Rail Travel Glossary
An Annotated English-German Travel Glossary
Train travel is a popular way of getting around in German Europe. Die Deutsche Bahn (DB) is the German railway. Austria and Switzerland have similar rail services, as do all of the major European countries. In this glossary you'll find typical German vocabulary and expressions related to rail travel.
Noun genders are indicated by: r (der, masc.), e (die, fem.), s (das, neu.)
Also see:
More vocabulary: English-German Glossaries
Abbreviations used: adj. (adjective), n. (noun), pl. (plural), v. (verb)
English-German Travel Glossary
Automobile & Driving Glossary
Euro & Money Glossary
Essential German
A
arrival(s) e Ankunft
departure(s) e Abfahrt
German railroad schedules are yellow
for departures, white for arrivals.
PHOTO © Hyde Flippo
arrivals board/sign e Ankunftstafel
arrivals monitor r Ankunftsmonitor
arrival time e Ankunftszeit
Austrian Federal Railways ÖBB (Österreichische Bundesbahnen)
B
baggage (n.) s Gepäck, (pl.) die Koffer (suitcases)
baggage/luggage cart (n.) r Kofferkuli
baggage check/left luggage (n.) e Gepäckaufbewahrung
baggage claim/return (n.) e Gepäckausgabe
BahnCard e BahnCard
A special card that entitles passengers to a discount on rail tickets
The BahnCard is good idea if you will be using the train regularly over a period of time in Germany. It won't spare you the task of buying train tickets, but it will give you a 25-50 percent reduction in the cost of tickets you buy during a one-year period. You can decide for yourself the first day your BahnCard will become valid. There are first-class and second-class BahnCards. The BahnCard 25 (2nd class, 100 euro) and BahnCard 50 (2nd class, 200 euro) offer discounts of 25% and 50% respectively. The card is not valid for special reduced-priced tickets, and any supplementary charges have to be paid in full. But the BahnCard is valid on every day of the year, including holidays. The card is issued to you in your name. See the Deutsche Bahn Web site for details. Also see Eurail Pass below.
business trip e Geschäftsreise
German For Travelers: The Basics
C
car (on train) r Waggon
car rental/hire, auto rental agency r Autoverleih
rental/hire car r Mietwagen, r Leihwagen
car location indicator (train) r Wagenstandanzeiger
Using the Wagenstandanzeiger is a very practical way to know just where on the platform your car will come to a stop. Instead of walking through half the train to find your reserved seat, you can be standing on the platform within a few feet of the right car! See a photo of a Wagenstandanzeiger here. (Web)More on trains here: Train Travel at the The German Way Web site.
compartment (train) s Abteil
conductor (train) r Schaffner
counter (bank, train station) r Schalter
at the counter am Schalter
credit card e Kreditkarte
crew e Besatzung, e Crew
D
departure(s) e Abfahrt
arrival(s) e Ankunft
departures board/sign/monitor e Abfahrtstafel, r Abfahrtsmonitor
departure time e Abfahrtszeit
Deutsche Bahn AG Germany's national rail service. (AG = Aktiengesellschaft = Inc.)
dining car (n.) r Speisewagen, r Zugrestaurant
E
Eurail Pass r Eurail-Pass
Usually available only to non-Eurpeans, the Eurail Pass entitles travelers unlimited rail travel for a certain number of days. More: Eurail.com or RailEurope.com
excursion, side-trip (n.) r Ausflug
to take an excursion einen Ausflug machen
excursion ticket (n.) e Ausflugskarte, die (verbilligte) Sonderkarte
F
fax (v.) faxen
fax (facsimile) (n.) s Fax, s Telefax
G
German Rail Deutsche Bahn AG (DB)
Die Deutsche Bahn AG is Germany's privatized national rail service. It provides rail connections to virtually every town of any size in Germany. In Austria the national railway is known as the ÖBB (Österreichische Bundesbahnen). In Switzerland it's the SBB (Schweizerische Bundesbahnen).
H
high-speed train (ICE) r InterCity Express (ICE)
hotel, inn s Hotel, e Pension
I
ICE r InterCity Express (German high-speed train)
information (n.) e Auskunft, e Informationen
InterCity Hotel (n.) s InterCity Hotel
Located at or near German train stations. Caters to business travelers.
NEXT > L-Z - More travel vocabulary
Related Pages
Travel Glossary
An annotated English-German glossary related to all forms of travel and travel situations.
German For Travelers: The Basics
An introduction to essential travel vocabulary.
Am Telefon
Our feature on telephone vocabulary, plus tips.
Trains - The German Way
Rail travel advice based on the books The German Way and When in Germany Do As the Germans Do by Hyde Flippo.
German Culture
General cultural information from Tatyana Gordeeva.
The German Way
Cultural and travel advice based on the books The German Way and When in Germany Do As the Germans Do by Hyde Flippo.
Glossaries
A list of all the English-German glossaries on this site.
Online Dictionaries
Links for online and print dictionaries and glossaries for German.
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