How to Get to Stuttgart

How to Get to Stuttgart by Air

Stuttgart, by virtue of being an important industrial centre, is also the main transport hub for the southwestern region of Germany. It has its own international airport, Stuttgart Airport, which is located 13 km south of the city, on the A8 Autobahn and the B27 road. Stuttgart Airport boasts 4 main Terminals and all of them are within walking distance of each other. The airport is connected to a number of other destinations (mainly capital cities) within Europe. AirFrance, British Airways, Lufthansa and German Wings are some of the major airlines that connect to Stuttgart. In addition, there are regular flights like Air Berlin, HLX and the domestic LGW Airline that connect other German cities to Stuttgart.

From the airport, S-Bahn trains and buses ply to Stuttgart, and taxis or cars can also be hired.

Stuttgart Airport is directly connected to the city center by a light railway called the S-Bahn. Trains frequently run on the S2 and S3 lines every 10-20 minutes from the Airport. The S-Bahn station is located in Terminal 1, level 1 and will get to you to the city center in about 30 minutes. You can buy the tickets from vending machines at the level below the airport and above the platform. Do keep in mind that tickets need to be validated at orange boxes on the platform before boarding the train.

Several direct buses depart from outside Terminal 1 Arrivals level and link to destinations in and around Stuttgart.

Taxi-Auto-Zentrale Stuttgart (0711-55 3 98-0, 0711-55 10 000) is a 24-hour taxi service company located in front of Terminal 1 of level 3 (Departures). The taxi will get you to the city center in about 20 minutes.

Car hire firms like Avis Car Rental (0711-9 48-44 51), Hertz (0711-9 48-43 39), Europcar (0711-9 49-90 10) and SIXT (0711-9 48-45 04) are located at the airport itself in Terminal 3 of level 2.

ATM’s, restaurants, cafes and shopping places are some facilities that are available in the Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 of the airport.

If you wish to get more details about the flights, chek-in, check-out, arrival and departure, then there is a central information and help desk (0711-22280) in Terminal 3, on level 2 (Arrivals) with multi-lingual staff. All terminals have help deska and information centers including courtesy telephones for passengers.

How to Get to Stuttgart by Rail

Trains, both from across the border, as well as from other cities within Germany, connect Stuttgart to the rest of Europe. Trains enter the city at the main rail station (which is virtually next door to the bus station), and include the fast and efficient Intercity Express services.

How to Get to Stuttgart by Bus

Stuttgart lies in the state (`Land’) of Baden-Württemberg, and is easily accessible by road. An extensive network of roads, both autobahns and secondary roads, links the city to other parts of the country, making it fairly easy to drive down to Stuttgart, or to take one of the many buses that connect Germany.

By Waterways

Stuttgart stands by the side of the river Neckar, one of southern Germany’s major waterways. The city, in fact, has an important river port on the Neckar, and there’s a lot of activity upriver and down. Although much of the traffic is commercial in nature, there are lots of boats that carry passengers and cruise down the river. If you’re coming to Stuttgart from one of the other towns along the river, you can easily travel, at least part of the way, by river.

Getting Around Stuttgart

Stuttgart has an excellent transport network, consisting of trams, buses and trains. The buses and trams spread out pretty well across the city, and the trains, which include the S-Bahn (the suburban railway), the U-Bahn (the underground) and some mainline routes, are equally efficient. For longer routes, S-Bahn is a faster mode for commuting.

The entire public transport is integrated with the VVS Transit and Tariff Association Stuttgart. Commuting is now made easy with one ticket for all buses and rail lines!

It makes sense to buy a 24-hour ticket that allows you unlimited travel on trams, buses, and trains. The cost of a single day ticket is €5, 95. Also, if your stay in Stuttgart is more than a day then avail the benefit of unlimited rides with a three day Stutt Card Plus. It will allow you to travel throughout Stuttgart, by bus or rail, with additional benefits like free or reduced tickets to state museums, discounts on sightseeing tours, boat tours, theaters, and public pools. Group Day Ticket entitles free rides for a maximum of five passengers on trams, buses and trains. The per person charge is €1, 99. A City Ticket provides the rail passengers with a valid VVS Ticket and ensures an easy and comfortable travel throughout Stuttgart. Students of higher learning institutes can get the benefit of riding on all VVS lines with the special StudiTicket.

One of the most convenient ways, however, of getting around the city is to hire a car from one of the many rental agencies in town and drive around on your own. Alternatively, you could hire a taxi, by phoning for one, or hiring one at a cab rank.

Autohaus Marquardt Car Rental (0711- 9879790), Avis Car Rental (0711-9 48-44 51), Hertz (0711-9 48-43 39), Europcar (0711-9 49-90 10) and SIXT (0711-9 48-45 04) will rent cars for you to drive around on your own. You can call TAZ (0711-55 10 000), Grossraum Taxi Service (0171-56 60 61) to hire a taxi. Also, there is a Night Taxi Service for Women after 8 pm. Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG pays €3 for women travellers.

Unless you’ve got a very sturdy pair of legs, and like walking, don’t attempt to do much sightseeing in Stuttgart on foot - most of the sights are spaced very wide apart. However, on the other hand, walking is a good way to explore the inner city’s restaurants, cafes and shopping districts. You can walk in the Pedestrian Zone, quite safe for the tourist. It is best to avoid the Cental City Park area during the night time as it gets dark and secluded.

Since there is a lot of car traffic in the city center, biking does not really seem a good idea. However, the outlying area of Stuttgart, the Neckar Valley or the Schönbuch lies south of the city and makes a perfect place for biking. You will find scenic paths surrounding forests where you can take a never ending soothing ride. You can hire bicycles from Fahrradwerkstatt der ASH on the Stuttgart-Mitte Road (0711-268438-27) or Kurz – Zweiräder (0711-544603) on the Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt Road.

If you are travelling after midnight, then expect no public transport and rely on walking. However, on the weekends night buses operate from the Palace Square but sometimes they are infrequent so don’t depend them. Also there is no mode of transport available between 1 am to 5 am in the morning. The Taxi Center Stuttgart Number-0711/19410.