How to navigate roads and trains in Germany over the Easter holidays
Deutsche Bahn (DB) has warned that its long-distance trains are already filling up, especially on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Monday.
Motorists' association ADAC suggests that the same days will see particularly heavy traffic on Germany's highways.
Here's how you can minimise stress on your journey.
When is traffic expected to be the highest?
In Bremen, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, travel for the Easter holiday begins this weekend. In these states schools go on spring break from Monday April 7th, and plenty of families will head out this weekend.
The busiest days for travel, however, are generally Maudy Thursday and Good Friday (April 17th and 18th this year) as well as Easter Monday (April 21st).
If you're highly traffic-averse, you may want to avoid travelling on these days. But if it can't be avoided, book your train tickets well in advance and get seat reservations.
If you're going by car, consider driving in the early morning or late evening.
Tips for navigating Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn has announced on its website that many trips on the high-traffic days are already well booked.
If you're travelling on a high-occupancy train, you'd be advised to reserve a seat - that is, if you do want to have a place to sit.
You can check the expected occupancy of your train ahead of time in the DB navigator app. If you have yet to buy a ticket, you can select the "show our best prices" function in the app to find cheaper tickets on connections that are less crowded.
Advertisement
Unfortunately, some rail connections over the Easter weekend will also be affected by ongoing construction.
DB suggests that trains in the Ruhr area between Dortmund and Essen will take around 20 minutes longer due to the expansion of the Rhine-Ruhr Express.
Also, the Hanover-Bremen line will be closed from April 7th to the 27th April for repair work.
And long-distance trains between Berlin and Munich, will take around 1.5 hours more around Easter when they will be diverted via Würzburg due to construction.
READ ALSO:
Where Berliners are facing travel disruptions this spring
To increase capacity during the holiday, DB says it will use double-length and XXL ICE trains with around 1,000 seats whenever possible.
Cars drive on the A100 city motorway in Berlin in springtime. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Carsten Koall
New DB connections to start from the holiday weekend
In a bit of good news for leisure travellers, DB has also announced plans for around 100 additional weekly seasonal connections to start from the holiday week.
New direct connections will run from Munich to Ancona on the Adriatic Sea, for example.
READ ALSO:
The destinations you can reach by direct night train from Munich
There will also be additional high-speed connections between Frankfurt and Brussels, and another intercity connection between the Rhineland and the East Frisian North Sea coast.
Advertisement
Tips for travel on the motorway
According to the ADAC, drivers should expect heavy traffic on the Autobahn around Easter weekend.
Maundy Thursday and Easter Monday are expected to be the busiest days to drive, whereas Easter Sunday itself is expected to be comparatively relaxed.
Drivers looking to cut down on their travel time are advised to consider off-peak times (such as early morning or late evening departures) and alternative routes, for example on surburban roads rather than major highways.
If possible, ADAC advises motorists to plan their alternative route in advance.
READ ALSO:
Three apps to help drivers in Germany find the cheapest fuel
Other things to be aware of
If your holiday travels will bring you beyond Germany's borders, remember that border controls are still in effect and may cause delays.
Foreign nationals in Germany should carry their residence permit as well as their passport when travelling through or near border zones.
Fortunately there is no sign of strikes over the Easter weekend, for both national rail services and at Germany's major airlines and airports.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
7 hours ago
- DW
Strange German laws – DW – 08/12/2025
From dance and movie bans on religious holidays to prohibitions on sandcastle building on Baltic beaches, Germany has some bizzare regulations. Germany can appear relatively laissez-faire compared to other countries. It's still possible to smoke in some bars, sunbathe nude in public parks, while 16-year-olds can legally drink beer or wine — the age limit is 21 in the United States. But Germany is also heavily regulated — especially on Sundays and public holidays. From dancing bans to sandcastle building edicts and enforced silence on public holidays, the German rule book is also full of quirky, often outdated laws. In most of Germany's 16 states, Good Friday is regarded as a "silent public holiday" where, since the middle ages, dancing has been forbidden. The capital Berlin has a relatively liberal approach to the dancing ban, or "Tanzverbot," which only happens from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Good Friday. But in the southern, largely-Catholic state of Bavaria, the prohibition runs for 70 hours from Thursday till Saturday over Easter. Penalties can be as high as €10,000 ($11,600). Many other noisy activities are forbidden on this day of silence and religious observance, including car washes, jumble sales and moving house. Meanwhile, some 700 movies have been banned during silent public holidays in various German states. Among those listed under the "Public Holiday Index" are films such as "Ghostbusters," the seemingly harmless 1975 cartoon classic "Heidi" and Monty Python's 1979 religious satire, "Life of Brian." But Germans have continued to demand their right to dance during the Easter period, and routinely protest the ban. Meanwhile, since 2013, an initiative in the city of Bochum in the west German state of North Rhine-Westphalia has held a public screenings of "Life of Brian" in protest against the rule. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video It's illegal to pick mushrooms in the forest at night in Germany, mainly to stop people disturbing nocturnal wild animals. It's also illegal to remove wild garlic at the roots for your pestos and soups. That's because wild garlic, which grows in damp, shady forests and thrives in floodplains, can be easily confused with toxic plants such as lily of the valley. Picking a hand bouquet of wild garlic leaves for personal use is generally allowed without a special permit in Germany. But uprooting the plants with their bulbs or picking leaves in nature reserves is verboten! To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Children cannot build sandcastles on many beaches on the holiday islands off the North Sea and Baltic Sea coast of Germany. As families flock to the ocean, the kids can swim but can't construct monuments out of sand or dig deep holes without risking a €1,000 fine. Building a sandcastle on islands like Sylt are banned for good reason: All the digging and movement of sand can lead to beach erosion. The Baltic resorts of Binz and Sellin on the island of Rügen allow sandcastles but a maximum height of 30 centimeters and a circumference of 3.5 meters. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Starting up the lawnmower or even using power tools on a Sunday in Germany will earn you the wrath of your neighbors — and potentially the police. The tradition of, or quiet time, still reigns supreme on a Sunday that was long set aside for families and religious observance. Generally, you are prohibited from using all motorized garden equipment, including lawnmowers, on Sundays and even public holidays. Those who want to make a racket could be fined. The Sunday silence extends to the streets, with the or "Shop Closing Law," a federal German law in place since 1956, banning retail stores of all kinds from opening their doors on Sundays and public holidays. While individual states have been given more leeway to make their own rules since 2006, Sunday shopping remains largely a no go throughout the country, bar a few designated Sunday shopping days each year and very limited exceptions for certain shops. . That's right, it's an offence to get stuck on the freeway in Germany when the fuel runs out. In car-crazy Germany, drivers who don't adequately fill their tank before heading out on the Autobahn are regarded as negligent. They can therefore be fined for putting themselves and other drivers in danger as vehicles ironically roar past on highways without speed limits. Stopping on a highway is only allowed during emergencies.
Local Germany
10 hours ago
- Local Germany
Train passengers face major disruption between Munich and Salzburg
Train cancellations and delays lasting hours... that's what people travelling between Munich and Salzburg have been experiencing this week. According to regional broadcaster BR24, passengers have been left stranded at crowded platforms. Those affected said that a large number of travellers and commuters were stranded at the station in Salzburg on Monday. Some were able to take the S-Bahn across the border to Freilassing and continue their journey on regional trains there. Austrian rail operator ÖBB reported delays of up to 120 minutes, while travellers said they had seen delays of almost three hours, as well as some cancellations. Rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) said there were restrictions on regional and long-distance services between Munich and Salzburg because of unexpected construction work between Rosenheim and Freilassing. However, on Tuesday morning the line was reported to be almost fully operational except for a short single-track section. The backlog has continued to cause some delays and train cancellations. Advertisement In an official statement, DB said: "Due to construction work near Freilassing, there are disruptions to Deutsche Bahn's long-distance services between Munich and Salzburg. The following long-distance connections are affected: All RJX/ICE/IC trains between Munich and Freilassing or Salzburg are delayed by up to 20 minutes." The disruption was set to last until around Tuesday at noon. The railway operator told BR24 in a statement that it was aware of the "difficult situation for passengers" and wanted to "apologise for the inconvenience". Salzburg is a popular destination for holidaymakers in Germany – and many will be heading there to make the most of the sun this week. READ ALSO: 'Four-hour delays' - How travelling on German trains has become a nightmare for foreigners
DW
01-08-2025
- DW
Berlin-Hamburg: Deutsche Bahn closes Germany's top route – DW – 07/31/2025
Germany's rail operator is shutting down its main train line for nine months, as part of an overhaul scheduled to last at least until 2036. Costs are spiraling and criticism of the planning and implementation is growing. Starting August 1, Deutsche Bahn's 280-kilometer (174-mile) route linking Berlin to Hamburg will be completely closed for at least nine months. With up to 30,000 passengers daily, it is the most heavily used direct connection in Germany's long-distance rail transport. Around 230 regional, long-distance and freight trains travel daily on the tracks between Germany's two largest cities. Starting Friday, the intercity passenger trains will have to take a 100-kilometer detour, while freight trains will be rerouted even further. In addition, 170 buses will be deployed daily to continue connecting the towns between Berlin and Hamburg that will be cut off from rail service. Both the construction work and the replacement transport will be complex and potentially prone to disruption. On Thursday, Deutsche Bahn reported a loss of €760 million for the first half of the year. The company billed this as progress, as losses had been reduced by almost €1 billion compared to the previous year. "Deutsche Bahn is facing its biggest crisis in 30 years," CEO Richard Lutz admitted in May. "We cannot ensure stable operations on a fault-prone and outdated infrastructure." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Germany's national rail network covers around 33,500 kilometers (20,800 miles) of tracks. As a state-owned company, the operator Deutsche Bahn is dependent on subsidies from the federal government, which critics say has invested far too little in infrastructure over the last few decades. In fact, some tracks, junctures and even signal boxes date back to the 19th century. Many systems are completely worn out, almost beyond repair, and now so outdated that they are unusable for digitally controlled rail operations, which are to become standard. There is no way around completely rebuilding them. The "general renovation" project began in 2024, with a focus on 41 main lines, which have a combined length of 4,200 kilometers and are essential for the operation. The 70-kilometer line between Frankfurt am Main and Mannheim was the first to be revamped. It was completely closed for six months as tracks and overhead lines were torn out and reinstalled. The 20 stations along the route, the signaling technology and the sound insulation were also renewed. However, installation of digital technology turned out to be more complicated than expected. Construction costs rose to more than €1.5 billion ($1.73 billion) — twice as much as anticipated. The Federal Audit Office, which monitors the government's budget management, subsequently accused the Federal Transport Ministry of negligence, arguing that Deutsche Bahn should have been required to prove the economic viability of its actions. Further renovation funds should only be made available once the Transport Ministry has "proven beyond doubt that they were necessary and economical," the office said. This led Deutsche Bahn to announce that the general renovation would be extended by six years until 2036. The company has now significantly scaled back its original construction plans. The number of new passing tracks and switches — which ensure that fast trains can overtake slow ones — has been reduced. The installation of the European Train Control System (ETCS) has been postponed until the next decade. The government has pledged additional funds to renovate the rail network, with Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder promising rail infrastructure investments totaling €107 billion by 2029. Most of the money is to come from the debt-financed special fund for infrastructure and climate protection launched at the beginning of the year. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Currently, only 62% of German trains are considered to be on time — that is, those that arrive within six minutes of their scheduled time. Canceled trains are just as common as trains that don't reach their final destination. When there's a strike, or outside temperatures are very high or very low, there are even more problems. Traveling by train in Germany requires a lot of time, a lot of patience and strong nerves. Delays of two to three hours are not uncommon. In 2024, Deutsche Bahn had to pay its passengers almost €200 million in compensation, almost €70 million more than the previous year. The Federal Audit Office has also issued a warning that money alone will not be able to solve the "ongoing crisis" at Deutsche Bahn, and has called for a complete overhaul of the entire company, including an "adjustment of the corporate structure." That would mean unbundling the corporation with its many hundreds of holdings and subsidiaries. For years, there has also been discussion about separating rail infrastructure from transport, to enable more private companies to enter competition on the railways. Currently, the auditors have little hope that the railway will soon recover. In its report in May, it concluded that Deutsche Bahn will not be able to meet "transport and climate policy expectations in the foreseeable future."While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing.
