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barbara gentz

Travelling to Bielefeld

Barbara Gentz
Faculty of Mathematics
University of Bielefeld

By train

Easy.

You can find the train connections at
https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml
Enter "Bielefeld Hbf" as your destination.

You can enter the airport code as departure train station to obtain train connections from any airport having a train station. To some extent you will also be able to find public bus connections if there is no train station.
The webserver of the Deutsche Bahn is also a quite reliable source for train connections from neighbouring countries to Germany.
If you have access to a printer, you can buy your train ticket online from the above website. If you opt for a special fare, your ticket will be valid only on the train specified. You can still return or exchange such a ticket for a fee, but only before the first day of validity.

Upon arrival at Bielefeld Hbf

Please see How to find me for information on public transportation in Bielefeld.

By airplane

Caution!

There are several airports you can fly into, but be warned that your cheap ticket might come with strings attached. Before buying your ticket, please make sure that your will be flying into the airport you think you will be flying into, and that there are still trains in the evening getting you all the way to Bielefeld.

Should you arrive late or have an early departure, please let me know in advance and we will be happy to help you make a hotel reservation at or near the airport.

Airports you don't want to use

I'm not using these airports and I advise my visitors not to use them either for obvious reasons. Should you nevertheless decide to fly into Weeze or Hahn, please check the airports' websites for information on travel from and to the airport.

NRN: Düsseldorf-Weeze Airport or Niederrhein Airport is mainly served by Ryan Air. The airport is located approximately 65 kilometers west of the city of Düsseldorf, and there are only a few buses per day connecting the airport to some train stations.

Expect to pay 70 Euros one-way for a private shuttle service to Duisburg.
HHN: Frankfurt-Hahn Airport is located about 120 kilometers from the city of Frankfurt (Main) and is another favourite with Ryan Air.

I don't know how to get to this airport or how to get from there to Bielefeld.

Airports you might want to use

DUS: Düsseldorf Airport is a convenient airport with two direct trains to per hour going to Bielefeld.

Note: The ICE takes approximately 90 minutes, the regional train about 2 hours. Both trains leave the airport station at almost the same time.

Do not take a train to the city of Duesseldorf – that would be the wrong direction.

After collecting your luggage, please follow the indications to DB (Deutsche Bahn) and Skytrain (a monorail connecting the terminals to the train station). Note: It's easy to walk past the entrance to Skytrain. You need to pass through a glass door and then take an elevator or an escalator up to the platform. Take the Skytrain to the train station (terminal stop).

Caution: The last train at night leaves the airport rather early. If your flight is scheduled to land past 8 pm, please check on the train connections before buying your ticket (see Section "by train").
HAJ: Hannover Airport serves fewer destinations but is convenient when travelling to Bielefeld.

From the airport take the "S-Bahn" (a local train serving the city and its more urban surroundings) to Hannover main station and continue on the ICE to Bielefeld. During the day, there is at least one connection per hour, and the trip takes approximately 90 minutes.

Note: The last connection leaves the airport around 11 pm.
PAD: Paderborn Airport is the closest airport to Bielefeld, but getting to Bielefeld by public transportation is cumbersome. You'll need to take a bus and a local train, possibly changing trains on the way.

Note: The last bus leaves the airport some time between 6 and 9 pm, depending on the day of the week.

Private shuttle service is available, but expect to pay a minimum of 70 Euros one-way.
FRA: If you arrive to Europe on an intercontinental flight arriving in Frankfurt, it might be more convenient to take the train from the airport station instead of changing planes.

There are plenty of train connections to Bielefeld, the fast ones taking between 3 and 3 1/2 hours. You'll have to change trains once, either in Cologne (Köln), Dortmund or Hannover.

Try to avoid connections with more than one change since there is always a chance of missing your connection. Nowadays, even in Germany delays on the train are frequent.