Nuremberg has a population of over half a million, and although its Old Town – where most of the sights are located – is small and compact, you’ll probably still need to use public transport.

You can get around Nuremberg on the classic U-Bahn underground, trams and buses, and to reach neighbouring towns you can use the frequent S-Bahn commuter rail service.

Top 10 hotels in the centre of Nuremberg

Within the historic Altstadt district, however, the most efficient way to get around is on foot.

Nuremberg public transport tickets

All transport in the city is integrated into a single system, and you can use one ticket for all types of public transport.

Nuremberg and its surrounding area are divided into zones, known as ‘Preisstufe’.

In practice, in the vast majority of cases, you will only need tickets for ‘Zone A’, which covers the whole of Nuremberg plus the neighbouring towns of Fürth and Zirndorf, home to the PLAYMOBIL theme park.

Prices and types of tickets

In the city, you’ll mainly use the following tickets:

• All-day or weekend “Solo” – 10,60 eur
  • valid only on the calendar day of purchase; a ticket bought on a Saturday is also valid for the whole of Sunday
• All-day or weekend “Plus” for groups – 15,50 eur
  • Valid only on the calendar day in question; a ticket purchased on a Saturday is also valid for the whole of Sunday
  • Valid for a maximum of 2 adults + up to 4 children under 18
• One-way transfer ticket (max. 90 minutes) – 3,90 eur
• 4 journeys in one direction (max. 90 minutes, with transfers) – 14,60 eur
  • can also be used by more than one person, for example 2 journeys for 2 people or 1 journey for 4 people, but they must always travel together
• 7-day group ticket – 33,90 eur
  • valid for 7 consecutive calendar days with a choice of start date
  • Valid for a maximum of 2 adults + up to 4 children under 18
  • it’s worth buying even for a 3-day stay, provided you’re travelling in a group of at least two

You can find a full list of tickets on the transport company’s website:vgn.de/en/tickets.

Where and how can you buy tickets?

There are several ways to buy tickets; the easiest option these days is undoubtedly to use mobile or online tickets.

• on theshop.vgn.dewebsite – you can print out your ticket or show it on your mobile phone if asked to do so (you can download it from your email, for example in .pdf format)
• via the VGN mobile app (available on:Google Play / App Store)
• from ticket machines at all underground stations and most tram stops

When buying single-journey tickets, prices are always lower online or via the mobile app.

Maps and route planners

You can find clear maps of all routes on the official website of the VGN transport company.

• Map of fare zone A (marked by a yellow dotted line)
• Complete map of the metro, trains, trams and buses
• Map of the metro and trains in Nuremberg, Fürth and the surrounding area

On the transport operator’s website, you’ll also find a journey planner where you simply enter your departure and arrival stops, and it will automatically find the quickest route for you. The journey planner is also available in the mobile app (available on:Google Play / App Store).

U-Bahn and S-Bahn

Nuremberg is the smallest city in Germany to operate a traditional underground metro system, known in German as the U-Bahn. 

As in many German cities, you’ll also find a fairly extensive network of S-Bahn commuter trains here, which will take you quickly from one end of the city to the other and to neighbouring towns.

As the metro system is generally the most widely used form of transport, you’ll find detailed information on travelling by the ‘U-Bahn’ in the separate chapter on the Nuremberg Metro.

Trams

Nuremberg’s tram network comprises just five lines and provides excellent coverage of the part of the city south of the main station, as well as northwards to the outskirts of the historic Altstadt district. Trams run through the city’s streets on average once every 6 minutes in the morning and afternoon, and once every 10 minutes around midday and in the evening.

If you are travelling with a paper ticket, you must always validate it in the red validator located by each door inside the tram.

You can board and alight through any of the doors.

Buses

Buses in Nuremberg will take you to all parts of the city, even directly into the historic centre, which trams only circle around the outskirts of. However, it is worth bearing in mind that the intervals between many bus services are quite long, ranging from 10 to 30 minutes.

As with trams, you must validate your paper ticket in the red validator inside the bus.

You should always board via the front door and alight via the pair of rear doors.

Night transport

The metro, trams and buses in Nuremberg run from around 4.30 am to approximately 12.30 am. During the night, special night bus services N1 to N15 depart every hour from the central stop at the main railway station; the standard fare applies on these services, just as it does on daytime services.

• Map of night buses in Nuremberg

Taxis / Uber / Bolt

In Nuremberg, you’ll only find traditional taxi services. Within the city centre, you’ll find plenty of taxis at all tourist spots and major stations.

Fares are always calculated strictly according to the meter. The basic flag-down charge is 3,70 eur, followed by 3,70 eur for the first kilometre, 2,20 eur for the 2nd to 5th kilometres, and 1,60 eur for each subsequent kilometre or part thereof.

The ride-sharing apps Uber and Bolt, which work well in Nuremberg, offer significantly lower prices.

It’s always worth comparing prices on both apps – it’s impossible to say which one is generally cheaper.