Two German train stations named among best in the world

A ranking of the world’s most premium train stations has named Munich Hauptbahnhof the 17th-best train station in the world. Zurich Hauptbahnhof was crowned the winner.

Zurich HB named best station in the world

Zurich HB has been awarded first place in AllClear’s ranking of the world’s most premium train stations, with a score of 83 out of 100. The public transport hub was praised for its “exceptional combination of passenger lounges, retail offerings and highly rated traveller reviews”. 

The study by insurance provider AllClear analysed 40 train stations globally and gave them a score out of 100 based on five high-end amenities. These include lounge access, fine dining options, shops, reviews and whether there are any four or five-star hotels nearby. 

Located in the centre of Zurich, the train station offers a “consistently high-end experience for those seeking comfort and convenience on their journey”. From here, passengers can travel to Switzerland’s major cities or several European destinations in Germany, Italy, France and further afield. According to the SBB website, the station offers 194 shops and services and is open 365 days a year. 

In second place from the other side of the world is Osaka station in Japan, with a score of 77, followed by Kyoto station in third with a score of 74.

Munich and Berlin Hauptbahnhöfe are Germany’s finest

We all love to complain about Deutsche Bahn, but AllClear’s ranking suggests we don’t know how lucky we are by international comparison. 

According to the ranking, Munich Hauptbahnhof is the 17th-best train station in the world (59 points out of 100), and Berlin Hauptbahnhof is the 20th-best (58 points).

Of course, when assessing a train station, most people in Germany would not ask, “Is there easy access to four or five-star hotels, lounges and fine dining?”, but rather “Is the train going to be delayed or cancelled, is there a public toilet (maybe, but you'll have to pay) and is there BackWerk and Ditsch or just Yorma’s?”

When it comes to “retail offering”, however, Berlin scored higher than Munich (23 out of 25 points compared to 18). Berlin also had slightly better “dining offering” than Munich, but still scored a measly 9 out of 25 points on station dining options. Never mind, even a “premium dining offering” in a train station is still lunch in a train station.

World's most premium train stations rankings

In all, here are the world’s 10 most premium train stations according to AllClear (score out of 100):

• 1. Zurich Hauptbahnhof, Switzerland (83)
• 2. Osaka station, Japan (77) 
• 3. Kyoto station, Japan (74) 
• 4. Tokyo station, Japan (73) 
• =5. Toronto Union Station, Canada (68) 
• =5. Firenze Santa Maria Novella, Italy (68) 
• =7. Amsterdam Centraal, the Netherlands (66)
• =7. Grand Central Terminal, USA (66) 
• 9. Paddington, UK (65) 
• 10. Roma Termini, Italy (64)

You can find the full listing here.