Getting around Germany by train: the German you'll actually need
Gleis, Abfahrt, umsteigen and Verspätung. The German words on station boards and in announcements, so train travel in Germany feels less confusing.
· 3 min read
Trains are one of the most common ways to get around Germany, and stations are full of signs, boards and announcements. Most major stations have English information, but local and regional trains often don't, and announcements about changes are frequently German only. A few dozen words make a big difference.
At the station
| German | English |
|---|---|
| der Bahnhof | station |
| der Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) | main / central station |
| das Gleis | platform, track |
| die Abfahrt | departure |
| die Ankunft | arrival |
| der Ausgang | exit |
| der Eingang | entrance |
| die Fahrkarte / das Ticket | ticket |
| der Fahrkartenautomat | ticket machine |
| das Reisezentrum | travel centre (ticket office) |
Hbf on a sign or ticket means Hauptbahnhof, the city's main station.
On the departure board
Departure boards (Abfahrt) list the time, the train, the destination (nach) and the platform (Gleis). Words you'll see:
- Verspätung: delay. ca. 10 Minuten später means about ten minutes late.
- fällt aus / Zugausfall: cancelled / cancellation.
- Gleiswechsel: platform change. Worth watching for.
- heute von Gleis 7: today from platform 7.
- Ersatzverkehr: replacement service, often a bus.
Types of trains
German rail has its own alphabet soup. The main ones:
- ICE: high-speed long-distance trains.
- IC / EC: InterCity / EuroCity, long-distance.
- RE / RB: regional trains, the slower local ones.
- S-Bahn: suburban rail around cities.
- U-Bahn: underground / metro (run by the city, not the national railway).
Changing trains
Umsteigen means to change trains. A Verbindung (connection) might say 1x umsteigen: one change. You'll hear it in announcements too: Bitte hier umsteigen ("please change here").
Other words that come up on board:
- der Wagen: carriage, car (your seat reservation shows Wagen 7, Platz 45).
- der Platz / reserviert: seat / reserved.
- die nächste Haltestelle / der nächste Halt: the next stop.
- Ausstieg in Fahrtrichtung links / rechts: exit on the left / right in the direction of travel.
Understanding announcements
Announcements are fast, but they're also formulaic. Listen for the platform number, the train type and these words:
- Achtung an Gleis 3: attention at platform 3.
- Der Zug nach München hat circa 15 Minuten Verspätung. The train to Munich is about 15 minutes late.
- Bitte Vorsicht bei der Einfahrt. Please take care, train arriving.
- Der Zug endet hier. Bitte alle aussteigen. The train terminates here. Everyone please get off.
Asking for help
- Entschuldigung, von welchem Gleis fährt der Zug nach Berlin? Excuse me, which platform does the train to Berlin leave from?
- Ist das der Zug nach Hamburg? Is this the train to Hamburg?
- Muss ich umsteigen? Do I have to change?
- Ist dieser Platz frei? Is this seat free?
Practising before you travel
Many of these words are compounds (Fahrkartenautomat is Fahrkarte + Automat), so knowing how German compounds are built helps you read new signs on the spot. The core everyday words behind them are in the German A1 flashcards, and if announcements sound like a blur, a few minutes of German pronunciation practice makes them easier to catch.