German bus companies

Hi, can anyone tell me about bus companies that run from Berlin to Cologne, and/or from Germany to neighbor countries? I fell they can be cheaper than the train. Thanks a lot

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There are some buses from Deutsche Touring:

www.touring.de

They are only marginally cheaper than train, MUCH slower and contrary to the train schedule you can be glad if there is a bus at all on a given day. Long-distance buses are not a common means of travel in Germany.

If you want to save money think about German railpass or try to book the trip in advance - you can save up to 50%.

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www.eurolines.de (= Deutsche Touring)

www.berlinlinienbus.de

But there are no buses between Berlin and Cologne.

You may check with budget airlines.

Or travel on a Saturday or Sunday with local trains for EUR 30,00 (Happy-Weekend-Ticket).

For more than 1 trip the Euro Domino Pass is a good offer.

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Thanks a lot for your help, it´s very useful.

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I finally decided i`ll go to Berlin and Hamburg, you helped me a lot.

Considering that I`m gonna travel in 10 days, which is the cheapest way to get from Berlin to Hamburg? and also from Berlin to Postdam? and from Hamburg to Lubeck, Luneberg and Wismar?

I know about http://www.berlinlinienbus.de/, but are there any other bus companies?

Do I need to buy my ticket in advance?

Thanks again

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%26gt; Considering that I`m gonna travel in 10 days, which is the cheapest way to get from Berlin to Hamburg?

You have two comparable cheap possibilities - the BerlinLinienBus (There is no other bus company, actually BLB is an exception in Germany in that there is a regular bus service between big cities at all), or if you travel on the weekend you can buy a Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket which gives you the possibilitiy to take all local trains in Germany (IRE, RE, RB, S trains) on a Saturday or Sunday. Up to 5 persons can use one SW-ticket without additional pay. You can buy it when you go.

%26gt; and also from Berlin to Postdam?

Potsdam is practically a suburb of Berlin (although Potsdamers don%26#39;t like to hear it), a train ticket there from Berlin costs 3 Euro and something.

%26gt; and from Hamburg to Lubeck, Luneberg and Wismar?

No other way than local trains.

What is your issue with train travel?

%26gt; I know about http://www.berlinlinienbus.de/, but are there any other bus companies?

No.

%26gt; Do I need to buy my ticket in advance

Probably yes (at least a couple of days) if you want to take the bus. Look up at the BLB%26#39;s site.

Long-distance buses are NOT the usual method to travel within Germany.

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%26gt; Berlin to Hamburg?

www.berlinlinienbus.de/buchung/pdfs/hh.pdf

This is anyway the only existing city connection by bus in Germany with frequent connections.

BerlinLinienBus is not really a bus company. It%26#39;s a cooperation by a number of bus companies.

These bus connections are even shown in the DB timetable if you select %26quot;only local transport%26quot; for Berlin to Hamburg.

%26gt; and also from Berlin to Postdam?

day ticket for Berlin (zones AB) is EUR 5,80

day ticket for Berlin+Potsdam (zones ABC) is EUR 6,00

If you buy a Berlin Welcome Card public transport to Potsdam is already included

berlin-tourist-information.de/english/e_welc…

%26gt; Hamburg to Lubeck, Luneberg and Wismar?

The first two tickets are local public transport tickets. They are zone to zone tickets. I.e. from anywhere in Hamburg to anywhere in Lübeck.

Covered are

- local trains (S-Bahn,RE,RB,ME)

- U-Bahn (Hamburg only)

- trams (Lübeck)

- buses

Lüneburg

A trip inside the HVV

http://www.hvv.com

single ticket EUR 6,25

day ticket EUR 13,60 (Mo-Fr before 9am)

9 o%26#39;clock day ticket EUR 11,90 (Sa;So;Mo-Fr past 9am)

Lübeck

SH tariff

http://www.nah-sh.de

single ticket EUR 10,30

day ticket EUR 19,70

Wismar

DB tariff

single ticket EUR 21,70/23,30 (depending on the route)

Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket EUR 27,00 (Sa;So;Mo-Fr past 9am)

bahn.de/p/…laender_tickets.shtml

The Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket covers the HVV (Hamburg) and also the state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, but there only the local trains. I.e. the buses in Wismar are not covered.

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DB timetable

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

and select as means of transport %26quot;only local transport%26quot;

Prices are only given if the DB tariff applies. I already listed the other prices.

Booking in advance or reserving seats is not possible for local public transport.

The buses Berlin to Hamburg do require however seat reservation.

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Thanks again for all your help, one more question: do the Hamburg Card or the Flexicard or Powerpass cover some of the transportation for going from Hamburg to Lubeck, Luneberg and Wismar?

Considering that I%26#39;m gonna be in Hamburg 4 days and I want to go to those places which of those cards do you think works better for me?

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HamburgCard / Power Pass

cover Greater Hamburg, this is the blue area on this map

www.hvv.de/pdf/tarifplan_alle-linien.pdf

You can buy within the HVV (i.e. Lüneburg) or the SH-tariff (i.e. Lübeck) a %26quot;Anschlussfahrkarte%26quot;

www.hvv.de/start.htm…

i.e. the option to buy normal single/return tickets as you would start where your normal pass ends.

You can buy also a FlexiCard for the whole HVV area.

To Wismar these passes won%26#39;t bring any savings. Even if you start outside of the HVV the Schleswig-Holstein ticket is still the best deal.

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Thank you very much, you have helped me a lot.