Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Plane -- Nürnberg Flughafen is 6km (4 miles) north of the city center. Despite its relatively small size (it's only the ninth busiest in Germany), this airport is served by 14 airlines, with flights to dozens of European destinations. These are supplemented by charter flights. For information and schedules, call tel. 0911/93700 or visit www.airport-nuernberg.de.

By Train -- The Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof lies on several major German rail lines, with frequent connections to big cities and many smaller regional towns. Travel time to Frankfurt is 2 hours; to Berlin, 6 hours; and to Munich, 2 hours. For information and schedules, call tel. 01805/996633.

By Bus -- Long-distance bus service from such cities as Munich and Frankfurt is provided by Deutsche Touring GmbH (tel. 0911/221940). Long-distance bus service from other cities within Germany is provided by, among others, Bayern Express (tel. 030/86096240). Regional service to neighboring towns within Franconia is offered by OVF Omnibusverkehr Franken GmbH, Nelson Mandela Platz 18 in Nürnberg (tel. 0911/430570). For information on these or any other bus line coming into Nürnberg (or anywhere else in Franconia), contact one of the city's largest travel agents, TUI Reise Center, Lorenzerstrasse 19 (tel. 0911/2270000).

By Boat -- The Main-Danube Canal links together the Rhine, the Main, and the Danube. For information about the canal itself, call the Hafener-Waltung Nürnberg (tel. 0911/642940). For information about riverboat tours on the canal and the rivers that feed it, contact Neptun (NPS) GmbH (tel. 0911/60046261; www.neptun-personenschifffahrt.de). Between May and September, the company offers, from Nürnberg, a daily water excursion to Forchheim, 4 hours away, each way. The cost of 20€ ($32) round-trip allows several hours for stamping around the streets of Forchheim before returning the same day to Nürnberg.

By Car -- From Munich, take the A9 Autobahn north; from Frankfurt, head southeast along the A3 Autobahn; from Berlin, take the A9 Autobahn south.

Visitor Information

Contact Tourist Information, Hauptmarkt 18 (tel. 0911/2313222), Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm and also Sunday from May to October 10am to 4pm.

Getting Around

Nürnberg has a subway system that consists of an east-west and a north-south line that intersects at the Hauptbahnhof. Depending on the distance you travel, one-way fares cost from 1.90€ to 8.40€ ($3.10-$13). A Day Ticket Solo, valid for the entire transportation network for 24 hours, costs 3.80€ ($6.10). Principal stops within Nürnberg's medieval core include Lorenzkirche and Weisser Turm. For more information, call tel. 0911/2834646. But walking between two points at opposite ends of the old town -- the Hauptbahnhof (main railway station) and the Kaiserburg (the base of the city's medieval castle) -- will take you only about 30 minutes and will lead you through the heart of the city's medieval core and past most of its historic monuments. To summon a taxi, call tel. 0911/19410.