Getting Around Duisburg: A Visitor's Guide
Duisburg sits at the heart of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region, and its transport network reflects that position: local trams and buses, regional trains, and long-distance rail all converge on the city. For most visitors, public transport plus a fair amount of walking will cover nearly everything, with taxis and rental cars as useful backups.
Public Transport: Trams, Buses and the S-Bahn
Local public transport in Duisburg is run by Duisburger Verkehrsgesellschaft AG (DVG), which operates a network of trams and bus lines. The network is integrated into the wider Rhine-Ruhr (VRR) system, so the same tickets cover trams, buses and regional trains within the relevant fare zones.
The tram network is compact and useful for visitors. All three tram lines pass through the city centre underground, sharing two of the four underground stations there — Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) and König-Heinrich-Platz — which makes changing between them straightforward. In broad terms:
- Tram 901 runs from Mülheim through Duisburg Zoo and the Hauptbahnhof, then on through the city centre towards Ruhrort and the northern districts of Marxloh and Obermarxloh.
- Tram 903 links Dinslaken and Hamborn in the north with Meiderich, Duissern, the Hauptbahnhof and the city centre, continuing south through Hochfeld and Wanheim towards Hüttenheim.
- Tram U79 is the long-distance line connecting Duisburg with Düsseldorf, running via Meiderich, Duissern, the Hauptbahnhof and the city centre before heading south towards Düsseldorf. It is a slower alternative to the mainline trains between the two cities.
Buses fill in the rest of the city, and some lines extend into neighbouring towns. The bus hub sits in the underpass on the north side of the Hauptbahnhof, so arriving by train and continuing by bus is easy. All buses are low-floor and accessible.
Regional rail adds another layer. S-Bahn line S1 of the Rhein-Ruhr network serves several stations in Duisburg, including the central station. The Rheinhausen district is served by regional services, and the small RB36 branch line shuttles between Oberhausen and Duisburg-Ruhrort station, where it connects with tram 901.
Accessibility Notes
Accessibility on the tram network is uneven. Older trams with steps have largely been phased out on routes 901 and 903, though a few may still appear. Many stops lack raised platforms, so boarding happens from street level and wheelchair users may need to rely on fold-out ramps. The U79 is the exception, offering level boarding at nearly all of its stops. Buses, by contrast, are fully accessible.
Buying Tickets
Tickets can be purchased in several ways: through mobile apps, from ticket machines, at the customer service centre, or directly from bus drivers — though drivers sell only single rides and the bike supplement, so don't count on them for day passes or multi-ride tickets. Because Duisburg is part of the VRR fare network, tickets are valid across the region's trams, buses and local trains within the zones you've paid for.
Arriving by Train
Duisburg Hauptbahnhof is the main junction for regional, nationwide and international rail services, and it's the natural arrival point for most visitors. Deutsche Bahn runs frequent high-speed ICE services from major German cities including Berlin, Hanover, Munich and Frankfurt, as well as international connections from Amsterdam. Intercity trains arrive from Hamburg and Bremen, and the Eurostar from Paris and Brussels stops here a few times a day. Flixtrain also serves the city.
For shorter hops around the region, local trains run frequently: Essen, Düsseldorf and Dortmund are all a short ride away on the VRR network. If you're arriving by long-distance coach, Flixbus serves Duisburg; buses are generally comfortable and often cheaper than trains, though slower.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
A taxi rank sits on the left side of the city-side exit of the Hauptbahnhof. Fares follow the usual German pattern of a base fare plus a per-kilometre charge, and they add up quickly — expect a taxi from the station to Düsseldorf Airport or Essen city centre to be a substantial expense, and even a trip to the Duisburg-Marxloh district to be noticeably more than a tram ticket. For most journeys within the city, public transport is the far more economical choice; taxis make sense mainly for late nights, heavy luggage, or destinations poorly served by tram and bus.
Walking and Driving
The city centre is compact and pedestrian-friendly, particularly around the Hauptbahnhof and König-Heinrich-Platz, where the trams run underground and the streets above are given over to walking and shopping. Many central sights are within easy walking distance of one another, and walking between tram stops is often quicker than waiting for a connection.
Driving is an option, but comes with caveats. Most of Duisburg lies inside an environmental protection zone (Umweltzone), and driving within it requires a green emissions sticker. Rental cars come with one, and the vast majority of foreign-registered cars are eligible to obtain one — check with your local automobile association for details. Roads are wide and the Autobahn network is dense, so driving off-peak is easy, but congestion during commuting hours is common. Multi-storey and underground car parks are available, with electronic signs on major roads showing current free spaces. Short-term drop-off is possible at the taxi rank at the central station.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Duisburg itself has no commercial airport, but several regional airports serve it well.
- Düsseldorf Airport (DUS) is the most convenient option, lying south of Duisburg. From the terminal, take the SkyTrain people mover to the airport's long-distance train station and board any regional train heading north — Duisburg Hauptbahnhof is the immediate next stop, reached in under ten minutes. Alternatively, the S1 S-Bahn makes several stops along the way and takes around twenty minutes. The journey falls within the VRR's B-level fare, so ordinary local tickets cover it.
- Frankfurt Airport (FRA) offers the widest range of short-haul and intercontinental flights. Direct high-speed trains run frequently during the day from the airport to Duisburg Hauptbahnhof, taking roughly an hour and a half. Booking in advance with Deutsche Bahn can bring the price down considerably, and passengers on many airlines serving Frankfurt can use the Rail&Fly offer.
- Dortmund Airport (DTM) lies to the east and has regular service from several European airlines. To reach Duisburg, take the Airport Express bus to Dortmund Hauptbahnhof and change to a Duisburg-bound train. Trains between the two cities run multiple times an hour, including high-speed ICE and regional RE services.
- Niederrhein Airport Weeze (NRN), northwest of Duisburg near the Dutch border, is served by Ryanair from some European destinations. There is no direct train connection, so the practical option is to book a minibus airport transfer. A bus does run between the airport and Weeze station, from which you can continue by train.
Whichever airport you choose, the pattern is the same: get to a rail station, then let the dense regional network do the rest. Duisburg Hauptbahnhof is the hub everything funnels into, and from there the trams, buses and S-Bahn will take you wherever you need to go in the city.