the best means of public transport in Germany is the train. The rail network , operated by the privatized national company Deutsche Bahn (DB; www.bahn.de ) - formed in 1994 from the union of the old West and East German networks - is far denser than that of any other comparable country in the world, and also has the most frequent service levels. It is particularly comprehensive in the former GDR, where there have hardly ever been any line closures, while an encouraging recent devolopment in the west has been the re-instatement of passenger trains to a number of towns cut off from the network since the 1970s. Where natural obstacles or a sparse population make rail routes unrealistic, the DB-associated buses, Bahnbusse, take over. North-south travel is particularly straightforward, while east-west journeys may require a change along the way. Everywhere services are very efficient, but relatively expensive. Up to 100km, a series of zone tariffs apply. Above that distance, the rates are calculated per kilometre: DM0.272/¬0.136 second class, DM0.408/¬0.204 first class.

 

On all intercity routes, even from one end of the country to another, the minimum frequency of service from early morning till late evening is one per hour, and in many cases is several times that. Between smaller towns, it's seldom worse than every two hours, and even the most isolated lines have several trains per day, although these are liable to cease in the early evening and be much reduced at weekends.

There are several types of train most luxurious is the 280kph InterCityExpress (ICE), which is due to be upgraded to 330kph. It only operates on the most popular intercity routes, though these are gradually being extended. On top of the normal fare, there's a supplement to be paid on these trains, increasing according to the distance travelled up to a maximum of DM50/¬25. Otherwise, the fastest and most comfortable trains are those designated InterCity (IC) and EuroCity (EC); the only difference between them is that the ECs cross international borders. With these you can travel from one end of the country to the other -Hamburg to Munich, for example, takes six and a half hours. The only drawback is the supplement ( Zuschlag ) of DM9/¬4.50 (or DM7/¬3.50 if you buy it at the station before boarding the train), which is compulsory unless you've already invested in a rail pass. Slightly downscale from the ICs and ECs are the InterRegio (IR) trains offering a swift cross-country service along less heavily used routes - and charging a DM4/¬2 supplement for journeys of under 50km. This also applies to the relatively cumbersome D-Zug or Schnellzug, which is now used primarily on evening and overnight routes. Of the more localized services, the RegionalExpress (RE) covers the most ground in the shortest time; the misleadingly named StadtExpress (SE) and, in particular, the RegionalBahn (RB) are prone to stop just about everywhere.

Around major cities, the S-Bahn is a commuter network on which all rail passes are valid; though these cannot be used on the underground U-Bahn system, or on municipally owned trams and buses.

The colossal national timetable ( Kursbuch ), which is published annually, can be bought from stations for DM25/¬12.50, though it's too bulky to be easily portable. Otherwise, you can easily plan your route by picking up the many free leaflets detailing intercity services, available at any main train station, or by checking the company's Web site.