Getting Around Nuremberg
Nuremberg is a compact, walkable city with a dense and well-integrated public transport network. Visitors can comfortably rely on a combination of walking in the historic core and trams, U-Bahn (metro), S-Bahn (suburban rail) and buses for everything else. The city sits at the heart of the VGN, an integrated transport network that stretches across the wider region, so a single ticket generally covers you across modes and operators.
Walking the Old Town
The Old Town, with its medieval heritage, castle and city walls, is the natural place to explore on foot. The main railway station sits just outside the city walls at the southeast corner of the Old Town, so you can step off a train and be walking the historic streets within minutes. Note that the area around the station involves a busy road junction; an underpass beneath it lets you cross safely on foot.
U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Trams and Buses
Nuremberg's public transport is a unified system of U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams, buses and regional trains. Because it is part of the VGN integrated network, tickets are valid across virtually all of these services and allow transfers between them. The important exception is long-distance IC and ICE trains, which are not covered by ordinary local tickets.
- U-Bahn (metro): Fast and frequent, and the backbone of city travel. The U-Bahn connects the main station with the airport and other key points around the city.
- S-Bahn and regional trains: Useful for reaching surrounding towns and the wider region, and covered by the same VGN tickets.
- Trams: Serve the city and connect with bus hubs on the outskirts, including at am Wegfeld, where you can change between trams and buses.
- Buses: Local buses link the city with surrounding towns and suburbs such as Stein bei Nürnberg and Erlangen, and in some cases are a better option than the S-Bahn for a given trip.
Tickets and Passes
Because the VGN is an integrated network, you buy a ticket for the zone or journey rather than for a specific operator, and it covers transfers across buses, trams, U-Bahn, S-Bahn and regional trains. Discount fares such as day tickets, group tickets and advance "Sparpreis" fares make regional travel good value. Single short trips within and around the city are comparatively more expensive, so if you plan to make several journeys, a day ticket or similar pass is usually the better deal.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are available in the city, and the airport advises arranging some form of transport if you arrive on a late flight, since most public transport does not run overnight. The source material notes only limited bus service on some nights leading into non-working days, so late arrivals should plan ahead rather than assume a train or tram will be running.
Arriving from Nuremberg Airport
Nuremberg's Albrecht Dürer Airport is comparatively close to the city centre and is well connected within Germany and to parts of the rest of the EU. The U2 underground line links the airport directly with the central train station.
- Watch the destination sign: When heading toward the airport, make sure you board a U2 train marked "Flughafen/Airport". Many U2 trains terminate earlier, usually at Ziegelstein, so not every U2 will take you all the way.
- Frequency: Airport-bound U2 trains run regularly throughout the subway's operating hours.
- Late arrivals: The airport has no night-flight limit, but most public transport does not run at night, so a late flight may mean waiting at the airport or arranging a taxi or other transport.
For intercontinental trips, it is often faster to fly into Frankfurt Airport and take the train to Nuremberg; this can also work out cheaper and quicker even when a connecting flight to Nuremberg is available. From Frankfurt Airport, a high-speed ICE train runs directly to Nuremberg. From Munich Airport, the usual route is the S-Bahn to Munich central station and then a regional train onward, though there are also some direct buses and rail-and-fly options that include the ICE.
Arriving by Train, Bus or Car
Nuremberg's main station, Nürnberg Hbf, sits just outside the city walls at the southeast corner of the Old Town and is served by the U-Bahn and trams. The city has excellent rail connections, including ICE service to Munich, Leipzig, Frankfurt and Berlin, and a DB-operated bus to Prague that is faster and cheaper than the train. ÖBB Nightjet sleepers serve Brussels, Vienna and Innsbruck.
Long-distance buses, mostly Flixbus, arrive at the ZOB (central bus station) on the southeast corner of the old city walls, directly opposite the main railway station. Buses run around the clock to a range of domestic and international destinations.
By car, Nuremberg is well connected to the Autobahn network, but the main drawbacks are traffic congestion, parking and the risk of theft or damage while parked. For day trips, signposted Park & Ride facilities are available from the main approach roads; for longer stays there are parking garages, while street parking is in very short supply and most spaces are resident-only.