An Easier Way to Travel
As we just got here a week ago my friends and I have been dealing with adjustments that come with being in a new country. From things like the time change, a new schedule, a new home, and navigating a new country with a different language, there’s been plenty to adapt to. Whether it’s walking around the city or planning specific trips to places far away, we’ve become accustomed to new ways to travel. This past weekend we finally made it out of Bonn to Cologne and were shocked how easy it was to live without a car here.
Travel Made Easy
As we explore Bonn and the surrounding area as well as look to plan trips whether they’re closer like Bonn or further away like a ski weekend in the Alps, the public transit makes travel a breeze. Back home in the U.S. I remember being a freshman with no car on campus feeling like even just going somewhere further than a half an hour walk was impossible. The public transit was quite weak and I would constantly wish I had my car. I was expecting some of that to still ring true in Germany but the fact is I haven’t missed it at all. No matter what your final destination is, it’s so easy to get from point A to B. Even when we went to Cologne which is about 30 minutes to an hour by train we were able to get there and back with little to no planning done beforehand. The Journal of Transport Geography states “Germany and the USA have among the highest motorization rates in the world. Yet Germans make a four times higher share of trips by foot, bike, and public transport” (Buehler, Ralph. 2011). It’s really no wonder that the Germans have such higher trips by alternate means as the infrastructure supports it so well.
Travel Headaches
The apps surrounding the various forms of transport make life easy for those who don’t speak German as well. It’s surprisingly easy to check what trains or buses go where and when. On the rare occasions that the train is running on longer intervals than usual and you have to wait for 45 minutes, the pedestrian infrastructure is so strong it’s not an issue. The cities are so walkable and you can always find a nice plaza or place to walk while you kill time. The city of Bonn seems to be designed for pedestrians first, not cars, so it feels completely natural. Additionally the cost of a public transit pass is quite cheap. For the price of 58 euros a month you can buy a pass for all public transit in Germany and unlimited travel (Deutschland-Ticket. 2025). I’m sure it’s going to be one of the things I miss the most going back to the U.S. but I’ll be sure to take advantage of it as much as I can in my time here.
-Ryan Clark
Buehler, Ralph. “Determinants of transport mode choice: a comparison of Germany and the USA.” Journal of Transport Geography 19, no. 4 (2011), 644-657. doi:10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2010.07.005.
“Deutschland-Ticket.” Cheap Train Tickets | Timetables for Germany & Europe – Deutsche Bahn. Accessed January 28, 2025. https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket.
