How to get around in Germany
Do you know what it feels like to be in another country where everything is different from home?
The transportation options available from point A to point B often vary from one country to another. In Morocco, for example, taking a taxi is “the thing to do” if you’re in the city, whereas in Germany, this costs an arm and a leg, meaning you have to pay a relatively high price for a short trip. In Germany, more bike lanes are being built, making cycling a comfortable, cheap, and eco-friendly alternative to driving, especially in cities. Often, it’s even worth it in terms of time saved: if you cycle, you’ll avoid rush hour traffic jams.
Traveling around Germany without a car: is it possible? Yes, in fact, it’s a very good option. The public transportation system in Germany is well organized. Although complaining about Deutsche Bahn is considered almost a national sport among Germans, buses, trains, and trams are very popular and frequently used means of transportation.
In this article, we have compiled all the most important information that will be very useful to you, so you will know which public transportation methods are the best to get to your destination anywhere in Germany.
Depending on your plans, you can choose the transportation method that suits you best:
Distance: How far do you want to go?
Prices: How much budget do you have?
Planning: Do you have time to plan the trip? Do you need to be somewhere at a specific time or can you take your time on the way?
Weather: Do you want to carry out your travel plan regardless of the weather?
Day of the week: When do you want to leave? (Some public transportation services run less frequently on weekends and holidays)
Getting Around Germany
Short Distances
Have you found an apartment in Germany and are wondering how to get to university in the morning, to work, or to the clubs at night? In Germany you have several options for getting around in your daily life:
By Bike
At translations.buy we must admit that we have a great fondness for hopping on our bikes when we venture out onto the streets of Leipzig.
Whether it’s for shopping, heading to the lake, or going to work, biking offers a range of advantages that make it an easy choice.
- You never get stuck in traffic.
- No need to purchase any travel tickets.
- You travel without harming the environment.
- You skip the tedious task of finding parking.
- You get energized in the mornings and get some exercise on the go.
- It’s been proven that cycling reduces stress and helps you commute to and from work/school/university in a more relaxed manner.
Your bike not only gets you from A to B in your daily life, but it also takes you to your leisure moments. Explore the surroundings on weekends, alone or with friends, pedal to the nearest lake, or to the neighboring city.
With a bike, you’re not dependent on schedules: just hop on the saddle and get going!
For all bike lovers: unfortunately, biking also has a few disadvantages.
- You’re dependent on the weather and need to bundle up in winter to avoid freezing.
- Bike theft is a problem in many German cities, so you’ll need a good lock, and it’s always worth finding a secure place to leave your bike.
Regarding safety: although many cities are becoming more bike-friendly, you’re often the weakest point in dangerous road situations. We recommend wearing a helmet and familiarizing yourself with traffic rules, such as who has the right of way at intersections, whether it’s the one coming from the right or the one from the left, before hopping on your bike.
The most important traffic regulations are listed in the “Cycling in Germany” brochure.
- Tip: Look up your route on Google Maps and select "Walking" or "Cycling."
Sometimes, maps offer shortcuts that even locals might not find on their own. But sometimes it’s worth taking a slight detour to reach your destination stress-free and safely.
By public transportation
Who doesn’t know it? You arrive in a new city by train and now you want to switch to the bus/tram/metro. In Germany, public transportation is colloquially known as ‘Öffis.’
At first, you might feel a bit overwhelmed when faced with a wall of ticket counters, ticket vending machines, and schedules. The good news is you’re not alone. The bad news is it all probably seems very confusing to you. Public transportation works differently in each city. Prices and types of tickets also vary, and you also need to be careful when validating them. There may be different ways for your ticket to be ‘valid,’ depending on local management and transportation modes.
Buying a ticket, validating the ticket, valid immediately after purchase: what, where, how, when?
Very important: Before boarding the chosen mode of transportation, always make sure if the ticket you’ve purchased is valid for that journey.
Some tickets are automatically valid immediately after purchase.
In other cases, the ticket must be validated, i.e., stamped, before traveling to be valid for the journey. Sometimes, the following indications are stamped on the ticket:
- Only valid with validation imprint
- Please validate the ticket before traveling
- Valid for 1 hour from validation
Although we would like to give you a clear summary, unfortunately, there is no common regulation. Therefore, we recommend that if the ticket vending machines at the station or bus stop do not indicate what to do, it’s best to ask an employee of the local transportation company which ticket you should purchase.
There are usually different types of tickets:
- Single tickets. Tickets (also known as “Fahrkarten”) for single trips (take into account the zones where your ticket is valid).
- Day pass (also: “24-Stunden-Karte”)
If you are going to stay in a place for a longer period of time,
- weekly, monthly, or yearly passes
- or other passes, for example, student passes, work passes,
might also be an option for you.
As a general rule, you’ll find offices at the main station where you can get advice on fares and passes in your area. They are called “Mobilitätszentrum” or “Service-Center,” for example.
Local transportation companies also usually have their own apps that provide information on schedules, tickets, passes, and route planning. You can purchase your tickets through the app if you don’t have a ticket vending machine nearby. Typically, you can also buy tickets directly from the bus driver. When you board, tell the driver where you want to get off, and they will give you the correct ticket. They don’t always have change or large bills on the bus, so it’s best to have exact change.
By Taxi
Obviously, taking a taxi is convenient. In Germany, however, it’s quite a pricey pleasure. Rates vary depending on the city and are based on the distance traveled. In addition to a basic fare per trip (2-5 euros), you can expect to pay around 2-3 euros per kilometer.
If you share the taxi with several people, you can split the costs. Taxis are usually available at train stations and sometimes in busy squares, but you can also call or book them online at the location where you want to be picked up.
Long Distances
Want to visit friends in another city or just explore Germany better? Even if you want to travel longer distances, you have several options:
By Train
“Ich versteh‘ nur Bahnhof!” This expression is used in Germany when we want to humorously express that we basically didn’t understand anything. It has nothing to do with traveling by train; you can say the same thing in many situations. Nevertheless, traveling by train in Germany can be quite an adventure. We have compiled the most important information you need to know.
In Germany, there are different types of trains.
In general terms, trains can be divided into two categories. You can recognize them by their abbreviation, which appears in front of the respective train numbers:
Regionalbahn & Co: Cheap but also slow
Regionalbahn (RB), Regionalexpress (RE), and Interregio-Express (IRE) are slower options, but they also take you to more remote places and are relatively cheaper.
In regional transportation, you can find really great deals: for example, the Quer-durchs-Land ticket (from 44 euros, 1 day, up to 5 people, flat-rate regional transportation throughout Germany, ideal for day trips) or slightly cheaper regional tickets (for example, the Sachsen-Ticket).
ICE & Co: More expensive, but faster:
With the ICE (Intercity Express), IC (Intercity), and EC (Eurocity), you travel much faster. You can go from Berlin to Munich in less than four hours. However, these trains are somewhat more expensive.
- Tip: It's worth booking in advance!
If you have some time to plan your trip, you can benefit from great deals and reduced prices. With a bit of luck, you can travel from Hamburg to Munich for 19.90 euros.
Deutsche Bahn also offers a range of special offers and tickets.
If you often travel by train, it may be worth getting a Bahncard. Depending on the card you have (Bahncard 25, 50, or 100), you’ll get significant discounts on your trips.
Did you know that you can take the train in Munich and get off in Bergen, Rügen, by the sea, after 8 hours without changing trains? Or be in Paris in 4 hours starting from Frankfurt?
By Bus
Long-distance buses are another option for long-distance travel. They travel to bus stations or ZOBs (central bus stations) in cities all over Germany. Long-distance buses are cheap, but you’ll have to allow for considerably more travel time. Since buses travel on roads and highways, arrival times can vary depending on traffic jams or light traffic. You can get tickets and schedules online through the respective providers or through search engines like busliniensuche.
Carsharing
Are you familiar with the concept of carpooling?
Drivers traveling longer distances add their route to the platform. Do you need to go in the same direction? You can contact the driver and ask if you can accompany them for the entire journey or just part of it. It’s like hitchhiking, but safer.
The advantage: Everyone shares the travel expenses, and you get from A to B cheaper.
By Car
And if you prefer to get around by car but (still) don’t have a German driver’s license, we’ll be happy to translate your license for you, of course.
In our online shop for driver’s license translations, you can also find out when a certified translation is sufficient and when you’ll need to obtain a German one.
By the way, you don’t necessarily need to have your own car: In most cities, you’ll find carsharing options, such as TeilAuto en Leipzig, StattAuto en Munich o book-n-drive in the Rhine-Main region.
And you? How do you get from A to B?
How do you prefer to get around? Is your mobility in Germany different from before? What modes of transportation were you unfamiliar with before?
Leave us your comment and tell us how you prefer to get around Germany and why.
