Germany Rail Pass

Within its validity period, the One Country Pass Germany allows unlimited travel on all trains operated by Germany’s national rail company, Deutsche Bahn (DB). The pass is also accepted by most regional train operators that use the Deutschland Tarif, the nationwide tariff system covering DB’s regional services — for example, the BRB Bayerische Regiobahn in Bavaria, or Metronom trains around Hamburg in northern Germany. A complete list of German train companies that accept Interrail and Eurail passes can be found here.

You can use your German rail pass on high-speed trains, long-distance InterCity services, sleeper trains (as long as your journey is an entirely domestic one), as well as regional and commuter trains.

Rail passes are offered with varying numbers of travel days within a fixed period. For example, a “5 days in a month” pass allows unlimited train travel in Germany on five separate days within a one-month period. The one-month period begins on the day you first activate the pass, usually your first day of travel, rather than a calendar month. You can then choose when to use your remaining four travel days, provided they all fall within one month of your first day of train travel. Continuous passes are valid for consecutive days. For example, if you purchase a “10 days in a row” pass, day 1 is the day you first use it, and it remains valid for the following nine consecutive days.

The greatest advantage of an Interrail or Eurail Pass is the flexibility it provides. Instead of buying numerous individual tickets, you can simply hop on any train covered by your pass. This makes spontaneous travel much easier and allows you to choose the day and time of your journey without committing to a fixed itinerary in advance.

In short, a rail pass is a convenient and often cost-effective way to explore Germany, particularly for travellers looking to fit a lot into a short period.