EC = international train (EC = "EuroCity"), usually hauled by a locomotive and consisting of first and second class cars with a restaurant or bistro car. These cars may be provided by any of the countries the train passes through (e.g. a Budapest - Vienna EC train can be Austrian or Hungarian rolling stock).

ICE = a German high speed electrical multiple unit (ICE="InterCityExpress"). These trains also run on some international routes, such as Frankfurt-Brussels and Frankfurt-Paris, as well as to Switzerland. The Dutch railways have a few ICE EMUs for the Frankfurt-Amsterdam service (which is shared with the German Railways).