Getting Around Heidelberg
Heidelberg is a compact city set in the Neckar valley, and most of what a visitor wants to see sits within a walkable core. The old town, the river, and the castle are all close together, and the city's public transport network is small but effective, built around trams and buses. The two most important hubs are the main train station (Hauptbahnhof) and Bismarckplatz, and almost any journey you make will pass through one of them.
Trams and Buses
The city runs a network of trams and buses that covers the centre and the surrounding districts. Trams are the backbone, with buses filling in the gaps and serving areas the rails do not reach. Because the system is compact, you rarely need to change more than once to get where you are going.
- Key interchanges: the main station and Bismarckplatz are the two main nodal points where lines meet.
- From the station to the old town: buses #32 and #33 connect the main train station with the old city area.
- Tickets: a single trip costs €2.80 and a day ticket costs €6.70. Ticket machines at most tram and bus stops accept cash and cards, and have instructions in English as well as German.
- Planning: detailed maps, schedules and routes are available online.
The Mountain Railway
A mountain railway runs between four stations, including the castle, linking the old city at river level with the summit of the Königstuhl mountain, roughly 400 m above the city. It is the practical way to reach the castle and the viewpoints above town without a long climb.
The HeidelbergCARD, a tourist pass that includes public transportation, many museums, and the lower section of the mountain railway, can be bought at the tourist information centre outside the main station. Note that a separate fare is required for the upper section of the mountain railway.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are available, but the source material advises against using them for the trip from the main station into the centre, since they are far more expensive than the trams that cover the same route. For most visitor journeys within the city, public transport or walking will be the better value.
Walking
Heidelberg is a good city for walking. The historic old town and the castle sit in the narrow Neckar valley, while the newer districts spread out into the Rhine Plain to the west. The old town itself is compact and best explored on foot, and the city lies on the European walking route E1. The Philosophers' Walk on the opposite side of the river from the old town is a classic stroll, and winegrowing along it was restarted in 2000.
Arriving by Train
Heidelberg's main train station (Hauptbahnhof) sits in the western part of the city. From there you can take a tram to anywhere in the centre, such as Bismarckplatz.
- Direct connections: there are direct train lines from Heidelberg to Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Mannheim and Frankfurt, plus direct long-distance trains to Munich, Vienna, Hamburg and Cologne, usually running at least every two hours.
- For longer journeys: it is often useful to take the regional train to nearby Mannheim Hbf (about 15 minutes by S-Bahn), where there are frequent direct high-speed connections to all major German cities and to places such as Paris, Zurich and Amsterdam.
- Saving money: slow trains are much cheaper on a Saturday or Sunday, especially with the five-person group ticket "Länderticket Baden-Württemberg".
- Flixtrain: Flixtrain also serves the city, but DB tickets are not valid on Flixtrain and vice versa.
Getting In from the Airport
Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is the nearest intercontinental airport, and Stuttgart is an option for European flights. Both airports have train stations inside the terminal, and Frankfurt Airport is also a major ICE train stop.
- By train: you can travel to Heidelberg on the ICE, Germany's fastest train. Reservations are not necessary — just buy your ticket at the counter or machine after you land. Credit cards are accepted and most staff speak English. You may need to change trains once at Mannheim, Stuttgart or Frankfurt Central Station, but this is still likely to be faster than the bus.
- Lufthansa shuttle bus: Lufthansa runs a shuttle bus from Frankfurt to Heidelberg taking about one hour. If you hold a Lufthansa ticket you get a discount, and students pay a reduced fare.
- Minor airports: Frankfurt-Hahn is a hub for Ryanair, but the Hahn Express bus is no longer operational. The best route from Hahn to Heidelberg, Mannheim, Ludwigshafen and Alzey is now by bus to Mainz or Frankfurt Airport and then onward by train. There is no train to Hahn, though DB operates a bus from Frankfurt main station to Hahn. Baden-Baden also has an airport, mainly handling domestic flights.
Arriving by Car
The A5 motorway connects Heidelberg directly to Frankfurt and Karlsruhe, and the city is easy to reach by road from any direction.