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WALKING FIRST CLASS ACROSS GERMANY
Intercity Rail High Speed from Berlin to Hamburg

On a business trip to Berlin, a partner and I decided at the last minute that we needed to go to Hamburg. Seemed easy enough – go to the bahnhof get a ticket, get on a train - a few hours relaxing in First Class and you’re there. Train travel in Europe is fast, comfortable and convenient (see Europe High Speed Trains). No standing in long security lines at the airport, no cramped into a seat, no climbing over the sleeping passenger next to you. You can easily get up, walk around, get a snack, while watching the scenery roll by at 230 kph (about 140 miles an hour). The trip from Berlin departing the glistening new Hauptbahnhof across from the Reichstag (see Visiting Reichstag Dome) to Hamburg HBF is about 1:36 minutes by ICE high speed train, which saves about 25 minutes from the regular EC. First Class is about 110 Euro, 2nd Class 68 Euro on the ICE - Intercity Express. The EC Eurocity is about 14 Euro cheaper for second class, but there are fewer of them.

With a Eurail pass you can ride the ICE trains with no extra fee or reservation, except for rush-hour expresses in the morning and evening. Though with the convenience of last minute travel, sometimes comes the unknown. On arriving at the station, we had a choice - wait for the next train, which meant hanging out for 45 minutes or taking the train leaving – right now! We grabbed our tickets, hustled up to the platform hauling luggage and there was the train on the platform, sleek and smooth and ready to go. We hurriedly asked the conductor about first class and he urgently waved us on board the nearest car. It was certainly nice of him to not wave us off, as the doors just closed as the coach started to move as we got the last of our luggage aboard.

Now, I’m the type of traveler who likes to go lots of places, see lots of things, just shoulder bag and a rolling carry-on. My business partner prefers to have his travel all planned and arranged, to know exactly when he’s arriving, where he’s staying and preferably a car to pick him up and a porter to carry his heavy suitcases. Pulling out of the Bahnhof, it turns out we have boarded in last Second Class car. First Class is at the front of the train! Making our way coach to coach we end up walking almost halfway to Hamburg, excusing the heavy suitcases past all those comfortable looking Second Class passengers, relaxed in their seats with the beautiful scenery rolling past the window as my fellow adventurer sweats with his bags and curses the day rail was ever invented.

We eventually got to our first class reclining chairs and to spent a scenery spinning ride to Hamburg in style. But when the kindly conductor holds a train and waves you on, make sure you’ve got on a good pair of walking shoes. © Bargain Travel Europe

Compare best hotel deals in Hamburg on TripAdvisor

German High Speed Train ICE Booking Center

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