German public transport is dense, mostly reliable inside cities, and labelled almost entirely in abbreviations. ICE, IC, RE, RB, S, U — each means a different kind of train, a different price, and a different answer to the question "is my ticket valid on this?"
This page sorts out the letters, the vehicles and the ticket vocabulary. It also covers the one mistake that costs newcomers 60 euros: buying a ticket and not stamping it.
Vehicles
car
das Auto
bus
der Bus
tram
die Straßenbahn / die Tram
underground
die U-Bahn
suburban train
die S-Bahn
train
der Zug
bicycle
das Fahrrad / das Rad
e-scooter
der E-Scooter
motorbike
das Motorrad
taxi
das Taxi
lorry
der LKW / der Lastwagen
plane
das Flugzeug
ferry
die Fähre
on foot
zu Fuß
Practice these words
das Auto
Quick notes:
- You travel mit dem Bus, mit der Bahn, mit dem Auto — but zu Fuß. Ich fahre mit dem Zug, Ich gehe zu Fuß.
- Die Bahn means both "the railway" in general and the company, Deutsche Bahn. Ich fahre mit der Bahn is "I'm going by train."
- LKW is short for Lastkraftwagen, said "ell-kah-veh." A car is a PKW on official signs.
What the Train Letters Mean
| Letters | Name | What it is |
|---|---|---|
ICE | Intercity-Express | high-speed long-distance; the fastest and priciest |
IC / EC | Intercity / Eurocity | long-distance, slower than ICE; EC crosses borders |
RE | Regional-Express | regional, stops at larger stations only |
RB | Regionalbahn | regional, stops everywhere |
S | S-Bahn | suburban rail in and around big cities |
U | U-Bahn | underground, in the largest cities |
Quick note: the dividing line that matters is between long-distance (ICE, IC, EC) and regional (RE, RB, S-Bahn). Regional tickets and the Deutschlandticket are not valid on long-distance trains, and that's the most common reason people get fined on a train they thought they'd paid for.
Tickets
ticket
die Fahrkarte / das Ticket
single
die einfache Fahrt
return
die Hin- und Rückfahrt
day ticket
die Tageskarte
monthly pass
die Monatskarte
seat reservation
die Reservierung
first / second class
erste / zweite Klasse
ticket machine
der Fahrkartenautomat
to validate, to stamp
entwerten
ticket inspector
der Kontrolleur
to travel without a ticket
schwarzfahren
discount card
die BahnCard
saver fare
der Sparpreis
flexible fare
der Flexpreis
Practice these words
die Fahrkarte / das Ticket
Quick notes:
- Entwerten is the one to remember. In many cities a paper ticket isn't valid until you've stamped it in the small machine on the platform or inside the tram. An unstamped ticket counts as no ticket.
- There are no barriers. German public transport runs on trust and spot checks. Inspectors are often in plain clothes, and the penalty for Schwarzfahren is 60 euros, payable on the spot or by invoice.
- A Sparpreis is cheaper but tied to one specific train — the Zugbindung. A Flexpreis lets you take any train that day.
The Deutschlandticket
The Deutschlandticket is a monthly subscription that covers all local and regional public transport across the whole country — buses, trams, U-Bahn, S-Bahn, RB and RE trains.
It does not cover ICE, IC or EC trains. It's a subscription, cancellable monthly, and usually held as a QR code in an app. If you commute or travel regionally at all, it's almost always the cheapest option.
At the Station
platform
der Bahnsteig
track, platform number
das Gleis
timetable
der Fahrplan
departure
die Abfahrt
arrival
die Ankunft
delay
die Verspätung
connection
der Anschluss
to change trains
umsteigen
to get on
einsteigen
to get off
aussteigen
carriage
der Wagen
seat
der Sitzplatz
luggage
das Gepäck
locker
das Schließfach
information desk
die Information
Practice these words
der Bahnsteig
Quick notes:
- Gleis is what's announced and printed: Gleis 7. Bahnsteig is the physical platform you stand on. One Bahnsteig usually serves two Gleise.
- Departure boards are yellow, arrival boards are white. You want the yellow one.
Three Mistakes to Avoid
Not stamping your ticket. Buy it, then entwerten it. Inspectors don't accept "I didn't know."
Taking an ICE on a regional ticket. The Deutschlandticket stops at RE. An ICE needs its own ticket.
Missing a Sparpreis train and boarding the next one. A saver fare is only valid on the train you booked — unless that train is delayed, in which case the rules change in your favour.