Sustainable travel in Germany

If you travel by bike, you're doing something good for yourself and the environment, experiencing your holiday region more intimately than by car and more uniquely than by train. Around 100,000 kilometres of cycle paths criss-cross the country, with around 600 themed routes to suit every taste.

If you want to create your own tour, take advantage of the German Cycling Network. Several states have joined forces, enabling you to plan your next tour on well-signposted premium routes throughout Germany using the Bicycle Route Planner.

More on the Bicycle Route Planner: www.radroutenplaner-deutschland.de/en

Another tip: getting your bike from the end of your tour back to the start is not a problem within Germany. In general, you can take a bike or e-bike with you on the train on almost all routes. Some long-distance buses also offer options for transporting bikes. However, space is limited everywhere, so please do your research beforehand.

A rail network roughly 40,000 kilometres long with around 5,700 train stations connects cities and regions in Germany, making travel in the country very convenient and affordable: the reduction in VAT for train tickets in 2020 reduced ticket prices by around 10% on average. The main rail travel provider is Deutsche Bahn, but there are also trains from other private and public providers.

Many stations are already barrier-free and around 1,550 of them are even completely step-free, according to Deutsche Bahn. In addition, some German train stations also have inductive hearing systems and tactile guidance systems and provide boarding, changing and alighting assistance on request.

Another cost-effective and sustainable alternative to travelling by car is long-distance bus travel, which many providers offer. Buses connect German cities and facilitate travel from Germany to other European countries.

The public transport network in Germany is well developed and inexpensive. Within the cities, underground and suburban rail networks ensure short travel times. Buses and trams are nicer and more relaxed options for discovering your holiday destination. Depending on the route, your journey from A to B can also become a scenic tour of the city.

This is particularly useful in cities and regions that offer overnight guests free or discounted tickets for regional public transport with a GuestCard, which visitors receive upon arrival at their accommodation.

In addition, the Deutschlandticket lets you travel throughout Germany for just €49 a month and use public transport in almost all German cities. The ticket is offered as a monthly subscription and can also be purchased by citizens of European member states and some other countries.

More on the Deutschlandticket: deutschlandticket.de

The number of electric cars on Germany's roads has increased sharply in recent years and they are also becoming increasingly popular as hire cars. Many car rental companies have electric or hybrid cars on offer.

The charging network is growing as well: there are currently more than 60,000 charging facilities in Germany with around 120,000 individual charging points. You can find an up-to-date map with the public charging points for electric cars in Germany here: www.bundesnetzagentur.de/en