Getting Here & Around

Getting Here & Around

By Air

It's easiest, and usually cheapest, to fly into Berlin or Frankfurt and rent a car from there. Desden and Leipzig both have international airports that primarily serve European destinations. Dresden Flughafen is about 10 km (6 mi) north of Dresden, and Leipzig's Flughafen Leipzig-Halle is 12 km (8 mi) northwest of the city.

By Bus

Long-distance buses travel to Dresden and Leipzig. Bus service within the area is infrequent and mainly connects with rail lines. Check schedules carefully at central train stations or call the service phone number of Deutsche Bahn at local railway stations.

By Car

Expressways connect Berlin with Dresden (A-13) and Leipzig (A-9). Both journeys take about two hours. A-4 stretches east-west across the southern portion of Thuringia and Saxony.

A road-construction program in eastern Germany is ongoing, and you should expect traffic delays on any journey of more than 300 km (186 mi). The Bundesstrassen throughout eastern Germany are narrow, tree-lined country roads, often jammed with traffic. Roads in the western part of the Harz Mountains are better and wider.

Cars can be rented at the Dresden and Leipzig airports, at train stations, and through all major hotels. Be aware that you are not allowed to take rentals into Poland or the Czech Republic.

By Train

The fastest and most inexpensive way to explore the region is by train. The rail infrastructure of Eastern Germany is exceptional; trains serve even the most remote destinations with astonishing frequency. Slower S, RB, and RE trains link smaller towns, while Leipzig, Dresden, Weimar, Erfurt, Naumburg, and Witttenberg are all on major ICE lines. Some cities—Dresden and Meissen, for example—are linked by commuter trains.

From Dresden a round-trip ticket to Leipzig costs about EUR 36.60 (a 1½-hour journey one-way); to Görlitz, EUR 32.20 (a 1½-hour ride). Trains connect Leipzig with Halle (a 30-minute ride, EUR 10), Erfurt (a 1-hour ride, EUR 25), and Eisenach (a 1½-hour journey, EUR 33). The train ride between Dresden and Eisenach (2½ hours) costs EUR 49 one way.

Consider using the Sachsen Ticket, Sachsen-Anhalt Ticket, or Thüringen Ticket, a EUR 27 offer from the German Railroad.

Tours

Viking K-D has two luxury cruise ships on the Elbe River. It operates a full program of cruises of up to eight days in length, from mid-April until late October, that go from Hamburg as far as Prague. All the historic cities of Saxony and Thuringia are ports of call—including Dresden, Meissen, Wittenberg, and Dessau.

Weisse Flotte's historic paddle-steam tours depart from and stop in Dresden, Meissen, Pirna, Pillnitz, Königsstein, and Bad Schandau. Besides tours in the Dresden area, boats also go into the Czech Republic. For more information contact the Sächsische Dampfschiffahrt.

In Saxony two historic narrow-gauge trains still operate on a regular schedule. Both the Lössnitzgrundbahn, which connects Ost-Radebeul-Ost and Radeburg, as well as the Weisseritzelbahn, which operates between Freital-Hainsberg and Kurort Kipsdorf, are perfect for taking in some of Saxony's romantic countryside and the Fichtelberg mountains. A round-trip ticket is between EUR 6.60 and EUR 10.70, depending on the length of the ride. For schedule and information, contact Deutsche Bahn's regional Dresden office.

The famous steam locomotive Harzquerbahn connects Nordhausen-Nord with Wernigerode and Gernerode in the Harz Mountains. The most popular track of this line is the Brockenbahn, a special narrow-gauge train transporting tourists to the top of northern Germany's highest mountain. For schedule and further information, contact the Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH.

Essentials

Airport Contacts

Dresden Flughafen (0351/881-3360. www.dresden-airport.de). Flughafen Leipzig-Halle (0341/224-1155. www.leipzig-halle-airport.de).

Tour Contacts

Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH (Bahnhof Westerntor, Friedrichstr. 151, Wernigerode. 03943/5580. www.hsb-wr.de). Lössnitzgrundbahn (0351/46165-63684). Sächsische Dampfschiffahrt (Hertha-Lindner-Str. 10, D-01067, Dresden. 0351/866-090. www.saechsische-dampfschiffahrt.de).