This makes it easy to take weekend trips to other cities, the countryside, the mountains or the sea, or even venture across the border and visit other countries in Europe. S-Bahn is an abbreviation of Schnellbahn or Stadtschnellbahn (city rapid rail), and, as the name suggests, is the fastest form of public transportation. Albeit the fact that Germans are known to be car lovers, most citizens living inside big cities, especially expats choose to use public transport in their … Bigger cities, such as Berlin and Munich, integrate buses, trams, U-Bahn (underground, subway) trains and S-Bahn (suburban) trains into a single network. Rate this article . In 2013, 1.344 million motor vehicles were registered in the city. This way you will be as prepared as you can be for your German adventure! Metropolitan areas, such as Berlin and Munich, have a system of suburban trains called the S-Bahn. Rail passes are generally valid on these services. Regional trains are either RB (Regionalbahn), with multiple stops, or RE (Regionalexpress), which are faster and have fewer stops. The S-Bahn is denoted by a white “S” on a green background. Which means of transport do you use? These machines do not generally take contactless or credit card payments but this is gradually changing (and you can use your EC card if you are with a German bank). Except for ICE/ICs which is a German high-speed train for long-distance travel, the rest is used for regional transport. Find a wide range of information about Transport Education in the Transport Engineering Section of the Database International Bachelor, Master and Doctoral Programmes in Germany by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) or find Bachelor or Master degrees in the Study Scan database by filtering for “Transport“, “Verkehr” or “Mobility“. Fares are determined by zones or time travelled, sometimes by both. All rights reserved. “ Brilliant tram service throughout the city … In Germany, tram stops are often combined with bus stops and indicated by the word “Tram” on a red background. As the name suggests, week tickets are valid within specified zones for a week. In all major German cities there are many modes of transport available to you. Some German cities have a light-rail system known as the “Stadtbahn” (“city rail”). Exclusive to Berlin at the time of writing is UberTaxi, which hooks passengers up with regular taxis. Question. Get all the informations about Munich Public Transport, tickets and timetables on the official website of Munich Single tickets are generally valid for a set time period (often 90 minutes). On buses, you can buy a ticket from the driver. Road Transportation in Germany Updated on Monday 14th September 2015 . Based on the new German legislation on driving regulations established in 2009, the legal age to obtain a driver’s license is 17. Cabs are metered and charged at a base rate (flagfall) plus a per-kilometre fee. A multi-ticket strip (Streifenkarte or 4-Fahrtenkarte) or day pass (Tageskarte) generally offers better value than a single-ride ticket. Expats in Germany have the choice between more than 30 commercial passenger airports, ranging from major, busy transport hubs to small airfields. It is a kind of urban-suburban rail system and serves a wider metropolitan region, linking the suburbs and commuter regions with the city centre and main rail station. Directory of Transport Companies in Germany, freight companies, truck transport Germany Local Transport. Receive the IamExpat Weekly and Special Offers from our Partners. Germany hereby ranks 70th in a worldwide comparison. Some drivers charge extra for bulky luggage or night-time rides. Its excellent reputation refers to it being reliable, comfortable and relatively fast. An overview of prices & tickets offered by companies like Deutsche Bahn. In city centres they sometimes run underground. Lying somewhere between a U-Bahn and a bus, trams (Straßenbahnen) are known as “streetcars” in the USA. If you are planning on travelling from or within Germany then you have plenty of options on your hand. Living in Germany is a dream for many, but there is so much you need to know before making the move. Many cities have dedicated bicycle lanes, which must be used unless obstructed. Most transport operators now also offer E-tickets via an app. There are many ways to travel from place to place in cities and throughout the country – be it by bicycle, bus, or rail. Taking public transport in a foreign country can be a harrowing experience. Taxis are expensive and, given the excellent public transport systems, not recommended unless you’re in a real hurry. What distances are covered and how long are people on the move? At the local level, Germany’s states manage buses, trams, metro networks, suburban trains, and ferries. It is a kind of urban-suburban rail system and serves a wider metropolitan region, linking the suburbs … Underground (subway) trains are known as U-Bahn in Germany and are the fastest form of travel in big cities. Transport in Germany – Comparison of Busses, Planes & Trains. Usually valid for groups of up to five people, they give unlimited travel for a day or 24 hours within specified zones. I'd like to establish and run a company which works in Germany transporting heavy goods (primarily inside Germany or nearby countries). Bicycles must be equipped with a white light at the front, a red one at the back and yellow reflectors on the wheels and pedals. That is why in this section of our Moving to Germany guide, we tell you all the most important country facts about Germany, such as the cost of living in the country, transportation, driving, and the culture you will have to adapt to. “Mobility in Germany” is “the” extensive cross-sectional study in Germany which, every few years, collects data on the everyday mobility of Germany’s residential population. Everything about cars and driving in Germany: driver's licences, learning to drive, registering cars, taxes, insurance, inspections / TÜV & importing cars. These charges are fixed but vary from city to city. Information on German transport associations, ticketing & fare systems & details of transport associations in Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg, Munich & Frankfurt. They are faster and cover a wider area than buses or trams but tend to be less frequent. Deutsche Bahn (DB), the German rail service, is reliable and speedy. Normally, tickets must be stamped upon boarding in order to be valid. You can buy a ticket from one of the automated ticket machines at all tram, U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations. © 2021 Lonely Planet. Germany by Train. Fares are determined by zones or … While tickets in Germany generally don’t come cheap, the group day ticket actually offers great value for money if you are travelling in a group of three or more. Some cities operate night buses along popular routes to get night owls safely home. Typically there are five different types of tickets available for purchase in Germany: Short trip tickets are only valid for two or three stops on a single form of transportation (i.e. Bus, tram, S-Bahn, U-Bahn, regional trains (RE/RB/IRE), ICE/ICs are the main public transportation in Germany. There is usually nothing to prevent you from boarding an S-Bahn or U-Bahn without a valid ticket (known as “schwarzfahren” - to travel black / fare-dodge), but if you are caught by an inspector you risk being fined up to 60 euros. It is not uncommon for tickets to allow travel up until 2am or 3am the following day to allow passengers to return home from an evening out. Average cost of transportation in Germany. Buses run at regular intervals, with restricted services in the evenings and at weekends. The Stadtbahn concept uses a mixture of special and regular streetcars that use underground tunnels and stations to increase the system’s speed by avoiding vehicular traffic. 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