A journey over two high-speed lines with a change of plan
I'm taking you with me on my return journey from Nuremberg to Dresden. Like the outward journey, the journey takes us via Leipzig again and we arrive at our destination after about 3.5 hours. This means that the route is even suitable for a day trip. You can find the blog about the outward journey here.
Tickets
The best way to get tickets is here: https://rail.shop/bahn
Super saver prices start at EUR 17.90 in 2nd class. Sometimes there are also special offers from EUR 9.90. With a saver fare, you decide in advance which train you will use.
The Flex fare (maximum price) on this route varies depending on the day of the week and is between EUR 120 (Wednesday) and EUR 147 (Sunday). With the flex fare, you are free to choose the train connection on the desired day.
Tip: If a connection is "fully booked" and you still need it urgently, you can simply book a flex fare for a different time and then still take the train you want.
Status: 2025
Timetable
There are regular departures from 7 am to 9 pm. You always depart at minute .05 or .06, have to change trains in Leipzig after 2:04 hours and arrive in Dresden at minute .39. The journey time is therefore 3:33 hours.
An exemplary journey could look like this, for example:
You board the ICE in Nuremberg at 08:05 to Leipzig, where you arrive at 10:10. From there, the journey continues at 10:31 to Dresden, where you arrive at 11:39.
Unfortunately, you have to change trains a second time in Erfurt every two hours. This is always on the odd hour.
An example journey with two changes could look like this:
You board the ICE to Erfurt at 09:05. You arrive there at 10:24. In Erfurt you don't have to change platforms, the train to Leipzig leaves directly opposite at 10:28. You then arrive in Leipzig at 11:10. From there, the train continues to Dresden at 11:31, arriving at 12:39.
You can also find all journey times online here.
There are two additional connections at 05:42 and 06:59 in the morning, but they take longer and do not follow this schedule.
Note: please note that due to the construction work between Riesa and Dresden, long-distance trains currently (2025) usually arrive 20 minutes later in Dresden.
You can also take regional trains via Hof, then the journey takes 4:27 hours (departure in Nuremberg Hbf always .37, arrival in Dresden 21:04. First journey: 06:37. Last journey: 16:37.
My journey from Nuremberg to Dresden
We set off at 17:05 with the ICE704. Nuremberg main station has a very nice station building:
You go through a long tunnel (there is only one) to the tracks. As far as I know, Nuremberg is the world's largest through station in terms of the number of tracks. There are 23 of them.
Passenger tunnel to the 23 tracks at Nuremberg main station.
As I've already written quite a lot about the ICE trains in the blog about the outward journey, I want to concentrate more on the journey in the blog about the return journey. However, if you are still interested in the equipment of the ICE trains, please have a look at the blog about the outward journey.
From Ebensfeld (shortly after Bamberg) begins one of two 300 km/h high-speed lines that we are travelling on this evening. There are only four of these in Germany, three of which are between Munich and Berlin. Our train today is an ICE1, which is authorised for 280 km/h but only travels at a maximum of 265 km/h in regular service. But as we're running late, our train is allowed to go up to 280 km/h today, which it does later.
The problem: our connecting train to Leipzig has been cancelled. If you read carefully earlier, you'll know that we left Nuremberg on the odd hour. That means I have to change trains in Erfurt AND Leipzig.
Stopover at Erfurt main station
But there is a solution: the connecting ICE to Dresden is also late. So this time we decide NOT to change trains in Erfurt (the connection is cancelled anyway) but to continue on the ICE to Halle. We were supposed to arrive there at 19:04, but today we only do so at 19:16, as the on-board portal tells me. At least our ICE is allowed to travel faster than 265 km/h due to the delay.
On-board portal of the ICE
We make it so that we get on the IC to Dresden THERE (because it travels via Halle). It actually departs at 18:55, but is 25 minutes late, which is why we leave the IC in Halle at 19:20.
With the ICE on the high-speed line between Erfurt and Halle
If we were very lucky, the IC could make up the 25-minute delay to Dresden. But as you can see...
As I said, our connection in Halle is tight, but it works. This saves us a change of trains. However, this only works if the IC is also (more than 10 minutes) late. The train dispatchers are also kind enough that evening to let the trains stop on opposite platforms in Halle so that we don't have to walk up any stairs.
With the IC between Halle and Erfurt.
We are travelling 25 minutes late on the high-speed IC train to Leipzig. Unfortunately, this train can only travel at a maximum speed of 160 km/h, which is pretty slow for an IC. We also make a scheduled stop at Leipzig/Halle Airport that evening before reaching Leipzig. Actually, we would have got on here first, but as we are already on the train, we stay seated.
IC2 in Dresden Hbf (taken a few days later).
For connections with two changes, you normally change to the IC in Leipzig and therefore "can't get past" this train 😉
As I have not yet presented the IC in the blog about the outward journey, here are a few pictures:
Although the train could have made up some ground by reducing the standing time in Leipzig, we still leave Leipzig with +20 minutes.
Departure from Leipzig Hbf at 19:51 with +20 minutes.
The sun sets shortly after 8pm, so we cycle the second half of the Leipzig-Dresden route in the dark.
Exit from Leipzig on the map in the IC.
We pass the chemical works near Nünchritz and cross the Marienbrücke bridge in Dresden ten minutes after nine. We reach Dresden main station at 21:12, unfortunately with +33 minutes.
Conclusion
Despite everything, I always enjoy travelling on long-distance Deutsche Bahn trains. All trains now have Wi-Fi, so you can use their quiet atmosphere to work, which I do very often. Even though we were late today, I have to say that I (who often travel in eastern Germany and Bavaria) am usually always very punctual when travelling.
Finally, I'll give you a few more links that might interest you.
Click here for tickets with Deutsche Bahn.
If you want to travel the Nuremberg-Dresden route in the opposite direction, I have a blog for you here.
If you would like to stay overnight in Dresden, then I can recommend the Hostel "Mondpalast" (Louisenstraße 77) is highly recommended. It's very cool for young people, has everything you need and prices start from 17 EUR. You can find the hostel either at the link provided or at hostelworld.com
You can of course also find other accommodation at booking.com.
If you have any questions, please write me a comment!
A bird's eye view of the IC2 (leaving Dresden main station in the direction of the Dresden-Reick sidings).
Important links
Timetable / Journey time approx. 2:45 hours: German railway
Buy train tickets. Price depends on date of travel and train class, from EUR 17.90: German railway
Book a hotel in Nuremberg and Leipzig: Booking.com
InterRail - a train ticket for the whole of Europe: InterRail
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