Muenchen Hauptbahnhof, the western terminus for ICE and ICE Sprinter trains from Berlin.
Photo: FloSch / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)Berlin to Munich by Train
A domestic route within Germany.
Reviewed by Eurotraintrip on 2026-07-30
- Duration
- 3h 51m – 4h 10m
- Price from
- 17 EUR
- Distance
- 623 km
- Operators
- Deutsche Bahn (ICE)
- Frequency
- Roughly hourly ICE departures, including three nonstop ICE Sprinter services each way that skip most intermediate stops
Compare and book Berlin–Munich tickets
Check pricesWhat makes Berlin to Munich different
- The ICE Sprinter service launched on 8 December 2017, the same day the final 107km Neubaustrecke section between Erfurt and Ebensfeld (part of the VDE 8 project connecting the former East and West German rail networks) opened, cutting the previous roughly 6-hour Berlin-Munich journey to under 4 hours for the first time.
- Three ICE Sprinter round trips a day cover the 623km in 3h51 by stopping only at Halle, Erfurt and Nuremberg, while the rest of the roughly hourly ICE service takes 4h10 or more with additional stops.
- This is one of the few major German city pairs where Deutsche Bahn still runs without direct competition from budget rival FlixTrain, which has entered Berlin's other big corridors (Stuttgart, Cologne, Aachen) but not this one.
Berlin station
Departs from Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Europe's largest crossing-point station, opened in 2006 with a distinctive 321-metre glass roof spanning five levels - long-distance trains use the upper level, regional and S-Bahn trains sit a level below, and it's a short S-Bahn or tram ride to the Brandenburg Gate and central Mitte.
Munich station
Arrives at Muenchen Hauptbahnhof on the western edge of the city center, presently undergoing a major reconstruction that also involves building a second S-Bahn tunnel beneath the station; despite the construction, it's just a couple of stops by S-Bahn or about a 10-minute walk to Marienplatz, with no airport-style security check before boarding.
Train vs. other options
Flying covers the distance in about 1h05 in the air, but Berlin's and Munich's airports both sit well outside the center, so door-to-door time is often similar to or longer than the sub-4-hour ICE Sprinter, which runs Hauptbahnhof to Hauptbahnhof; driving the roughly 585km via the A9 autobahn takes around 5h30-6h without stops.
Booking tips
- DB Sparpreis fares (from about 17 EUR) are released roughly 6 months ahead and get more expensive as the departure date nears - book as early as you can for this specific corridor.
- The three daily ICE Sprinter trains each way skip nearly every intermediate stop and are the fastest way to cover this route at 3h51, but they're also the most popular departures and sell out first at the cheapest price tier.
- Deutsche Bahn has no direct low-cost competitor on this exact route (unlike Berlin-Stuttgart or Berlin-Cologne, where FlixTrain runs) - so unlike many other German long-distance routes, Sparpreis advance-purchase timing does more to control the price than choice of operator.
Good to know: ICE Sprinter trains use dedicated departure slots that aren't interchangeable with a standard ICE Sparpreis ticket bought for a different train on the same day - check the exact departure time on your ticket, since boarding the 'wrong' ICE with a Sprinter ticket (or vice versa) can mean a reservation conflict.
While you're in Munich
Marienplatz and the Neo-Gothic Neues Rathaus, seen from the tower of Peterskirche.
Photo: Diliff / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)Munich pairs a compact, walkable Altstadt around Marienplatz with one of the world's largest urban parks - the Englischer Garten is bigger than Central Park and Hyde Park combined, and locals surf a standing wave at its southern edge year-round, wetsuits and all.
Full Munich travel guide →Frequently asked questions
How long does the train from Berlin to Munich take?
The fastest ICE Sprinter trains cover the 623km in about 3h51. Regular ICE services with more stops take up to around 4h10.
How much does the train from Berlin to Munich cost?
Deutsche Bahn Sparpreis fares start from around 17 EUR for advance-purchase tickets, though prices rise closer to departure, especially for the popular ICE Sprinter slots.
Is there a low-cost alternative to Deutsche Bahn on this route?
Not currently - unlike Berlin's other major corridors (to Stuttgart, Cologne or Aachen), FlixTrain does not run a direct Berlin-Munich service, so DB effectively has this exact route to itself.