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Bonn is excellently networked: regional trains, light rail, streetcars, buses and ferries connect the city with the surrounding area and the districts with each other. Many projects are implemented to make the connections even more attractive and to encourage more people to use public transport instead of their cars.
The local road and public transportation network is very well developed. Bonn is in fact a city of short distances. Residential areas are well connected to the city centre.
The city of Bonn has an excellent local public transportation system with trams, subways, city trains, busses, and several Rhine river ferries. Local public transportation services operate very frequently.
In Bonn, the transport sector is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions and also consumes a particularly large amount of energy. Bonn is to become climate-neutral by 2035. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to reduce motorized individual traffic – above all car traffic. Bonn residents can look forward to better air and less traffic noise.
To achieve this, local public transportation (ÖPNV) must become even more attractive, among other things by using modern vehicles, improving the quality of service and information, and providing barrier-free access.
In addition, Bonn is to become the first city in Germany in which a cable car connects several parts of the city as an integrated part of the public transport system.
Local transport in Bonn: buses, streetcars and light rail vehicles
The Federal City of Bonn has an extensive public transport system that is to be further strengthened, and it has commissioned its subsidiary SWB Bus und Bahn (opens in a new tab) to do so. By updating the local transport plan, the city is ensuring that the right framework conditions are in place.
Each year, SWB Bus und Bahn transports more than 90 million passengers on light rail vehicles, buses and also on joint lines with neighboring transport companies in Cologne and the Rhine-Sieg district.
Tickets
Tickets may be purchased from vending machines on trams and underground trains and at stations, or from approximately 130 ticket offices in Bonn. On buses, tickets may also be purchased from the driver. The municipal authorities' customer centre (Cassius-Bastei, Münsterstraße 18) can provide information on the public transport system. You can obtain:
single tickets (Einzelfahrschein),
multiple travel tickets (Mehrfahrtenkarte),
weekly tickets (Wochenkarte),
monthly tickets (Monatskarte),
special offer tickets such as 24-hour ticket (24-Stunden-Karte), mini group ticket (Minigruppenkarte), 3-day ticket (3-Tage-Karte) and junior ticket.
For further information (Timetable and Ticket service), please contact: 0180 - 413 13 13.
Tickets must be validated by inserting them in the yellow time-stampers in all buses, trams, and underground trains. Just single tickets, 24-hour tickets, mini group tickets, and 3-day tickets obtained from vending machines are already validated. Public transport in Germany operates on a system of trust, but periodic spot checks are made. The fine for travelling without a valid ticket is EUR 60.
The Bonn Regio Welcome-Card (opens in a new tab) is a wonderful way to see the sights of the city for one great price. This ticket allows access to over 40 attractions, free entrance to over 20 museums, and unlimited use of the public transport system in Bonn, Cologne and the Rhein-Sieg district. The Welcome-Card is not only available at ticket machines and agencies, but can also be purchased from hotels, museums and ferry companies, as well as at regional tourist information offices.
Financial support for bus and train journeys: Bonn-Ausweis
Bonn residents who need social assistance receive the so called "Bonn-Ausweis". This document helps them to receive a discount on many tickets in the Bonn city area and many other things in life.
Cheap tickets for school and education
The city also provides financial support for tickets for young people so that they can travel safely and cheaply on public transport: Trainees as well as all young people under 15 years of age, pupils and students can use monthly tickets. They are around 25 percent cheaper than season tickets for adults and are valid in the tariff zones that are regularely passed through.
In cooperation with SWB Bus und Bahn, Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg also offers a ”SchülerTicket“ to all pupils attending a municipal or private school.
For students living in Bonn, the SchülerTicket costs a maximum of €19 per month at municipal schools,
For students living outside of Bonn, it costs a maximum of €25.30 per month.
The SchülerTicket for the entire VRS network will cost a maximum of €40.10 per month in the 2023/2024 school year. SWB Bus und Bahn provides more information on tickets for school and vocational training.
Get off the bus, hop on a rental bike or rent an e-scooter – the city of Bonn is constantly improving the links between the various modes of transportation. This means that Bonn residents can reach their destinations quickly and easily using public transportation and environmentally friendly mobility options.
To this end, there are now so-called Mobilstationen (mobility stations) at many locations in downtown Bonn, which are to be expanded throughout the city in the future. At some locations, passengers can rent bicycles, e-scooters and e-load bikes, or even park their bikes securely in one of the lockable boxes and recharge them as needed. In addition, e-bike batteries can also be charged separately in e-charging lockers at selected locations.
Those arriving with their own bike and boarding a train or bus for the onward journey should find more parking options at the stops in the future. It will also be possible to take a bicycle along in the vehicles, with restrictions during rush hours.
In the future, a stationary car-sharing network will be attached to the mobile stations. This will make it possible to use a car without having to own a vehicle.
Public transportation must be accessible to all. The expansion of barrier-free bus stops is progressing steadily. In the bus sector, accessibility is being achieved through the use of low-floor buses and the construction of bus stops with curbs at least 18 centimeters high and guide indicators. At bus stops that have not yet been converted, boarding and alighting is already possible thanks to the folding ramps in the buses. The stops of the municipal rail service will also be adapted to the necessary heights.
In Bonn, there are about 500 bus stops with about 1,000 stopping positions. Barrier-free boarding and alighting is possible at all bus stops. To ensure that public transportation can be used quickly and conveniently by everyone, all bus stops are to be made barrier-free.
The city of Bonn is well connected with its surrounding area. Commuters coming from Cologne, Meckenheim, Hennef/Sieg or Bad Neuenahr can use suburban and regional trains. Regional bus transport is organized and financed in partnership with neighboring districts and cities in various transport associations. The public transport authority “go.Rheinland” is responsible for local rail transport. It plans the timetable and orders the necessary train services.
The Rhine flows for almost 14 kilometers through Bonn's urban area and shapes the face of the city. Three bridges span the Rhine along this stretch. Another way to cross the river is by ferry – whether on foot, by bike or by car.
From north to south, three ferries offer a short, atmospheric river trip throughout the year. More information on prices and times can be found here:
Those who like to spend more time on the river can take one of the excursion boats that travel up and down the Rhine. Various shipping companies offer boat tours on the Rhine from Good Friday to the end of October. In addition to scheduled trips toward Cologne or along the Drachenfels', various event trips on board also celebrate Carnival or New Year's Eve. You can find more information here:
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Ride along in Bonn
Install an app on your cell phone and see if you can get a ride somewhere – and pay easily by cell phone? That's also possible in Bonn.
Carpooling is another way to get around in an environmentally friendly way. SWB Bus und Bahn also offers the goFlux app, that can be used to find individual carpooling opportunities. Commuters, for example, can also look for or offer regular carpooling opportunities: