Deutsche Bahn begins services to Denmark for the first time from 9 December.
Connections from Berlin and Hamburg to the capital, Copenhagen, and from Hamburg to the country”s second largest city, Aarhus, will run in cooperation with the Danish national railways, DSB.
Berlin to Copenhagen will be once daily, Hamburg to Copenhagen six-times daily, and Hamburg to Aarhus will be twice-daily.
"Business travellers between Germany and Denmark are now able to enjoy the high standard of Inter City Express (ICE) travel,” said Deutsche Bahn's UK & Ireland director, Oliver Ueck.
”This combined with a higher frequency of trains, the opportunity to work onboard the train and the complimentary service for first class travellers make this connection a credible and environmentally friendly alternative to air travel."
Denmark is the sixth country served by ICE, along with Switzerland, Austria, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Next year Deutsche Bahn aims to offer 200 direct connections to 80 cities outside Germany ” and in the process increase its turnover from ”200mn ($290mn) to ”300mn ($440mn).
”Rail travel is bringing the countries of Europe closer together,” said Nikolaus Breuel, chairman of DB Fernverkehr. ”With the ICE we will gain market share from the airlines.”
Other new connections starting 9 December, include Dortmund to Vienna - with three trains leaving every morning between 04:33 and 08:38 - and Frankfurt to Vienna seven times daily.
Daily services from Frankfurt to Paris will also increase from one to five, and there will be a new TGV connection between Paris and Munich.
Travellers in first class receive free snacks and drinks on cross border journeys.