Traveling in, around, or through Germany? Then you must get to know German transportation vocabulary! Knowing terms and phrases related to how to get around in the German language will really help make all your travel desires easier.
The German word for transportation is Transport. In fact, a number of German words for transportation sound like they do in English translations, or very similar anyways.
Let’s begin by learning a bit about Germany and why you might want to travel there. Afterward, you can be sure we’ll cover the most important German transportation vocabulary you need to know!
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Germany – The Basics
Here are some key travel facts about Germany
- Location: Central Europe
- Bordering nations: Denmark, Poland, Czechia, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands
- Capital: Berlin
- Population: Over 83 million
- Other Major Cities: Hamburg, Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, Düsseldorf
- Climate: Temperate and marine
- Weather: between 23°C (73°F) and 26°C (79°F) during the summer and 0°C (32°F) during winter
- Main transportation mode: Bus or public transport
- Public transportation system: U-Bahn, S-Bahn
- Interesting places to visit:
- Neuschwanstein Castle
- Berlin Zoological Garden
- The Black Forest
- The Rhine
- The Berlin Wall
- Brandenburg Gate
In order to visit each of these attractions, you’ll need to know some German language to get around. Let’s get learning!
Common Modes Of Transportation In Germany
Even though the majority of people in the larger cities get around on bus or public transport, it’s handy to know familiar and new words related to transportation. Here are some common types of transportation in German.
| English Word | German Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Airplane | das Flugzeug | |
| Bike/bicycle | das Fahrrad | |
| Boat | das Boot | |
| Bus | der Bus | |
| Car | das Auto / der Wagen | |
| Container Ship | das Containerschiff | |
| Cruise Ship | das Kreuzfahrtschiff | |
| Ferry | die Fähre | |
| Helicopter | der Hubschrauber | |
| Moped | das Moped | |
| Motorcycle | das Motorrad | |
| On foot | zu Fuss | |
| Sailboat | das Segelboot | |
| Scooter | der Roller | |
| Ship | das Schiff | |
| Streetcar | die Straßenbahn | |
| Subway/Metro | die U-Bahn | |
| Taxi | das Taxi | |
| Tractor | der Traktor | |
| Train | der Zug | |
| Tram | die Straßenbahn | |
| Trolleybus | der Oberleitungs-Bus |
Places To Get Transportation
It’s important to know the names of the places where you need to catch your bus, plane, or train! So here they are!
| English Word | German Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | der Flughafen | |
| Bus station / Bus stop | die Bushaltestelle | |
| Highway | die Autobahn | |
| Metro Station | die U-Bahn Station | |
| Metro stop | die U-Bahn-Haltestelle | |
| Road / Street | die Straße | |
| Train station | der Bahnhof | |
| Tram stop | die Straßenbahnhaltestelle | |
| S-Bahn Station | die S-Bahn Station | |
| S-Bahn stop | die S-Bahn-Haltestelle |
How To Ask About Transportation In German
What do you do if you can’t find the place you need or if you aren’t sure what to do when you get there? Ask! Here are some useful questions to help you get around Germany.
| English Question | German Question | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the train station? | Wo ist der Bahnhof? | |
| Which train station do I get off at? | An welchem Bahnhof steige ich aus? | |
| Where is the nearest metro station? | Wo ist die nächste U-Bahn-Haltstelle? | |
| How can I get to the airport? | Wie komme ich zum Flughafen? | |
| What’s the quickest way to get to the train station? | Wie komme ich am schnellsten zum Bahnhof? | |
| Where is the entrance to the highway? | Wo ist die Einfahrt zur Autobahn? | |
| I’ll take my bike | Ich nehme das Fahrrad. | |
| Where does the bus leave from? | Von wo fährt der Bus ab? | |
| Can I get off at the next station? | Kann ich an der nächsten Station aussteigen? | |
| Where is the next bus stop? | Wo ist die nächste Bushaltestelle? |
Different Kinds Of Transportation Tickets
You can’t go anywhere without a ticket! Make sure you know how to ask for one and understand if people are asking you to show your ticket.
| English Question | German Question | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Bus ticket | der Busfahrschein | |
| Metro ticket | das U-Bahn-Ticket | |
| One-way street | die Einbahnstraße | |
| Plane ticket | das Flugzeugticket | |
| Round trip | die Rundfahrt | |
| Ticket | die Fahrkarte | |
| Ticket office | der Fahrkartenschalter | |
| Train ticket | die Fahrkarte | |
| Tram ticket | das Straßenbahnticket |
How To Ask About Transportation Tickets In German
| English Question | German Question | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| How much is the bus ticket? | Wie viel kostet das Busticket? | |
| How much for a one-way ticket? | Wie viel kostet eine einfache Fahrt? | |
| How much for a round-trip ticket? | Wie viel kostet ein Hin- und Rückfahrticket? | |
| Do you have discounts for students? | Haben Sie Ermäßigungen für Studenten? | |
| Where can I buy a train ticket? | Wo kann ich ein Zugticket kaufen? | |
| Are there any tickets available? | Sind noch Tickets erhältlich? |
Public Transport Related Vocabulary In German
Seeing as public transportation is so incredible in Germany, you’ll be using it a lot. Here are some words you can use to help you find and use public transportation in Germany.
| English Word | German Word | Pronunciation |
| Passenger | der Fahrgast | |
| Public transportation | die öffentlichen Verkehrsmittel | |
| The bus | der Bus | |
| The platform | der Bahnsteig | |
| The stop | die Haltestelle | |
| The subway | die U-Bahn | |
| The ticket | die Fahrkarte | |
| The timetable | der Fahrplan | |
| The train | der Zug | |
| The train station | der Bahnhof | |
| The tram | die Straßenbahn | |
| To catch | erwischen / kriegen | |
| To change | umsteigen | |
| To reserve | reservieren | |
| To stand | stehen | |
| To validate | entwerten |
Car Related Vocabulary In German
You may find that you’d rather rent a car than take the train or other modes of transport to get around. Here are some useful terms you should know when driving a car.
| English Word | German Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| to drive | fahren | |
| Driver’s license | der Führerschein | |
| Fuel/gas | das Benzin | |
| Gas tank | der Benzintank | |
| Number plate (license plate) | das Kennzeichen | |
| to park | parken | |
| The brake | die Bremse | |
| The bumper | die Stoßstange | |
| The car | das Auto | |
| The door | die Autotür | |
| The driver | der Fahrer / die Fahrerin | |
| The engine | der Motor | |
| The gas station | die Tankstelle | |
| The gears | der Gang | |
| The headlight | der Scheinwerfer | |
| The pedal | das Pedal | |
| The seat | der Sitz | |
| The steering wheel | das Lenkrad | |
| The tire | das Rad | |
| Turn signal (blinker) | der Blinker | |
| Windscreen | die Windschutzscheibe |
Car Related Conversational Phrases In German
| English Phrase | German Phrase | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Where can I rent a car? | Wo kann ich ein Auto mieten? | |
| How much is the car rental? | Wie viel kostet die Autovermietung? | |
| The engine has stopped working | Der Motor funktioniert nicht mehr. | |
| The car won’t start | Das Auto springt nicht an. | |
| Where’s the nearest gas station? | Wo ist die nächste Tankstelle? | |
| What kind of fuel does it use? | Welche Art von Kraftstoff wird verwendet? | |
| The car has a flat tire | Das Auto hat einen platten Reifen. |
Bicycle-Related Vocabulary In German
After public transport, cycling is the German’s favorite way to get around. Here are the words to help your bicycle around too.
| English Word | German Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Bicycle | das Fahrrad | |
| Cyclist | der Radfahrer / die Radfahrerin | |
| The pedal | das Pedal | |
| The tire | der Reifen | |
| Helmet | der Helm | |
| To ride | fahren |
Airplane-Related Vocabulary In German
Airplanes are most commonly taken to fly in and out of Germany rather than within it. It’s most likely that you’ll be traveling by train, but just in case, here is vocabulary relating to plane travel.
At The Airport
| English Word | German Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | der Flughafen | |
| Arrival | die Ankunft | |
| Boarding pass | die Bordkarte | |
| Cancelled | abgesagt | |
| Check-in | der Check-in | |
| Connection | die Verbindung | |
| Delayed | verspätet | |
| Departure | der Abflug | |
| Gate | der Flugsteig | |
| Gate Number | die Flugsteignummer | |
| Jet engine | das Flugzeugtriebwerk | |
| Luggage | das Gepäck | |
| On-time | pünktlich | |
| One-way ticket | das One-Way-Ticket | |
| Roundtrip ticket | die Hin- und Rückfahrkarte | |
| Seat booking | die Sitzplatzreservierung | |
| Security check | die Sicherheitskontrolle | |
| Terminal | das Terminal | |
| Ticket | die Fahrkarte | |
| Transit | die Durchreise |
On The Airplane
| English Word | German Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Airplane | das Flugzeug | |
| Aisle seat | der Gangplatz | |
| Board / boarding | einsteigen / an Bord gehen | |
| Economy class | die Economyclass | |
| Crew | die Besatzung | |
| Flight attendant | der Flugbegleiter / die Flugbegleiterin | |
| Hand luggage | das Handgepäck | |
| Land | landen | |
| Passport | der Reisepass | |
| Pilot | der Pilot / die Pilotin | |
| Window seat | der Fensterplatz |
Airplane Travel Related Phrases In German
| English Phrase | German Phrase | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Is the plane on time? | Ist das Flugzeug pünktlich? | |
| How long will the plane be delayed? | Wie lange wird das Flugzeug Verspätung haben? | |
| Where is my gate? | Wo ist mein Flugsteig? | |
| Which terminal do I go to? | Zu welchem Terminal muss ich gehen? | |
| I’d like a window seat | Ich hätte gerne einen Fensterplatz | |
| I’d like an aisle seat | Ich möchte einen Gangplatz |
Train Related Vocabulary In German
You also be likely to take a train while traveling through Germany, especially if you have a Eurorail pass
| English Word | German Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Aisle | der Gang | |
| Canceled | gestrichen / abgesagt | |
| Delayed | verspätet | |
| On-time | pünktlich | |
| Platform | der Bahnsteig | |
| Seat number | die Sitznummer | |
| Train | der Zug | |
| Train number | die Zugnummer | |
| Train station | der Bahnhof | |
| Window | das Fenster |
Train Travel Related Phrases In German
| English Phrase | German Phrase | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Which platform do I go to? | Auf welche Plattform gehe ich? | |
| Where is the seat number (insert number)? | Wo ist die Platznummer _ ? | |
| Do I get off here? | Steige ich hier aus? | |
| How long will the train ride take? | Wie lange dauert die Zugfahrt? | |
| Is there food available on the train? | Gibt es Essen im Zug? | |
| Are there washrooms on board? | Gibt es Waschräume an Bord? |
Sea Or Ship Related Vocabulary In German
Part of Germany borders the ocean, so you might end up on a boat at some point. Just in case you do, here are the German words you’ll need.
| English Word | German Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Anchor | der Anker | |
| Boat das boot | das Boot | |
| Bow | der Bug | |
| Cabin | die Kajüte | |
| Dock | das Dock | |
| Life jacket/ life saving device | die Rettungsweste / das Rettungsgerät | |
| Lifeboat | das Rettungsboot | |
| Port | der Hafen | |
| Sailboat | das Segelboot | |
| Sea | das Meer | |
| Ship | das Schiff | |
| Stern | das Heck |
Traffic And Driving Related Vocabulary In German
Important signal signs with their German meaning and pronunciation are below to help you drive around easier.
| English Word | German Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Green light | die grüne Ampel | |
| One-way street | die Einbahnstraße | |
| Red light | die rote Ampel | |
| Speed limit | das Tempolimit | |
| Stop sign | das Stoppschild | |
| Traffic light | die Ampel | |
| U-turn | die Kehrtwende | |
| Yellow light | die gelbe Ampel |
Want To Learn More German?
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