LEIPZIG FAQ`S
Leipzig is serviced by Leipzig/Halle Airport,
located 14 miles north-west of central Leipzig. If you have not booked a private transfer with
us then you have a few options.
The airport is the biggest airport in Eastern Germany
not serving Berlin.
Trains run between the airport and the city every 30 minutes; the trip takes 14
- 18 minutes and costs about €4.20. There is also a train called the Airport
Express that runs from the airport to the Hauptbahnhof every 30 minutes from
5am to midnight. The fare costs around €7 for adults and €5 for children. Taxis
are also available, meeting all arriving planes. A taxi is about a 25 - 30
minute ride to the city center and will cost about €30 each way for up to four
passengers. When arriving at the main station from the airport you have to go
up the stairs for connecting services. The tram network is also directly
reachable from the City-Tunnel with departure times clearly
marked on displays at the exit to the trams.
Leipzig`s main railway station,
Leipzig Hauptbahnhof, is situated in the heart of the city center. The station
has excellent long-distance train service and connections are provided by ICE,
IC, ED, and CityNightLine trains along with the Deutsche Bahn Night train. The
Hauptbahnhof has many cafes, shops, and restaurants; it`s one of the most
happening places in Leipzig.
From Hauptbahnhof the city center is a
short 10 minute walk away. Leipzig`s fast, efficient tram and bus network
converges on the Hauptbahnhof. A one-hour ticket valid for unlimited transfers
costs around €2.40; an all-day pass is about €6.00. Car rentals are also
available at the train station.
Long distance buses connect Leipzig with several major German cities. Buses stop at Goethestraße, off the southeastern corner of the Central Station (between Central Station and Opera house) and/or at the airport railway station. Bus operators include Flixbus and the DB run IC Bus (BahnCard discounts apply; bookable through www.bahn.de). Once a day there is an IC Bus connection between Leipzig and Prague, taking about 3 hours and costing around €59 (cheaper if booked in advance).
How do I get to Leipzig by car?Leipzig can easily be reached by car, as it is very well connected with the Autobahn system. The nearest Autobahns are A14 (North, Northeast), A9 (West) and A38 (South).
I will have a car in Leipzig, where can I park?
Most
of the city of Leipzig is a designated low-emission zone (Umweltzone).
Cars operating within city limits must comply with strict emission standards
and have a special green sticker (Feinstaubplakette). If you enter the
city without the sticker, or with a yellow or red sticker, you risk being
fined.
Leipzig
suffers from the same traffic problems as all cities of its size. Access to the
city center is restricted, so don`t plan to go anywhere inside the inner ring
of main streets. If you would still like to use a car within the city, be prepared to
pay a fee for parking around the center. Car parks are available at
Hauptbahnhof, Augustusplatz, Burgplatz, and several other locations. A parking
guidance system is installed on the main streets. Around the inner ring, signs
point you to the different car parks and display the current number of unused
parking spots. Signs are color-coded, each color representing a car park
location. Since the city center is pretty compact, for most purposes it won`t
matter much where you leave your car. When you visit the Gewandhaus or the
opera, the car park underneath Augustusplatz is the most convenient option with
exits to both buildings.
Watch
for the trams when making turns. At marked tram stops, if the driving lane
is to the right of the track, you have to wait behind a stopping tram and let
passengers get on and off. After everyone is off the street, you may pass
slowly.
The city center is easily explored on foot, ringed by long-gone defense towers. It`s fun to just walk around, taking in the city atmosphere, from classic buildings to cozy cafes to funky street mimes. But a good way to approach many-facets of Leipzig is to pick a particular area of interest to you and visit the specific sites associated with it.
How do I get around by taxi?Plenty of taxis are available. They wait for customers in various designated locations around the city. You can also wave a taxi on the street if its sign is lit up. Pubs, restaurants and hotels will be happy to do that for you if you are their customer. Taxis can be expensive, they typically start at about €3.50, and increase each kilometer at about €2.50. Expect a fare of €15-20 for a trip from the outskirts to the center or vice versa.
How do I get around Leipzig by public transportation?
Leipzig is well known for its extensive public transportation
system, with the Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe (LVB) operating the local bus and
tram network. Most
lines run every 10 minutes during the day and at least hourly at night. A
single-trip ticket costs around €2.40. A full day bus and tram ticket, valid
until 4am the next morning, costs about €6.00; a day ticket for 2 - 5 people
traveling together costs around €8.90 - €17.60. A weekly pass costs around
€21.10. After 8pm, you must enter buses through the driver`s door and
show/purchase your ticket.
The
tram network is structured like a star with a circle in the center. Tram lines
generally lead from the outskirts into the city, which they half-circle on the
ring, and continue to someplace else in the outskirts. Bus lines provide
additional direct connections that often do not touch the center.
Trains
(S-Bahn) are crossing the city center in north-south direction though the city
tunnel, connecting Hauptbahnhof and Bayerischer Bahnhof via underground
stations at Markt and at Wilhelm-Leuschner Platz. From both ends of the tunnel
lines branch off into several directions towards Leipzig suburbs like
Connewitz, Stötteritz, Thekla, fair area and Miltitzer Allee and beyond. Please
note that the city tunnel provides fast connections north - south, but is not
of great help in the east - west direction.
Tickets: LVB
is part of the regional integrated transport network MDV.
Tickets to nearby towns and cities are available at LVB ticket offices and
vending machines. They are valid for all participating means of transportation.
The fares quoted above are for MDV fare zone 110, which is more or less
identical with the city. A single-trip ticket includes transfers to other
lines. You have to complete your trip within one hour. Tickets can be purchased
at vending machines, bus drivers, one of the LVB service offices and some
tobacco, stationery, or press shops.
Stamp
your ticket after boarding the first bus or tram on your itinerary, or on the
platform when using a train. Day and week tickets are valid until 4am the next
day after their validity has ended.
Night Bus Network: Regular services operate until around midnight. A
network of Nightliner bus lines take you around at night. All Nightliner buses
start from Hauptbahnhof at 1:11am, 2:22am, and 3:33am. They service most parts
of the main tram network, but on different routes. Each line makes a loop,
returning to Hauptbahnhof at the end. Check the blue network plans at stops or
inside trams.
The city`s transportation infrastructure is fantastic, with a
traffic layout that has been specifically designed to be friendly to cyclists
making it a great way to get around the city.
Leipzig has a wide network of rivers and channels and almost
all of them have a bike track on at least one bank. Since these bike paths
often run beneath the street level, they form a bike highway system in Leipzig.
The bike paths on street level are also abundant, but slower, because of the
many street crossings. Leipzig has a bike sharing system from nextbike, an
international public bike sharing company that was actually founded in Leipzig.
Nextbike`s bicycle
rental stations in Leipzig is a co-op effort on the part of the Leipzig
Transport Authority (LVB). Many nextbike stations can be found in the vicinity
of LVB stops in Leipzig. Visit www.nextbike.de for an overview of exactly where
available rental bicycles are located.
The
city is considered to be a safe place in general. Crime levels are generally
low in Leipzig, but there is some drug-related activity in the city, much of
which is centered around the very active clubbing scene in Leipzig.
Leipzig
is even thought of as a safe place to walk at night, although visitors should
take all of the usual precautions to avoid being targeted by criminals, such as
keeping valuables out of view and not flashing valuables. 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.
The currency used in Leipzig 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, MasterCard, 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).
The climate in Leipzig is moderately continental, with
cold winters, in which the average temperature is around freezing (32 °F or 0
°C), and moderately warm summers, in which daytime temperatures hover around 75/77
°F. The hottest months are July and August with highs regularly around 85°F, rarely dropping below 61°F in the evenings.
The best time to visit Leipzig runs from mid-May
to late September. In September, the days are shorter than in the previous
months, but the weather is generally pleasant and crisp. However, even in
summer it`s better to bring some heavier clothes for cooler evenings. It may
also be useful to bring an umbrella or a raincoat, for rains and thunderstorms.
The Busiest month for tourism in Leipzig
is October, followed by September and August. Prices for hotels and flights will be
most expensive during these months, though you can save if you purchase well in
advance. Tourists are unlikely to visit Leipzig in December. Those willing to
visit at these times will likely find it the least expensive month.
German is the official language spoken in Leipzig. Hotel and restaurant staff in Leipzig 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 food/drink like?
The number of restaurants, pubs and cafés has grown substantially in
recent years. Today, Leipzig offers a wide range of international cuisine. Moreover, the city has several `pub districts` including the one
known as `Drallewatsch`, running from Brühl precinct along Fleischergasse to
the New Town Hall. Many pubs serve good plain food.
You can find a lot of pubs, bars, cafés and restaurants and also some smaller
dance clubs along the multicultural Karl-Liebknecht-Straße ("Karli").
The street starts in the south of the inner city and leads you to Südvorstadt
and Connewitz (student and alternative quarters). Many pubs, bars and cafés can
also be found on Barfußgässchen. a narrow
lane in the old town.
The
local specialties of Leipzig are Lerchen, a weet dough-wicker filled with
marzipan, cold in bakeries; Quarkkeulchen, served in traditional
restaurants as a dessert; Leipziger Allerlei, a vegetables dish; and Reformationsbrötchen,
a pastry, sold in bakeries in October prior to Reformation Day.
A local
beer specialty is Leipziger Gose, a top-fermented brew with a
characteristic, slightly sour flavor, which originated from Goslar but was hugely popular in
Leipzig during past centuries. It has however become rather rare and is only
served in a few specialized breweries and pubs nowadays. Today, most Leipzigers
prefer more mainstream Pils beers and if you just order `a
beer` you will most probably get a Pils by default.
Leipzigers are also known for their love of coffee. Coffee houses were
popular meeting places in the city as early as 1695. Zum Arabischen
Coffe Baum is the oldest surviving coffee-house and restaurant in Europe to
have been continually in operation. The coffee-house tradition is still
maintained in various historical cafés in the city and is also being revived in
newly established coffee-houses.
Nightlife
in Leipzig centers on two main areas, in addition to the always lively
university district around the Moritzbastei.
Just off the Marktplatz, the alleyways of Fleischergasse, Barfussgässchen
and Klostergasse is a block-long pedestrian street of restaurants and
sidewalk cafes where many visitors will go. For the funkier, more fun side of
Leipzig, head south from the ring road to the Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse, with
its several blocks of restaurants, cafes, and taverns serving foods and drinks
from Turkey, Spain, Mexico, Russia, Ireland, the Czech Republic, France, and
yes, even Germany. During the daytime, this is a lively arts-district
neighborhood, too, reminiscent of 1960s hippie America.
Beer Gardens (Biergarten) don`t just mean beer, it means a cozy outdoor
space to relax, drink or eat that can be found all throughout the city. Most of
the popular ones put out heaters and stay open in the winter (reduced hours).
There are lots of shops in the city center,
mostly frequented by pedestrians. Leipzig and Germany souvenirs can be found at
shops around the Old City Hall. There are many independent retailers unique to
Leipzig in Südvorstadt; with many interesting clothing stores, food places, and
cinemas.
Höfe am Brühl is a big Zentrum shopping mall near the Hauptbahnhof. It
opened in late 2012 and is probably Leipzig`s trendiest shopping center. Some
call it the `tin can` because of its metal facade at one end. There`s a broad
mix of fashion, electronics, health and beauty, necessities, services and
restaurants.
Nova Eventis is a big box out-of-town outlet mall
experience. Here shoppers will find 200 plus shops to choose from. There is a
Promenaden shopping center located in the Hauptbahnhof (open on Sundays) which
is a great place to shop and eat, as well as grocery stores on the basement
level.
Alte Messe (`old fair`) is an area in Zentrum-Südost with a fascinating
100-year history undergoing transformation. The new Leipzig Messe was opened in
1996 and this former site went into disrepair. During the GDR era the Alte
Messe hosted trade and cultural exhibitions with former Communism allies as
well as Western countries. Today you`ll find Soccer World, automobile dealers,
big box furniture stores, Lucky Bike and a large HIT supermarket.
Marktplatz markets located in front of the old Town Hall in the Zentrum
sits right above the S-Bahn Marktplatz underground station. This is
a great market held here on (most) Saturdays. The market always has fresh
produce, flowers, fresh bread, fish and handicrafts. There are also special
themes on some of the weeks. From late November the square is taken over by the
Leipzig Christmas Market.
Paunsdorf Center (P.C.) is a huge modern suburban shopping mall with just
about every kind of shop imaginable. There`s nothing particularly noteworthy
but if you want to shop at a giant Kaufland (like a Walmart), eat at a big food
court and get your fix of generic consumerism then this is a good destination.
Very big, very comprehensive, very suburban, with loads of free parking.
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.
The LEIPZIG CARD can be purchased at the
LVB ticket offices, at tourist information, or online. In addition to free unlimited
public transportation, the LEIPZIG CARD offers discounts at a number of tourist
attractions. The LEIPZIG CARD is available in three versions:
-Day ticket (valid for
one person) costs about €8.90
-3-day ticket (valid for
one person) costs about €18.50
-3-day group ticket
(valid for two adults and up to 3 children under 14) costs about €34.00
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.
University Hospital Leipzig: Liebigstraße
20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany, Tel. +49 341 97109
St. Elisabeth-Krankenhaus Leipzig: Biedermannstraße
84, 04277 Leipzig, Germany, Tel. +49 341 39590