Getting Around Dortmund
Dortmund is the largest city in the Ruhr and the administrative, commercial and cultural centre of the eastern Ruhr, sitting in the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region. For a city of its size, the centre is compact and easy to navigate on foot, and the public transport network is dense enough that you rarely need a car. The city is an important transport junction for the surrounding Ruhr area, with both a central station and its own airport.
Public Transport: The VRR Network
Dortmund belongs to the VRR (Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr), a regional cooperation of local and regional transport operators. The practical benefit for a visitor is that a single ticket lets you make seamless transfers across cities and between transport modes, so you can mix trams, buses and regional trains without buying separate fares.
The backbone of the system is the Stadtbahn, a network of fast metro-style trams that run through the city centre in underground tunnels. These tunnels form a triangle beneath the centre, crossing at the Kampstraße, Reinoldikirche and Stadtgarten stations, and Dortmund Central Station (Hauptbahnhof) also has its own underground stop. Because the lines converge on these central hubs, it is easy to change between services downtown.
Beyond the Stadtbahn, the network includes:
- Local buses that run through the suburbs and connect to Stadtbahn stops, generally operating from early morning until late evening at frequencies ranging from every 10 to 60 minutes, with most routes at least half-hourly.
- Night buses (NachtExpress) that run very early on Saturday and Sunday to bring party-goers home, with timed transfers at the Reinoldikirche stop in the city centre, at standard VRR fares.
- S-Bahn commuter trains and regional trains, which cover Dortmund and the surrounding region and can be used much like a subway, all under VRR fares.
- The H-Bahn, an automatic hanging monorail at the university that links the campus with Dortmund-Universität station and the suburb of Eichlinghofen, where you can transfer to buses. Note that some stations are only served on weekdays, others Monday to Saturday, with no service on Sundays and public holidays.
Buying Tickets and Passes
Tickets can be bought from machines at train and Stadtbahn stations, on apps, at some selected kiosks, and directly from bus drivers.
The VRR fare system is somewhat complicated, but the basics are manageable. Fares are divided into levels A, B and C: a trip within one city requires a level A ticket, trips to neighbouring cities require level B, and level C covers the entire VRR area. Day tickets and month tickets use the same A–C level system. Multi-ride passes often need to be stamped, and there is a penalty if you get it wrong. You can also use the Eezy NRW app, which calculates your fare based on the distance travelled.
All buses and trains can be used with VRR tickets except long-distance high-speed trains and the airport express bus. It is also worth knowing that football or concert tickets often include a VRR-wide ticket, so check before buying separate transport.
Validation is essential. All tickets must be validated before departure. For Regionalbahn and Regionalexpress trains, look for the orange machine before you go up the stairs to the platform and stamp your ticket there. Stadtbahn and tram tickets must be validated on the actual trains, although you will also find stamp boxes at the entrance to the platform. Failure to stamp a ticket ("entwerten") can result in an on-the-spot fine or being taken to a police station, where identification such as your passport may be requested for later prosecution. Not being German, not understanding the language or the system, or having bought a ticket will not be accepted as excuses: if it is not stamped, it is not valid.
Accessibility
Accessibility on the network is good. Most Stadtbahn stops have level platforms, though some still require boarding from street level. Underground and elevated stations have lifts and escalators. All buses are low-floor with ramps at the second door, and stops are shown and announced on board.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are available, and drivers operate on the meter. If a driver does not use the meter, get a different taxi. Ride-hailing is well covered in Dortmund: Uber, Free Now and Sixt Ride all operate in the city.
E-Scooters
Shared e-scooters are another option for short trips around the city, with Bolt, Voi, Tier and Lime all operating in Dortmund.
Walking
Getting around Dortmund on foot is easy. The centre is not that big for a city of half a million people, and it is entirely feasible to walk between both ends of the centre. For longer stays, note that nearly half the municipal territory consists of waterways, woodland, agriculture and green spaces, with spacious parks such as Westfalenpark and Rombergpark — pleasant areas to explore, though you will likely want public transport to reach them.
Getting In from the Airport
Dortmund Airport (DTM) is served by several low-cost airlines and mainly handles national and European destinations, with a noticeably heavy focus on Eastern Europe. Unusually for a German airport, there is no direct train or tram connection to the airport. Instead, you have several options:
- Shuttle bus to Central Station: A non-stop shuttle bus departs from opposite Dortmund Hauptbahnhof (also signed as Dortmund Hbf or DO Hbf). The journey takes roughly half an hour. This service is not covered by a travelcard, so you pay separately, and children travel at a reduced rate while younger children go free.
- Bus 490 via Aplerbeck: The municipal 490 bus runs between the airport and Aplerbeck, where you can change to the Stadtbahn U47, which continues to the Hauptbahnhof via the two major Stadtbahn hubs, Stadtgarten and Kampstraße. The whole journey takes around three-quarters of an hour. VRR tickets and the Deutschlandticket are accepted here, and this service runs more frequently than the shuttle bus — every 20 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends and at late hours — though there is no service during the midnight-to-early-morning window.
- Via Holzwickede Station: A bus service runs regularly, roughly every 15 minutes between 05:00 and 23:00, taking about five minutes to reach the terminal building. If you are unencumbered by luggage, you can also walk it in about 20 minutes.
- By taxi: A taxi to the city centre costs around €25. As always, insist on the meter.
Düsseldorf Airport (DUS) is another option and may be the better choice, especially if you prefer major carriers. It is roughly a 45–60 minute drive from Dortmund, and direct train services also run between Dortmund Central Station and Düsseldorf Airport, operated by Deutsche Bahn. Düsseldorf Airport serves a variety of long-haul destinations in North America and Asia as well as short-haul services throughout Europe.
Arriving by Train or Long-Distance Bus
Dortmund Central Station (Hauptbahnhof) is a major stop for Deutsche Bahn and handles a wide range of train types, including S-Bahn, Regionalbahn and Regionalexpress services, as well as Flixtrain. Dortmund Hörde is the city's second-biggest station, a short Stadtbahn ride from the city centre, with trains running hourly except for the RB 59 (Hellweg-Bahn) service, which runs every 30 minutes on weekdays, plus additional peak-hour services on weekdays.
Long-distance buses arrive at Dortmund's bus station (ZOB), which sits right next to the train station and is served by operators including FlixBus, ALSA, Ecolines and others. Use the Nordstadt exit on the north side of the Hauptbahnhof to reach it.
Driving and Park + Ride
Dortmund is reachable by motorway and trunk road, but drivers heading into the city centre should be aware that it is an environment zone, similar to those found in many other large German cities. Cars are required to display a sticker declaring the car's pollution category.
If you want to avoid city traffic and the expense of a crowded underground garage, use the Park + Ride lots outside the city. Some of the largest are at Westfalenhallen and at the Hafen (Harbour) stops. They offer cheap parking rates and are a short Stadtbahn ride from the city centre.