Seat reservations are optional It's not usually necessary to reserve a seat on German trains, you can just get on and sit i9n any empty unreserved seat. However, it's a good idea at busy times such as Fridays.

On Deutsche Bahn (DB) trains in Germany, seat assignments are generally optional rather than mandatory for domestic travel. When you purchase a standard ticket for high-speed ICE (Intercity-Express) or IC (Intercity) trains, you are paying for the transportation itself, but you are not automatically guaranteed a specific seat unless you pay an additional "reservation fee" (usually around €4.90 for 2nd class). If you choose not to reserve, you can sit in any available seat that doesn't have a digital display indicating it is reserved by someone else (e.g., "Berlin-Hamburg"). During peak holiday seasons or on popular routes, trains can become extremely crowded, and those without a reservation may have to stand or sit in the bistro car. However, for international connections leaving Germany (such as trains to France, Italy, or Poland) and for night trains, seat or couchette reservations are often mandatory and included in the ticket price. In 2026, it is recommended to check the DB Navigator app, which provides a "comfort check-in" feature once you find an unreserved seat, allowing you to validate your ticket digitally without needing a conductor.