Freiburg im Breisgau Transportation

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Hoellentalbahn is the ordinary train-connection from Freiburg im Breisgau to Titisee, and it is running over various viaducts and through long tunnels uphill. This trainline dates back to 1884 and was a masterpiece of the engeneers of that time. Get a seat at the window and try to see the most spectacular views during the train-ride !
Hoellentalbahn is part of the ordinary train-system of Germany, so it is also included in Eurail, Interrail and similar prepaid tickets.
Click on my link below in order to see the timetable and more details of this great local trainline !
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Many hotels offer a free KONUS-Gästekarte for their guests
it entitlesyou for free rides of trains and buses of the area !

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The tram system in Freiburg is excellent. You never have to wait very long no matter where you are going. Buy your ticket out of the machine on board. Be careful to watch for traffic when you get off. 2.10 euro will get you all around the city.

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Car-trafic is restricted to a few local cars in the very centre of Freiburg im Breisgau, so it is best to leave your car at one of the many car-parkings outside of the old towngates.
If you have to drive through the old part of Freiburg, be careful, NOT to drive into the Baechle, you will hardly get out again without help, even though they are just 10-20 cm deep !!!
You can click here for a city-map of Freiburg
and on the right of that map, you can zoom the size of that map, in order to be able to read the roadnames more clearly and see more details.

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Hoellental is the scenic mountain-road taking you from Freiburg im Breisgau to Titisee, Hinterzarten and other places of interest in Black Forest. The road has plenty of hairpin-bends and mostly it is just one single track in each direction, so you have to be patient, when driving behind one of the many trucks, that have to drive there as well.
The only stop with a large parking, a restaurant, toilets and even a hotel is Hofgut Sternen in Breitnau. It might also be a place to park at night with your motorhome.

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Biking is a good option for the Freiburg im Breisgau, you simply have to be carefull, not to fall into one of the many "Baechle" , the tiny waterways that will be found at most streets in the centre of Freiburg, they are mostly around 30 cm wide and just 10 cm deep. There are small bridges at some places, and when-ever there is a street-crossing, the "Baechle" might disappear at all under the street and be back after after 10 meters or so, you simply have to watch out for them, while biking, otherwise you might get in trouble. Falling in is not the biggest problem, you might stumble or fall...
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click here for guided biking-tours in Freiburg

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Freiburg is on the main railway line between Frankfurt and Basel, so it is well served by InterCityExpress (ICE) trains going north and south. The journey from Frankfurt to Freiburg takes just over two hours, with stops at Mannheim, Karlsruhe and Offenburg.

On weekends and holidays the trains can get quite full, so it's worth the slight extra fee (EUR 1.50 if you book online) to get a seat reservation. Otherwise you might have to sit on the floor as these folks in the first photo are doing.

Second photo: This train from Zürich and Basel has just arrived at platform 1 of the Freiburg main station. The train is in two halves, both of which will go to Cologne, and from there the second half will continue on to Amsterdam.

Third photo: People boarding the ICE train.

Fourth photo: In a second-class coach of an ICE train going from Freiburg to Frankfurt, and then on to Berlin.

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Freiburg has a new railway station which has been built in several stages over the past decade or so. The last construction phase began in 2001.

Second photo: Looking down at the station from the bridge where the trams all stop.

Third photo: Inside the station.

Fourth photo: By the time you read this, these left luggage machines might be everywhere. But the main station in Freiburg was the first place I saw one, so I had to try it out and take a picture of it.

Instead of finding an empty locker, if there is one, and hoping it is big enough for your luggage, you simply insert four euros (double the old locker price!) into one of these machines, take out the card with the magnetic stripe and wait for the door to open. Then insert your luggage, and it disappears. To get it back, insert the card again and wait 30 to 40 seconds till the door opens, and there's your luggage.

I'm not sure how it works, but the actual storage must take place in the basement, because the machines take up hardly any space on the ground floor.

Freiburg has an excellent system of four tram lines and twenty-one bus lines serving all parts of the city and the surrounding countryside.

As a cyclist I haven't had any occasion to try them, but I'm told the trams and buses are comfortable and reasonably priced, and they certainly run very often.

The local transport authority says the number of passengers has doubled in the past fifteen years.