Berlin to Stuttgart by train

How to travel from Berlin to Stuttgart by train

Taking the train from Berlin to Stuttgart is very straightforward thanks to the direct ICE trains which leave Stuttgart every other hour on a route via Leipzig.

Though something to watch out for is that there also slower direct ICE trains from Berlin to Stuttgart and they will stand out on the departure info at the station because they terminate at Stuttgart.
However, as they take a slower route via Kassel and Frankfurt flughafen (airport) DB does not sell tickets for journeys by these trains.

Routes

From Berlin Hbf to Stuttgart Hbf

Journey Summary

From

Berlin

Berlin Hbf Rail Station Guide

Stuttgart

Stuttgart Hbf Rail Station Guide

Travel Time

5hr 40min (approx)

Frequency

Daily

Travel Information

Departing from Berlin:

These trains also usually depart from the lower level (tief) in Berlin Hbf.

They also call at Berlin Sudkreuz - which is to the south of the city centre

Connections are available at Berlin Sudkreuz from S-Bahn trains from the eastern and western edges of the city centre, as well as S-Bahn (local) trains from Brandenburger Tor and Postdamer Platz and Anhalter stations.

Check your connections in Berlin on this public transport map.

Final Destination: Munchen Hbf or Stuttgart Hbf

The alternative service of Flix trains:

Flix trains now compete with DB's trains, they now depart from Berlin for Stuttgart daily AND with an additional departure on Thursday - Sundays.

They aren't high speed trains so the journey time is around 6hr 40mins

More info and tickets are available on the Flix Trains website.

Rail passes cannot be used on these Flix trains.

8 x trains per day

Tickets

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings open: 6 months ahead of the travel date - usually

When making an online booking, check that you’re looking at booking info for the direct trains.

On the DB booking site look for journeys that have:

- 0 in the Chg. column
- ICE (and only ICE) in the Products column.

Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares.

Use the earlier/later buttons to search for the cheapest ticket prices.

This is a journey when the cheapest fares for the direct train can seemingly be hard to track down unless you're booking 5 - 6 months ahead.
It can be (much) cheaper to book a journey that involves a change of train.

Reservations:

Book 1st class tickets and your seat(s) will be automatically assigned as reservations are included.

However, if you book 2nd class tickets or will be travelling with a rail pass, then reservations are available, but optional.

Opting to pay the reservation fee is recommended for such a long journey; particularly if you will be travelling on a Friday or Sunday.

Where to book

Ticket Provider	Approximate Cost
DB Bahn	from €17.90
DB Bahn Guide DB is the national railway operator in Germany, so its website can be used for booking journeys by German express trains; the ICE and IC trains and it doesn't charge booking fees. It also sells tickets for journeys by direct trains on all international routes from Germany regardless of whether DB is operating the train service. It also sells an extensive range of end-to-end journeys which involve making connections both within Germany and in neighboring countries, but journeys between Germany and Britain cannot be booked on DB. A key feature of DB website worth keeping mind is that it offers 1st class ticket purchasers complimentary seat reservations on journeys both within and to/from Germany. Seat reservations for daytime in both 1st and 2nd class can also be booked separately from tickets. Buying and using tickets for German rail travel This guide will help you save money, time and confusion. Buying and using tickets for German rail travel How to Book Tickets on the DB Website This step by step guide shows how to use DB, the German railways website, to buy German train tickets, so that you can book and save with confidence! How to Book Tickets on the DB Website Using Rail Passes in and to/from Germany All that's good to know about using Eurail and InterRail passes on German train journeys and on international trains to and from Germany Using Rail Passes in and to/from Germany
Omio	from €17.90
Omio Guide Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain. The three key advantages of using Omio are it offers prices in multiple currencies it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction. The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option. Booking Train Tickets with an Independent Ticketing Service What to look out for when using Omio, SaveATrain, HappyRail, Trainline and RailEurope (UK) when booking train tickets for European rail journeys Booking Train Tickets with an Independent Ticketing Service
Happyrail	from €17.90
Happyrail Guide Happy Rail is a Netherlands rail ticket agency which sells tickets for both national and international journeys within a range of countries including Belgium France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland. HappyRail doesn't charge booking fees in the conventional sense, but if you're not Dutch you can expect to pay additional transaction fees, which will be added to the total cost. That's because the most common form of online payment used in The Netherlands is 'iDEAL' and HappyRail doesn't charge a transaction fee for 'iDEAL' payments, but only Dutch residents can sign up to 'iDEAL'. Other forms of payment include Visa debit cards will incur a fee. Booking Train Tickets with an Independent Ticketing Service What to look out for when using Omio, SaveATrain, HappyRail, Trainline and RailEurope (UK) when booking train tickets for European rail journeys Booking Train Tickets with an Independent Ticketing Service
Saveatrain	from €17.90
Saveatrain Guide Booking Train Tickets with an Independent Ticketing Service What to look out for when using Omio, SaveATrain, HappyRail, Trainline and RailEurope (UK) when booking train tickets for European rail journeys Booking Train Tickets with an Independent Ticketing Service

On this journey

Travelling On

ICE 1 (Germany) Train Guide

ICE 4 (Germany) Train Guide

Journey Features

Scenic - NoHigh Speed (partial)

Good to Know

Note that the new ICE 4 trains now operate some of the trains on this route, if you want to travel with an ordinary bicycle you'll need to take these trains.

The train will reverse direction on departure from Leipzig and from Frankfurt (Main).

This journey has six distinct phases.

From Berlin to Leipzig the train will travel across unexciting largely flat countryside.
The train will reverse direction on departure from Leipzig and around 20 mins later it will move on to the high speed line, on which it will travel at 250 km/h for around 40 minutes prior to arrival in Erfurt.
From Erfurt to Fulda much of the journey is through rolling countryside and this the slowest, but prettiest section of the journey.
On to Frankfurt the train will remain on a conventional railway
After reversal at Frankfurt (Main) hbf the train will pass through a string of towns until Mannheim
The final depart of the journey from Mannheim to Stuttgart is on another high speed line.

The general guide to German rail travel Discover what's good to know about riding the trains, taking popular journeys, using the major stations, booking tickets and travelling with rail passes

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