Getting There By Rail
The national service provider, Deutsche Bahn – DB (tel: (01805) 996 633, for national rail enquiries and reservations; website: www.bahn.de) is responsible for the modern, extensive and highly efficient rail network. Services include high-speed InterCityExpress (ICE) trains between major cities in Germany, InterCity (IC) and EuroCity (EC) trains, which serve cities in Germany and Europe respectively, and InterRegio trains, which link different regions of the country.
The main station, Hannover Hauptbahnhof, Ernst-August-Platz (tel: (0511) 772 121), is an important junction on the ICE train network and was given a major facelift for Expo 2000. Facilities include a plethora of shops, numerous eating and drinking outlets, a bank, travel agent (tel: (0511) 286 5464; fax: (0511) 286 3429), car hire from Avis, Europcar and Budget, and two trade fair information counters (tel: (0511) 324 948).
Rail services: ICE services run to Hanover from Berlin (journey time – 1 hour 50 minutes) and Hamburg (journey time – 1 hour 10 minutes) and also to Bremen, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Mainz, Stuttgart and Munich. There is also non-stop service to Paris (journey time – 7 hours). The CityNightLine between Hamburg and Zurich stops at Hanover (journey time – 6 hours 50 minutes). During international trade shows, selected ICE trains, IR trains and regional trains stop at the new Hannover Messe/Laatzen station, at the Messegelände (trade grounds), in the southwest of the city.
Transport to the city: The Hauptbahnhof is situated at the heart of the city, with connections to numerous Stadtbahn (trams) and bus services. Taxis also are readily available.
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