Nuremberg has more than half a million inhabitants, and even though its Old Town, where most of the sights can be found, is small and compact, you probably still can't do without public transport.

You can travel around Nuremberg on the classic U-Bahn metro, trams and buses, and use the busy S-Bahn suburban railway to reach neighbouring towns.

Top 10 hotels in the centre of Nuremberg

Within the historic Altstadt, however, walking is the most efficient mode of transport.

Public transport tickets Nuremberg

All transport in the city is integrated into one system and you can use one ticket for all public transport.

Nuremberg and its surroundings are divided into zones, the so-called "Preisstufe".

In practice, in the vast majority of cases you will only need tickets for zone "A", which includes the whole city of Nuremberg + the adjacent town of Fürth + Zirndorf with the PLAYMOBIL theme park.

Prices and ticket types

In the city, you will mainly use the following tickets:

• Day or weekend "Solo" - 10,30 eur
  • Valid only on the calendar day, a ticket purchased on Saturday is also valid for the whole Sunday.
• All-day or weekend group ticket "Plus" - 15,20 eur
  • valid only on the calendar day, tickets purchased on Saturday are valid for the whole Sunday
  • valid for a maximum of 2 adults + up to 4 children under 18
• Transfer ticket for one direction (max. 90 minutes) - 3,90 eur
• 4 one-way journeys (max. 90 minutes, transfer) - 13,90 eur
  • can be used for more than one person, e.g. 2 rides for 2 people or 1 ride for 4 people, but must always travel together
• 7-day group - 32,90 eur
  • valid for 7 consecutive calendar days with optional start dates
  • valid for a maximum of 2 adults + up to 4 children under 18
  • worth buying for a 3-day stay if you are travelling in a group of at least 2

A complete list of tickets can be found on the transport company's website: vgn.de/en/tickets.

Where and how to buy tickets?

There are several ways to buy tickets, but the easiest way nowadays is to use mobile or online tickets.

• on the shop.vgn.de website - you can print out the ticket or show it to a potential checker on your mobile phone (it can be downloaded from an email in .pdf format, for example)
• via the VGN mobile app (available on Google Play / App Store)
• in vending machines at all metro stations and most tram stops

If you buy single tickets, there is always a lower price online or in the mobile app.

Maps and connection finders

Clear maps of all connections can be found on the official website of the transport company VGN.

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

On the transport company's website you will also find a connection finder, where you can always just enter your departure and arrival stop and it will automatically find you the fastest connection. The search engine is also available on the mobile app (available on Google Play / App Store).

U-Bahn and S-Bahn

Nuremberg is the smallest city in Germany to operate the city's classic underground metro system, called the U-Bahn in German.

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

As metro systems are generally the most used transport, detailed information about travelling by "U-Bahn" can be found in the separate chapter Metro in Nuremberg.

Trams

The tram network in Nuremberg has only 5 lines and covers the part of the city south of the main station and also north along the outskirts of the historic Altstadt. Trams run on average once every 6 minutes in the morning and afternoon, and once every 10 minutes during the midday and evening.

If you travel with a paper ticket, always mark it in the red validator located at each door inside the carriage.

You can always board and alight through all doors.

Buses

In Nuremberg, buses will take you to all places, even right into the historic centre, which trams just circle the perimeter. However, it's good to keep in mind that the intervals of many bus lines are quite long, ranging between 10 and 30 minutes.

As with the trams, on the bus you mark your paper ticket in the red validator inside the carriage.

Boarding is always by the front door only, and alighting is by a pair of rear doors.

Night transport

The metro, trams and buses run in Nuremberg from about 4:30 am to about 12:30 am. During the night, special night bus lines N1 to N15 depart every hour from the central station stop at the main station, on which the same fare as for daytime lines applies.

• Night buses in Nuremberg

Taxi / Uber / Bolt

In Nuremberg you will only encounter the classic taxi service. Within the city centre you will come across taxis at all tourist spots and at major stations in large numbers.

They always drive strictly according to the taximeter. The basic boarding rate is 3,70 eur and further on you can ride for 3,70 eur for the first kilometer, or 2,20 eur for the 2nd to 5th kilometer and 1,60 eur for each additional kilometer.

Significantly lower prices are offered by the ride-sharing apps Uber and Bolt, both of which work well in Nuremberg.

It's always worth comparing the prices on both apps - it's impossible to say which is generally cheaper.