Bremen is a small, proud city-state in northern Germany, made up of the Hanseatic port city of Bremen and its seaport exclave Bremerhaven, straddling the Weser river roughly 60 km from the North Sea. Once a powerful member of the medieval Hanseatic League, Bremen is famous for its UNESCO-listed Rathaus and Roland statue, the fairy-tale Town Musicians of Bremen, and the artistic Böttcherstraße and Schnoor quarter. Compact, walkable, and less crowded than Germany's larger cities, Bremen combines centuries of maritime trading history with a lively university-town atmosphere.
- Public
- BSAG trams and buses cover the whole city on a dense, frequent network, and Deutsche Bahn regional trains from Bremen Hauptbahnhof reach Bremerhaven, Hamburg, Hannover and Oldenburg quickly
- Taxi
- Taxi Bremen and app-based options such as FreeNow are easy to book but cost more than the tram or bus network for anything but short hops
- Rental
- A rental car is useful for reaching Worpswede, the Blockland or the North Sea coast without waiting on connecting buses, but is unnecessary within the compact, flat city centre
- Walking
- Bremen's Altstadt, Schnoor quarter and Ostertor are compact and level, making the centre very walkable, though outlying districts are better reached by tram
- Cycling
- Bremen is one of Germany's most bike-friendly cities, with an extensive flat cycle-path network and the Bre.Bike share scheme, making cycling often the fastest way to cross town
Transport at a glance
Airport transfers
Getting from the airport to your accommodation.
- Overview
- Bremen Airport is unusually close to the centre, so most visitors reach the city by tram rather than taxi or rental car.
- Items
- {'route': 'Bremen Airport (BRE) to Hauptbahnhof / city centre', 'mode': 'Tram line 6 (BSAG)', 'duration': '11-20 minutes', 'cost': 'EUR 3.20 single fare (about USD 3.46)'}, {'route': 'Bremen Airport (BRE) to city centre', 'mode': 'Taxi', 'duration': '10-15 minutes', 'cost': 'EUR 12-16 (about USD 12.96-17.28)'}, {'route': 'Hamburg Airport (HAM) to Bremen Hauptbahnhof', 'mode': 'S-Bahn to Hamburg Hbf, then ICE/IC train', 'duration': 'About 1 hour 45 minutes total', 'cost': 'EUR 25-45 (about USD 27.00-48.60)'}
Local transport
Getting around the city.
Overview
BSAG (Bremer Strassenbahn AG) operates the trams and buses that form Bremen's local network, complemented by the Bre.Bike bike-share scheme and a short passenger ferry across the Weser.
Items
Taxis & rideshare
What to expect from taxis and apps.
- Overview
- Taxis are metered and reliable but more expensive than trams or bikes for anything beyond a short trip; ranks are found at the Hauptbahnhof, the airport and Marktplatz.
- Items
Intercity travel
Getting between cities and regions.
Overview
Deutsche Bahn regional and long-distance trains from Bremen Hauptbahnhof reach the North Sea coast, Lower Saxony and major German cities frequently.
Items
- From
- Bremen Hbf
- To
- Hamburg Hbf
- Duration
- 55-70 minutes
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Cost
- EUR 19-39 (about USD 20.52-42.12)
- Train type
- ICE / IC / RE
- From
- Bremen Hbf
- To
- Hannover Hbf
- Duration
- 55-70 minutes
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Cost
- EUR 24-45 (about USD 25.92-48.60)
- Train type
- ICE / IC
- From
- Bremen Hbf
- To
- Bremerhaven Hbf
- Duration
- 35-45 minutes
- Frequency
- Every 30-60 minutes
- Cost
- EUR 10-14 (about USD 10.80-15.12)
- Train type
- RE1 / RE9 Regionalexpress
- From
- Bremen Hbf
- To
- Oldenburg Hbf
- Duration
- 30-40 minutes
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Cost
- EUR 10-13 (about USD 10.80-14.04)
- Train type
- RE1 / RE3 Regionalexpress
- From
- Bremen Hbf
- To
- Verden (Aller)
- Duration
- 25-30 minutes
- Frequency
- Every 30-60 minutes
- Cost
- EUR 8-10 (about USD 8.64-10.80)
- Train type
- Regionalexpress
- From
- Bremen Hbf
- To
- Berlin Hbf
- Duration
- 2 hours 50 minutes-3 hours
- Frequency
- Roughly every 2 hours
- Cost
- EUR 30-65 (about USD 32.40-70.20)
- Train type
- IC / ICE
Transportation details
Full breakdown of how to get around.
Bremen is a compact, flat city that is easy to cross on foot, by tram or by bicycle. BSAG's trams and buses reach every district quickly, Bremen Hauptbahnhof puts Bremerhaven, Hamburg, Hannover and Oldenburg within an hour or two by train, and Bremen Airport sits just a short tram ride from the centre. A rental car adds little value inside the city but is useful for exploring Worpswede, the Blockland or the coast at a personal pace.
Airports
Bremen Airport
Hamburg Airport
Useful apps
Download before you arrive.
BSAG App
DB Navigator
VBN App
Bre.Bike App (nextbike)
FreeNow
Transport tips
Travel smarter, not harder.
Buy a BSAG or VBN day ticket (Tageskarte) if making more than two tram or bus trips - it usually pays for itself by the third ride
Bremen is flat and compact, so a Bre.Bike rental often beats waiting for a tram over short-to-medium distances
Validate paper tickets in the small machines on board trams and buses before travelling, or buy directly through the BSAG app
The Sielwallfahre passenger ferry across the Weser is a cheap, scenic shortcut between the Altstadt/Ostertor side and Neustadt
Trains to Bremerhaven, Oldenburg and Verden run at least twice an hour, so day trips rarely need advance booking
Book long-distance Deutsche Bahn tickets to Hamburg, Hannover or Berlin online in advance for the cheapest Sparpreis fares
Driving into the Altstadt is discouraged - parking is limited and expensive, and much of the centre is pedestrianised