Every phrasebook teaches you to buy a ticket. Very few teach you what to say twenty minutes later, when the board changes and your connection is gone.
In Germany that second conversation is the one you'll actually have. So this page covers the ordinary phrases quickly, and spends more time on delays, missed connections and getting your money back — which you're entitled to more often than most travellers realise.
Buying a Ticket
A ticket to Munich, please.
Eine Fahrkarte nach München, bitte.
Single or return?
Einfach oder hin und zurück?
A single, please.
Einfach, bitte.
Second class.
Zweite Klasse.
With a BahnCard 25.
Mit BahnCard 25.
How much is it?
Was kostet das?
I'd like to reserve a seat.
Ich möchte einen Sitzplatz reservieren.
Is the Deutschlandticket valid on this train?
Gilt das Deutschlandticket in diesem Zug?
Is there a cheaper connection?
Gibt es eine günstigere Verbindung?
Practice these words
Eine Fahrkarte nach München, bitte.
Quick notes:
- Most people buy in the DB app or at a machine. The ticket office — the Reisezentrum — is for complicated journeys and things that have gone wrong.
- Gilt das Deutschlandticket…? is worth asking before you board anything unfamiliar. The rules are in the transport lesson.
Finding Your Train
When is the next train to Berlin?
Wann fährt der nächste Zug nach Berlin?
Which platform does it leave from?
Von welchem Gleis fährt er ab?
Do I have to change?
Muss ich umsteigen?
Where do I change?
Wo muss ich umsteigen?
How long does the journey take?
Wie lange dauert die Fahrt?
Is the train on time?
Ist der Zug pünktlich?
Does this train stop in Passau?
Hält dieser Zug in Passau?
Is this the train to Hamburg?
Ist das der Zug nach Hamburg?
Practice these words
Wann fährt der nächste Zug nach Berlin?
Quick note: long trains sometimes split, with the front half going to one city and the back half to another. If your ticket or the display shows a Zugteil or a carriage number, sit in that part of the train.
On the Train
Is this seat free?
Ist dieser Platz frei?
I have a reservation for this seat.
Ich habe diesen Platz reserviert.
Excuse me, may I get past?
Entschuldigung, darf ich mal durch?
Tickets, please.
Die Fahrkarten, bitte.
Where is the restaurant car?
Wo ist das Bordbistro?
Is there WiFi on board?
Gibt es WLAN im Zug?
What's the next stop?
Was ist der nächste Halt?
Could you help me with my luggage?
Können Sie mir mit dem Gepäck helfen?
Practice these words
Ist dieser Platz frei?
Quick notes:
- The small display above each seat shows whether it's reserved and for which stretch. If it says ggf. freigeben ("release if required"), you can sit there until someone with a reservation turns up.
- A Ruhebereich is a quiet zone — no phone calls, no loud talking. Germans take it seriously and will say so.
When Things Go Wrong
My train is delayed.
Mein Zug hat Verspätung.
How late is it?
Wie viel Verspätung hat er?
The train is cancelled.
Der Zug fällt aus.
I've missed my connection.
Ich habe meinen Anschluss verpasst.
How do I get to Cologne now?
Wie komme ich jetzt nach Köln?
Can I take a different train?
Kann ich einen anderen Zug nehmen?
Is my ticket still valid?
Ist meine Fahrkarte noch gültig?
Where can I get the passenger rights form?
Wo bekomme ich das Fahrgastrechte-Formular?
I'd like a refund.
Ich möchte eine Entschädigung beantragen.
Is there a replacement bus?
Gibt es einen Ersatzbus?
Practice these words
Mein Zug hat Verspätung.
Quick note: Wie komme ich jetzt nach…? is the sentence to have ready. Staff at the DB Information desk will print you a new connection on the spot.
What You're Entitled To
German and EU passenger rights are more generous than most people assume, and they apply automatically.
- 60 minutes late at your destination: 25% of the ticket price back.
- 120 minutes late: 50% back.
- Expected to arrive at least 20 minutes late: your Zugbindung is lifted, and you may take a different train — including, with a long-distance ticket, a different long-distance train.
- Stranded overnight: the railway has to arrange accommodation or pay for it within reason.
Claim through the DB app or with the paper Fahrgastrechte-Formular, which staff hand out on delayed trains. Ask the conductor to confirm the delay if you're using the form.
What to Know About German Train Travel
Let people off first. Passengers stand to either side of the doors and wait. Pushing on before others have got off is one of the few things that will make a German say something out loud.
The app knows more than the board. The DB Navigator app shows platform changes and delays before the station display does, and often before the announcement. Regular travellers check it constantly.
Punctuality is a national conversation. Long-distance trains have a poor record in recent years, and complaining about the Bahn is a reliable way to start a conversation with a stranger on a platform. The announcements themselves are a small language of their own — the next lesson decodes them.
Three Mistakes to Avoid
Throwing away a delayed ticket. Keep it. You may be owed money.
Assuming a missed connection means buying a new ticket. If the delay caused it, your ticket carries you onward.
Sitting in a reserved seat without checking the display. Look up before you sit down.