Trains, buses and tickets
Buy a ticket, read the departure board, ask when the next train leaves and from which platform, and understand what the Deutschlandticket covers.
Out and about · Start from zero · 20 min · 20 exercises · Start from zero, Living in Germany, Goethe A1
Germany moves by train, tram and bus. Even in a small town you will take a Bus to school, an S-Bahn into the city or a Zug to visit friends. This lesson gives you the words on the signs, the one question you need at the counter (Wann fährt der nächste Zug nach ...?) and the ticket rules that save you a 60 euro fine.
Getting around
- der Zugdie Zügetrainthe fast ICE and the regional RE are both Züge
- die S-Bahndie S-Bahnencommuter train (city and suburbs)green S sign, mostly above ground
- die U-Bahndie U-Bahnensubwayblue U sign, mostly underground
- die Straßenbahndie Straßenbahnentram, streetcaralso called die Tram in the south
- der Busdie Bussebusshort u: Bus, Busse
- das Fahrraddie Fahrräderbicycleshort form: das Rad
- der Hauptbahnhofdie Hauptbahnhöfemain train station
- Hbfthe abbreviation of Hauptbahnhof on every sign
- das Gleisdie Gleiseplatform, trackGleis 7 = platform 7
- die Haltestelledie Haltestellenbus or tram stopsign with a green H
- die Fahrkartedie Fahrkartenticketthe official word
- das Ticketdie Ticketsticketthe everyday word, same as in English
Inside the platform every word is read aloud by a German voice.
At the ticket counter
Amir buys a ticket to Hamburg at Hannover Hauptbahnhof.
Asking about your train
To ask about a train, start with Wann (when) and name the city after nach: Wann fährt der nächste Zug nach Hamburg? The answer gives the time after um and the platform after von Gleis: Um 10:15 Uhr, von Gleis 7. Two more questions do the rest of the work: Muss ich umsteigen? (Do I have to change?) and Was kostet die Fahrkarte? Use nach before a city or a country, never zu.
Reading the departure board
| On the board | English | You see or hear |
|---|---|---|
| Abfahrt | departure | Abfahrt 10:15, Gleis 7 |
| Ankunft | arrival | Ankunft 11:50 |
| Gleis | platform, track | Gleis 7 |
| Richtung | direction, toward | Richtung Hamburg Hbf |
| Verspätung | delay | ca. 10 Minuten Verspätung |
| pünktlich | on time | Der Zug ist pünktlich. |
| fällt aus | is canceled | Der Zug fällt heute aus. |
| umsteigen | to change trains | In Hannover umsteigen. |
Tickets and rules
- die Abfahrtdie Abfahrtendeparture
- die Ankunftdie Ankünftearrival
- die Verspätungdie VerspätungendelayDer Zug hat Verspätung = the train is late
- umsteigento change trains or busesIch muss in Köln umsteigen.
- einfachone way (ticket)literally: simple
- hin und zurückround tripliterally: there and back
- der Fahrkartenautomatdie Fahrkartenautomatenticket machine
- der Fahrplandie Fahrplänetimetable
- entwertento validate (stamp) a paper ticketonly where a sign at the machine says so
- das Deutschlandticketmonthly pass for all local transport in Germany
- der DB Navigatorthe app of Deutsche Bahntimetables, delays, platforms, tickets
- die Fahrradstraßedie Fahrradstraßenbicycle streetbikes first, cars slow and only as guests
Inside the platform every word is read aloud by a German voice.
The Deutschlandticket
The Deutschlandticket is a monthly subscription that lets you ride every bus, tram, U-Bahn, S-Bahn and regional train (RE, RB) in all of Germany. It costs around 60 euros a month, and the price can change from year to year. It is not valid on long-distance trains (ICE, IC, EC). You buy it as a subscription in an app or online, it lives on your phone, and you can cancel it every month. Many universities offer students a cheaper version of it.
Tickets, fines and the app
Riding without a valid ticket is called Schwarzfahren and costs a fine of 60 euros (erhöhtes Beförderungsentgelt) when an inspector (der Kontrolleur) checks. In some cities a paper ticket from the Fahrkartenautomat must be stamped in a small box before you board: entwerten. A sign at the machine tells you. Tickets in the DB Navigator app are valid right away, and the app also shows platforms, delays and connections. On a Fahrradstraße, bikes have priority and cars may drive at most 30 km/h.
In a station, the yellow poster lists the departures (Abfahrt) and the white poster the arrivals (Ankunft). On the train, the announcement Nächster Halt: Köln Hbf tells you the next stop, so you know when to get ready. If the board says Gleis 7 but the announcement names another platform, trust the announcement: platforms change.
Nach goes with cities and countries (nach Berlin), but places in town take zum or zur: zum Bahnhof, zur Haltestelle. Do not say zu Berlin. Also, einfach means one way at the counter, even though it means simple everywhere else, and das Gleis is the platform, not glass (das Glas).
The exercises of this lesson
20 corrected exercises in two sessions (discovery, practice), including listening items read aloud by a German voice: multiple choice (4), fill in the gap (5), matching (3), sorting (2), word order (1), translation (3), find the mistake (1), gap text (1). Every answer is corrected immediately, with the rule that applies.