Deutsche Bahn (tel: 0800 099 6633; website: www.bahn.de or www.bahn.co.uk, UK reservations), Germany's national rail service provider, operates a comprehensive and efficient rail service, including high-speed InterCityExpress (ICE) trains. There is a national railway enquiries line (tel: 11861, in Germany only, or 0180 599 6633).

The main station is the massive new Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Europaplatz (website: www.hbf-berlin.de), Europe's largest station linking east/west and north/south lines in the city centre. Facilities include a travel centre, tourist information, lounge, bank, restaurant, food halls, cafe, shops, florist, newsagents, pharmacy, optician, hairdresser and left luggage. Gusundrunnen station to the north provides rail links to the Baltic. The other major mainline stations are Bahnhof Lichtenberg, Weitlingstrasse 22, and Ostbahnhof, Am Ostbahnhof 9, in East Berlin. Some mainline services also stop at Bahnhof Spandau, to the west, and Bahnhof Sudkreuz, in the south.

Rail services: Berlin is part of the InterCityExpress (ICE) network, with super-fast trains to Hanover (journey time - 1 hour 40 minutes) and Frankfurt am Main (journey time - 3 hours 40 minutes). ICE trains also go to Hamburg (journey time about 1 hour 40 minutes). An expanding web of high-speed trains serves destinations across Western Europe. Supplements are incurred for travel on ICE, IC and EC trains.