Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

When I was writing the post on our trip to Düsseldorf, I was reminded that I wanted to write a post on public transportation in Cologne. I am a huge fan and avid rider of public transportation. I took the bus to work nearly everyday in Pittsburgh and quite often to other places as well. Let someone else do the driving while I relax!

As elsewhere in Europe, public transportation is very widespread in Germany and I don’t think there are many places where it can’t get you. I have a monthly pass for Cologne, which allows me to take unlimited, rides on the buses, trams (like Pittsburgh’s “T”), and local trains (real trains…choo choo). I can take a guest for free after 7pm on weekdays and all day on weekends and holidays. If we’re planning to go farther out, an additional €3.50 ticket extends my pass to include the surrounding region to some of the smaller, countryside towns. There are also long-distance and high-speed trains that connect Cologne to just about every other major city in Europe. We’ve taken these trains to Paris, Frankfurt, and Heidelberg.

One of the most interesting aspects of public transportation in Germany is that a lot of the ticketing is done on the honor system. When riding the local buses, trams, and trains there is no one that checks your ticket or pass before you get on. There are no turnstiles or scanning machines prior to entering the vehicle.  There are ticket-checkers who go through regularly, but I have never been checked on the local system.  Although it would be very easy to get away with illegally riding public transportation, I don’t think that many people do—a mix of good conscience and a fear of being fined, I suppose.