Transportation in Germany

Trains

Trains are the much preferred way of transport in Germany.For Germany-wide travels, many people prefer to take the train

Taxi

Taxis in Germany are always the same cream beige color with a yellow-and-black “Taxi” sign on the top. 

Bikes

Cycling is healthy, good for the environment and, of course, lots of fun. More than 200 long-distance cycle routes in Germany

Bus

You live in major urban centers or in a more rural environment, getting around Germany is not that hard.  Public transportation is so good.

Trams

German cities have remarkable public transportation systems. Almost every area and corner is connected by bus, train, or tram

Cars

Driving in Germany is such a joy. The scenery is beautiful and the roads are well maintained. But there are many rules and regulations to observe.

Trains

The major cities feature four distinct types of Trains. Although there are a few independent regional rail lines, the main passenger rail system in Germany is the Deutsche Bahn (DB, or GermanRail), also known colloquially as "Die Bahn". The following list should help you to make sense of the various types of trains in Germany and the services they offer:

EuroCity (EC) : trains connect major cities, not only in Germany, but also in other European countries. For example, there are regular EC connections between Hamburg and Copenhagen, Berlin and Warsaw as well as Munich and Milan.

Intercity Express (ICE) : trains in Germany connect large urban areas on hourly schedules. They travel very fast, and some ICE lines offer additional onboard services like WLAN hotspots, mobile reception, and audio/video entertainment. Therefore they are often preferred by business travelers.

Intercity (IC) : trains in Germany connect some of the bigger cities, for instance, Hamburg and Nuremberg.

Regional Express (RE) : trains in Germany are regional trains that stop in smaller cities as well. They are cheaper but also slower than the ones mentioned above.

A Regionalbahn (RB) : is the slowest sort of train in Germany. RB trains only serve limited areas and make numerous stops at small stations. Just like RE trains, their second-class compartments can quickly become crowded, especially on Friday night, over the weekend and during holiday season.

S (S-Bahn, Schnellbahn) : Suburban commuter rail service in and around major metropolitan areas.

Stops at German train stations tend to be rather brief, so do pay close attention to the conductor’s announcements on the loudspeaker system or ask your fellow passengers to alert you to your stop. The stations themselves are connected to local or regional transport network, although bus and coach timetables may be rather irregular in the countryside.

How to purchase a ticket

The tickets can be purchased in the station counters, ticket vending machines or online. 

Ticket vending machines (marked "Fahrkarten", "Fahrausweis", or "Fahrschein") can be found in most stations.  In the past, you could only use these to buy tickets for journeys of less than 100 km.  Nowadays, you can purchase tickets and seat reservations for any distance from these machines, as well as obtain schedules, purchase local transit tickets, and get other information.  You'll often get a slight discount if you purchase your ticket or seat reservation from the machine.  The machines are multi-lingual and touch-screen operated and are fairly intuitive.  Some of the machines only take credit cards, others only cash, and some take both, so double-check before you start to make sure the machine will accept your payment type.

If you go on business trips within Germany on a regular basis, the so-called Bahn Card will probably come in handy: With this personalized discount card, you can save up to 50% of the regular fare.
For long-distance travel, there are also so-called “savings fare” offers: a limited number of tickets for certain connections are sold for as little as EUR 29 or EUR 39.
Moreover, you can save up to 50% on every return ticket as long as you restrict yourself to travelling on a particular day and train and make a return trip to and from the same station.

In addition to that, there are various seasonal tickets and regional discounts too. The Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket (Happy Weekend Ticket) and the Länder-Tickets (regional day tickets) are particularly popular.

Be sure to include "Hbf" (Hauptbahnhof) if you want the central station for a large city 

You may be tempted to skip buying a ticket, but Germany’s “honor system” for public transport operates on the “trust but verify” principle. You never know when plain-clothes controllers will suddenly flash their badges and say the dreaded words: “Fahrkarten bitte!” (“Tickets please!”) If you get caught without a valid (stamped) ticket or pass, you’ll have to pay a fine on the spot – tourists included! The fine is upto €60. The German verb Schwarzfahren means to ride public transport without a ticket (“to travel black,” as in black market).

Trams

Most of Germany’s metropolitan areas have the Untergrundbahn also known as U-Bahn, the underground rapid transit. In the most central areas they run underground raising at ground level as they get closer to the periphery. 

The lines are systematically organized and numbered with a U followed by the corresponding number meanwhile they operate quite frequently, every 5 to 15 min. In almost all cases, you will find a framed timetable on a post at the stop.

There are buttons on posts along the aisle that you press to signal when you want to get off. Modern buses and trams have an electronic sign above the driver’s compartment that indicates the name of the next stop, and “Bus hält” (“bus will stop”) if someone has pressed the stop button. In some cases, you’ll hear a chime and a recorded voice that announces the name of the next stop. Always exit through the rear door. You may have to press a button to open the door if you are the first person to exit.

If you already have a ticket, show it to the bus driver as you board, and then validate it red machine in the aisle labeled “Bitte hier entwerten.” If you don’t have a ticket, you can usually buy one from the ticket office prior or in the ticket vending machine ,but not all cars on trams have ticket machines . 

Maps

The  detailed route map shows both S- and U- Bahn lines .  It seems to be complex but pretty helpful once you start tolearn it. There are other maps for bus routes as well. They can be obtained for free from the tourist offices and can also be downloaded in the respective local transport offices. 

Tickets & fares

Multi-tickets (Mehrfahrtenkarte / Streifenkarte) : You purchase one ticket that is valid for several uses (usually 3-10), often at a slightly reduced price from the corresponding total of individual fares. The ticket has several numbered sections that correspond to each use. To use the ticket, you need to validate it before or as you begin each journey by inserting the next sequentially numbered section into the validating machine. Once validated, it works like an individual ticket with regards to use. On most systems, you can use a single multi-ticket for several people traveling together-- just validate one section of the ticket for each person (i.e. if you want to use it for two people, validate two sections of the ticket.)

 Day Card (Tageskarte) : There are also 24-hour passes good for all modes of transit for an entire day. Some systems also sell a group day ticket which allows several people to use one 24-hour pass, or passes that also include admission to museums and attractions. 

 Short Distance Card (Kurzstreckekarte) : Finally, many cities have special tickets for short-distance journeys (up to three or four stops); these tickets cost considerably less than a full zone ticket. 

Cars

Cities in Germany are old and congested.Driving in these cities is generally more of a hassle than a necessity, especially with the excellent public transportation available.Still, there may be times when you want or need a car in town. There are certain things to keep in mind regarding driving and parking in Germany.

Driving & Parking

Driving around the country will be a pleasure due to its well-maintained and modern roads. Pay close attention to traffic signs and signals.Congestion in German cities is no better or worse than other European and world cities.  Rush hours are generally 7.00-9.00 and 16.00-18.00 on weekdays.

A recent study determined that the average German spends 65 hours a year stuck in traffic or waiting at traffic lights.The German broadcasting company has implemented a radio frequency that automatically interrupts any program in order to announce recent traffic delays (Staumeldungen) on the Autobahn. This is very useful as it gives you the opportunity to avoid delays and take alternative routes.

Definitely be on the watch for pedestrians.  They always have the right-of-way in zebra-marked crosswalks, but oftentimes they'll dart-out between cars and other locations.  In residential areas, be on the lookout for children playing near streets-- you're required by law to pass by them at the slowest speed possible.  The same holds true if a handicapped or elderly person is in or near the street.

Another biggest problem is  finding a Proper and legal parking lot close to your destination.  In most German cities, you'll have a good selection of parking facilities.  There is the on-street parking as well as off-street parking lots (Parkplatz), above-ground garages (Parkhaus), and underground garages (Tiefgarage).

On-street parking may require you to use a parking voucher, parking disc, or parking meter.

Parking vouchers (Parkschein) : The sign "mit Parkschein" requires you to purchase a parking voucher before leaving your vehicle.  These are obtained from a nearby machine (Parkscheinautomat) the operation of these machines varies, but instructions (usually with pictures) are clearly posted on the front.  Find the parking rates (Parkgebühr) on the front of the machine and deposit the corresponding amount.  Once you've selected and paid for the time you'll need, press the designated "finish" button (often green) and the machine will dispense a small ticket (voucher) as well as any change.  Return to your vehicle and place the voucher on the dashboard where it may be easily read from the outside if you cannot locate the machine, use a parking disc instead, you can then stay up to the maximum length of time shown on the  signs.

Parking discs (Parkscheibe) : A parking disc is a blue cardboard or plastic card with an adjustable time dial. Signs indicating that you must use a parking disc will also indicate the length of time you can park.

 

Parking fines generally range from €5-25 and if you are obstructing traffic or a driveway, your vehicle will almost surely be towed, and quite quickly. In such an event, call the police to settle the situation.

Violations

Parking fines generally range from €5-25 and if you are obstructing traffic or a driveway, your vehicle will almost surely be towed, and quite quickly. In such an event, call the police to settle the situation.

For more deatils regarding  the driving license, refer to our License page. 

Biking

Although Germany is well-known for its automobiles and speed-limit-free autobahn, it should also be considered a cycling nation as well. There are 40% more bicycles than cars.People are taught to treat bicycles the same as any other traffic on the road. They do not honk at you nor do they offer a one finger salute when they drive up behind you on a narrow road. Rather they do patiently follow at your speed until it is safe to pass . There are dedicated cycle paths as well. 

Taxi

German taxis are cream-colored with a black and yellow taxi sign on the roof. The taxi industry is well regulated, so foreigners need not worry about  being taken for a ride. The best way to hire a taxi is to find one at a taxi stand. Usually you will find several taxis waiting at busy locations like railway stations,airports,shopping centres and in many parts of the city. We can hire any waiting taxis. There are also large taxis ( Grossraumtaxi ) like for 6 or 8 seaters. Many taxis have the baby seats and seat elevators for families travelling with babies. 

You can also order a taxi by phone.  Every city has a taxi hotline.   In larger hotels, the front desk staff can also arrange a taxi for you.  Many cities now also offer online ordering of taxis.There are also apps available which you can download the Taxi App and use.

Fares are clearly visible in the  meter and fares are regulated by local laws within a designated local tariff zone .  Rates vary by city.  There is a €2-3 basic fee (Grundpreis), then a rate of €1-3 per kilometer and may charge a little lesser for very long distances.

Taxi drivers accept tips rounding the fare up to the nearest Euro.  For longer trips or if you receive extra or exceptional service, it's customary to tip 5% to 10% of the fare.