Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [690]
Transport
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CONTENTS
GETTING THERE & AWAY
ENTERING THE COUNTRY
Passport
AIR
Airports
Airlines
Tickets
Australia & New Zealand
Canada
Continental Europe
UK & Ireland
USA
LAND
Border Crossings
Bus
Car & Motorcycle
Hitching
Train
LAKE
SEA
Denmark
Finland
Latvia
Lithuania
Norway
Sweden
UK
GETTING AROUND
AIR
BICYCLE
Hire & Purchase
Transport
BOAT
BUS
Local & Regional
Long Distance
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
Automobile Associations
Driving Licence
Fuel & Spare Parts
Hire
Insurance
Road Rules
HITCHING & RIDE-SHARE
LOCAL TRANSPORT
Bicycle
Bus & Tram
S-Bahn
Taxi
U-Bahn
TRAIN
Deutsche Bahn
Classes
Costs
Reservations
Train Passes
Non-DB Trains
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GETTING THERE & AWAY
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ENTERING THE COUNTRY
Entering Germany is usually a very straightforward procedure. If you’re arriving in Germany from any of the 25 Schengen countries, such as the Netherlands or Austria, you no longer have to show your passport or go through customs in Germany, no matter which nationality you are. For a list of Schengen countries, as well as an overview of visa requirements, Click here.
Passport
Passports must be valid for at least six months after the end of your trip. Citizens of most Western countries can enter Germany without a visa; other nationals may need a Schengen Visa; Click here for details.
AIR
Airports
Frankfurt International Airport (FRA; 01805-372 4636; www.frankfurt-airport.de) is the main gateway for transcontinental flights, although Düsseldorf (DUS; 0211-4210; www.duesseldorf-international.de) and Munich (MUC; 089-975 00; www.munich-airport.de) also receive their share of overseas air traffic. Berlin has two international airports, Tegel (TXL; 0180-500 0186; www.berlin-airport.de) and Schönefeld (SXF; 0180-500 0186; www.berlin-airport.de). There are also sizeable airports in Hamburg (HAM; 040-507 50; www.flughafen-hamburg.de), Cologne/Bonn (CGN; 02203-404 001; www.airport-cgn.de) and Stuttgart (STR; 01805-948 444; www.stuttgart-airport.com), and smaller ones in such cities as Bremen, Dresden, Erfurt, Hanover, Leipzig, Münster-Osnabrück and Nuremberg.
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THINGS CHANGE…
The information in this chapter is particularly vulnerable to change. Check directly with the airline or a travel agent to make sure you understand how a fare (and ticket you may buy) works and be aware of the security requirements for international travel. Shop carefully. The details given in this chapter should be regarded as pointers and are not a substitute for your own careful, up-to-date research.
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Some of the budget airlines – Ryanair in particular – keep their fares low by flying to remote airports, which are often recycled military airstrips. The biggest of these is Frankfurt-Hahn (HHN; 06543-509 200; www.hahn-airport.de), which is actually near the Moselle River, about 110km northwest of Frankfurt proper.
For details about individual German airports, including information about getting to and from them, see the destination chapters.
Airlines
The main airline serving Germany is the national flagship carrier and Star Alliance member Lufthansa (LH; 01805-838 426; www.lufthansa.de), which operates a vast network of domestic and international flights and has one of the world’s best safety records. Of the many other national and discount carriers also serving Germany, the main ones are listed here along with their telephone numbers in Germany for reservations, flight changes and information. For contact information in your home country, see the airlines’ websites.
NATIONAL CARRIERS
Aeroflot (SU; 0180-375 5555; www.aeroflot.com)
Air Canada (AC; 069-2711 5111; www.aircanada.ca)
Air France (AF; 01805-830 830; www.airfrance.com)
Air India (AI; in the UK 0208-560 9996; www.airindia.com)
Air Lingus (EI; 01805-133 209; www.airlingus.com)
Air New Zealand (NZ; 0800-181 7778; www.airnz.co.nz)
Alitalia (AZ; 01805-074 747; www.alitalia.com)
American Airlines (AA; 069-5098 5070; www.aa.com)
British Airways (BA;