German Rail pass
The German Rail Pass offers travellers residing outside of Germany unlimited travel across Germany.
Your benefits
- Unlimited travel throughout Germany
- Flexible travel: you can decide at short notice where and when you want to travel
- Two people travelling together save money with the Twin Pass
- Discounts for everyone under 28
- Children under 12 travel for free when accompanying an adult
- Bonus: visit destinations outside of Germany ( Venice, Brussels, Salzburg, etc.)
Explore the most popular destinations
Questions and answers about the German Rail Pass
The German Rail Pass is available to travellers who are resident outside of Germany.
Within Germany: you can take as many journeys as you want on Deutsche Bahn trains.
Outside of Germany: you can take DB trains to these destinations.
- Basel Badischer Bahnhof (Switzerland)
- Salzburg, Kufstein and Innsbruck (Austria)
- Liège and Brussels (Belgium)
- Bolzano, Trento, Verona, Bologna and Venice (Italy)
Passes are available max. 11 months before the start of your journey.
- Children aged 0-4: travel for free and do not need a pass of their own.
- Children aged 5-11: up to 2 children can travel for free when accompanying an adult. If 2 adults are using a Twin pass, up to 4 children can accompany them free of charge. All other children need a German Rail Pass Youth.
- Children aged 12 and over need a German Rail Pass Youth.
No. People who book a Twin Pass do not necessarily need to travel together. One person can use the pass on a given day. However, the second person cannot use the pass on that day.
Yes. The German Rail Pass can be booked online.
- Pass for consecutive days of travel: print out
- Pass for consecutive days of travel within 1 month: sent by post. Please allow approx. 2 weeks for delivery.
- Within Germany: no. Seat reservations are not necessary within Germany. However, you can reserve a seat if you like.
- International connections: reservations are necessary for certain international connections and night trains. Services requiring seat reservations are marked with an R in the Product column on the Booking Information webpage.
Travel centres are present at certain stations and airports. Staff there will be only too happy to provide you with information about the German Rail Pass and train connections. You can also buy a pass at these offices. To find one, just look for a DB Travel Centre at a station or airport.
Yes. Holders of a valid German Rail Pass can enjoy a host of discounts and benefits from our business partners.
- Historic Highlights of Germany
Get city cards or attractive benefits in the following cities: Aachen, Augsburg, Bonn, Erfurt, Freiburg, Heidelberg, Koblenz, Lübeck, Münster, Osnabrück, Potsdam, Regensburg, Rostock, Trier, Tübingen, Wiesbaden and Würzburg.
Present your German Rail Pass at the tourist information offices or at museums to get the benefits. - Outlet shopping at Wertheim Village and Ingolstadt Village
You can use your German Rail Pass to catch the Shopping Express Bus to Wertheim Village or Ingolstadt Village for an outlet shopping experience. - Outletcity in Metzingen
German Rail Pass holders can look forward to a free shopping pass in addition to other discounts in over 20 outlet stores. To get your shopping pass in Metzingen, just present your pass at the Outletcity Welcome Center. - McArthurGlen Designer Outlets
Your German Rail Pass will get you a free welcome package, which includes among other a fashion passport with extra discounts on selected brands.
The package is available at the following outlets: Neumünster near Hamburg, Wustermark near Berlin, Salzburg in Austria, Roermond in the Netherlands and Noventa di Piave near Venice. - City Circle – Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing in Berlin and PotsdamEnjoy a 20% discount on the sightseeing tours Best of Berlin and Best of Potsdam.
- Boat tours in Berlin
Get a 25% discount on boat trips in and around Berlin on lines C, H and S operated by Stern and Kreisschiffahrt Berlin. - Lake Constance
Make the most of the 50% discount on all Lake Constance steamboat lines operated by BSB (Bodenseeschifffahrtsbetriebe). - Hamburg City Sightseeing
Discount on the price of the day pass for Hamburg’s Red Double-Decker bus Sightseeing Tour Line A. - Boat tours on the Rhine and Moselle
A 20% discount is available for boat trips with Köln-Düsseldorfer Rheinschiffahrt GmbH (KD Rhine Line) on the Rhine between Rüdesheim and Koblenz and on the Moselle between Koblenz and Cochem (seasonal). - Zugspitzbahn
Get a 10% discount on your return ticket with the Zugspitzbahn mountain railway. - Bus tour on the Romantic Road
Make the most of a 20% discount on a bus cruise along the Romantic Road between Frankfurt, Würzburg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Füssen (April-October). - A&O hotels and hostels
Book in advance and get a 10% discount on day rates. - Time Ride German Rail Pass holder get a 20% discount on a historic virtual reality experience at venues in Cologne, Berlin, Dresden, Frankfurt and Munich.
- Exchange before first day of validity: free of charge
- Refund before first day of validity: processing fee of 15%
- Refund of an unused German Rail Pass after first day of validity:
holders must present a medical certificate stating that travel was not possible or a ticket for a return journey (journey home). The refund entails a processing fee of 15%. - Refund of a used German Rail Pass after the first day of validity:
partial refund possible in certain circumstances (illness, cancellation of journey). Holders must present a medical certificate stating that travel was not possible or a ticket for a return journey (journey home).