Local transport In keeping with the German penchant for punctuality and efficiency, its public transport is quick, clean, and tourist friendly. For anyone used to lengthy delays, incompetence and constant cancellations when using public transport, Germany is a dream. When travelling within cities, you have several options. There is die S-Bahn, the commuter network, abbreviated from die Schnellbahn, literally 'fast train', plus die U-Bahn, or Untergrundbahn, underground train. There's also a multitude of municipally owned Straßenbahnen, trams or 'street trains', and Autobusse, buses, all of which are delightfully straightforward and easy to use. The S-Bahn predominantly serves urban areas, and all rail passes are mostly valid on it. However, you'll find rail passes are not valid on the U-Bahn. In most cities, there are combined tickets for buses and trains on offer - die Tageskarte for the day, or die Wochenendkarte for the weekend. You can buy tickets and passes at ticket machines or ticket offices. They're often sold in combination with cheaper tickets for museums and other places of interest. On buses and trams in some towns, passengers are required to stamp their tickets at validating machines on buses or at the entrance to the train station. Links Getting Around - a guide to German public transport. These links are included for educational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement by the BBC of the products or services featured. |