Traveling around Germany

This has to be a post that is very long overdue. I was born in Germany and spent most of my life there. I still travel to Germany every few months. That being said, I think this post will come in handy for many of you who decide to visit Germany.

Now Germany is not a very large country, it’s actually smaller than the U.S. state Texas.

Germany has an excellent public transportation system, in fact, it’s one of the best in the world, which makes traveling around Germany very easy.

When it comes to transportation in Germany there are three possibilities to consider. And I will break them down in this article by efficiency, affordability and overall pros vs cons.

 Air travel:

Obviously, the fastest way to get around the country is by air. Unfortunately, Germany has a huge monopoly when it comes to the airline industry. Lufthansa is the only airline that operates throughout Germany and therefore their prices are ridiculously expensive. I personally wouldn’t recommend it. But it doesn’t hurt to check prices in advance and see if perhaps you can get yourself a deal. You can fly from Munich to Hamburg in about an hour.

 Rail transport:

This is the most common type of transportation you are going to find in Germany. After the war, Germany spent most of its resources on perfecting is railroad system. With huge success if I may add. Deutsche Bahn is the train company that operates in Germany and other neighbor countries. With ICE trains that travel at up to 180 miles per hour, traveling throughout Germany by train is efficient, and economical.

You can get a one-way train ticket from Frankfurt to Bremen for around $40. Now if you wanted to fly however, you’d have to pay around $250 for a one-way ticket.

Taking a train may take a few hours longer, but if you have the time, I’d say do it. You can save a huge amount of money by doing so. You can check train fares and destinations on Goeuro.com. My only advice, make sure when booking your train ticket, you pay a few extra bucks for an assigned seat. Otherwise you’ll be asked to get up by someone who paid for his seat in advance.  

 Intercity Bus Service:

This form of transportation is by far the most time consuming one, however, it’ll also be the most affordable one. You can take the bus from almost anywhere in Germany and make your way across the country and throughout Europe. Flixbus is a great bus company that provides excellent service. If you book your ticket early enough, you can make you way from Munich to Berlin for less than $20. Granted, it will take you about 8 hours, but if you’re in no rush, I would say go for it. Those buses have free WIFI (although not very good), offer snacks, and toilets.

I used to take the bus all the time when I was traveling from Frankfurt to Bremen, Bremen to Amsterdam and even made my way to Paris at one point. They’re not bad and offer a good service for anyone who’s on a budget.

As you can see, these are the top three ways of getting around in Germany. You either fly, take the train, or take the bus. Which one you decide to take depends all on your specific needs and budget. If you just flew in from the states and spent 10 hours on a plane, spending another 8 hours on a bus might not be the smartest move. However, if you took off from Barcelona and landed in Frankfurt, taking a 5-hour train to your final destination might not be so bad.

One thing you should keep in mind is that Germany doesn’t have Uber. If you need to get around in a city, your best bet is the local transportation system. Trains and buses are very efficient all throughout Germany. Taxis are safe and legit as well.