Content
IC (Germany)
Our guide will tell you all you need to know about travelling on German IC trains, from boarding, to making the most of the journey experience.
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At a Glance
Travel Pass Supplement
Rail Pass Reservation Fees
Reservations
Available
Time of Day
Day
Catering
Food services available
Bar (sandwiches, snacks, salads)
Accessibility
Accessing the train
Wheelchair Spaces
Train Specification
Attributes of the train
Has a Conductor
Travel Passes
Eurail
InterRail
On Board
1 (1.klasse)
Perks
Power Socket
The power sockets on this train are compatible with standard E.U. two point plugs.
WiFi
A complimentary WiFi portal is available throughout this train.
Travel summary:
Power sockets and Wi-Fi are not available on all of these trains (they tend to be available on the routes to and from Hamburg and Zurich).
When Wi-Fi is available it's only accessible in Germany.
A feature of these trains is that some (or all) of the 1st class seating is usually in compartments with a door to the corridor.
Unlike on the ICE trains, if you have a 1st class ticket there is no at seat catering service available.
2 (2.klasse)
Perks
Power Socket
The power sockets on this train are compatible with standard E.U. two point plugs.
Bistro (bar food and take away meals)
This train has a bar car with a counter at which hot food can be ordered along with snacks, sandwiches, salads and hot/cold drinks. These items can then be consumed in the bar car or taken back to your seats.
IC (Germany) travel guide:
There are now two types of German IC trains operating:
(1) THESE older, but recently refurbished single deck trains and
(2) OTHER brand new double deck 'Twindexx' trains - more info on those trains is HERE
Older and slower than the ICE trains, THESE single deck IC trains were the pride of German railways before the country built high speed lines.
They still snake across the country on long routes, which have no high speed lines, meaning that between some cities they’re still the fastest trains available.
Routes:
These older IC trains operated by DB are now mainly found on these routes:
(1) Hamburg - Bremen - Osnabruck - Dortmund - Essen - Dusseldorf - Koln - Bonn - Koblenz - Mainz - Frankfurt (Main)
(ICE trains are now being introduced on this route, particularly on services which travel beyond Frankfurt)
(2) Hamburg - Bremen - Osnabruck - Dortmund - Essen - Dusseldorf - Koln - Bonn - Koblenz - Mainz - Mannheim -Heidelberg - Stuttgart
(ICE trains are now being introduced on this route, particularly on services which travel beyond Stuttgart)
(3) Karlsruhe - Stuttgart - Ulm - Augsburg - Munchen
(3) Hamburg - Westerland
(4) Stuttgart - Singen - Schaffhausen - Zurich
(Intercity 2 trains are now used on departures which don't travel beyond Singen & Swiss IC trains are also used on this route)
(5) Hamburg - Rostock - Stralsund
(6) Berlin - Angermunde - Stralsund - Ostseebad Binz
Reservations:
Reservations are now included when booking 1st class journeys by IC trains.
However, in 2nd class (and for rail pass users in 1st class and 2nd class) they're available - but optional.
1st class = €5.30
2nd class = €4
They can be added when making a booking or purchased separately either online or at the station - at a ticket desk or at a DB ticket machine.
If you have not reserved the availability of seats is NOT guaranteed - if need be walk through the train to find available seats.
BIKE spaces must also be reserved prior to boarding.
Boarding:
If you have reserved the destinations between which a seat has been reserved is either;
- marked above each seat,
- shown on an electronic strip at the edge of the luggage rack,
- or shown on a seat diagram on the outside of the compartment to the side of the door.
If you haven’t reserved, check these labels carefully, as many seats will only be reserved for part of the journey, so a 'reserved' seat may actually be available for use between your start end points.
You also need to check which seats are available before entering a compartment.
IC trains can be between five and eleven coaches long, if need be, walk through the train to find available seats.
Managing Luggage:
The luggage space isn’t particularly generous on IC trains.
Luggage has to be placed in the overhead racks, above the seats or in the spaces between seats.
In the compartments the only luggage storage option can be the overhead racks, particularly when the trains are busy.
Luggage cannot be left in corridors outside the compartments.
Catering:
Not all IC trains departures will have bar/bistro counters that will sell food and drink
So you will be making a long journey it's a good idea to take food and drink on board with you.
This is one of more than 150 train guides available on ShowMeTheJourney, which will make it easier to take the train journeys you want or need to make. As always, all images were captured on trips taken by ShowMeTheJourney.
