Getting from Stuttgart airport to the train station

Hi

How easy is it to get from Stuttgart airport to Stuttgart Hbf?

Also I need to book a train from Stuttgart to Giengen, how much time do I need to leave between arriving at the airport and departing from Stuttgart Hbf?

Thanks

Alex

S-Bahn lines S2 and S3 run from the Flughafen to the Hauptbahnhof in 27minutes.

An excellent starting point is the english-language Welcome page of the VVS website (the VVS is the entity which runs public transit in the metropolitan Stuttgart area):

http://www.vvs.de/en/index.php

The main site is at:

http://www.vvs.de


Use the Deutsche Bahn site to construct your complete trip from the airport to your final destination - transfer times will be listed:

http://www.bahn.de/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml

On this question I can say quite easy!

I arrived at the airport and followed the signs without any advance research/not knowing the language, and was in town at the station before I knew it.

I should notify you about one catch regarding the schedules from STR (the airport) and ZWS (the central station): There are two lines of S-Bahn trains running on the route with a total of 4 trains per hour, but unfortunately they don't leave in 15-minute intervals but there will be two trains within 10 minutes and then 20 minutes without any train.

By the way, if you don't already have your train ticket for the onward journey, you need to buy a ticket valid for three zones to get to ZWS. If you are travelling with a companion and both of you will also be returning by S-Bahn from ZWS, it is cheaper to buy a ticket valid for 4 rides (stamp twice to make it valid for two people).

Ah, and something more: In concourse 1, there's a ticket machine in baggage claim (next to the exit), so you may even buy your S-Bahn ticket while still waiting for your luggage.

Just by the way: the S-Bahn trains from Stuttgart Airport to Stuttgart Hbf (main station) are also run by Deutsche Bahn. So, you can buy a single ticket directly from the airport to your final destination, Giengen. You can either buy it online and print it out before your trip, or you can buy it from one of the Deutsche Bahn ticket machines at the airport. (The machines can be switeched to an English user interface and also take credit cards, so this is a good option.) The S-Bahn trains from the airport to the main station leave at xx:08, xx:18, xx:38 and xx:48 and take 31 minutes for the trip.

Since the arrival time of your flight is slightly variable, as is the wait time for baggage, I would actually suggest that you buy your rail ticket at the airport. The ticket machine will actually then compute the best itinerary for you at that specific departure time, which you can also print out and take with you. It generally also includes the arrival and departure platforms you will use, and notifies you if any of your trains are so late that the connections are endangered.

Thanks everyone for all your help.

Alex

Some more advice: If you are on a tight connection at central station, be sure to board the S-Bahn train in the first coach. Upon getting off at central station, walk in the direction of travel and take the flight of stairs at the very end of the S-Bahn station. After a right U-turn (and another flight of stairs), you'll end up somewhere between tracks 1 and 2 (of 16) in the station.

Alright Lads,


We're on the march with Jurgens army we are all going to Hoffenheim!! Via Heiselberg!!


Tips for trains from Stuttgart airport - gather a bit of a trek into town and then get on the HBF up to Heiselberg - then a train from Heiselberg to Sinsheim for the game?


Looking forward to exploring the region and finding a good irish pub!


1 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5-0!!


Cheers.


Ian Rush

My tip is that the town you mean is probably Heidelberg and not Heiselberg.

Otherwise buy your tickets in advance with Deutsche Bahn, check the train schedules and get yourself familiar with the ticket options. For example there is regional day ticket for Baden-Würrtemberg.

Regional Day Ticket Link

With this ticket you can only use local and regional trains. The ticket is not valid on IC and ICE trains. When you look up for connections make sure you mark the box "local transport only"
Here is the link to the website Deutsche Bahn

Thank you - yes I did mean that - looks like a beautiful town.


Thanks for the tip - assume the IC trains are the faster ones? Assume price varies peak/ off peak?


Really looking forward to visiting your beautiful country!

We’re on the march with Ally’s Army wasn't a success story....

IC is definitely faster, I'm not even sure whether there are direct regional trains from Stuttgart to Heidelberg, but if there were any, they would go the long way via Bruchsal, which will probably take around 90 minutes, as compared to approximately 30 to 40 on the IC.

Ticket prices don't vary by peak/off peak, but are rather sold in a way most airlines sell their tickets (in fact, former Lufthansa CEO Christoph Franz has introduced that fare system to DB a few years ago), so it gets more expensive the later you buy your ticket (depending on how many people actually book for that specific train). However, the cheaper tickets are non-flexible (you'll lose them if you miss your train), which might be quite risky when coming in by plane. However, you can also buy a flexible ticket in advance, or you can buy that at the ticket machines at the airport (they are located one level above the platform).

However, if you buy any IC ticket in advance, make sure that you enter the airport as your origin - the price will be the same as a ticket from Hbf, but already includes the ride from the airport to Hbf, which would otherwise cost 4,70 EUR one-way.