Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Plane -- Hannover is served by Hannover-Langenhagen International Airport, 10km (6 miles) north of the city center. Many international airlines fly here. Flying time between Hannover and Munich is 1 hour 10 minutes; between Frankfurt and Hannover, 50 minutes. For flight information, call tel. 0511/9771899 or visit www.hannover-airport.de. Catch the S-Bahn to the Hauptbahnhof. The cost is 2.40€ ($3.10) each way. (Service is 5am-midnight, every 30 min.)

By Train -- Hannover lies at the junction of an important network of rail lines linking Scandinavia to Italy and Paris to Moscow. Some 500 trains per day pass through, with frequent connections to major German and European cities. Nineteen trains arrive daily from Berlin (trip time: 1 hr. 35 min.), 40 trains from Frankfurt (trip time: 2 hr. 21 min. or 3 hr., depending on the train), and 40 trains from Hamburg (trip time: 1 hr. 11 min.-1 hr. 30 min.). For information call tel. 01805/996633 (11861 in Germany; www.bahn.de).

By Bus -- Long-distance bus service to major German cities is offered by Deutsche Touring GmbH, Hamburger Allee 19, opposite the Hauptbahnhof (tel. 0511/329419).

By Car -- Access is via the A1 Autobahn north or south and from the A2 east and west.

Visitor Information

Contact Hannover Tourist Information, located at Ernst-August-Platz 2 (tel. 0511/12345111; www.hannover.de). Here you can reserve hotel rooms (ask about special weekend packages), book sightseeing tours, obtain general information about the city, and purchase tickets for local events as well as for trains, trams, and buses. The office is open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 2pm.

Getting Around

The local public-transport system includes commuter trains, an extensive underground network, trams, and buses operated by several companies. Service is frequent and extensive. For information and schedules, contact Grossraum-Verkehr Hannover (tel. 0511/16683000; www.gvh.de).