Getting Around Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg is a planned city built around the Volkswagen works, and its layout shapes how visitors move through it. Perhaps surprisingly for a city built on and for the automobile, walking is often the best way to get around the centre, while buses and regional trains cover the suburbs and outlying districts.
Walking
For most sightseeing in the core of the city, walking is the best option. Wolfsburg's attractions and central amenities sit close to one another, and the downtown core is largely pedestrianized, so you can cover the main sights on foot without needing a vehicle. The Autostadt, the Phaeno Science Center, the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, the Ritz-Carlton hotel and the water show are all part of the same central complex, which makes strolling between them straightforward.
Rail
Wolfsburg's main line rail station is Wolfsburg Hauptbahnhof on Willy-Brandt-Platz. It has regular services to many destinations, including direct ICE service to and from Berlin — the route is quick enough that some people commute on it daily. For many other connections you will need to change trains in Brunswick and/or Hanover. Flixtrain also serves the city. If you arrive by car, there are large parking lots next to the station where you can leave your vehicle for several days.
Regular rail service also stops in Fallersleben — which is part of Wolfsburg but much older — and in several other places, so the train can double as a way of reaching outlying districts as well as other cities.
Trams and Metro
Wolfsburg has no light rail or tram network, and no metro. Visitors should not expect an urban rail system of that kind; the city's public transport on the ground is bus-based, supplemented by the main line railway described above.
Buses
Wolfsburg has a public bus system that will get you to most suburbs and outlying parts of town. It is the practical option for reaching areas beyond the walkable centre.
For longer-distance travel, Regiojet serves Wolfsburg, while Flixbus does not. Flixbus does, however, serve many surrounding cities, which in turn have public transit connections into Wolfsburg — a useful workaround if you are trying to reach the city by long-distance coach.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
As a general matter, taxis are available in German cities and can be booked by phone or picked up at ranks such as the main station, but visitors should treat the bus network and walking as their primary means of getting around the city.
Getting There from the Airport
Wolfsburg is served by Braunschweig Wolfsburg Airport, but that airport does not operate scheduled public passenger or cargo services — it is mostly used by Volkswagen — so it is not a practical arrival point for most visitors. The nearest passenger airport is Hannover Airport, located to the north-west of Wolfsburg. Hamburg Airport and Frankfurt Airport are also often options worth considering.
Because the local airport has no scheduled passenger flights, plan your journey into Wolfsburg around one of these larger airports, connecting onward by rail. Wolfsburg Hauptbahnhof has regular services to many destinations, though for many connections you will need to change trains in Brunswick and/or Hanover. Wolfsburg is also easily accessible by road: take junction 5 off the A39 and head towards Wolfsburg-Morse.
Practical Tips
- Base yourself centrally if you can — the downtown core is largely pedestrianized and the main attractions cluster together.
- Use the bus system for suburbs and outlying districts that are beyond walking range.
- Use the main line railway both for onward travel and for reaching parts of the city such as Fallersleben.
- If arriving by car, the large parking lots beside Wolfsburg Hauptbahnhof allow you to leave your car for several days.
- Expect to change trains in Brunswick and/or Hanover for many rail connections; direct ICE service to and from Berlin is available.
- Flying in? Plan around Hannover Airport (with Hamburg and Frankfurt as alternatives), since Braunschweig Wolfsburg Airport has no scheduled passenger service.