Buses in Germany
From the wonders of the Black Forest to the culture of the Rhineland and the heights of the Alps – Germany has the best of all worlds. With an extensive network across the country, travelling around Germany by bus is a great way to combine seeing the sites, the cities and the beautiful countryside. At Trainline, we’ll highlight the main bus and coach companies in the country, the way the German bus network operates and the amazing cities and regions the buses in Germany can take you to.
German bus map
Have a peek at our German bus map and see how you can get around the country by bus and coach. Whether to going from Augsburg to Berlin or vice versa, Trainline will show you how to get from point A to B.
By taking the bus around Germany, you’ll have access to both the country’s major cities and more remote locations. Most buses in Germany nowadays are high in comfort and come equipped with modern amenities like WiFi connection, power sockets and reclinable seats – perfect for short and long-haul journeys.
While coach and buses can’t compete with planes and trains in terms of speed, they are usually the most affordable way to get around Germany. On top of this a lot of buses operate overnight services, meaning you can travel in the small hours and save on hotel fees and precious holiday time.
If you’re looking for the night life of Berlin or the tranquillity of Saxony, get onboard and go by bus and coach.
German bus tickets
Bus tickets in Germany work similarly to the way train tickets do. You can usually buy them at the station on the day of travel or online in advance. With Trainline, you can check and compare different bus and coach times to suit your schedule.
Finding cheap bus tickets in Germany
Bus tickets in Germany are typically at their cheapest when they go on sale, which is usually three months before the date of departure. Trainline will help you find the cheapest bus tickets for journeys in Germany and we’ll tell you when they’re about to increase in price. Where possible, always book in advance to benefit from low-cost bus travel in Germany.
Look for special offers
Whether you’re travelling solo or in a group, there are usually discounts out there waiting to be snapped up. That could mean choosing the least flexible tickets on offer or getting a multiple-passenger discount if you’re travelling with friends and family. When it comes to buses in Germany, it pays to double-check your ticketing options first rather than paying double later down the road.
Bus stations in Germany
At most bus stations in Germany you'll find electronic departure and arrival boards with up-to-date bus times and terminal information. If there are any changes to your journey, they're usually displayed in German first, and then in English, and all notifications will be announced on the station loudspeakers in both languages.
In some towns and smaller cities, the bus stations are called “busbanhhof” and they are usually an extension of the nearby train station. At stations in places like Munich and Berlin, buses and coaches usually have their own dedicated bus terminals which are known as “zentralen omnibus-bahnhof" (ZOB). Here you can expect to find luggage storage facilities, toilets, shops and restaurants, as well as ticket booking offices and information desks. Depending on the station, you should be able to connect to WiFi while you wait for your bus to start boarding.
Top destinations in Germany by bus
Germany has a lot more to offer than meets the eye. Eclectic cities, gorgeous nature and a long line of traditions make this country an amazing destination by bus. Wherever you're going by coach or bus, keep these cities at the top of your list and keep adding to it while you're on the road in Germany.
Berlin
Berlin is the capital of Germany and the largest city in the country. With more than four million inhabitants, it’s also one of the biggest cities in Europe – a whopping nine times the size of Paris.
After the Second World War, Berlin, like Germany, was divided into two and became the capital of the German Democratic Republic (RDA). After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, German reunification began, and Berlin regained its status as the country's capital. Now an avant-garde city, vestiges of the past are mixed with modern buildings, parks and a multicultural population that continues to grow.
Berlin is now synonymous with history, politics, culture, creativity and business start-ups. From Tiergarten station in the west of the city, visitors can enjoy a pleasant walk through the Großer Tiergarten, the largest and oldest park in Berlin, on the way to the Reichstag building – home to the German Parliament. The symbolic Brandenburg Gate stands a few minutes away on foot, and from there it’s easy to reach Checkpoint Charlie, one of the border crossings used to cross from East to West Berlin during the Cold War.
Among the dozens of attractions in Berlin, some of the most notable include the Jewish Museum, the Topography of Terror and the Pergamon Museum, dedicated to classical art.
Search buses from Munich to Berlin.
Search buses from Bonn to Berlin.
Search buses from Cologne to Berlin.
Hamburg
With almost two million inhabitants, Hamburg is Germany’s second city. Its port, located on the banks of the River Elbe, is the second largest in Europe behind Rotterdam, the ninth largest in the world and one of Hamburg’s main sources of income to this day.
Connected to the North Sea through the River Elbe and the hundreds of canals that cross the city, Hamburg is a seafaring city that has no sea, although it is home to the immense Lake Alster. Known as a very green space, Hamburg is made up of two contrasting parts – the Neustadt (new city) and the Altstadt (old town), which are connected via the scenic Jungfernstieg boulevard.
Near to Lake Alster, you’ll find the central railway station, Hamburg Hbf, and the Kunsthalle art museum. The Rathausplatz, or town hall square, is also easily reached in a few minutes by foot, from here you can visit the Chamber of Commerce, the churches of St. Nikolai and St. Petri or go shopping through the streets of Jungfernstieg and Mönckebergstrasse.
Two other must-sees are the port and St. Pauli – the liveliest district of the city and home to the red-light district of Hamburg, located along Reeperbahn Street.
Search buses from Munich to Hamburg.
Search buses from Leipzig to Hamburg.
Search buses from Bremen to Hamburg.
Bonn
Located on the banks of the River Rhine, Bonn is a lively university city that was the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) for four decades until 1990. Chosen by the then Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, a native of the region, the city became the capital of West Germany and a huge urban development during the 1950s and 1960s.
Spreading across both banks of the Rhine River, there are several bridges that connect the city. One of them worth seeing is the Kennedybrücke, which connects the neighbourhood of Beuel with the Altstadt. Once you’re in the old quarter of Altstadt, step back in time with a visit to the museum house where German composer Ludwig van Beethoven resided for several years.
Although the nearby cities of Cologne and Düsseldorf are larger than Bonn, this former German capital receives thousands of tourists every year. The famous street, Heerstrasse, is a magnet for photography enthusiasts who, especially in spring, walk the sidewalks to take snapshots of the cherry blossoms.
If you’d like to soak up the culture of the city, Bonn has several museums devoted to art (Kunsthalle and Kunstmuseum) and German history (Haus der Geschichte), a beautiful cathedral (Münster) dating back to the 11th century and the Rheinaue park, one of the largest urban parks in Germany.
Search buses from Stuttgart to Bonn.
Search buses from Munich to Bonn.
Search buses from Heidelberg to Bonn.
Popular German bus routes and journey times
Have a look at this pick of top German bus routes and grab some inspiration on where you might want to start your adventure in Germany by bus.
Bus companies in Germany
Bus operating companies (BOCs) in Germany are a combination of German-owned operators like Flixbus and foreign-based enterprises such as Isilines that also offer bus routes in the country. Luckily for you, that means there's a variety of ways to get in and around Germany by bus and coach.
Good to know
If you have your tickets booked and are all set to go, here are a few more things you should know before you climb onboard your coach.