GETTING AROUND IN GERMANY

By Air

Internal services are operated by Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.com), Air Berlin (www.airberlin.com) and several other regional airlines. Frankfurt is the focal point of internal air services and all airports in the Federal Republic of Germany can be reached in an hour or less from here. There are numerous airports in the country which offer internal air services.

Helgoland, Sylt and some other Friesian Islands are served by seasonal services operated by regional airlines or air taxi services. Connections by air operate daily between Berlin, Bremen, Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart and Westerland/Sylt (summer only). The majority of western airports offer daily flights to Leipzig and several flights a week to Dresden.

By Sea/ River/ Lakes

Regular scheduled boat services operate on most rivers, lakes and coastal waters, including the Danube, Main, Moselle, Neckar, Rhine and the Weser, and also on Ammer See, Chiemsee, Königssee and Lake Constance. Ferry services are operated on Kiel Fjord and from Cuxhaven to Helgoland and to the East and North Friesian Islands as well as to Scandinavian destinations. Besides these scheduled services, special excursions are available on all navigable waters.

The KD German Rhine Line (www.k-d.de) covers the Rhine and Moselle rivers, and has comfortable ships which operate daily from April to late October. In conjunction with the ‘White Fleet’ Dresden, the KD also organises cabin cruises on the Elbe between Dresden and Hamburg. Further routes include the rivers Saale and Elbe, several lakes and the Mecklenburger Lake District. Lake Constance is served by regular steamers, pleasure boats and car ferries between the German, Swiss and Austrian shores. The Lake Constance Adventure Passes give free travel on many rides, throughout the Lake Constance area, as well as discounted and free admission to attractions. This includes scheduled ferry services offered by the German, Swiss and Austrian railways as well as some bus, local train and mountain railway routes. The pass is valid for either seven or 14 days. Children up to six years of age travel free.

In addition to the pass, there is a Family Ticket which is available free of charge and allows children between six and 16 years of age free travel; unmarried young persons between 16 and 26 years of age pay half price. In both cases they have to be accompanied by a parent.

By Rail

Germany has an extensive rail network that covers almost every part of the country. The trains are reliable, safe and comfortable. Long-distance trains are meticulously coordinated with local services, offering excellent connections. A nationwide rail network enables visitors to reach even the smaller historical towns and the holiday regions with ease. InterCity (IC) and InterCity Express (ICE) trains run every hour, connecting more than 50 German towns. The high-speed ICE trains reach speeds of up to 300km/h.