GERMANY | Travel | Transport
ArrivalDue to its central location in Europe, it is easy to get to Germany by all means of transport. Depending on your travel budget, where you want to go in Germany, and how much time you have, you can arrive by train, bus, plane, car, or ferry. Travelling within GermanyRailway: The Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) (German Railway Operator) is in charge of train traffic in Germany. You can choose between high-speed trains like the ICE (Intercity Express where you pay a supplementary charge) and regional trains like the RB (Regionalbahn). Larger cities have their own transportation systems (e.g. HVV in Hamburg). Buses, trams, the subway or local trains will take you anywhere within the city on just one ticket. Inexpensive day, weekly, monthly or year passes are available in most cities. Outside cities, buses operated by regional bus companies serve sparsely populated areas where trains would be inefficient. Travelling long distance on buses is rather uncommon, though. Plane: Every big city in Germany has an airport. In some cases, going by plane might be cheaper than taking a train. To be eligible for inexpensive student fares, get an ISIC-Card (international student ID). Car: Taking the car is very common in Germany, although efforts are being made to promote public transportation. On the Autobahn (motorway), there is no general speed limit which means that cars in the left lane may pass you very fast (up to about 200 km/h). Do not panic and stay in the right lane at first. On country roads the speed limit is 100 km/h, in towns (after having passed the yellow city sign) it is 50 km/h, unless there are other signs indicating a slower speed. You should stick to the speed limits as much as possible, since speed cameras or "Blitzer" are often hidden along the roads and fines are very high. Car sharing: Check out BlaBlaCar and try to find someone going to the same place you are heading to or find someone to share the ride with you if you are planning a long car trip. Expenses for petrol will be divided by the number of passengers. This is a fun and popular way to travel and is often cheaper than going by plane or train. Taxi: In Germany it is easy to take a taxi at any time. Taxis always wait in front of railway stations, airports, and meeting points. However, compared to public transportation, they are extremely expensive. It is common to give the driver a 10% tip. Bicycle: In Germany, cycling is very popular, especially among students. Many cities are very bicycle-friendly with bike paths between street and sidewalk. On bike paths, cyclists enjoy the same rights as drivers. Cheap train faresThe German Railway offers a large variety of fares, although they might be hard to understand for ticket vendors, not to mention that they change every 2-3 years. Special offers depend on the booking date (how far in advance), age, number of passengers (group fares), time (weekend, time of day), and type of train. Students can purchase a ”Bahncard“ (railway card) at half the regular price (100€). With it, you get 50% off any regular fare on any train within Germany. During the week, so called Landestickets (valid within a certain federal state) are available after 9 a.m. On summer weekends, it often pays off to use regional trains because you can travel on the inexpensive weekend ticket. Always purchase your ticket at a booth, ticket machine or online before you get on the train since tickets are more expensive when purchased on the train. If you do not have a ticket, go directly to the conductor and pay on the train. Otherwise you will be considered a fare dodger and must pay a fine. So watch out. Departure timetables are always in yellow, arrival timetables in white. Licence PlatesHere is an overview of the meanings of license plates on German cars. The first part is an abbreviation of the city or region where the car is registered, indicating where it is from. Examples: B – Berlin |