GERMANY | Travel | Transport
Germany is a country in Central Europe, stretching from the North Sea and Baltic Sea in the north to the Alps in the south. It borders nine countries: Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria and Switzerland to the south, and France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands to the west.Travelling to GermanyDue 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. Plane Train Travelling within GermanyLarger 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. 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 (but very often a local speed limit displayed by a sign) which means that cars in the left lane may pass you very fast. 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, since speed cameras or "Blitzer" are often hidden along the roads and fines are quite high. Car sharing: Check out websites like 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. 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, so don´t walk on them! Cheap train faresThe Deutsche Bahn (German Railway) offers a variety of fares and discount options. Ticket prices for long-distance trains can vary depending on the booking date, travel time, route and type of train. Booking in advance can often result in lower fares, such as the Super Sparpreis. Discount cards (BahnCard 25 and BahnCard 50) are also available and can reduce the price of eligible train tickets, For regional travel, the Deutschlandticket is an attractive option, especially for trainees who regularly use public transport. It is a monthly subscription that allows unlimited travel on local and regional public transport throughout Germany, including regional trains (RE and RB), S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams and buses. It is not valid on most long-distance trains such as ICE, IC and EC. Regional day tickets (Länder-Tickets) are available for travelling within individual federal states or regions. Train tickets can be purchased online, via the DB Navigator app, at ticket machines or at DB travel centres. For long-distance trains, you should normally purchase a valid ticket before boarding. Tickets are generally not sold on board. If you travel without a valid ticket, you may be required to go ot the conductor and pay a higher price. Licence plateslicense plates on German cars indicate where they are from. The first part is an abbreviation of the city or region where the car is registered, Examples: Student discountTo be eligible for inexpensive student fares, get an ISIC-Card (international student ID). |
