If you are going to travel to Germany, you have most probably heard that means of traveling there are pretty expensive. Most of people prefer to take trains and trains charge quite a lot.
But the readers of the Venere Travel Blog are not just some regular travelers because they have the knowledge provided here. Pick up some valuable tips!
Fly cheap to Germany
Sometimes airlines cause us to feel real astonishment or even shock. They can offer such prices for tickets that you would think of no better means of traveling. I recommend you checking such website as Skyscanner for cheap flights in Germany. Here is the list of our favorite special airlines: RyanAir, AirBerlin, Lufthansa, and EasyJet. RyanAir is the crowned queen of these companies, if offers budget airfare and besides it is easy to build connecting flights with other cheap airlines. You should be really lucky to get a cheap ticket with AirBerlin and Lufthansa, but miracles do happen. Sometimes you cannot find a cheap ticket from an airline that lands in the city you are heading to, but do not get upset! There is always a way out: you should use the craziest possibilities to connect your flights and get a cheap connection.
Train travel in Germany
Besides, you can always use the services of Die Deutsche Bahn and travel Germany cross-country by train. Die Deutsche Bahn offers their Europe-Specials, but they are not that cheap. If you are not familiar yet with a wonderful weekend ticket, we would like to introduce you to it. As train tickets in Germany are pretty expensive, this one offers a fantastic possibility to travel for only €7. This ticket costs 35 EUR and can be used by up to five people. The only problem is that only regional trains can be taken. You can also use the services of TGV-Europe or Interconnex and book the same trains as with Die Bahn but cheaper. And here we have one more wonderful tip for you: night train tickets are much more cheaper! But you have to be aware of that because when you book your ticket on the website, they do not always offer this tickets.
Hit the road!
If flying and traveling by train is not an option for you, I have more good news. You can use such means of traveling as Mitfahrzentrale or Mitfahrgelegenheit. These are the websites where you can find people driving along the roads of Germany (and not only Germany!) by their car and looking for fellow-travelers who are going the same direction and can share the petrol money with them. Drivers have their profiles on these websites, so you can check some information about them as well as their pictures and arrange a journey. Besides, good old hitchhiking is always there for you if you consider it safe enough. But do not forget that during the winter time which is coming close and closer it can get really cold (-10-15 C°) in Germany.
Photo of destination display in Christuskirche underground station, Hanover, Germany by Jan The Manson
11 responses to “How to Travel Cheap in Germany”
Report an inappropriate commentMarch 25th, 2009 at 11:40 am
look for the cheap hotels, don’t hire taxis, travel by bus and take local help when required.
March 28th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
I’m sorry, but the information about trains being expensive in Germany is simply wrong. A single person buying a ticket immediately before travelling will pay top prices. Book far enough in advance and you can travel almost anywhere in Germany for just 29 Euros. Within each of thr German regions (and most of them are larger than the smaller European countries) and you can get a Laender Ticket. Currently 29 Euros, this covers up to 5 (FIVE) people for an entire day at weekends, after 9.00 on weekdays through the whole region, excluding express trains.
March 28th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
I don´t see what is ¨simply wrong¨ with stating that trains in Germany are pretty expensive. Everything depends on the itinerary and the number of people traveling. Laender Tickets can be good bargains, but they are not available in some Bundeslaender (federal states) + crossing the border of a Bundesland you need another Laender Ticket + a number of other limitations you have already mentioned. But what is really good about them, that in some Bundeslaender LTs work for buses as well=))
June 10th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Well hitchhiking is certainly now luxury travel but it’s good to know that the option is available. In the US and even Europe, there are some places where hitchhiking is not advisable and even illegal. I’ve heard some bad things about RyanAir but they are pretty cheap.
July 30th, 2009 at 7:54 am
Thanks for sharing this post. Dusseldorf is the hub of the German fashion industry. Dusseldorf is a very clean city and known for its urban culture. You can find bold architecture, bars, hotels and hi-tech offices in Medienhafen. Dont fail to visit fascinating K20 museum.If you are visiting germany during late october, enjoy the Hamburg Film Festival.Hamburg opera is must watch. For more details refer http://www.journeyidea.com/incredible-cities-of-germany-part-ii/
September 9th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
I think it’s correct to call the german Bahn very expensive as it is very expensive to buy at ticket directly at the counter (without “Bahncard” for discount or buying a ticket online or months before you travel). If you take a cheap flight or even a cheap rented car you will travel less expensive for most long distance travels. But the cheapest way is to go by Mitfahrzentrale which is very common among young people.
I think going by train should alway be the least expensive way to travel but it’s not in germany (a few years ago you could use the “Wochenendticket” which was amazingly cheap – but only for the slow trains – but i think even this is expensive now)
October 18th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
cheap flights sometimes does not have good service at all;..
November 24th, 2010 at 9:41 pm
Greetings, I hope you have a good day! Very cool post, well written and very thought out. I am looking forward to reading more of your articles in the future.
February 11th, 2011 at 11:39 am
i am planning to travel in May for 14 nights will start from munich and will take a return flight from there would like to know as under
a. places i must visit
b. how to i make my itenery so that i travel systematically starting from munich and finish at munich.
c. cheapest mode of transport
d. is apartment better than hotels or some other alternative.
e. is vegetarian food eaisly available
please suggest
March 3rd, 2011 at 9:56 am
Great post! I travel frequently from Aachen to Dortmund (my girlfriend lives there) since I live near to Aachen (I’m belgian). I’m just getting sick of paying 26 / 29 euros per single ticket (train). This mitfahrplatz/gelegenheit is really nice and I wasn’t aware of it! Thanks alot for this post. You just made my day (and my girlfriends)!
August 17th, 2011 at 8:01 pm
I am traveling to Frankfurt Germany in August 2012. Want to spend 10 days there then fly to Edinburgh Scotland.
Should we rent a car? There are four of us traveling together. Is it cheaper to fly to Edinburgh or.. take the train?
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