Intercity buses in Germany
Photo: Laura Hoffmann, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
While most European countries have had a system of long distance buses for a long time, intercity bus travel was virtually nonexistent in Germany until 2012. Things have changed rapidly since then and intercity buses are now a relatively cheap way to get to a wide range of German and a handful of international destinations.
UnderstandLong distance bus services which competed with the railways were prohibited in Germany from 1934 until the market was liberalised in 2013.
PricesLike long distance trains and most flights in Germany, prices for buses are cheapest when booked well in advance online.
CompaniesThe market has seen many rapid changes with liberalization which first affected the domestic market but later forced some of the older international companies to withdraw from the market.
StationsMost buses don't operate from dedicated stations. Instead, they typically stop near central (train) stations. Some cities have a central bus station ZOB (Zentraler Omnibus Bahnhof), often centrally located.
See alsoIntercity buses in France - modelled after the German system and some players are or have been active in both markets.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Intercity buses in Germany" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Laura Hoffmann, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons