Getting Around

Guten Tag!

I am back at this blog. I apologize for my absence, but I've been so caught up with the semester that writing was the last thing on my mind.

So, when we left off...in January... I wrote that I would focus more on Mannheim. And focus I shall.

Before you even make and find good friends in Mannheim, your friends will be the public transportation here. Many of the students that flew to Germany landed at Frankfurt am Main Airport. And to get from there to Mannheim efficiently is by train. Now, Germany has three different kinds of trains: the Inter-City Express (ICE), the Inter-City (IC), and the Regional trains (RB, RE, S-Bahn). One can take an ICE directly from Frankfurt Airport to Mannheim Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) for a relatively cheap price (I believe I paid around €25). Then you end up at this bad boy:

This is the main train station. In Mannheim, all roads lead to the Hauptbahnhof. It's a very central structure of the city and an important reference point. Of course, its main function is as the train station, from which you can go to the other side of Germany or just a few towns over (or even to nearby countries). Outside of the Hbf is one of the larger tram and bus stops. There are three platforms, each one with a few trams leading to different parts of the city.

Before going to Mannheim for any reason, I would recommend downloading the mobile app VRN, which is the company that runs the public transportation in Mannheim and many other cities in the surrounding area. It lets you know which bus or tram travel on the route you are located on. Also, it informs you how late any of them are (they aren't as punctual as they're made out to be).

The best way to get around the city, especially further outside the Quadrate, is by tram. The trams get around quite fast, unless it is rush hour and everyone tries to cram into the trams. Also, if you need to get to places in the Quadrate, then chances are multiple tram lines are heading that way and there is no need for being picky. Another great thing about the trams is that they run every 10 minutes until 19:00 (that's 7:00 pm for some of you!) and after that every 20 minutes. On weekends they tend to be lifesavers because after 1:00 they run every 55 minutes, so you can save some money instead of taking a taxi. However, I have personally been stranded on a Thursday because trams don't run after 1:00 on week days. At that point you have to decide if you're willing to pay for a taxi or if you can bully through a walk. Although, if you live close to the Quadrate it's a no-brainer (a walk). Plus, if you're from the US, you most likely never ride a tram so actually getting around a different way is pretty cool!

                                                                    Trams!

Finally, there are the buses. You're bound to have a love-hate relationship with them. In my case, the bus is the most convenient way to get to the Quadrate and university from where I live (Ulmenweg, a student housing area) because it's only a four minute walk compared to the ten minute walk to the closest tram stop. **A new tram line and stop is currently under construction right outside of Ulmenweg and will start functioning around July, so soon there will be an alternative form of transportation for those coming next semester.** I much prefer getting dropped off very close. However, the buses can be quite a headache. Almost always they're a few minutes late (good for those that are last second kind of people), but there was one time when I had to wait 20 minutes for one and just last week one decided to never show up at the listed time. The buses come to the stops every 20 minutes, and after 19:00 they run every 30 minutes. And on weekends and holidays the buses follow the every 30 minute schedule. So if you miss the bus, you're looking at a long wait, especially if there are no trams nearby.

Now, all these goodies don't come free of charge. Train prices are determined by Deutsche Bahn, so it usually depends on the distance you are traveling. Deutsche Bahn does offer a BahnCard 25 or 50. The BC 25 is €25 for 4 months or €40 for the whole year, and you get 25% off the value of the ticket as well as discounted prices. The BC 50 most likely costs more and it takes 50% off of the original price of the ticket. I highly recommend investing in at least the BC 25 considering any trips to bigger cities will require the use of a train. DB also has regional day pass tickets. These are really useful if you have a group of friends that want to go visit someplace. The ticket is €29 plus an additional €5 for every other person (up to 5 people in a group) and the group can use any Regional trains of the designated state. The ticket can also be used for any buses and trams in that state as well.

As for the buses and trams in Mannheim, a standard one-time ticket for an adult is €2.40. Considering one will probably be using them many times a week, the amount you pay will accumulate. VRN offers students a semester ticket that costs €145. If a student is studying for the whole year, he or she can get one semester free of charge. In my opinion, it's a good investment. Not only do you not have to worry about buying tickets for trams and buses, you can also use the regional trains to travel a 70+ kilometer radius free of charge and use the buses and trams in the designated area.


On a final note: Try not to ride black (Schwarzfahren)! Meaning riding the public transportation without purchasing a ticket. If you get caught, you face a mini-interrogation session from the checkers and you have to pay a €40 fee. Better safe than sorry.

Auf Wiederhören!