Public Transport in GermanyS-Bahn | U-Bahn | Stadtbahn | Bus | Tram

Public Transport in Germany and Europe is usually excellent. It is very practical to live in any large German city or metropolitan area without owning a car. Even medium-sized cities have good public transportation networks that use buses, trams, and urban/suburban rail lines to move people around.

An S-Bahn train makes a stop at Berlin’s main rail station. Learn more about the S-Bahn below. PHOTO © Hyde Flippo

Because the public transportation systems in Germany are usually regional, a ticket for

the S-Bahn is also valid for a streetcar or bus. For instance, the S-Bahn in Berlin is a

subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, the national railway, but it is also part of the Transport

Association Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB). That means a ticket bought at an S-Bahn station is

also valid for buses, the U-Bahn, or trams. If you buy a ticket from a bus driver (normal

practice in Berlin), it is also valid for the S-Bahn, as long as you use it within two hours of

your purchase. Tickets are also available at multilingual ticket machines on platforms or at

sales points in major stations.

Multilingual ticket machines make it easy to buy a ticket to ride – here in Berlin. PHOTO © Hyde Flippo

How to Buy a Ticket

Unlike the “Tube” in London, the Metro in Paris, BART in San Francisco, or urban rail

systems in most world cities, you won’t encounter any turnstiles on the S- or U-Bahn in

Germany. You don’t have to feed your ticket into a machine in order to get to your train.

You thus may be tempted to skip buying a ticket, but Germany’s “honor system” for public

transport operates on the “trust but verify” principle. You never know when plain-clothes

controllers will suddenly flash their badges and say the dreaded words: “Fahrkarten bitte!”

(“Tickets please!”) If you get caught without a valid (stamped) ticket or pass, you’ll have to

pay a fine on the spot – tourists included! The fine went up in spring 2015 from €40 to €60

(about $68 USD). Since the typical one-way fare is about €2.70 ($3.00), it’s really not worth

the embarassment, let alone the fine.

Schwarzfahren

The German verb schwarzfahren means to ride public transport without a ticket (“to travel black,” as

in black market). A person who does this is called a Schwarzfahrer. In the 1980s some students in

Germany set up so-called Schwarzfahrer-Versicherung (“fare-dodger insurance”). If they got caught,

the informal insurance group paid their fine. Although there are currently similar fare-dodger

insurance schemes in Paris and Stockholm, this idea has not been very popular in Germany,

especially now with the recent fine increase.

You can save some money by buying a “strip ticket” (eine Streifenkarte, a set of perforated

tickets in a strip) or a multiticket set of four tickets. Each city seems to do this a little

differently, but it saves you a little money to buy “in bulk.” To save even more, you can buy

weekly, monthly, annual, or group tickets at a discount. (If you are an expat in Berlin,

Munich, or elsewhere, consider getting an annual or monthly pass.) A Tageskarte (“day

ticket”) is valid for 24 hours of travel, and will save you money if you plan to make a lot of

trips within that time. Check with your local public transport agency for ticket pricing and

options.

Berlin, Frankfurt, and some other cities also offer Kurzstrecke (“short route”) tickets that are

good for a maximum of three stops. If you buy a short-route ticket and then travel past the

limit, it’s the same as having no ticket.

The ticket validator (Entwerter) stamps your ticket with a date and time code. Use it before you go to the station platform.PHOTO © Hyde Flippo

The Entwerter – Validating Your Ticket

It is important to know that just having a ticket in your possession isn’t enough. Your ticket

must be validated, either before you board the train (using machines at the station entrance

or on the platform), or immediately after you board a bus or tram (using machines in the

aisle). The “Entwerter” stamps your ticket with a code for the date and time. A ticket without

a stamp from the Entwerter is not a valid ticket.

Practices in Europe vary, but in Germany you can usually buy a ticket from the bus driver

when you board (cash only, exact change), or using the ticket machine on trams. (In some

Swiss cities you must have a ticket before you board a bus or tram.) If you already have a

valid ticket, show it to the bus driver when you get on. Buses have front and rear doors. You

always board in the front (“Einstieg”) and exit in the back (“Ausstieg”). Trams often have two

or more cars, and you can board any one of them.

This VBB/BVG ticket has a time-and-date stamp that shows it has been validated. It is valid for travel in zones A and B, and is part of a set of four tickets. PHOTO: Hyde Flippo

In most German cities a normal ticket is valid for transport in one direction for two hours.

Within that time you can use your ticket to transfer among the various modes of transport

(bus, tram, S-Bahn, U-Bahn), but you can’t use that same ticket to travel back towards

where you began your journey. For that you’ll need a new ticket.

Zones

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 being in the center, B further out, and

C on the outskirts. Tickets are priced (in euros) for zones AB (2.70), BC (3.00), or ABC

(3.30). When you buy a ticket – either from a ticket agent or a machine – you must select or

say which zones you need. If you have an AB ticket and travel into zone C (or from C into

A), then you have an invalid ticket. You can see the zones on the S-Bahn or U-Bahn maps

– located 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.

(See the photo below.)

Some cities allow you to use an app (Android or iOS) to purchase a ticket for public transport, as shown here for Berlin. PHOTO: BVG

The S-Bahn

The term “S-Bahn” is an abbreviation of “Stadtschnellbahn” (German for “city rapid rail”).

The first urban rail system to be called an S-Bahn was introduced in 1930 when Berlin

expanded its electrified rail network. After the original steam-locomotive smoke and noise

had become a nuisance, Berlin inaugurated an electrified (third-rail, 800-volt DC) system in

1924. Today many cities all across Germany, Austria, and German Switzerland have a

commuter rail systems known as the S-Bahn.

In larger German cities the S-Bahn is also part of a rail network that includes underground

“U-Bahn” lines. In Berlin, for instance, it is possible to transfer from the S-Bahn to the U-

Bahn (or vice versa) at some stations, all with the same ticket. Berlin’s S-Bahn, Germany’s

largest system, has 15 lines with a 330-kilometer (205-mile) network that mostly runs above

ground. A round green sign with a white S signifies an S-Bahn station.

This detail from a BVG/VBB (Berlin) route map shows both S- and U-Bahn lines, as well as Regio (RE) train lines. The orange “A” refers to that zone. There are other maps for bus and tram routes. PHOTO: BVG/VBB

Residents of Berlin get used to hearing the “Zurückbleiben, bitte!” (“Stand back, please!”)

announcement just before an S-Bahn or U-Bahn train shuts its doors prior to departure. The

S-Bahn is the keystone of Berlin’s public transport system. The 15 S-Bahn routes criss-

cross the city’s vast area, 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 with all of

the other lines. Running every ten minutes at peak times, every 20 minutes at other times,

the S-Bahn is the best way to cover longer distances, sometimes in combination with the

underground U-Bahn.

Cities and Metro Areas in Germany with S-Bahn Lines

Berlin-Brandenburg Magdeburg Rhein-Neckar*

*Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Heidelberg, Kaiserslautern, Karlsruhe

Bremen/Niedersachsen Mitteldeutschland** Nordrhein-Westfalen

**Leipzig, Halle (Saale), Zwickau

Dresden Munich (München) Rhein-Ruhr (Düsseldorf)

Hamburg Nuremberg (Nürnberg) Cologne (Köln), Bonn

Hanover Rhein-Main*** Rostock

Stuttgart

***Frankfurt am Main, Darmstadt, Wiesbaden, Mainz, Offenbach am Main

A blue-and-white U-Bahn sign on Berlin’s famous Ku’damm. PHOTO © Hyde Flippo

The U-Bahn

U-Bahn (short for “Untergrundbahn”) is the German term for what is variously known in

English as the metro, subway, underground, or “Tube.” Although U-Bahn trains usually run

underground, they can also be seen above-ground, often on elevated steel viaducts. A blue

sign with a white U identifies a U-Bahn station.

The world’s first electrified underground rail line opened in London on November 4, 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 10 lines covering a total distance of

146.2 kilometers (91 miles) and stopping at 173 U-Bahn stations. (The extension of the U5

line between the Brandenburg Gate and Alexanderplatz, now under construction, will add

about 2 km, just over a mile.)

A Berlin U-Bahn train on the U2 line just before departure. PHOTO © Hyde Flippo

Today only four German cities (and Vienna in Austria) have underground/metro (U-Bahn)

lines: Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, and Nuremberg. A few cities, such as Cologne, Hanover

and Stuttgart, have light-rail (Stadtbahn) trains that sometimes run underground, but these

are not true underground subway lines. (See “Stadtbahn” below.) The U-Bahn is a speedy

way to get around in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, and Vienna, with trains running

in five to ten-minute intervals at peak traffic times.

The rules for buying and validating tickets for the S-Bahn, described above, also apply to

the U-Bahn.

Bikes and Dogs

Most public transport systems in Germany have special cars marked with a bicycle symbol indicating

that you can bring a bike on board. But, in addition to your own ticket, you 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.

Die Stadtbahn (Light Rail)

Some German cities have a light-rail system known as the “Stadtbahn” (“city rail”). 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. In some

cases, unlike a normal tram, the Stadtbahn travels on its own railbed, often on a grassy

median strip, to keep it from being hindered by road traffic.

In cities without a true U-Bahn, including Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, and Stuttgart, the

Stadtbahn, with its tunnels, provides 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 real U-Bahn lines in Germany. By using rail lines that are

separated from road traffic and normal streetcars, the Stadtbahn can provide faster service

than a normal tram.

In other cities, it can be difficult to distinguish between a Stadtbahn and normal streetcars.

In places like Chemnitz, Erfurt, and Freiburg, the Stadtbahn consists of normal trams that

run on tracks separated from roadways, but without any tunnels. In some cases, the

Stadtbahn trams have low floors (Niederflur-Straßenbahn) only inches above the ground,

avoiding the need for special boarding platforms.

A typical bus stop (Haltestelle) sign in Germany. This stop is for the Elbe River ferry pier in the Hamburg suburb of Blankenese. PHOTO © Hyde Flippo

Buses and Trams

A round sign with green H in a yellow circle identifies aHaltestelle, a bus or tram stop. (See

photo.) At some stops there may be an electronic sign that indicates the route number and

when the next bus or tram will arrive. In almost all cases, you will find a framed timetable on

a post at the stop.

If you already have a ticket, show it to the bus driver as you board, and then validate it with

a yellow, orange or red machine in the aisle labeled “Bitte hier entwerten.” (Skip this step if

you have a ticket that has already been stamped.) If you don’t have a ticket, you can usually

buy one from the bus driver (but not on trams, which have ticket machines in each car). On

some systems, electronic season tickets are validated by holding them against a red circle

on a special machine near the entrance.

There are buttons on posts along the aisle that you press to signal when you want to get off.

Modern buses and trams have an electronic sign above the driver’s compartment that

indicates the name of the next stop, and “Bus hält” (“bus will stop”) if someone has pressed

the stop button. In some cases, you’ll hear a chime and a recorded voice that announces

the name of the next stop. Always exit through the rear door. You may have to press a

button to open the door if you are the first person to exit.

A Cheap Bus Tour

In addition to regular buses, Berlin has doubledecker buses, similar to those in London. If you sit on

the top deck of the 100 bus in Berlin, you can enjoy a wonderful city tour for the price of a normal

bus ticket (€2.70). The 100 bus travels between Bahnhof Zoo in the West and Alexanderplatz in the

East, passing many of the city’s top attractions. With a day ticket, you can also get on and off along

the way. There’s even a special web page for the 100 bus. – For more about Berlin sights, see

our Berlin City Guide.

Regio

Another option for getting around locally comes from Deutsche Bahn (German Rail).

Regional trains in Germany are designated RB (“Regio” – RegionalBahn, stops everywhere)

and RE (RegionalExpress, faster, with fewer stops). For more about regional and other

intercity trains, see Train Travel in Germany.

Taxis

Although taxis are not really part of the public transportation system in German-speaking

Europe, we include this category as an important alternative for certain situations. For

instance, if you need to get to the airport with all your luggage, especially if there is more

than one person traveling, ordering a taxi in advance could be a smart option. A cab is also

helpful when you need to get somewhere in town that is not close to a public transport stop.

Shoppers sometimes go to the store via public transportation, and use a taxi to bring home

the goods they bought.

Taxis in Germany are always the same cream color with a yellow-and-black “Taxi” sign on

the top. They used to always be a Mercedes, an Audi, or other luxury car, but nowadays

you’re just as likely to be riding in a nice Asian import. Although you can flag down a cab on

the street, it is best to either order one in advance or go to a taxi stand, of which there are

many in downtown areas. If there are no taxis at the stand, you can use a special taxi call-

box to get a cab.

Compared to many other countries, taxi rates in Germany are reasonable but not

inexpensive. All taxis must have a meter that displays all charges. The amount always

includes tax. It is common to tip the driver about ten percent, more if the driver helped you

with heavy luggage or packages. If you use a credit card for payment, there may be an

extra charge. (A little reminder that you’re in Germany.)

For more about taxis in Germany, see this page at gettingaroundgermany.info.

More | Train Travel – Introduction

Related Pages

On This Site

Train Travel – Introduction

Castles and Palaces in Germany  – Guides to castles and palaces in Germany

City Guides: Germany  – Guides for Berlin, Potsdam, Frankfurt, Munich, Dresden, Trier

Hotels and B&B’s  – Finding accommodations in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland

Driving in Europe  – Tips for driving in Germany and Europe

Air Travel  – Flying to or in Germany

On The Web

Urban Public Transport – Getting Around Germany  – Brian Purcell’s informative

online guide

UrbanRail.net – Germany  – This site offers links to urban rail lines all around the world

– with route maps

Berlin: BVG (English)  – The official site of Berlin’s public transport agency

BVG/VBB (Berlin) – Route Maps  – Tickets, fares, route maps and more from berlin.de

Cologne (Köln)  – Public transport info from cologne.de (English)

Aachen – Cologne: VRS  – The official public transport site for Cologne (Köln) – Also in

English

Dresden: Nahverkehr  – The official site for Dresden’s public transport agency

Frankfurt: RMV  – The official Rhein-Main Verkehr website (Frankfurt am Main)

Hamburg: HVV  – The official site for Hamburg public transport

Hannover: UESTRA  – Hanover’s public transport agency

Heidelberg: VRN  – Official site for public transport in the Heidelberg region; also see

“Rhein-Neckar” below for other cities

Leipzig/Halle – LVB  – Official site for public transport in the Leipzig/Halle region

Magdeburger Verkehrsbetriebe (MVB)  – Official site for public transport in Magdeburg

(in German only)

Mannheim: VRN  – Official site for public transport in the Mannhein region; also see

“Rhein-Neckar” below for other cities

Munich: MVV  – Official site for Munich (München)

MVV – Munich Maps  – PDF route maps for Munich

Nuremberg (Nürnberg) – VGN  – Public transport for Nuremberg

Rhein-Ruhr Region – VRR  – Düsseldorf, Essen – Also in English

Rhein-Neckar: Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Neckar (VRN)  – Public transport in the Rhine-

Neckar region (Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Kaiserslautern, Karlsruhe)

Rostock – RSAG  – Public transport for the Rostock and Warnemunde area – Also in

English

Stuttgart: VVS  – Public transport in the Stuttgart region – Also in English

Vienna (Wien)  – Public transport in Vienna, Austria – wienerlinien.at

Bahn.com  – The official German Rail (DB) website in EnglishLegal Notice: We are not responsible for the content of external links.

More | Train Travel – Introduction