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LIVING IN GERMANY

Mobility

Travelling long distances

Passersby waiting at a bus station

If you have been in Germany for more than three months and would like to travel to another city even though you do not have a car, the following alternatives are available:

Deutsche Bahn (German rail service)

The German rail service’s ("Deutsche Bahn") trains will take you to most destinations in Germany. You buy tickets for the trains at the railway station, where there are sales counters and machines. You can also book tickets on the Deutsche Bahn web site. Buy your ticket as early as possible and you may be able to get a reduction. There are also special tickets which make travel cheaper, for example the "Quer-durchs-Land-Ticket" (reduced day ticket for up to 5 people on regional trains) or the "Länderticket" (reduced day ticket for up to 5 people on regional trains within one federal state). You can find more information about this at the information points of the Deutsche Bahn. Children under the age of 6 always travel free and without a ticket.

Coaches

You can also travel by bus to almost every city. Coach stops can usually be found near the main railway station ("Hauptbahnhof") or at the bus station ("Bus-Bahnhof"). Sometimes the stops can be found near motorways ("Autobahn"). You can buy the ticket online on the coach line’s web site.

Car sharing ("Mitfahrgelegenheit")

One way of travelling cheaply is to find a car share ("Mitfahrgelegenheit"). This is where people offer to give others a lift in exchange for a small price. You usually arrange the journey online or via apps.