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One thing you always need to know before travelling to a new country is probably a little bit about the transportation systems. At least know how you will be getting from the airport to the city centre I suppose.
I have put together a little post about all the forms of transportation option you need to know about when travelling to Germany. This post will first cover transportation in Germany within the whole country such as long distance busses. And secondly, discuss transportation within cities. (Obviously, some things will differ a little from city to city).
Heading to Germany? Then firstly check out these 30 things that you need to know before travelling to Germany!
For the cheapest flights to Germany, make sure to check out Skyscanner.
Find the best accommodation at Booking.com or find private stays at Airbnb.
Want to learn some German beforehand? Italki is a great option to practise with native speakers. Or try Rosetta Stone online courses!
Travelling Around the Country
Long Distance Busses
Long distance busses are usually my first choice when travelling within the country. They are cheap if you book early enough and they have stops in most destinations that I need to go to. Flixbus is always the best option and while I have had some issues with them in the past, it still is my first choice of transportation within Germany.
Other bus companies that operate in Germany are for example Eurolines or IC Bus.
Trains
You can purchase train tickets at this website or at the train station. Train tickets in general are pretty expensive in Germany. If you book tickets on the website and early in advance then you can get some good deals though at time. Look out for “Sparpreise”.
Bahn Card: If you are in Germany for longer, there are some ways to get reduced train tickets by purchasing a “bahn card”. There is a Bahn card 25, 50 and 100. With the 25 one you can get a discount of 25%, 50% for the 50 one etc. It’s not for all train tickets though. You can find more information here.
Planes
Of course you can also fly within Germany. But honestly I don’t recommend it. It is usually quite pricey and most distances can easily be covered by train, at least if you travel within the bigger cities. So flying in Germany honestly makes no sense to me. But if you do want to check out that option, Skyscanner usually has the best deals so make sure to give that a go.
Traveling Around the City
Bus
Most cities obviously have busses. Tickets can be bought at ticket machines at the tram/bus stations. If there are none, you might be able to buy tickets in the bus directly from the driver.
Tram
The payment for the tram is the same as for the bus, only that it is more common to find ticket machines at the tram station than near the bus stop. Most bigger cities have trams. You can not buy tickets in the tram but only at the ticket machines. You also, again, need to validate your ticket in the tram.
To save a little bit of money just buy five tickets instead of one single one if you know you will be using the tram more often. It will usually be a little cheaper.
Bike
German streets are not as bike friendly as Dutch ones for example but they have been building some more bike streets lately so it is getting a little better.
I you are staying in Germany for longer I recommend getting a Swapfiets which is like my favourite company if you haven’t noticed (not sponsored btw). It is a bike subscription service where you can rent a bike and they will come and fix it or exchange it if it is broken. But I am sure you can also find some places to rent a bike for a short period of time if you staying in a touristy city.
By foot
Most German cities are totally walkable and if you have the time, I’d recommend just discovering the cities by foot. Especially if you are staying in a city centre most of the main attractions will be in the area. Public transportation is also really expensive.
And these were most of the options of travelling around Germany. I don’t recommend taking Taxis ever. They are super pricey and never, during all the years that I lived in Germany, did I have to take a Taxi. Especially in bigger cities there will be public transportation throughout the night as well so that should never be an issue.
Of course you can also always rent a car but I do think travelling by public transportation is often more convenient. Especially as parking houses can be super pricey.
What is your favourite mode of transportation?
Talk to you later x
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