NUREMBERG FAQ`S

How do I get from the airport to my hotel?

Nuremberg Airport (NUE) has flights to many parts of Europe while nearby Munich Airport (MUC) serves the largest number of European destinations of any airport. If you have not booked a private transfer with us then you have a few options.

Getting from Munich Airport to Nuremberg (Nürnberg) is fairly easy by car, intercity buses (Flixbus), or trains via München Hauptbahnhof. Flying from Munich to Nuremberg Airport is possible on Lufthansa and the fastest option. Driving is also reasonably fast by rental car or pre-booked minibus shuttle services. Trains and intercity buses offer the cheapest options with special bargain savings deals available for rail users on the Rail&Fly and Bayern Ticket.

From Munich Airport you usually have to take the S-Bahn to Munich central station, 40 min, then the regional train from there takes another 2 hours. There are some direct buses from Munich to Nuremberg and some airlines allow Rail&Fly which includes the ICE (1 hr from Munich to Nuremberg). When using regional trains from Munich, you may also change in Neufahrn and Freising instead of doubling back all the way to Munich.

Nuremberg Airport is close to the city center, about 5 miles, and is well-connected within Germany and to some extent the rest of the EU. The cheapest way to get into the city from the airport is by U2 subway (underground) line (12 minutes, about €2.40).

How do I get from the train station to my hotel?

The main train station itself is located right next to the old city, which is a stroll away. Your DB (Deutsche Bahn) or VGN (Verkehsverbund Gossraum Nuremberg) ticket allows you to use over 650 bus and rail services, the underground (U-Bahn), the suburban railway (S-Bahn and R-Bahn), trams, buses and DB trains. The integrated transport network covers areas from Bayreuth and Bamberg to Solnhofen in the Altmühltal and to Ebern in the Haßberge district.

Most buses and trams stop at the Hauptbahnhof (main railway station), meaning you can get just about anywhere in the city from there. Bus number 36 runs through the heart of the old town. One-way fares within the city cost about €1.80. A single Day Ticket, valid for the entire transportation network from midnight to midnight, costs about €5.10. You can purchase tickets from machines next to major stops. For more information, call tel. 0911/2834646 or visit www.vag.de.

How do I get to Nuremberg by bus?

Most inter-city buses are operated by Flixbus. Buses run round the clock, destinations from here include Amsterdam, Berlin, Dresden, Dusseldorf, Essen, Hamburg, Innsbruck, Koblenz, Luxembourg, Milan, Munich, Ostend, Pilsen, Prague and Vienna. For most of these the bus is slower than the train, but it`s faster for Pilsen and Prague (operated by Deutsche Bahn), as the mountains force the train to go the long way round.

The main bus station in Nuremberg is on Willy Brandt Platz, opposite the main railway station, at the south-east corner of the old city walls.

How do I get to Nuremberg by car?

Nuremberg is well-connected to the Autobahn network. Major routes include:

-A3 west to Wurzburg and Frankfurt, and south-east to Linz and Vienna
-A6 west towards Heidelberg, Metz and Luxembourg, and east towards Pilzen and Prague
-A9 south to Munich, and north towards Dresden, Leipzig and Berlin

I will have a car in Nuremberg, where can I park?

You`ll want to explore most of the city, including the old town, on foot, and parking is scarce in some areas. A compact rental starts at about €65 per day, and you`ll find Enterprise and Hertz in town.

We do not recommend having a car while exploring the Nuremberg city center. Parking is scarce, there is a lot of traffic congestion and public transportation is almost always quicker. Also, the old town is not designed for driving, it`s criss-crossed by pedestrian malls and medieval cobblestones, and the public roads are twisted into Schleifenlösung – loops. Whichever way you drive in the old town, the road will loop around and bring you back out, even buses, emergency vehicles and drivers with accessibility permits cannot get through.

If you do have a car, parking options include:

-For a day trip, use Park and Ride. These facilities are signposted from the main approach roads.
-For full day or overnight stays, there are 19 parking garages, with 5500 spaces.
-Street parking is very short supply (most spaces are resident-only, even out in the suburbs) and costs about €2 an hour.

Check options on www.parkhaus-nuernberg.de, which shows locations, prices and real-time availability. There are also indicator signs on streets.

Is Nuremberg a walking city?

The old town is best explored on foot. Walking along Konigstrasse and its extensions into the marketplace and Rathaus square, essentially, across the length of the old town from the Hauptbahnhof the Kaiserburg (the city`s medieval castle) will take you only about 30 minutes and will lead you through the city`s medieval core and past most of its historic monuments.

How do I get around by taxi?

For a taxi, call the taxi office tel. +49 (0)911 19410. For city-taxi tel. +49 (0)911 272770. The base fare and first kilometer cost is about €2.70 each, while each additional kilometer adds on about €1.35.

Taxi Stands: Bahnhofsvorplatz, Hallplatz, Lorenzerplatz, Jakobsplatz, Hauptmarkt

How do I get around Nuremberg by public transportation?

There are three U-bahn or underground lines U1, U2 and U3; five Straßenbahn or tram lines 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; and four S-bahn or suburban train lines S1, S2, S3 and S4, with the S-Bahn lines all reaching beyond the city limits. They all radiate out from the main railway station. You won`t need to use them within the compact old city, but they`re useful for reaching the airport (U2), the Museum of Industrial Culture (Tram 8), the Nazi party rally grounds (S2 or trams 6 or 8), and some of the outlying hotels, as well as nearby towns such as Bamberg (S1). All public transportation are within the integrated VGN. A standard Zone A adult ticket is about €1.80, a day pass costs about €5.40. Passes bought on Saturday are valid all weekend.

U1 links Nuremberg and Fürth, U2 links Röthenbach and the airport and U3 shares its core route with U2 but branches towards Nordwestring in the North and Gustav Adolf Straße in the South forming an overall U-Shape with both end points west of the city center.

Is Nuremberg an area that can be explored by bike?

Several long-distance cycle routes pass through Nuremberg, making use of the Pegnitz river bank and the Main-Danube canal to avoid traffic. These reach Bamberg to the north and Regensburg to the south.

Nuremberg is part of the Nextbike bike-share scheme, which operates worldwide, and is run here by Norisbike. First you need to register and set up an account with them, effectively free if you do so online. Then decide on either occasional or regular use. Occasional users pay about €1 for every 30 minutes bike use, up to a daily maximum of around €9. For regular use you can pay about €48 per year, then your first 30 min each day comes free, thereafter you pay the same as the occasional users. So this pricing model favors frequent brief use such as a daily commute. The website shows how and where to pick up and return bikes, with real-time availability, and dozens of locations around the city including the main railway station. Your regular user status will be valid for every nextbike operator throughout Germany.

Is Nuremberg a dangerous city?

Nuremberg is a safe city in general. You can walk around the city center and most other parts late at night without having any worries. Having said this, there are certain precautions that should be taken in order to ensure a smooth trip. Common sense is the most important tool to be used in staying safe. Beware of pickpockets, mostly in crowded buses and in the pedestrian streets. Do not leave any luggage out of view as it might disappear.

Can I pay/tip in US dollars?

The currency used in Nuremberg and all of Germany is the euro (€), US dollars are not accepted. ATMs and banks can be located all throughout town.

We recommend that you exchange a small amount of cash prior to your trip, enough for a cab ride or basic spending on arrival. It is also useful to remind your bank and credit card company that you will be travelling to make sure your cards will work while in Germany. We recommend you record all your credit card numbers, as well as the phone numbers to call if your cards are lost or stolen.

Under the euro system, there are seven notes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 euros. Notes are the same for all countries. There are eight coins: 1 and 2 euros, plus 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents.

In Germany, American Express, Diners Club, Master Card, and Visa are commonly accepted, with the latter two cards predominating. Note that many banks now assess a 1% to 3% `transaction fee` on all charges you incur abroad (whether you`re using the local currency or your native currency).

What is the weather like? When is the best time to visit?

Average temperatures in Nuremberg vary drastically. Considering humidity, temperatures feel cold for about half of the year and otherwise nice with a very low chance of rain or snow throughout the year. If you`re looking for the very warmest time to visit Nuremberg, the hottest months are June, July, August. The warmest time of year is generally early to mid August where highs are regularly around 85°F with temperatures rarely dropping below 61°F at night. Overall, the best months to travel to Nuremberg are May through September. There`s a pretty sharp drop in temperatures in October.

I don`t speak German. Will many people speak English?

German is the official language spoken in Nuremberg. Hotel and restaurant staff in Nuremberg likely speak enough that you can communicate your order or check into your hotel, but it`s always polite to at least try the local language. Younger people will more likely be able to speak English opposed to the older population. We suggest you get a good English-German guidebook and familiarize yourself with common phrases such as hello, goodbye, excuse me and numbers 1-10.

What is the Nuremberg Card?

If you plan to visit the museums and attractions you will want to consider the Nuremberg card for about €28. For two days the card will provide you free admission to all museums and attractions, unlimited travel on all public transport (for 2 consecutive days) on services within the entire region of Nuremberg, Fürth and Stein (Zone A).

Note: Children up to 5 years are free. Children from 6 to 11 years pay around €6.00.

What is the food/drink like?

The city is a foodies` haven, from the dark-hued traditional Bavarian beers, juicy sausages, and sauerkraut, to high-end fusion fine dining.

Nuremberg offers some sweet international export hits! Nuremberg Lebkuchen (spicy gingerbread-like treat that dates back to the Middle Ages) are world-famous and well loved. Nuts, honey and different spices like cinnamon, clove and cardamom are part of the secret old recipe of the original Nuremberg Lebkuchen. Other confections are Eierzucker (delicate white biscuits, often in shapes), Kirschenmännla (cherry casserole with loose dough), and Schneeballen (`snowballs`, thin dough baked in lard, with powdered sugar).

But Nuremberg has more to offer than sweets. The Nuremberg Sausages (Nürnberger Rostbratwürstchen) are world-famous and well-loved all around the world, too. The bratwurst sausage is spicier than other sausages of the surrounding Franconia region, and half the size. These culinary delights are eaten as `Drei im Weggla`. Three of the small sausages are laid in a sliced-open bun (`Weggla`) and topped with mustard. Or you`ll enjoy them served on the pewter plate. Nevertheless they`re always a culinary delight.

Another way of cooking these sausages is to stew them in a broth of vinegar, onions and spices. This is called `Sauren Zipfeln` - `sour corners` - because of the broth stains in the corners of your mouth. There are many other styles of sausage and ways of preparing them. `Pressack` is like salami, sliced and eaten with mustard. The `Nürnberger Stadtwurst` go well with farmhouse bread and beer.

There are many great beers made in Franconia (the area around Nuremberg has the largest concentration of breweries worldwide) and even in the Nuremberg itself with about 300 Breweries still working.

Wine in the Franconian area is said to be a `man`s wine`. Due to the rather harsh climate and the soil structure, the wines in the area have a dry taste. An extravagance of the Franconian wines is their bottle. In Germany the Bocksbeutel bottle shape is generally reserved for higher-quality wines from Franconia.

What are the best areas for nightlife?

From beer halls to chic lounges, dance clubs to live music venues, you`ll find lively crowds and a party-till-you-drop spirit. Whether after the theater or a film, a long day of shopping, for a pub crawl or to chill-out with friends, the Nuremberg bar and pubs scene has something for everyone.

Day or night the Tiergartnertor Platz is a great place to come and hang out with the locals. You will find plenty of restaurants and bars centered around Breite Gasse and Karolinenstraße, as well as Herzogenaurach. Stretching through the historical Old town and the narrow streets all around it, including the Gostenhof district which all offer great restaurants and an energetic nightlife atmosphere. Also the promenade of Kaiserstraße is a great area to check out in the evening with many establishments to enjoy.

What are the best areas for shopping?

Nuremberg and its immediate area is home to the headquarters of many renowned brands like Siemens, Puma, and Adidas, and you`ll find factory outlet stores where you can score great deals. Shop till you drop for the hottest design labels, take a casual stroll through the weekly market and enjoy a classy cappuccino.

The city`s shopping district is centered around Breite Gasse and Karolinenstraße (Nuremberg`s best shopping street), where you'll find large department stores and well-known brands. Some outlet stores are located in nearby Herzogenaurach. The oldest and largest pedestrian zone in Europe stretches through Nuremberg`s historical Old Town in a golden triangle of fashion, lifestyle and luxury. Yet even in the narrow streets below the castle or in the hip district Gostenhof (GoHo), exceptional and trendy finds can be made.

In the Kaiserstraße, Nuremberg`s elegant shopping promenade, you can drool over the luxury fashion labels, expensive jewelry and exclusive interior designs. The Breite Gasse attracts shoppers with young brands from trendy to outlandish and anyone who just wants to drift through will also discover new and eccentric items in the many small side streets.

Tax Information: VAT is currently at 19%. Travelers who live outside the European Union can obtain a tax refund (www.globalblue.com) on goods bought in Germany by submitting the purchased goods and the original receipt to the customs office at the airport. The export certificate should then be taken to any of the five counters after the security check, where a cash refund is obtained. Note that a small fee will be charged on all refunds.

What should I do if I need medical assistance or need to go to the hospital?

Important phone numbers in emergency (dial without any local prefix all over Germany/always free of charge):

Medical emergency and fire department, dial 112

Police, dial 110

German medical facilities are among the best in the world. If a medical emergency arises, your hotel staff can usually put you in touch with a reliable doctor. If not, contact the American embassy or a consulate; each one maintains a list of English-speaking doctors. Medical and hospital services aren’t free, so be sure that you have appropriate insurance coverage before you travel.

Other important numbers:

Emergency Service: +49 (0)911 19292 / 116 117

Dental Emergency Service,Tel. + 49(0)911 58888355

Pharmaceutical Emergency Service: www.aponet.de

Poison Control Center: +49 (0)89 19240