity.

Berlin’s U-Bahn and S-Bahn cover the entire city. I bought a 7-day ticket for €41 and rode from Alexanderplatz to Kreuzberg to Charlottenburg without a hitch. Munich’s U-Bahn is equally good — my hotel near Sendlinger Tor was steps from a station. Frankfurt’s S-Bahn connects the airport to the Hauptbahnhof in 12 minutes.

  • Berlin: U-Bahn lines U1-U9 plus S-Bahn rings. Day pass €9.90
  • Munich: U-Bahn and S-Bahn. Day pass €8.80 (inner zone)
  • Frankfurt: S-Bahn and U-Bahn. Day pass €6.50 (city zone)
  • Taxis in all three cities start at €4–5, then €2 per km — Uber is similar but often cheaper in Berlin

What’s the best way to get from the airport to the city center?

Frankfurt Airport to Hauptbahnhof is the easiest: S-Bahn lines S8 and S9 run every 15 minutes, cost €5.80, and take 12 minutes. Berlin Brandenburg (BER) to Berlin Hauptbahnhof takes 30 minutes on the FEX train for €4.40. Munich Airport to Munich Hauptbahnhof is 40 minutes on the S1 or S8 for €13.40.

Avoid taxis at all three airports unless you’re splitting with friends or carrying heavy luggage. A taxi from Munich Airport to the city center runs €70–90. The train is faster in traffic, too.

  • Frankfurt Airport: S8/S9 to Hauptbahnhof — cheapest and fastest
  • Berlin Brandenburg: FEX or RE7 to Hauptbahnhof — direct and cheap
  • Munich Airport: S1 or S8 to Hauptbahnhof — 40 minutes, €13.40
  • Flughafen shuttle buses (like Lufthansa Express) cost more and aren’t faster

FAQ

Is the Deutschland-Ticket worth it for tourists? The €49 monthly pass covers all regional transport — trains, buses, trams, and subways — nationwide. It’s a steal if you’re staying a month and sticking to regional trains. For a one-week trip, a mix of ICE advance tickets and city day passes usually costs less. I wouldn’t buy it for a short visit.

Can I use my phone for navigation on the Autobahn? Yes, but download offline maps first. Cell coverage is excellent in cities and on highways, but drops in tunnels and forested stretches. Google Maps and Apple Maps both work. I used Waze for speed camera alerts and it saved me at least once near Nuremberg.

Are German trains reliable for connections? Mostly. Deutsche Bahn reported about 70% on-time performance in 2023. My experience was better — 8 out of 10 trains arrived within 5 minutes of schedule. When a connection from Cologne to Frankfurt got delayed, the conductor told me which platform to run to for the next train. Leave 15 minutes of buffer for tight transfers.

Conclusion

  • Trains are the best option for Berlin, Munich, and Frankfurt — book Sparpreis tickets online at least two weeks ahead to save 50–70%
  • Rental cars work for rural trips or multi-stop road trips; avoid them in city centers
  • Buses are dirt cheap but slow — use FlixBus only if you’re on a strict budget or going somewhere trains don’t reach
  • Public transit in all three cities is excellent; buy day passes instead of single tickets
  • Airport trains beat taxis by a wide margin — the S-Bahn from Frankfurt Airport to Hauptbahnhof is the fastest and cheapest option I found