There are lots of pluses in traveling from the Bavarian capital to the unforgettable city of Berlin by the First Class of ICE. Those advantages include speed and comfort, of course, but — with a properly picked seat — this journey gives you something in addition.
At the main station of Munich
I enter the Munich Central Station (or, as the locals call it, München Hauptbahnhof) from the side of Bayerstrasse. I know, the entrance which faces Bahnhofplatz is more spectacular: it has an impressive facade clock (similar to the one on the tower of Finlyandskiy Railway Station in Saint Petersburg) and huge curvy roof. What to say? Sometimes I come to transport hubs during the process of construction works. This happened to me, for example, in Amsterdam. And also in Tallinn. The same is happening again — the main entrance is pretty much covered with temporary panels and fences. Anyway, the morning is still pleasant and refreshing. So, I move inside the building in a good mood.
Perhaps, I wrote this before, but still: early hours suit big railway stations perfectly. No massive crowd. No noise. No hassle. It’s about 7 o’clock, and I can enjoy the power of this huge space almost without distractions. Everything around me seems to be friendly, even queueless ATMs and ticket machines, not to mention numerous food spots, each of which is ready to supply travelers with hot coffee, sandwiches and other tasty things.
There are many tracks at this station, and all of them are rather long. The one I am interested in, number 22, is no exception: it can host two trains at once. This time, there are two ICEs connected with each other. They start the trip together and then, after separation in Nuremberg, will be traveling to different locations. I go to the end of the platform (segment G) — my train is the first one in this coupling.
Munich to Berlin from 17,50 Euro
The starting day greets passengers with clear skies and the light of the just risen sun. The good-looking white vehicles with red stripes represent the family of ICE trains (the abbreviation stands for Intercity Express, but most likely you already knew this). The train is both elegant and fast — its maximum speed is 320 km/h.
I am not the only person who takes this kind of photo (I notice at least two of my colleagues on this mission), but who can really blame me? The subgenre which I’d call kissing trains is popular enough, and look — this is so cute, romantic and stuff!
But enough of lyrical digressions, let’s move from the heart to the head. To the head of the train — where I am right now. The ride is about to start soon, and it’s the proper time for boarding.
I have a ticket that allows me to travel in the place called Quiet Zone. It is the very first section of the first car which belongs to the First Class. It’s marked on the outside (as well as in the interior) with a funny pictogram and the debatably relevant interjection “Psst”.
OK, right. Shush! Not another word before I am inside the train.
On the train: 1st Class, Quiet Zone
The Quiet Zone is separated from the rest of the car by a glass wall with a door. At the entrance, there is an information display showing the numbers of the train and the car, current time and the list of stations on the following route.
The area itself has only eight seats, divided by the central lane into two parts. The single chairs are on the right, the paired — on the left side. My place is among the first group, it has the number 102.
All chairs are big and comfortable, with leather upholstery and soft textile cushions. The main, bigger part of the First Class car has the seats of exactly the same type. The difference there is that you are allowed to use your phone for talking and, I guess, to be a bit louder in general.
Leaving no doubts about where exactly you are, the class-defining digits (and the convincing dot) are capitally embroidered on every cushion of every chair. Good to know, many thanks. Now I definitely feel like I am among the chosen few.
My seat has yet another benefit: it is located near the unfolding wooden table, which is, even not only by the train standards, positively big. A fresh issue of the Deutsche Bahn Magazine (in German) and the menu card (it’s easy to order something from the car named Bordrestaurant) are here from the beginning and wait for my attention.
There is also a luggage space. And power sockets. And free Wi-Fi connection. But also there is something way more exciting and interesting!
Behind the driver
The best feature of this trip is the placement of my seat. I am right behind the train driver, as close to the cabin as a regular passenger can possibly be. Only one thin partition divides us, and this fact alone is thrilling. At first, I almost get sad: the wall is just translucent, and through its matte surface I see only more or less vague shadow figures. Then, I happily learn that the thing becomes transparent when a driver turns on the light on the other side. Hooray! Now I have a great view. And it’s hard to stop gazing.
Sometimes, however, the joy gets interrupted — not all the drivers use the lightning mode that makes it available. In my case, there are three men who drive the ICE in shifts. The first two allow me to watch them at work, but the third driver turns the lights off. Well, I still can enjoy the wide window near my chair, although this feels like downgrading the style.
The landscape itself is not exceptional, but calming and nice. And the front view was impressive enough. You will remember this, even if the time of looking through the windscreen was brief.
On a map
There is also yet another block in the pyramid of visual entertainment available in the car. It is the one for real children of the digital age — a display that shows the current location of the train on a map, along with the information about the speed.
The speed is impressively high at some moments, and the train is right on schedule. Speaking of which, the trip lasts for 4 hours and 20 minutes, covering the distance of almost 600 kilometers.
There are three intermediate stations on the route: Nürnberg (Nuremberg), Erfurt and Halle (Saale). The final point of this voyage is Berlin Ostbahnhof, located at the border of the renowned Kreuzberg district, and that’s where I find myself a few minutes after noontime.
At Berlin Ostbahnhof
I step on one of the nine platforms of Berlin East railway station. What just has ended was one of the most memorable rides in my modest travel experience, and I am thankful for the opportunity to try this. According to tradition, I take a couple of final looks at the smooth high-speed train.
Then, I go to a hotel where I plan to leave my belongings before (and my body — after) a long walk around the city. The hotel couldn’t be any closer to the station — it is located in the same building. The name of this extremely convenient establishment is InterCity Hotel, and it has a cozy and spacious room for me — with a double bed, a working desk and a bathroom.
Apart from being perfectly located (three minutes from the train, even without the necessity to go outside), the hotel gives a great additional reason to be selected — the thing called FreeCityTicket. It is included in the accommodation price and allows you to use all the types of public city transport during the days of your stay. It saves a lot of money and some time, that’s for sure!
With this card, you are free to move through Berlin wherever you want and as long as you can. So, this is exactly what I am going to try. The story is over, and all I have to do before finishing this text is to wish you pleasant and bright trips and to leave here a couple of links. Book your tickets from Munich to Berlin here at Deutsche Bahn and sleep well in the InterCity Hotel Berlin Ostbahnhof or another one. Until next time, fellow train travelers!
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