Germany and Nürnberg Transportation
Germany
Deutsche Bahn: http://www.bahn.de/international/view/en/index.shtml
Timetable Look-ups
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
The DB timetable allows you to search for train itineraries and purchase tickets or seat reservations.
Enter “Frankfurt(M)Flughafen” in the “From” field if coming from the Frankfurt airport. Otherwise, enter your start city. If there is more than one station in that city, it will ask you to choose the specific station. “To” in this case will be Nürnberg*.
*Note that vowels with an “umlaut”, ä, ö, or ü, can also be represented as the vowel with an e after it. So, Nürnberg can also be spelled Nuernberg, schön can be schoen, etc.
Choose your departure date, departure/arrival time, and the same for the return trip if applicable. There are also various other fields such as number of travelers, types of transportation, etc. Go ahead and choose how many travellers (most likely 2 adults)- you will buy 1 ticket for the both of you. For regular and savings fare train tickets, use the standard search under “means of transportation”. Then click “Search Connection”.
The timetable will provide you with the possible train itineraries and the normal (and savings, if available) fares. More about savings fares later. To see the detailed itinerary, click on the left-hand column. The details will be shown at the bottom of the page.
Here you can see the train number, platform numbers, and any connections involved for this itinerary. Once you have chosen your trip, either choose “purchase” or “add return trip” if applicable.
On the next screen you will see all the possible tickets for that train. Notice the special savings fares available. These are a good deal, but you have to meet a couple conditions: 1) you have to book at least 3 days in advance, and 2) the tickets are only good for that particular train itinerary. If you missed a train for some reason, you cannot transfer your ticket to another train. The full fare tickets give you the fare from point A to point B on any train, any time. So, decide for yourselves. For an itinerary with no connections, using the special savings fare shouldn’t pose a problem, as long as you make your train.
Once you’ve chosen an itinerary and a ticket type, you choose whether or not to purchase a seat reservation and in what form you want your ticket. These are both really up to you. Seat reservations can be handy if you’ve got a long trip to make or if you’ve got a group of people who want to sit together. Otherwise, 2 people can usually find seats together, and even sometimes find 4 seats around a table to spread out and relax.
You can either print your ticket from online or choose to receive them by mail. Mailing only takes a few days (even from Germany to the US), so it’s up to you, and it depends of course on how far in advance you book your tickets.
You can also buy just a seat reservation on a particular train without buying a ticket. This is only €1.50 per train per person. However, seat reservations are only available on certain types of trains, and most regional trains do not have reservations.
Then of course proceed to paying for your tickets. Just make sure all the details are correct before you book!
If using a Bayern- or Schönes-Wochenende Ticket, choose the “without ICE/IC/ED” option under “means of transport” on the search page. Because the search defaults to the fastest trips with fewest connections, it will bring up mostly ICEs unless you choose this option. The Bayern- and Schönes-Wochenende tickets are explained below and do not cover transportation on Inter-City Express trains.
It is usually cheaper to purchase your Bayern- or Schönes Wochenende tickets at the ticket vending machines than at the counter at the train station. Sometimes it’s cheaper to buy them online, but you have to be able to print them and that’s not always the case.
If you search using this “without ICE/IC/EC” option and find an itinerary that works for you, it should tell you on the purchase page whether or not you can use the Schönes-Wochenende ticket. However, it doesn’t show the Bayern-ticket as an option, and since Frankfurt is not in Bavaria, this isn’t a big deal for now.
Types of Tickets
Bayern (Bavaria)-Ticket
http://www.bahn.de/international/view/en/prices/germany/laender_tickets.shtml
€27 – good for all regional trains (S, RB, RE, IRE)and public transportation within the state of Bavaria for one day. On weekdays, valid between 9am and 3am the following day. On Saturdays and Sundays valid between “0 a.m.” and 3am the following day.
Covers up to 5 adults.
***Note: these tickets do not cover travel on Inter-City trains (D, IR, IC, EC, ICE).
Schönes-Wochenende (Happy Weekend!) Ticket
http://www.bahn.de/international/view/en/prices/germany/swt.shtml
€33 – good for all regional trains (S, RB, RE, IRE)and public transportation within the country for one day (Saturday, Sunday, holidays only). Valid between 0 a.m. and 3am the following day. Covers up to 5 adults.
***Note: these tickets do not cover travel on Inter-City trains (D, IR, IC, EC, ICE)
Sparpreise 25/50
If booking in advance, you can usually find “Sparpreise” or “Savings Fares” of either 25% of even 50% off the normal fare. However, you can only travel on the specific trains you purchase the tickets for, and you must book more than 3 workdays in advance. Make sure you’ll make your train and any connections that may be involved.
Full-fare
The more expensive, most flexible way to get where you’re going. It’s pretty much good for any train, any time going from your starting point to your destination.
Nürnberg
Nürnberg Street Map: http://www.nuernberg.stadtplan-region-nuernberg.de/home10.html
This map shows all public transportation stops and points of interest and is also searchable by street. To look for a particular street, choose “Straßen” on the top left and then look for your street in the list. For the icons, mouse over and details will be displayed on the right sidebar. Also, clicking on some icons will take you to an associated web page (VGN for bus stops, for example).
Shane & Jason’s Google Map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=103228292091862918383.000436b7e40e5bcab7ee3&z=11&om=1
We’ve been updating this map with things like restaurants, ATMs, coffee places, points of interest, grocery stores, etc. It also has all U-bahn stops and some relevant tram and bus stops.
http://www.nuernbergmobil.de/v01/en/pub/index.html?navID=120&IDS=NtuxX1WH
General information about tourism, public transit, etc. in Nürnberg for visitors.
VGN is the Nürnberg sector of VAG, a company that operates and maintains public transportation in various cities in Germany.
The VGN includes buses, trams, U-bahns, and S- and R- bahns.
There is a very extensive bus system. You can get within walking distance of virtually anywhere in Nürnberg.
The trams/street cars cover the perimeter of the old city and a couple of suburbs. They’re useful if the timetables are on your side, but not the fastest way to get around.
The U-bahns are the fastest and most reliable, but of course don’t go everywhere.
The S- and R- bahns are old regional trains that run every once in a while and can sometimes be the only way to get to the outer parts of Nürnberg- they always start/end at Hauptbahnhof.
Maps
Tarif Zone Map: http://www.vgn.de/media/static/nfue_large.gif
Nürnberg/Fürth Map: http://www.vgn.de/media/static/stadtverkehr_nue.gif
Nürnberg Network: http://www.vgn.de/media/static/liniennetz_nbg.pdf
Finding out how to get there
http://www.vgn.de/komfortauskunft/auskunft/?Edition=en
This is the English version of the timetable look-up. It provides you with times and routes to get to where you want to go.
For both departure and destination enter either the stop, street address, or point of interest you’re looking for. We’ve listed the ones you’re most likely to need below.
Choose the date and time for your trip, any options you want (that part’s up to you) and hit “query” at the bottom.
The query will return a list of optional routes to your destination at the desired time. Clicking on “details” at the top will expand the selected option to show all bus, U-bahn, streetcar lines you should take, departure and arrival times, and connections. You can also choose to look for options “earlier” or “later” by clicking on the respective links.
When the route is expanded, it shows 3 links above it:
Fare zones – this displays how many fare zones the trip goes through. Clicking on this link will tell you exactly how much you would pay for each type of ticket (one-way, round trip, DayTickets, etc.- see next section).
Trip as PDF – this will take you to a page where you can download this specific route as a pdf to print and take with you.
Route as PDF - This will take you to a page where you can download this specific route outlined visually on a map with all the necessary connections.
You may have to walk to where you’re going from the final stop to the actual destination- if so, it will show at the end of the route that you have to walk and give an approximate amount of time it should take. If this is the case, it’s helpful to have located the final stop and your destination on a street map (http://www.nuernberg.stadtplan-region-nuernberg.de/home10.html) before you go.
Most Useful Stops:
| Town | Stop | |
| Nürnberg (or Nuernberg) |
Tiergärtnertor (or Tiergaertnertor) |
Tram stop closest to Shane & Jason’s apartment (a 2 min. walk) |
| Nürnberg (or Nuernberg) |
Lorenzkirche | U-bahn stop closest to Shane & Jason’s apartment (very pleasant 10 min. walk), near Hauptmarkt and Starbucks |
| Nürnberg (or Nuernberg) |
Scharfreiterring | Jason’s work |
| Nürnberg (or Nuernberg) |
Langwasser Mitte | Franken Center (a mall- also main bus stop in Langwasser) |
| Nürnberg (or Nuernberg) |
Moorenbrunnfeld | Shane’s work |
| Nürnberg (or Nuernberg) |
Dokuzentrum | Nazi Documentation Center & Party Rally Grounds |
| Nürnberg (or Nuernberg) |
Nürnberg-Sudfriedhof (or Nuernberg-Sudfriendhof) |
Roxy-Nürnberg – only movie theater that shows English movies http://www.roxy-nuernberg.de/ |
Types of Tickets for VGN
We recommend either of the DayTickets (depending on the # of people) or a MobiCard if in Nürnberg for more than 4 days in a row. The DayTickets are good for one weekday or the entire weekend (Saturday and Sunday combined).
| Type of ticket |
Valid for |
Price in € |
||
| DayTicket Solo |
1 person, 1 day or weekend in Nürnberg – Fürth – Stein | Adults | 3,60 | |
| DayTicket Plus |
1-6 persons (max. 2 adults and 4 children up to 17 years + 1 dog), 1 day or weekend in | Nürnberg – Fürth – Stein | 6,30 | |
| Outskirts | 8,80/11,60 | |||
| Entire travel-link area | 13,80* | |||
| 7-days-MobiCard |
1-6 persons (max. 2 adults and 4 children up to 17 years + 1 dog). 7 day travel round the clock. No accompanying persons before 09:00 a.m. in Nürnberg – Fürth – Stein | Adults | 16,40** | |
| 5-strips ticket |
Cancel 1 strip per person | Adults | 5,90 | |
| Children | 2,90 | |||
| 10-strips ticket |
Cancel at least 2 strips per person | Adults | 8,40 | |
| Children | 4,20 | |||
| Single ticket |
1 person, 1 journey | Adults | 1,50 – 8,40 | |
| Children | 0,70 – 4,20 |
All of these tickets work on all types of transportation (bus, streetcar, U-bahn, regional trains) within the tariff zone you’ve purchased. The lowest level of ticket is for zones 1&2, which is all you should really need unless we head out to Erlangen for some reason.
How to Purchase your VGN tickets:
Look for one of the red ticket vending machines (“Fahrscheinautomat”, “Fahrausweise” or “Fahrkartenautomat”). There is always an option to change to English.
Buying a ticket will differ depending on if you’re at a machine that has a touch screen or not. The touch-screen machines only take cash and will not give you more than €8 or so in change, so try to keep small enough bills on hand. The non-touch screen machines take cash and may or may not take credit card. The only place you can depend on being able to pay by credit card is at some machines (and at the counters) at the Hauptbahnhof (Main Train Station).
On the touch-screen machines, choose English (at the bottom of the screen), then choose “Day Tickets”. If it’s just one person, choose the Solo ticket, otherwise choose the Plus ticket. If it’s beneficial, you could buy the 7-day MobiCard instead (see table above). When putting paper bills into the machine, the silver strip should be facing up, heading in first (all the Euro bills have a silver strip on one side, on one end).
On the non-touch screen machines, there are a long row of buttons down the middle. To change to English, there is a button under the screen with some flags near it that toggles between the available languages. Choose your type of ticket using one of the MANY buttons down the middle (Bayern-Tickets, Schönes-Wochenende Tickets, DayTickets/TagesTicket and MobiCards will all be options as well as regular train fares). You may have to choose a destination/region code when purchasing TagesTickets and MobiCards. For the 4-digit region code there will be a chart to the left hand side of the machine. For staying within the Nürnberg area, choose _____.
Useful Vocabulary for Getting Around
Fahrkarten/Fahrausweise (Far-carton/far-ows-vize-uh) = Train or Bus Ticket/Pass
einsteigen (ine-shty-gehn) = to board the train/vehicle
aussteigen (ows-shty-gehn)= to exit the train/vehicle
umsteigen (oom-shty-gehn)= to transfer from one vehicle to another
Gleis (glice)= train/bus platform
Platz (plahts)= seat (or town square)
Reservierung (reh-zehr-feer-oong) = reservation
Haltestelle (hahlt-uh-stell-uh)= bus or train stop (ex. “nächste Haltestelle: Lorenzkirche” = “next stop…”)
Hauptbahnhof (howpt-bon-hof)= Main Rail Station
Ausgang (ows-gong)= exit (literally out-go)
Not- (note) = emergency or important (so Notausgang is emergency exit)
Nothaltruf (note-hahlt-roof) = emergeny-stop-call/request
Flughafen (floog-hahf-ehn) = airport
Morgen (more-gehn)= mornin’!
Malzeit (mall-tsite)= happy lunchtime!
Tchüss/ciao (choos/chow)= bye
Entschuldigung (ent-shool-dee-goong)= Excuse me! or Excuse you!
Danke!/Vielen Dank! (dahn-kuh/feel-ehn dahnk)= Thanks!/Thank you so much!
Some rules:
ß = ss (our s like in sock)
s = z
v = f
w= v (wein pronounced “vine”)
s+consonant = sh + consonant
a, e, i, o, u = ah, eh, ee, oh, oo
ü = mix between uh and oo as in “good”
ö = mix between oh and er as in “heard”
ä = similar to vowel sound in day (daily = täglich)
ie = ee (bier and beer)
ei = eye (wine/vine and wein)
Numbers:
0 = null (nool)
1 = eins (ines, like in heinz ketchup)
2 = zwei (tsvigh)
3 = drei (dry)
4 = vier (fear)
5 = fünf (fuhnf)
6 = sechs (zehks)
7 = sieben (zee-behn)
8 = acht (ahkt)
9 = neun (noyn)
10 = zehn (tsayn)
11 = elf (elf)
12 = zwölf (tswohlf)
13 = dreizehn (dry-tsayn)
14 = vierzehn (fear-tsayn)
15 = fünfzehn (fuhnf-tsayn)
16 = sechzehn (zehk-tsayn)
17 = siebzehn (zeep-tsayn)
18 = achtzehn (ahkt-tsayn)
19 = neunzehn (noyn-tsayn)
20 = zwanzig (svan-tsik)
21 = einundzwanzig (ine-oond-svan-tsik), literally 1 and 20
22 = zweiundzwanzig (tsvigh-oond-svan-tsik), 2 and 20
23 = dreiundzwanzig (dry-oond-svan-tsik), 3 and 20
24 = vierundzwanzig
25 = fünfundzwanzig
26 = sechsundzwanzig
27 = siebenundzwanzig
28 = achtundzwanzig
29 = neunundzwanzig
30 = dreißig
40 = vierzig
50 = fünfzig
60 = sechzig
70 = siebzig
80 = achtzig
90 = neunzig
100 = hundert
€ = Euro (oy-roh)
€20,30 = zwanzig euro dreißig *replace decimal point ‘.’ with ‘,’