"Public Transport" Top 5 Page for this destination Public Transport Tip by antistar

For a city of its size Stuttgart has an excellent transport system, comprising of an underground, trams, regional trains, and buses. All of these operate under the auspices of the VVS, and you can switch between any of them with the same ticket. Tickets are available for short trips (Einzelfahrschein) to day tickets and longer. The best value of all for any tourist, though, is the StuttCard. These come in various forms, from ones including all areas of the city and discounts on attractions, to a basic transport only option covering the central areas only, but they all last for three days. For 8.40 the basic central version covers pretty much everything but Esslingen. You can buy these from the tourist office opposite the Hauptbahnhoff, at the bottom end of Konigstrasse.

All tickets must be validated before use. Although I never got stopped by anyone checking my tickets once, not validating your ticket carries a heavy fine. On the StuttCard, the rules regarding ticket validation are clearly written in English, so claiming ignorance as a tourist will not likely save you. The tickets are valid for three calendar days from the date that you first stamp them, rather than 76 hours. The first time you stamp it counts as a complete day, so if that is late at night, you will lose a lot of its value.

If you arrive late, then, you may want to just buy a single Einzelfahrschein until the next day. These can be purchased, along with longer tickets, from automatic machines dotted around the stations. These machines will automatically work out the cost of your ticket. Just type in the three digit code of the destination you want to reach, and hit the type of ticket you need (left hand side is adult, right hand side is children). The price will show on the screen, and you must enter the money to receive the ticket. It gives change. If you buy your ticket from one of the automatic machines, you can usually validate your ticket there and then at the same time.

Mode: AROUND
Type: Subway/Metro
Website: http://www.vvs.de/en/index.php