How to get around (Part 1) - Public Transportation System in Germany

This blog post will be concerned about the public transportation system in Germany. The Finnish system differs a lot from the German one. This is of course due to the small population of Finland and also due to the great distance of the cities. So far I have mostly used the Finnish Onnibus to get around, which is really convenient and cheap! Actually if you book on time, it is even cheaper than German public transportation.

However Germany offers plenty of options to get from A to B.  We have created a list of transportation options to get around. Though we recommend to always ask around if someone can give you a ride on their train ticket or car etc.

For students the cheapest and most convenient way of getting around is by train. The “Deutsche Bahn” offers plenty of specific offers. Most of the times those offers are way cheaper than a regular ticket, so it is totally worth travelling in a group or collecting a group of people to go to a certain destination.

The regional day ticket allows you to travel on regional trains within one German state of your choice with unlimited freedom on all regional trains and the complete public transport system for one day. In Bavaria, the “Bayern-Ticket” comes in handy, as it allows up to 5 people to travel in between the boarders of the Bavarian state with every regional train (Regional Express) and most of the local public transport system. Of course you should always check with the bus/tram driver if you ticket is valid in the vehicle! In general, you can use the ticket in all local trains (called Interregio-Express, Regional-Express, Regionalbahn, S-Bahn)
Besides there are also regional tickets for travelling at night time. If you are planning to visit Munich for an evening event, you might want to think about saving a couple of Euros by using this ticket!
It is also recommended to buy the tickets at the ticket machine or online, as you will pay an additional fee at the DB Service Center! The Bayern Ticket can be used during weekdays between 9 am and 3 am (of the following day). On weekends is valid from 0.00 to 3 am of the following day.
Other than the regional tickets, the “Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket” will enable you to travel all across Germany during weekends, starting at 40€. With this ticket, could basically travel from the very south to the north of Germany. Of course the catch is, that you can only take regional trains, which means that your journey will take longer and you need to exchange trains.
Please check out Deutsche Bahn’sEnglish Website for more information on the regional tickets! 

Flixbus is another cheap way of getting around in between big cities. This bus service is similar to the Finnish Onnibus and very popular due to their cheap prices. Passengers are provided free WiFi, a reserved seat as well as the possibility to take along up to two pieces of luggage. You can also take your bike or other large items if you pay a small extra fee.

The busses depart from every bigger city in Germany like Aachen, Frankfurt, Garmisch, Karlsruhe, Munich, Nürnberg, Stuttgart or Würzburg. Most of the intercity bus services are provided about 3 times per day, depending on the size of the cities and the demand.

Flixbus also takes you to destinations outside of Germany. The transportation system is available to almost every capital city in the neighbor countries of Germany.  

If you chose these for your trip, you should book your ticket on time and also arrive at the bus stop on time!! However other than with Onnibus, you can only book your tickets about six weeks in advance.

When traveling from Landshut, you have to keep in mind, that Landshut is not included in their routes. The next departure is Munich or Regensburg!

Check out the English Flixbus webpage for more information and booking options!

In Landshut the public transportation system will be free of charge for you as long as you carry your student card with you. Bus number 3 takes you from the University to the city center “Altstadt” and even to the train station. 
The local bus operator in Landshut also provides a so called "Airport Line", which brings you to the airport in about 30 minutes. Students pay about 8€ for one-way. 

Unfortunately the bus company doesn't provide an English website. If you want to practice your German you can take a look at Stadtwerke Landshut's German webpage, which gives information about their network of routes as well as on the time tables 

However as Landshut is a small city, it is always easy to get around by bike! Especially in spring and summer, you will enjoy riding your bike along the river Isar. 

If you are planning trips to Munich or the surroundings, you should always check if local students can give you a ride for a small amount of money. Facebook-Groups, such as Campus Landshut Fahrgemeinschaften or Mitfahrgelegenheit LA-MUC should also help you to get to Munich.

I hope that you got a broad understanding of the German public transportation system! If you have any questions, annotations or if you spot any mistakes, feel free to leave us a comment! :)

Raisa :)