How to travel by train in Germany

DW (English)

The average German reserves a seat and complains about the train delays: Is this what a typical train journey in Germany looks like?

Transcript

00:00Today we're doing a quintessential German activity. We're taking the train. So are German trains as

00:11punctual as the German people? What do they look like inside? And can you really drink a beer on

00:16there? We're following Michelle Muller, an average German, to find out. Michelle is traveling by

00:25train to visit a friend in Bielefeld in Western Germany. Germans ride trains regularly. In 2024,

00:34some 22 million took a longer train journey. That's more than a quarter of the country's

00:38population. However, while German people are known for their punctuality, unfortunately,

00:44their railway network is not. Last year, over one third of long distance trains were delayed.

00:55Looks like Michelle has a bit of time. Fortunately, he brought his own tea.

01:00Like 88% of Germans, Michelle associates the railway network Deutsche Bahn with the term

01:08unpunctuality. Luckily, he got here four hours early, so he's got some time to kill.

01:14That last part was a joke.

01:16I.C.E. stands for Intercity Express. These high speed trains connect all major cities in

01:29Germany. In the I.C.E., Michelle has booked a second class ticket in the Handybereich, which

01:35is the area that you can legally use your phone and talk to each other. There's also a family

01:42zone, first class cars, a silent zone, and a special area reserved for those with gold

01:50and platinum bonus memberships. In other words, VIP train travellers.

02:00There might be some trouble brewing. A cardinal sin has been committed. Someone is sitting in

02:07the seat that Michelle reserved. But he's not afraid to ask for his seat back, even though

02:14many other seats are available.

02:28In this second class seat, Deutsche Bahn guarantees a minimum of 80 cm of leg room, but Michelle

02:34has to make sure.

02:42Now the ticket inspector is coming to check the tickets.

02:47Michelle's printed his out and put them in a folder, as if he's never heard of digital

02:50tickets.

02:51Michelle walks the length of the train and goes to the dining carriage for a refreshment.

03:07After deciding that €4.20 is too much for a cup of coffee, Michelle goes back to his seat.

03:13I'm just going to chill here for a second.

03:19Removing your shoes on the train is a contentious topic. Some love it, but some hate it.

03:24Germans also dislike it when people play music too loudly, talk too much on the phone, and

03:30put their feet on the seats.

03:43Michelle has taken his revenge. He's eating one of the most maligned foods to eat on the

03:48train. Boiled eggs.

03:58He also has a cheese sandwich and some chopped veggies.

04:05Washed down with a beer.

04:16Unlike in many countries, on German trains alcohol can generally be freely consumed.

04:27Michelle exits the train at his destination, Bielefeld.

04:31There's a long-running German conspiracy theory that the city of Bielefeld does not exist.

04:37Supporters of the theory asked, do you know anyone from Bielefeld, or have you ever visited

04:41Bielefeld?

04:42Which is obviously ridiculous.

04:44So was that entire journey just a figment of Michael Müller's imagination? I guess we'll

04:52never know.

04:54So what did you think of the German train experience? Was it everything that you expected? Especially

05:03the punctuality.

05:04As always, like and subscribe for more Aperture.

05:06Aperture.

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