Easter travel boom: Deutsche Bahn adds trains as fuel prices soar

Skyrocketing petrol costs are reshaping holiday plans—now, trains are the ticket. Deutsche Bahn races to add routes as demand explodes for scenic escapes.

, and Administrator

2026 March 29 . 10:09 PM

1 min read

The image shows a black and white map of Germany with a red line running through it, indicating the... — The image shows a black and white map of Germany with a red line running through it, indicating the route of a train. The text on the map provides further details about the route, such as the names of the cities and towns along the way.

Easter travel boom: Deutsche Bahn adds trains as fuel prices soar

Rising fuel prices are pushing more travellers towards trains this Easter. Deutsche Bahn has responded by adding extra services to popular holiday spots like Sylt, the Black Forest, and Lake Constance. The shift comes as soaring petrol costs force many to rethink their travel plans. The surge in rail travel follows record gasoline prices linked to the Iran conflict and wider oil shortages. A recent survey found that 36% of people have cut back on Easter trips because of high fuel costs. Instead, long-distance train bookings have jumped well above expectations on key dates, with Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Monday nearly sold out.

Deutsche Bahn CEO Evelyn Palla has welcomed the spike in demand, calling it a positive turn for the company. To meet the rush, new routes have been introduced, including a direct ICE line from Cologne to Konstanz for Lake Constance travellers. Another addition is the Adria-Express (ÖBB Railjet), which will run from Munich straight to Rimini and Ancona starting 2 April.

High-demand corridors such as Berlin–Cologne, Berlin–Munich, and Frankfurt–Cologne are seeing particularly strong bookings. The rail operator has not confirmed exact numbers for extra trains on the Berlin–Munich route but has confirmed boosted capacity for Easter hotspots. The move to rail reflects both financial pressures and growing interest in train travel. With fuel prices remaining high, Deutsche Bahn's expanded services aim to ease congestion on busy routes. The company expects the trend to continue as more holidaymakers opt for trains over cars.