Transportation

Public Transport

Public Transport in Karlsruhe and its immediate surroundings is organized by the “Karlsruher Verkehrsverbund” (KVV). The area it covers can be found here and here. Students at KIT can print out a piece of paper called “KVV-Bescheinigung” which – in combination with their KIT-Card – allows them to use public transport in this area for free on weekends and public holidays as well as after 6 p.m. on working days. Please note that you need both the paper and your KIT-card to make use of this option.

If you want to use public transport outside these times, you can get a semester ticket for students, currently (2022) at a price of 168,90€.

Good-to-know:

  • Long-Distance trains (IC/EC/ICE) are never included in the student  ticket or any other season ticket or day ticket, even if the whole passage is inside the area. 
  • The airport “Baden Airpark” does lie within the KVV area and is therefore reachable with a KVV ticket. 
  • Nearby town worth visiting like Heidelberg, Freiburg, Stuttgart or Konstanz are not inside the KVV area. For visiting them, especially if you are a group, it is recommended  to check out the Baden-Württemberg-Ticket

The "Deutschlandticket" is a monthly pass for public local and regional transport in Germany. For 49 euros per month, you can use all modes of local and regional transport without restrictions. This includes buses, trams, subways, suburban trains (S-Bahn), and regional trains (RB, RE) throughout Germany.

  • Price: €49 per month
  • Duration: Renews automatically on a monthly basis.
  • Access: Available digitally via the Bahn app or as a printable PDF. The PDF must be printed for use.
  • Cancellation: Must be canceled by the 10th of the month to stop the renewal for the next month.

The ticket is provided digitally. During a ticket inspection, show the digital ticket or the printed PDF along with a valid form of ID. For more information and to purchase the Deutschlandticket, visit the official Deutsche Bahn website.

Getting a bike

The number one transportation mode to get around the city for students in Germany is the bicycle. This is especially true for Karlsruhe with its manageable size and flat terrain. 

  • Another option is to go to an auction sale offered by the city of Karlsruhe. More information and further dates are available here. 

There is a student group at KIT centered around helping students with their bikes. They organize regular possibilities on campus, where they bring tools and help you repairing your own bicycle. 

Please note! According to German law your bicycle must be equipped with two brakes, a bell, a white light in front and a red light at the back. If something is missing and you get stopped by police you will most probably get fined.

Another option is to rent a bicycle. As a KIT student, you can use a special deal with nextbike, where – after your registration – the first 30 minutes of using one of their bikes are free (afterwards 50 cents per 30 minutes). The bikes are called Fächerrad and are distributed in renting stations all over the city.