Friday, July 18, 2008

GERMANY - Transportation

TYPES OF SERVICES:
Transit maps can be obtained for free from tourist offices and are usually included in guidebooks.You'll find them posted at most bus and streetcar stops and subway stations often sport life-sized versions along the platforms. Street maps of the surrounding neighborhood are also usually posted in rail stations, making it easy to find your way from the station to your destination.
- Bus - Nearly every town and many rural areas have scheduled local bus service. In some cases, this service is operated by GermanRail (Bahnbus).
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Straßenbahn/Trambahn (streetcar/tram) - Most medium and large cities have a streetcar system, sometimes fairly extensive. In some areas, streetcar lines run underground in the central city area. Trams are prevalent in many eastern German cities. Service is fairly frequent, usually 20-30 minutes during off-peak periods.
- InterCityExpress (ICE) highspeed trains stop at Munich-Pasing and MunichHbf only.
- InterCity (IC) and EuroCity (EC) trains with destinations East of Munich also stop at Munich East. Since 28 May 2006 Munich is connected to Nuremberg via Ingolstadt by a 300 km/h (186 mph) ICE high speed railway line.
- Stadtbahn (light rail)
Some cities, most notably Stuttgart, Hanover, Cologne, and cities in the Ruhr region, have relatively new light rail systems. Generally, these systems function very much like a U-Bahn system with wide-gauge tracks, longer trains, and high platforms. In fact, most Stadtbahn systems are marked with the standard "U" sign like subways. However, while the Stadtbahn usually runs in extensive tunnel networks within the central city areas, it runs mostly overground outside of the central city.
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U-Bahn (Untergrundbahn, subway/underground) A few of Germany's largest cities have a full-fledged subway system. For the most part, these systems are located underground, but may run on elevated tracks or at ground level, especially in outlying areas. These systems generally serve the central city and immediately adjacent suburbs. Service is frequent, usually 5-15 minutes during off-peak periods.
- S-Bahn (Schnellbahn, suburban commuter rail) The largest metropolitan areas (Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt-Mainz-Wiesbaden, Stuttgart, Cologne-Düsseldorf-Ruhr District, Nuremburg, Dresden, Leipzig-Halle, Mannheim-Heidelberg-Karlsruhe, Magdeburg, and Rostock) have a brilliant commuter train system called the S-Bahn. These are express trains connecting the central city to the farthest-flung suburbs. These routes primarily run above ground except in the central city, where they often run underground. Service is fairly frequent, usually 20-30 minutes during off-peak periods. Besides providing suburban service, the S-Bahn also makes several stops in the central city area as well. These stops are generally further apart than those on the U-Bahn or Stadtbahn and therefore makes the S-Bahn a good option for longer central city journeys. Unlike the other systems above, which are operated by local governments or franchises, S-Bahn systems are all operated by GermanRail.
* Other modes of urban public transport you may come across include:
- Zahnradbahn (cog railway/funicular)
- Seilbahn (cable railway)
- Schwebebahn (suspended railway): Ride the famous one in Wuppertal if you get a chance- it's over 100 years old!
- H-Bahn/Hochbahn (elevated train)
* Some foreign visitors confuse the S-Bahn and U-Bahn. It's easy for English speakers to separate these: U = Underground, S = Suburban.

* Also, don't confuse S-Bahn with Straßenbahn or Stadtbahn-- these are quite different!
* Note that any service times indicated above are for weekdays. Service on weekends may be substantially reduced, especially on Sundays and holidays. Schedules are always posted at stops and stations.
* Most transit systems use the central rail station (Hauptbahnhof) as a major hub. This makes it easy to get from the station to your hotel and vice versa.
*Individual transportation: Munich is an integral part of the motorway network of southern Germany. Motorways from Stuttgart, Berlin, Frankfurt, Lindau, Garmisch Partenkirchen and Salzburg terminate at Munich, allowing direct access the different parts of Germany, Austria and Italy. However, traffic in and around Munich is often heavy. Traffic jams are commonplace during rush hour and at the beginning and end of major holidays in Germany.
- Cycling is recognised as a good alternative to motorised transport and the growing number of bicycle lanes are widely used throughout the year. A modern bike hire system is available in the central area of Munich that is surrounded by the beltway.
** Since GermanRail operates the S-Bahn systems, Eurail or GermanRail passes are valid on all S-Bahn trains. Your pass must be in effect for the day you want to use the S-Bahn (meaning that you must be using a travel day on those flexipasses.) If you have a valid pass and use the S-Bahn in conjunction with other modes of public transportation for a journey, you will need to purchase a separate ticket for the segment of your trip that is not via S-Bahn. For instance, if your trip from Point A to Point C includes an S-Bahn from A to B and a U-Bahn from B to C, then you will need to purchase a ticket for the B to C segment, and you will need to purchase this ticket when you reach Point B. Remember, the passes are only valid on the S-Bahn, not the U-Bahn, Stadtbahn, or trams. If you did not or will not be riding a long-distance mainline train on a given day, don't waste a flexipass day on S-Bahn travel-- you can get a 24 hour ticket or individual journey tickets much cheaper.
** One ticket (Fahrkarte, Fahrschein, or Fahrausweis) is good for all modes of transport and is valid for transfers to other trains or buses needed to complete your journey. The specific rules vary depending on the city, but you are usually allowed one complete trip in one continuous direction along the most direct route to your destination for a set length of time, usually two hours or so.
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Fares on German transport networks are based on a zone system. The transport regions are divided into tariff zones (Tarifzonen) and you pay based on the number of zones you cross. Oftentimes, there is a central cluster of zones (Innenraum) covering the inner city. Typically, all tickets purchased in this cluster have the same price for journeys ending anywhere else in the cluster, even if it crosses a tariff zone.
** For buses, you can purchase your ticket from the driver. Simply state your final destination and he will tell you how much the fare is. Pay him and he will give you your ticket. In most German cities, the driver can make change, but it's probably a good idea to have enough change on-hand to pay the exact fare. If there is a ticket machine at the stop, you will have to purchase your ticket from the machine rather than the bus driver.