It's not "intra aiport" but from the terminal to the mainline station. Not anyhow different from JFK: Sky Train from the JFK terminals to the subway requires a ticket (and even subway tickets are not valid).

Seriously: The line was not built by the airport but with taxpayers' money. Therefore it is part of the public transport system in Düsseldorf. I would expect that 95% of all users have a ticket anyway, because they come either with season tickets or from local transport trains - but some are left without. The most important exceptions are:

• pax using the (pretty cheap) Q-Park parking lot and
• pax arriving on a long distance train ticket without "city option".

I assume that there are by far more pax without a valid ticket departing from the airport the mainline station: I hardly see somebody buying a ticket on the platform when heading to the train station (they buy their tickets over there). However: Travelling without a ticket may cost 60 Euro....

Good to know. But it never would have occurred to me that if I had a train ticket that said "Dusseldorf Flughafen" that I'd have to buy another ticket to actually get to the airport.

True, it is missleading for foreigners (and this is to my belief the reason for them not to enforce the penalties).

As long as one does have a long distance train stopping at "Fernbahnhof" or a local train coming form easterly direction, I would never ever use this station. If one has to change at Düsseldorf main station, taking the S11 directly into the Terminal Station is faster, more convenient and included in every rail ticket into Düsseldorf.

I'm staying in Cologne and flying out of DUS Terminal A (Swiss) later this month. The flight leaves at 9:40am. I was looking at taking the ICE train from Cologne to either Dusseldorf and transferring to the S11, or taking it right to Dusseldorf Flughafen and then taking the Skytrain. Any recommendations or recent insight on whether Skytrain tickets are still going unenforced?

Would the train that leaves Cologne at 7:30am and arrives at 7:50am(main) or 7:58am(flughafen) leave sufficient time to get to the airport, check in and get through security.

Taking the ICE means you can not use the tickets from the Verkehrsverbund (VRS or VRR), which limits you a lot..besides the ICE can be late ...

Just take the direkt train (Regionalbahn/Regionalexpress) from Cologne main station to Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal ..leaves e.g. at 07:31 and arrives at 08:08 at DUS, then take the skytrain ..arrives at 08.20..
total cost is 11.30€ which is pricegroup 5 for the Verkehrsverbund VRS. the ticket is valid on the skytrain aswell as all city stops in Cologne..so depending on where you stay, you can use the ticket straight from the hotel to DUS.
However depending on the day of travel and your time of departure, I would allow myself a bit more time than 1:20 between arrival and departure of the plane..in that case you probably have to take the train from Cologne to Düsseldorf main and then change there..

As for skytrain. I just used it some weeks ago and the rules are easy..

I didn't even know you technically needed a ticket for SkyTrain.

I travelled to/DUS to catch ICE and never noticed any signs stating tickets are required for the SkyTrain.

The fact of the matter is that you need a ticket for any type of public transport in this country. For the very same reason you find ticket machines on every platform of the Skytrain. Given that the requirement of a ticket does not come as a big surprise, does it? And if you dare to have a look at one of the ticket machines they clearly state that you need a K type ticket to get to the railway station.

Wow. I completely didn't notice the ticket machines at either terminal of the SkyTrain. Must have thought they were for something else. Never crossed my mind they were for the SkyTrain. I'm guilty of taking two trips to/from ICE trains and DUS.

I always turn up with a Preisstufe B ticket (usually a 4 ride ticket) and I think the SkyTrain is included in the ride. Going back, it can just be validated in the orange or red box at the SkyTrain station in the airport. But I have never had a ticket control on the SkyTrain. Took me a long time to realise you had to pay, too!

If you were coming from Düsseldorf, then a Preisstufe A ticket would all that you need.

I've never noticed them either. The same as you, it had never occurred to me that a separate ticket was required simply to get around between different parts of the airport complex. Anyway, there was no-one checking tickets. Wondering whether anyone has ever seen this happen?

To be fair though, there are plenty of examples where shuttle trains such as this one, linking the airport to a public transportation stop (train station, tram stop, etc) are free of charge (as they really should be), so it's not terribly far-fetched to assume it's free.

Yes, and they don't seem to go out of their way to make the rules clear either once it's understood that some passengers will require tickets - excerpt from website posted further up being exhibit A.

To be fair: We do not use fare gate like eg in JFK in this country. You can board almost every train, tram or bus without holding a ticket - there is trust in the people. And I know several examples where you need a ticket: JFK to Jamaica, you need ticket for the Skytrain. LCY to Canning Town, you need a ticket for the DLR. The only notable exception I am aware of in Europe is LHR. In Germany I am not aware of any public transport taking you out of an airport where you don't need to pay.

Not "some" passengers do need a ticket. Every passenger needs a ticket and some hold it because they either have a public transport ticket or a parking ticket.

It it as easy as this: In this country it is your own responsibiltiy to hold a ticket when boarding public transport. This is the rule, may it be enforced or not, it does not change the rule.

This Skytrain is not owned and operated by the airport but by the public transport authority (what is the purpose of ticket machines and stampers on the platform?) and you need to pay for travel outside the airport. We should probably do it like in New York, charge 5 USD and install barriers. This is however not the general concept in this country.

Just to clarify. If I have a ICE train ticket from/to the DUS bahnhof, do I need a separate ticket for the Skytrain?