Public transport in Germany and Europe is generally excellent. It is very practical to live in any major German city or metropolitan area without owning a car. Even medium-sized cities have good public transport networks using buses, trams and urban/suburban rail lines to move people around.
NOTE: Most of this information applies to all of Germany, but some cities have slight differences. For example, unlike Berlin and Frankfurt, in Hamburg you do not need to validate your S-Bahn ticket because you cannot buy it in advance. Bicycle rules also vary from city to city. Always check and verify local rules and regulations.
Because most public transport systems in Germany are regional, tickets for the S-Bahn are also valid for trams or buses. For example, the S-Bahn in Berlin is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, the national railway, but it is also part of the Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Association (VBB). This means that tickets purchased at an S-Bahn station are also valid for buses, U-Bahns or trams.
If you buy a ticket from the bus driver (common practice in Berlin), it is also valid for the S-Bahn, as long as you use it within two hours of purchase . Tickets are also available from multilingual ticket machines on the platform or at points of sale in major stations.
Public transport in Germany
How to buy public transport tickets in Germany
Unlike the Tube in London, the Metro in Paris, BART in San Francisco, or the light rail systems in most cities around the world, you won’t encounter any turnstiles on the S- or U-Bahn in Germany. You don’t need to insert a ticket into a machine to board the train.
So you might be tempted to skip the ticket, but Germany’s “honor system” for public transport operates on the principle of “trust but verify.” You never know when a plainclothes inspector will suddenly flash his badge and say the dreaded words: “Fahrkarten bitte!” (“Please show your ticket!”) If you’re caught without a valid ticket or (stamped) pass, you’ll be fined on the spot—and that includes tourists! The fine was increased in the spring of 2015 from €40 to €60 (about $66 USD). Since a regular one-way fare is just €3.00, it’s really not worth the embarrassment, let alone the fine.
travel without paying
The German verb schwarzfahren means to travel on public transport without a ticket (?to travel black?, as in the black market). A person who does this is called a Schwarzfahrer. In the 1980s, a number of students in Germany set up what are known as Schwarzfahrer-Versicherung (?fare avoidance insurance?). If they were caught, the informal insurance group would pay their fines. Although there are now similar fare avoidance insurance schemes in Paris and Stockholm, the idea is not very popular in Germany, especially now with the recent increase in fines.
You can save some money by buying a “strip ticket” (eine Streifenkarte) or a set of four multi-trip tickets (in Berlin). Each city seems to do this a little differently, but it saves you a little money to buy “in bulk”. In Berlin, a “four-trip” ticket costs €9.40 compared to €12.00 if you buy four separate tickets (zone AB).
To save even more, you can buy weekly, monthly, annual, or group tickets at a discounted price. (If you’re an expat in Berlin, Munich, or elsewhere, consider buying an annual or monthly pass.) Tageskarte (“day tickets”) are valid for 24 hours of travel and can save you money if you plan to make one or more trips during that time. Check with your local public transportation agency for fares and options.
Berlin, Frankfurt, and several other cities also offer Kurzstrecke (“short-distance”) tickets for up to three stops. If you buy a short-distance ticket and then go over the limit, it’s like not having a ticket at all.
Public transport in Germany
Berlin finally (2022) joins Frankfurt and Munich in offering the S-Bahn and Regio high-speed line to the airport! With the ABC zone ticket, it is now possible to travel by S-Bahn between Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) and central Berlin.
Credit
At first, this only applied to the S-Bahn, but in August 2017, BVG (Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe, Berlin Transport Co.), which operates Berlin’s buses, trams, and U-Bahn, also started accepting credit card payments for tickets purchased at BVG?s 680 ticket machines (Ticketautomaten). First, only chip cards with a PIN code work; magnetic stripe cards do not. Second, they do not accept American Express. But MasterCard, Visa, V-Pay, Visa-electron, and Diners are fine. But now the ticket machines inside the trams still do not accept credit card payments. Only coins, not even banknotes!
Where to buy public transport tickets in Germany?
Most people buy tickets from ticket machines ( Fahrkarten-/Ticketautomat ), but in Berlin and some other cities you can also buy regular tickets, season tickets or special tickets from the ticket office during normal opening hours. “Customer Center” ticket offices are located in larger stations and at the BVG headquarters on Holzmarktstraße. Tickets are also available online and via a smartphone app . Usually, you need to know which zone(s) you are going to. See more about zones and special tickets below.
Public transport in Germany
Entwerter – Validate your ticket It is important to know that simply having a ticket is not enough. Your ticket must be validated, either before you board the train (using the machine at the station entrance or on the platform) or immediately after you board the bus or tram (using the machine at the entrance). The “Entwerter” stamps your ticket with a code for the date and time. A ticket without the Entwerter stamp is not a valid ticket.
Practices vary across Europe, but in Germany you can usually buy a ticket from the bus driver when you board (cash, small change only) or use the ticket machine on the tram. If you have a valid ticket, show it to the bus driver when you board. Buses have front and rear doors. You always get on at the front (“Einstieg”) and get off at the back (“Ausstieg”). Trams usually have two or more cars, and you can get on any one of them.
In most German cities, a regular ticket is valid for two hours of travel in one direction. During that time, you can use your ticket to transfer between different modes of transport (bus, tram, S-Bahn, U-Bahn), but you cannot use the same ticket to return to where you started your journey. For that, you will need a new ticket.
Area Most German cities use a zone system to determine the price (Tariff) of your ticket. For example, Berlin has three zones: A, B and C – with A in the centre, B further out and C on the outskirts. Tickets are priced (in euros) for zones AB (3.00), BC (3.50) or ABC (3.80), with a slightly lower price for children aged 6-14. When you buy your ticket – from a ticket office or a machine – you have to select or say which zone you need. If you have an AB ticket and you go into zone C (or from C into A), then you have an invalid ticket.
Public transport in Germany
You can view your zones on an S-Bahn or U-Bahn map – available at stations, in print, and online. There’s even an app for that in some cities, and you can also get a digital ticket on your mobile phone, similar to an airline boarding pass.
Special 9 euro ticket from Germany
During the summer of 2022, Germany will introduce a 9 euro ticket that is valid for public transport anywhere in Germany. Each ticket is valid for one person for one calendar month in June, July and August 2022. Anyone can buy and use the special ticket, including non-German tourists.
S-Bahn ? Public transport in Germany
The term “S-Bahn” is an abbreviation for “Stadtschnellbahn” (German for “city high-speed rail”). The first urban rail system, known as the S-Bahn, was introduced in 1930 as Berlin expanded its electrified rail network. After the fumes and noise of the original steam locomotives became a nuisance, Berlin inaugurated an electrified system (third rail, 800 volts DC) in 1924. Today, many cities across Germany, Austria, and German Switzerland have commuter rail systems known as the S-Bahn.
In major German cities, the S-Bahn is also part of a rail network that includes underground “U-Bahn” lines. In Berlin, for example, it is possible to transfer from the S-Bahn to the U-Bahn (or vice versa) at several stations, all with the same ticket. Berlin’s S-Bahn, Germany’s largest system, has 15 lines with a network of 330 kilometres (205 mi) that mostly runs above ground. A green circular sign with a white S indicates an S-Bahn station.
Berliners are used to hearing the ?Zurückbleiben, bitte!? announcement (“Please stand back!”) just before the S-Bahn or U-Bahn train closes before departing. The S-Bahn is the foundation of Berlin’s public transport system. Fifteen S-Bahn lines run across a large area of the city, from Köpenick in the southeast to Spandau in the northwest. The “Ring” lines (41 and 42) encircle Zone A, the central part of Berlin, and connect to all the other lines. Running every ten minutes during rush hour, every 20 minutes at other times, the S-Bahn is the best way to travel longer distances, sometimes combined with the underground U-Bahn.
Public transport in Germany
Cities and metro areas in Germany with S-Bahn lines
***Frankfurt am Main, Darmstadt, Wiesbaden, Mainz, Offenbach am Main
Take the S-Bahn or FEX to or from the new BER Airport Finally, with the opening of Berlin’s new Berlin-Brandenburg (BER), it is now possible to travel between BER airport and central Berlin via the S-Bahn. (Frankfurt and Munich have had S-Bahn airport options for many years.) Two lines currently stop at the airport (Terminals 1 and 2). (Terminal 5, the old Schönefeld station, is now closed.) The S9 runs all the way from Spandau in west Berlin to the new railway station below BER airport. The shorter S45 runs between Südkreuz and BER.
You need to buy a valid ticket for the ABC zone (€3.80). Berlin’s Airport Express (Regio) is called FEX. It takes about 30 minutes to travel between the airport and the city centre. FEX leaves Berlin Central Station twice an hour, while regional services (RE7, RB22 and RB14) stop at the airport seven times an hour. The BER airport railway station is also served by Intercity trains (Warnemünde and Dresden) via Potsdam. Express buses X7 and X71 connect the Rudow U-Bahn stop (the last stop on the U7 line) to the airport.
Public transport in Germany
U-Bahn ? Public transport in Germany
U-Bahn (short for “Untergrundbahn”) is the German term for what is known in English as a subway, metro, underground train or “Tube”. Although U-Bahn trains usually run underground, they can also be seen above ground, usually on elevated steel viaducts. Blue signs with a white U identify U-Bahn stations.
The world’s first electrified underground railway opened in London on 4 November 1890. In Germany, the first U-Bahn began running in 1902 in Berlin. The Berlin U-Bahn network has gradually expanded to become Germany’s largest, with nine lines totaling 155.4 kilometres (96 mi) and stopping at 175 U-Bahn stations. The recent extension of the U5 line between the Brandenburg Gate and Alexanderplatz added about 2 kilometres, just over a mile.)
Public transport in Germany
Today, only four German cities have underground/subway (U-Bahn) lines: Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, and Nuremberg. Some cities, such as Cologne, Hanover, and Stuttgart, have light rail (Stadtbahn) trains that sometimes run underground, but these are not true subway lines. (See “Stadtbahn” below.) The U-Bahn is a quick way to get around Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, and Vienna, with trains running every 5 to 10 minutes during rush hour.
The rules for purchasing and validating tickets for the S-Bahn, described above, also apply to the U-Bahn.
Bicycle and dog
Most public transport systems in Germany have special cars marked with a bicycle symbol that indicate you can bring your bike on board. However, in addition to your own ticket, you will need to buy a ticket for your bike! The same rule applies to dogs larger than a cat. Dogs must also be muzzled and on a leash.
Die Stadtbahn (City Railway)
Several German cities have light rail systems known as “Stadtbahn” (“city rail”). The Stadtbahn concept uses a mixture of special and conventional trams, using tunnels and underground stations to increase the speed of the system by avoiding vehicle traffic. In some cases, unlike regular trams, Stadtbahns travel on their own trackbed, often on grassy medians, to avoid being obstructed by road traffic.
In cities without a true U-Bahn, including Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, and Stuttgart, the Stadtbahn, with its tunnels, offers a cheaper alternative to building a full underground system like those in Berlin or Munich. These systems even use signs with a white “U” on a blue background, similar to the real U-Bahn lines in Germany. By using rail lines separate from regular road and tram traffic, the Stadtbahn can provide faster service than regular trams.
In other cities, it can be difficult to distinguish between a Stadtbahn tram and a regular tram. In places like Chemnitz, Erfurt, and Freiburg, the Stadtbahn consists of regular trams that run on tracks separate from the road but without any tunnels. In some cases, the Stadtbahn tram has a low floor ( Niederflur-Straßenbahn ) that is just a few inches above the ground, avoiding the need for special boarding platforms.
Public transport in Germany
Buses and trams ? Public transport in Germany
A circular sign with a green H in a yellow circle identifies a Haltestelle, a bus or tram stop. Some stops may have electronic signs indicating the route number and when the next bus or tram is due. In most cases, you will find a timetable framed on a post at the stop.
Typical bus stop sign (Haltestelle) in Germany.
If you already have a ticket, present it to the bus driver when you board, then validate it using the yellow, orange, or red machine at the entrance labeled “Bitte hier enwerten.” (Skip this step if you have a stamped ticket.) If you don’t have a ticket, you can usually buy one from the bus driver (but not on the tram, as each has a ticket machine). On some systems, electronic season tickets are validated by holding them up to the red circle on a special machine near the entrance.
There are buttons on the poles along the aisle that you press to signal when you want to get off. Modern buses and trams have electronic signs above the cab that indicate the name of the next stop and “Bus hält” (“the bus is stopping”) if someone has pressed the stop button. In some cases, you will hear a chime and a recorded voice announcing the name of the next stop. Always exit through the back door. You may have to press a button to open the door if you are the first person to exit.
Cheap bus tour In addition to regular buses, Berlin also has double-decker buses, similar to those in London. If you sit on the top deck of the Berlin 100 bus, you can enjoy a one-hour tour of the city for the price of a normal bus ticket (€3.00). The 100 bus travels between the Bahnhof Zoo in the west and Alexanderplatz in the east, passing many of the city’s top attractions. With a day pass, you can also hop on and off along the way. There is even a special website for the 100 bus. .
Another option for local travel and to/from BER airport is Deutsche Bahn (German Railways). Regional trains in Germany are designated as RB (“Regio” – RegionalBahn, stops everywhere) and RE (RegionalExpress, faster, fewer stops). The Regio Airport Express in Berlin is the FEX (Flughafen-Express), operated by VBB.
Taxi/Uber
Although taxis are not actually part of the public transport system in German-speaking Europe, they are an important alternative in certain situations. For example, if you need to get to the airport with all your luggage, especially if there is more than one person traveling with you, booking a taxi in advance can be a smart option. A taxi is also useful when you need to get somewhere in town that is not close to a public transport stop. Shoppers sometimes arrive at a store by public transport and use a taxi to bring their purchases home.
Taxis in Germany are always the same beige-cream colour with a yellow and black “Taxi” sign above them. They used to be a Mercedes, Audi or other luxury car, but these days you’re more likely to be driving a nice Asian import. While you can flag one down on the street, it’s best to book one in advance or go to a taxi stand, of which there are many in the city centre. If there are no taxis at the waiting point, you can use a special taxi box to hail a taxi.
Compared to many other countries, taxis in Germany are reasonable but not cheap. All taxis must have a meter that displays all charges. Taxes are always included in the fare. It is customary to tip the driver around ten percent, more if the driver helps you carry heavy luggage or items. If you use a credit card to pay, there may be an additional fee.
Public transport in Germany
Uber Following a German court ruling in 2015, the Uber ride-hailing service was banned in Germany. (That’s what they got for removing the umlaut [¨ > über] in Uber, a German word.) The uberPop service, popular in the United States, was ruled to be in violation of German labor and licensing laws. Only uberTaxi (with licensed drivers) is available in Germany. According to the Uber website, as of April 2022, Uber is available in eight German cities: Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, and Stuttgart.
Thus, the public transport system in Germany can make many people amazed, especially students who have just arrived in Germany. Please read the article carefully to avoid problems when using public transport in Germany for the first time. But don’t worry, My Career will always accompany you and guide you to integrate throughout your time in Germany !
Frequently Asked Questions:
Question: If caught dodging train tickets in Germany when using public transport in Germany, will there be a heavy fine?
Answer: If you do not have a train ticket and are checked in Germany, you may be fined up to 66 Euros and this will become a black mark on your application for a residence extension and permanent settlement in Germany.
Question: Can I take my bike/dog on public transport in Germany?
Answer: Most public transport systems in Germany have special cars marked with a bicycle symbol that indicate you can take your bike on board. However, in addition to your own ticket, you will need to buy a ticket for your bike! The same rule applies to dogs larger than a cat. Dogs must also wear a muzzle and be on a leash.
