Deutsche Bahn (DB) will expand its international rail services in December 2026, with new direct Frecciarossa high-speed trains from Munich in Bavaria to Milan in Lombardy and Rome in Latium, more connections to Paris in France and Vienna in Austria, and additional services between Hamburg and Copenhagen in Denmark. The German operator plans to offer more than 320 international train journeys daily, around 20% more than five years ago.
The new timetable takes effect on 13 December 2026, with tickets available from 14 October through DB’s website, the DB Navigator app and ticket offices.
Frecciarossa trains to Italy, more services to France and Denmark
From summer 2027, Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa high-speed trains will operate in Germany for the first time, with one daily return service between Munich and Milan and another between Munich and Rome.
DB will increase the number of daily trains between Stuttgart in Baden-Württemberg and Paris in Île-de-France to 12, two more than at present. Following the completion of infrastructure works on the Nuremberg (Franconia) to Passau (Lower Bavaria) corridor, the Frankfurt–Nuremberg–Vienna route will offer 14 long-distance trains daily, also two more than before the works.
From March 2027, seven trains per day in each direction will connect Hamburg and Copenhagen, with departures approximately every two hours from 07:00.
DB says its international network will provide direct connections from Germany to more than 200 cities in 14 countries.
Booking is also becoming easier: tickets from ÖBB, SBB-CFF-FFS, Trenitalia, SNCF, Eurostar, SJ and National Rail are available through bahn.de and the DB Navigator app.
Using the Open Sales and Distribution Model (OSDM) standard, DB has made more than 10,000 additional European destinations bookable, with further expansion planned.
More ICE Sprinter connections across Germany
A new ICE Sprinter service between Hamburg and Munich will run three times daily in each direction, stopping only in Hanover and Nuremberg. The journey will take five hours and 20 minutes, around 20 minutes less than before.
Between Berlin and Stuttgart, Sprinter services will increase from one to three daily in each direction, cutting journey times to four hours and 45 minutes — approximately an hour faster than the regular service via Frankfurt. Across Germany, DB will operate around 70 ICE Sprinter journeys daily.
The half-hourly service between Berlin and Hamburg will resume following infrastructure restrictions. The Intercity route from Dresden in Saxony via Berlin to Rostock in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will again run every two hours to Warnemünde on the Baltic Sea. One daily ICE in each direction will also connect Warnemünde with Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Munich via Berlin and Leipzig in Saxony.
Other changes include the return of a direct Berlin connection for Jena, a daily Munich service for Ostwestfalen-Lippe, hourly trains to Offenburg and Baden-Baden at the Black Forest, and Saarbrücken in Saarland’s first direct connection to Hamburg.
Due to construction work, Halle (Saxony-Anhalt) and Erfurt (Thuringia) will have direct connections to Switzerland every two hours.
Construction work continues to affect journeys
DB InfraGO will carry out major infrastructure works in 2027 on routes including Hanover–Berlin, Hanau–Fulda and Rosenheim–Freilassing/Salzburg.
During the works, direct ICE services between North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin will run at least hourly, but journeys will take around 80 minutes longer. Between Munich and Salzburg, three pairs of EuroCity trains will operate daily via Mühldorf.
Diversions and revised journey times for major works are already included in DB’s journey planner, which displays the applicable times when passengers book.
Permanent family ticket and cheaper commuter passes
DB will keep its long-distance ticket prices stable while introducing new offers for families, commuters and groups.
The DB Family Ticket, launched as a summer offer, will become permanent. Bookings reopen on 26 October for journeys from 1 November. For €99.99, up to five people can travel anywhere in Germany on long-distance trains in second class, with a return journey and seat reservations included.
From 21 October, monthly and student monthly passes for long-distance trains bought without a subscription will be 25% cheaper. DB is also simplifying its season-ticket range, with route-based passes available exclusively without a subscription.
Groups will be able to reserve the Group Saver Fare online without obligation for up to 14 days, giving them more time to organise their trips.
“Even when fuel prices are high, rail remains an attractive and affordable alternative to travelling by car or plane,” said Michael Peterson, DB’s board member responsible for long-distance passenger services. He said the new timetable would combine faster connections between major cities with improved domestic services and more links to Europe.
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