Ice train from nuremberg to frankfurt airport

What is an ICE?

ICE - InterCity Express - is the brand name for Deutsche Bahn's (German Railways) premier high-speed trains.  There are various types, some of which can run at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) on Germany's high speed lines and up to 230km/h (130 mph) on upgraded conventional lines.  The ICE is arguably Europe's most comfortable, civilised & impressive high-speed train, with a very high-spec interior including free WiFi, power sockets at all seats, and a bistro or restaurant car.

Which ICE operates which route?

Paris-Germany ICEs are always ICE3, usually the latest class 407 type.

Brussels-Germany ICEs are always ICE3 of the international ICE3M type.

Amsterdam-Germany ICEs are always ICE3 of the international ICE3M type.

Vienna-Germany ICEs are always ICE-T, of the 7-car type.

Switzerland-Germany ICEs are ICE1 & ICE-T, but ICE4 is taking over most services.

Cologne-Hannover-Berlin ICEs are all ICE2.  Hamburg-Berlin is a mix of ICE1 and ICE4.

Tip:  To find out which type of ICE operates a specific train, look up the train at www.bahn.de and click for details to see the train number.  Then look up that train number at www.fernbahn.de/datenbank/suche.

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ICE 3  Virtual tour ICE3M

ICE3s can run at up to 300km/h (186mph) - in fact, they can reach 320km/h (199 mph) on high-speed lines in France.  They come in 3 variants:  ICE3M (class 406), equipped for international routes Brussels & Amsterdam to Cologne & Frankfurt, see ICE3M class 406 seating plan.  ICE3 class 403 operates Cologne-Munich & various other routes, see class 403 seating plan.  The latest ICE3 trains (class 407, a close cousin of Eurostar's e320) operate Frankfurt-Paris, see class 407 seating plan.  The photos below show ICE3M (class 406)...

Video guide:  ICE3

This is an ICE3M class 406, as used between Brussels/Amsterdam and Frankfurt.  For a video of a Paris-Frankfurt journey by ICE3 class 407, see here.

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ICE4

The latest addition to the ICE family can only travel at 230 km/h or 250 km/h depending on the type - although some can now travel at up to 265 km/h.  They are have been introduced on various German domestic routes including Hamburg-Munich, and took over many Hamburg-Switzerland & Berlin-Switzerland  services from ICE1 in December 2019.  One key difference from previous designs of ICE is that ICE4 carries bikes, in 8 bike spaces.  ICE4s have a similar interior to the other ICEs, most with a restaurant car.  ICE4 is a nice train, but it appears to be a cut-price version when you compare it to the glitzy ICE1/2/3.  See the video, Berlin to Munich by ICE4.

ICE-T  Virtual tour ICE-T

ICE-T can run at up to 230 km/h (143 mph).  Fitted with a tilting body so it can corner faster on conventional routes, the ICE-T is similar in appearance and interior to ICE3, but with a slightly blunter nose.  Some ICE-Ts have 7 cars and feature a restaurant car, other ICE-Ts have 5 cars with a smaller bistro car.  Seating is similar to ICE3.  You'll find ICE-T on routes such as Vienna-Nuremberg-Frankfurt (7-car version) and the direct Vienna-Berlin ICE is also an ICE-T 7-car.  7-car ICE-T trains now have spaces for 3 bikes.  ICE-T 7-car seating plan.  ICE-T 5-car seating plan.

Restaurant car on a Vienna-Frankfurt ICE-T.  Take a seat at any table and the waiter will take your order.  At the other end of the car is a counter where you can buy snacks, drinks & food to take back to your seat.  In 1st class, staff take you food & drink orders and serve you at your seat, you don't need to visit the restaurant.

Most seats are open plan, similar to ICE3.  However, an unusual feature of the ICE-T is these two 1st class 4-seat semi-compartments in one of the cars, ideal for families, small groups or a business meeting on the rails.  Opposite these semi-compartments are a couple of tables-for-two, my favourite configuration.

ICE-TD...

This is the diesel version of the ICE.  It used to operate the Hamburg-Copenhagen route, but no longer does so.  All ICE-TDs were retired in 2016-2017.

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Tips for travel by ICE...

• Seat numbering plans for ICEs:  Click here.

• Should you go 1st or 2nd class?

  2nd class is very comfortable and perfectly adequate.  But if you get a good price, 1st class gives you more legroom and elbow room and usually a quieter environment, with more business laptops tapping and fewer kids.  The only real difference is the seating quality, see the photos on this page, but in first class food & drink orders are taken by a steward at your seat so you don't have to go to the bistro car yourself, a useful service, and there are also first class lounges at major German stations with complimentary refreshments.  In 1st class seats are arranged 2+1 across the car width, so you'll find tables for two and solo seats as well as tables for four and dual side-by-side seats as in 2nd class.  For couples a first class table for two is ideal, when booking at www.bahn.de simply select 'table' (tisch in German).

• Open saloon or compartment? 

  The majority of seats on an ICE is in open-plan saloons as shown in the photos on this page, but there are a handful of 6-seater compartments in both classes which you can select when booking if you prefer.  See a virtual tour inside an ICE1.  See virtual tour inside an ICE3.  

• Table seats...

  If you select table when booking you'll get seats at a fixed table for four or fixed table for two, although all seats in fact have a drop-down table even if they aren't at a fixed one.  Your ticket will usually use the German word for table, Tisch, if you have a seat at a fixed table.  When travelling as a couple, a face-to-face table-for-two in first class is easily the best option.  As a family of four, a table seat is the best and most sociable option in 1st or 2nd class.

• Fares, ticketing, seat reservations...

  You can book at www.bahn.de and print out your own ticket.  Booking for most ICEs opens up to 6 months before departure.

  Reservation is compulsory on the ICE trains to and from Paris, and tickets on the Paris route always come with the necessary seat reservation included, free of charge.  On other ICE routes seat reservation is usually optional, there's a small extra charge for a seat reservation if you want one, although it's currently free if you buy a first class ticket at www.bahn.de. 

  If you don't have a reserved seat you just find any empty unreserved seat, as shown by the little LED reservation display above every seat.  That means you can always buy a full-price ticket and get on the next train, ICE trains can never sell out.   However, a seat reservation is a good idea for a long journey and you will find much cheaper fares if you are willing to commit to a specific train with a limited-refund, limited-changes Sparpreis ticket booked in advance at www.bahn.de.

• Boarding...

  As with most European trains, there's no check-in, you just walk into the station, look at the indicator boards to find your train and step on, any time before it leaves.  Exterior displays next to the carriage door show the train number, its destination, calling points and car number.  Information displays inside each carriage also show the train's destination, carriage number, calling points, the next station stop and (from time to time) the train's speed.  On board announcements are usually made in both German and English.

• On the train's LED seat reservation displays above each seat...

  Small LED displays above each seat show which seats are reserved between which stations, and which seats are free.  You may see these messages:

  ggf. freigeben - this is a last-minute reservation seat. You can sit in it if you like, but will have to move if someone shows up with a reservation.

  ggf. reserviert - this means the train's on-board reservation system hasn't been updated with the latest information from the main DB reservation system.  Usually all of the seats show this message if this happens.  Seat reservations are still valid, but cannot be shown on the LED displays, so you can sit in these seats but you could be asked to move if someone shows up with a reservation.

  bahn.comfort - travellers holding a frequent traveller BahnCard have priority for these seats. You can sit in these seats but someone with a BahnCard may show up and claim it.  Though how they'd know you didn't have a BahnCard and so ask you to move is another question!

  Schwerbehinderte means that seat is reserved for people with disabilities.

• First class lounges...

  If you have a first class Flexpreis ticket, but not an advance-purchase Sparpreis or Supersparpreis fare, you can use the DB Lounges at the following stations, typically open 07:00-21:00:  Berlin Hbf, Bremen, Dresden Hbf, D�sseldorf, Frankfurt am Main Hbf, Frankfurt Main Airport, Hamburg Hbf, Hanover, Cologne Hbf, Leipzig Hbf, Mannheim, Munich Hbf, Nuremberg Hbf, Stuttgart Hbf.  These have free WiFi & complimentary refreshments including beer & wine.

  You can use the NS Lounge at Amsterdam Centraal and the �BB Lounge at Vienna Hbf with any type of 1st class ticket.

• Luggage...

  You take your bags with you and put them on any suitable luggage rack near your seat.  If you can carry it you can take it, as within reason there are no baggage limits.  The overhead racks above all seats will take anything up to backpack-sized.  There are floor-standing racks for larger items inside the passenger saloons, so you can put your big bags near where you're sitting.  Still need reassurance?  The ICE video shows the luggage space on board the train.

• Bikes...  Bikes are not carried on any ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 or ICE-T train, unless they are semi-dismantled and placed in a zip-up bike bag as regular luggage, see the bikes by train page.  However, the latest ICE4 has 8 spaces for undismantled bikes.  To find trains in Germany that carry bikes, tick the Carriage of bicycles box at the bottom of the page on www.bahn.de.

• Dogs...  You can take a dog on ICEs, see the dogs by train page.

• WiFi & power sockets...

  All ICEs now have free WiFi in both 1st & 2nd class.  In 2nd class there is limited bandwidth, so you can check your emails and browse the web but you won't be able to watch videos or download large attachments.  But in 1st class there's no artificial limit on bandwidth so you can access larger files & video.  There are power sockets for laptops & mobiles at all seats in both classes, of the usual European 2-pin type.

  To use the free WiFi, select the WIFIonICE network in your WiFi settings. This normally opens the landing page LogIn.WIFIonICE.de but if it doesn't you can open that link in a browser manually.

• Food & drink...

  ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 class 407, & 7-car ICE-T trains have a proper restaurant car with a restaurant at one end and a bistro-bar area at the other.  ICE3 class 403 & 406 and 5-car ICE-T trains have a bistro car with a cafe-bar area and small 12-seat restaurant area.  Breakfast in the restaurant costs around �8, �10 or �15, depending on what menu you want.  3 courses with a beer costs about �30.  Treat yourself!  In ICE 1st class, orders are taken by a member of staff and drinks and food are served at your seat, all using proper china & glassware.  You can't reserve a table in the restaurant car and don't need to, you just go along and sit in any free seat.

  If you are a red wine fan, DB's Sp�tburgunder red (Pinot Noir) is excellent.  If you're a beer drinker, DB serves excellent Erdinger Weissbier in a distinctive tall Erdinger glass, highly recommended.

  You are of course free to bring your own food and drink along if you prefer and consume it at your seat, as on any European train.

• Children...

  ICE1 & ICE2 have baby-changing facilities and a small play area in a special 'parent & child' compartment.  ICE3 also has baby-changing facilities.  Infants go free and with German sparpreis fares children under 15 often go free too.  More information about child age limits on European trains.

• Viewing screen behind the driver...

  ICE3 (classes 403 & 406), ICE-T & ICE-TD trains have a seating area at each end of the train (one end 1st class, the other 2nd class) with a glass screen behind the driving cab, giving you a view along the track ahead or behind the train.  See the photo above.  Though you'll find Dutch and Belgian drivers switch the glass to opaque!

  The latest type of ICE3 (class 407) mostly operating to & from Paris do not have a viewing area as there's an electrical equipment section between cab and passenger accommodation.

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See this month's bistro & restaurant menu...

• You can find DB's menu for the current month in both html & pdf formats at www.bahn.de/p/view/.../monatsaktion.shtml, just click the speisen & getr�nke links at the bottom of that page -please let me know if that link stops working.

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