Latest news with #Intercity
The Star
a day ago
- Business
- The Star
5 affordable train trips in Germany with top views and experiences
In Germany, a country with one of the world's most extensive public transportation systems, travelling has gotten a whole lot simpler. That's thanks to the Deutschland-Ticket, or Germany-Ticket, a new type of (almost) all-inclusive travel pass. Priced at €58 (RM278) for a month of travel, it lets you criss-cross the country using Germany's vast network of regional trains. You don't even need to organise tickets for your journeys; you can just show up at the train station and board. (The faster, longer-distance trains, like the Intercity or InterCity Express, are not included in the pass). Once you've arrived at your destination, the Deutschland-Ticket lets you bypass the byzantine local German transportation ticketing systems that can stymie even locals. Instead, no matter where you are, you can hop on any type of local public transportation, from buses to trams to underground systems, 19th-century steam locomotives and ferries. Since its introduction in 2023, the Deutschland-Ticket has sparked something of a post- pandemic renaissance in local travel. A raft of Deutschland-Ticket-themed travel books and websites have appeared, as cardholders use the opportunity to explore corners of the country using climate-friendly transportation, at a fixed price. 'This ticket is an innovation,' said Allister Loder, professor of mobility policy at the Technical University Munich in Germany. 'It changes how we use public transportation.' Especially beloved by retirees, families and students, the Deutschland-Ticket is also great for tourists. You can book your monthly pass from abroad, using an app. Just be sure to cancel it before it renews. Here are some of the most scenic trips you can take with the Deutschland-Ticket: Konstanz is beautiful in all seasons. Stuttgart to Konstanz Regine Heue, author of On The Road With The Deutschland-Ticket guide, loved all the early 40 trips she took to write it. But if she had to pick one, it might be travelling from Stuttgart, home of the Mercedes-Benz Museum, to the beautiful medieval city of Konstanz, on the shores of Lake Constance. After a ride along the stunning clear blue lake, you can stop in Konstanz to admire the Alpine scenery that forms the city's backdrop, eat, drink or go shopping. Or you can keep going – via bus to the wine town of Meersburg; to Friedrichshafen, home of the Zeppelin; or to the garden island of Mainau, with its 150-year-old arboretum. If you plan to travel around Germany for an extended period, get the Deutschland-Ticket to ride the trains instead of taking the bus or driving. From Cologne, along the Rhine and Moselle rivers Starting from Cologne, with its magnificent Gothic cathedral and carnival spirit, you can catch a train that winds along the bank of the Rhine River, toward Mainz. Described by Germany's Stern Magazine as 'perhaps the most beautiful and romantic rail route in the country', the trip takes you through the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a Unesco World Heritage site, past castles, forests, vineyards and the famous Loreley cliff. Alternatively, if you change trains in Koblenz, where the Rhine meets the Moselle, you can head toward Trier, Germany's oldest city. This route follows the Moselle, with plenty of opportunities to disembark for wine tastings at one of the area's many vineyards. (One good place to stop: the town of Bernkastel-Kues). Sylt is Germany's northernmost island. Hamburg to Sylt, through the mud flats There may be no better way to see the Hanseatic port city of Hamburg than from the water – and with the Deutschland-Ticket you can ride the city's ferry system at no extra cost, disembarking at places like the famous Fischmarkt, or fish market. Once you've experienced Hamburg from the water, you can hop on the regional train to Germany's northernmost island of Sylt. This train travels through the spectacular natural landscape of North Frisia, with its large, Unesco-protected intertidal sand and mud flats known as the Wadden Sea. For a surreally beautiful stretch, the train travels along an embankment right through the sea. On arrival in Sylt, travellers can use the local bus to get around, rent bikes (not included in the Deutschland-Ticket) or just walk to the beach. Don't miss the region's famous fischbrotchen, or fish rolls. The historic town of Zittau is not (yet) on many travellers' list of places to visit in Germany. Berlin to Zittau, into the mountains Klaus Scheddel, author of the guidebook With The Deutschland-Ticket From Berlin, travelled 32 routes from the German capital to write his eco-friendly travel guide. But the Deutschland-Ticket discovery that most delighted the long-time Berliner was a trip to the charming, largely undiscovered historic city of Zittau, about three hours to the south, near the Czech and Polish borders. The city is nestled at the foot of the Zittau mountains, which are remarkable for their striking sandstone rock formations, named for the forms they resemble: praying nuns, a beehive, a brooding hen, a crocodile. From Zittau, you can travel into these mountains to Oybin on a small-gauge steam train that dates from the 19th century. Part of the public transportation system, this train requires additional payment of an 'historical surcharge' of €10 (RM48) per person, per day. Munich to Fussen, and Cinderella's castle From Munich, with its beer gardens and one of the world's largest museums for science and technology, the Deutsches Museum, you can board a train to the historic city of Fussen. About a two-hour ride through the foothills of the Alps, this route brings you to an area known for its mountains, lakes and castles, and features spectacular views of the peaks of the Ammergau and Allgau Alps. In Fussen, which calls itself 'the highest town in Bavaria', you might want to stop to eat local Allgau specialties such as Kasspatzen (homemade noodles mixed with regional cheese), or the local Sissi Torte, created in honour of the Austrian empress' 19th-century visit to the city. From Fussen, a short bus ride will take you to Neuschwanstein Castle, Walt Disney's inspiration for Sleeping Beauty's castle. – SALLY MCGRANE/©2025 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Scoop
27-04-2025
- Scoop
New Bus Stops Make Life Easier For Commuters
Bus users are enjoying easier access to southern parts of the city centre after the opening of six new bus stops bays this morning. The new stops, on southern Durham Street, offer shorter walking distances to key areas such as Elizabeth Street and the lower avenues. They are replacing temporary bus stops one block to the north, also on Durham Street. These will be removed by the end of next month. Tauranga City Council's city centre infrastructure lead, Shawn Geard, says the new bus stops are part of a strategy to reduce walking times for people wanting to use public transport. 'We want to give people more choice when travelling to and from our city centre,' he says. 'Research shows that people are more likely to choose buses if they are within easy walking distance of their destination. 'These new stops are close to a wide range of retail and hospitality businesses in the southern city centre, as well as the University of Waikato.' Te Papa Ward councillor Rod Taylor says a lot of hard work went into creating the new bus stops for commuters and visitors to our city centre. "Making it easier to people to come into town helps to spur growth and make our city centre more appealing, he says. The new bus stops are notable for their low-impact shelters, which are specially designed for the narrow street. They provide weather protection alongside easy access to shops and businesses. The new stops join other eight other bus stops spread across the city centre – on Harington Street, Hamilton Street, Dive Crescent and near Baycourt. Collectively, they provide public transport within a few minutes' walk of most parts of the city centre. Later this year, Tauranga City Council will move the Intercity bus stop from its current Dive Crescent location to Elizabeth Street so it's closer to the new bus stops and people can transfer between services more easily. Bay of Plenty Regional Council runs the city's bus network, while Tauranga City Council owns infrastructure such as bus stops, bus shelters, bench seats and bus lanes. The two councils work together to coordinate this system. The new bus stops join many other initiatives aimed at making Tauranga city centre a great place to live, learn, work and play. You can find out more about: the new bus stops at Baybus route changes at the Tauranga city centre transformation in the City Centre Action and Investment Plan 2022-32.
Otago Daily Times
25-04-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Flying in the face of fairness
There is little choice if ever you want or need to travel out of the South in something other than a private vehicle. There are no passenger trains, high-speed or otherwise, and just a couple of Intercity coaches a day trundling north up the east coast. You could always fly, of course. That's if your pockets are very deep, or if someone else is prepared to pay, or you have the foresight to book your trip a year or so in advance. But you have very little choice of who to book with other than Air New Zealand, although Jetstar offers flights to Auckland from Dunedin and Queenstown. Claims of extortionate pricing on Air NZ flights connecting the hundreds of thousands who live in Otago and Southland with the rest of the country have been swelling in recent days after Tauranga man Scott Koster filed a complaint with the Commerce Commission about sky-high fares. Otago Daily Times readers have since shared their anxieties about having to pay Air NZ return fares approaching $1000 to fly to the top of the South Island or across Cook Strait. Others say they have eschewed travelling at all for family or work events because they cannot afford the prices. At the moment, our national airline is not winning any friends and appears not to care much about that, or to be doing anything to remedy the situation. Unfortunately, the strong, enduring and proud reputation of Air NZ is at risk from this seemingly worsening bad publicity over ridiculously high fares, which could also see you paying more than several hundred dollars each way just to fly to Christchurch. Occasionally, an issue really resonates with the public and the Letters to the Editor page heats up with debate. This is one such topic. Thursday's cartoon by Shaun Yeo says it all as far as most southerners are concerned, with dollar notes dripping out the back of the koru on the tail of an ATR. Depending on which figures you use, Dunedin remains about the sixth or seventh-largest city in the country. Yet, Air NZ, presumably for reasons of its own convenience, insists on defining it as a regional centre. Most complaints about expensive flights are met with the response that the best way to avoid paying so much is to book earlier. It's not as if Air NZ is unaware of how much of a monopoly it holds and how few choices there are for Kiwi travellers, especially in the South. In a recent New Zealand Listener article, Air NZ's senior sustainability manager Jacob Snelgrove said 60% of domestic flights were under 350km in length. He acknowledged aviation was a public asset, with the country in the top five of OECD nations for flights per capita per year, due to a lack of high-speed trains and regional motorway networks. Air NZ is quick to discount claims it is price gouging. As Ian Richardson's deliciously wicked Francis Urquhart in the House of Cards would have said: ''You might very well think that; I couldn't possibly comment.'' It is not often we find ourselves agreeing with Regional Development Minister Shane Jones, but in these rocketing airfares he has a real case to pursue when it comes to protecting regional New Zealand. He has also expressed concern that the airline's mana is slipping. We acknowledge there are definite pressures on Air NZ from events beyond its control which are naturally going to lift prices. We also recognise that higher airfares may be one way to signal that, in a warming world, the cost of emissions should keep rising. However, with Air NZ expecting to make about $20 million from unused travel credits dating back to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, why couldn't the airline use that windfall to partially subsidise cheaper regional flights? It's way past time for Air NZ to stop its glib responses. The airline needs to get on board with the fact that, as our national carrier and in its privileged position acting as a monopoly on most routes, it has ethical as well as financial obligations to Kiwis. That may mean community service sits at the front of the plane and profits need to go a little further down the back.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ukrainian soldier apologises for muddy boots on train; railway responds with touching message
Oleh Mahdych, a crew commander from the Hospitallers medical volunteer battalion, has apologised to Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) after boarding a clean Intercity train with muddy combat boots while returning from the frontline. Source: Details: "These are the feet of a person who just a few hours ago was walking through the combat zone. And now he's riding in a clean Intercity carriage. And he feels so ashamed… Sorry, Ukrzaliznytsia," the soldier wrote, adding that he would clean his boots more carefully next time. Ukrainian Railways responded to the soldier's post in the comments, saying that his boots were a symbol of "a war that gives us peace". "You apologise? And we bow our heads. Because these boots are a symbol. They carry the imprint of the war that gives us peace. They bear the earth you protected. We don't need clean soles. We need living Heroes. And if you are on an Intercity train – it means we did our part. We brought you to peace. Even if just for a few hours, even for a day – but to peace. You don't need to thank us. We thank you. Every day. With every journey," the railway company wrote. Oleh Mahdych said the comment brought tears to his eyes. "I'm sitting here, reading your comment. Took me three minutes to get through it. Because after every sentence, I looked out the window. Hiding my tears. And then a guy from the café came up. And offered me all kinds of treats. For free. As a thank you to the soldiers. Damn... What are you doing to my nervous system," he replied. Background: Earlier, it was reported that Ukrainian Railways had created a special ticket reserve for service members and their families. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
New York Times
19-03-2025
- New York Times
5 Stunning German Train Trips at a Bargain Price
In Germany, a country with one of the world's most extensive public transportation systems, traveling has gotten a whole lot simpler. That's thanks to the Deutschland-Ticket, or Germany-Ticket, a new type of (almost) all-inclusive travel pass. Priced at just 58 euros, or about $63, for a month of travel, it lets you crisscross the country using Germany's vast network of regional trains. You don't even need to organize tickets for your journeys; you can just show up at the train station and board. (The faster, longer-distance trains, like the Intercity or InterCity Express, are not included in the pass). Once you've arrived at your destination, the Deutschland-Ticket lets you bypass the byzantine local German transportation ticketing systems that can stymie even locals. Instead, no matter where you are, you can hop on any type of local public transportation, from buses to trams to underground systems, 19th-century steam locomotives and ferries. Since its introduction in 2023, the Deutschland-Ticket has sparked something of a post-pandemic renaissance in local travel. A raft of Deutschland-Ticket-themed travel books and websites have appeared, as cardholders use the opportunity to explore corners of the country using climate-friendly transportation, at a fixed price. 'This ticket is an innovation,' said Allister Loder, professor of mobility policy at the Technical University Munich. 'It changes how we use public transportation.' Especially beloved by retirees, families and students, the Deutschland-Ticket is also great for tourists. You can book your monthly pass from abroad, using an app. Just be sure to cancel it before it renews. Here, some of the most scenic trips you can take with the Deutschland-Ticket: Stuttgart to Konstanz Regine Heue, the author of 'On the Road With the Deutschland -Ticket' guide, loved all the early 40 trips she took to write it. But if she had to pick one, it might be traveling from Stuttgart, home of the Mercedes-Benz Museum, to the beautiful medieval city of Konstanz, on the shores of Lake Constance. After a ride along the stunning clear blue lake, you can stop in Konstanz to admire the Alpine scenery that forms the city's backdrop, eat, drink or go shopping. Or you can keep going: via bus to the wine town of Meersberg; to Friedrichshafen, home of the Zeppelin; or to the garden island of Mainau, with its 150-year-old arboretum. From Cologne, along the Rhine and Moselle routes Starting from Cologne, with its magnificent Gothic cathedral and carnival spirit, you can catch a train that winds along the bank of the Rhine River, toward Mainz. Described by Germany's Stern Magazine as 'perhaps the most beautiful and romantic rail route in the country,' the trip takes you through the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site, past castles, forests, vineyards and the famous Loreley cliff. Alternatively, if you change trains in Koblenz, where the Rhine meets the Moselle, you can head toward Trier, Germany's oldest city. This route follows the Moselle, with plenty of opportunities to disembark for wine tastings at one of the area's many vineyards. (One good place to stop: the town of Bernkastel-Kues). Hamburg to Sylt, through the mud flats There may be no better way to see the Hanseatic port city of Hamburg than from the water — and with the Deutschland-Ticket you can ride the city's ferry system at no extra cost, disembarking at places like the famous Fischmarkt, or fish market. Once you've experienced Hamburg from the water, you can hop on the regional train to Germany's northernmost island of Sylt. This train travels through the spectacular natural landscape of North Frisia, with its large, UNESCO-protected intertidal sand and mud flats known as the Wadden Sea. For a surreally beautiful stretch, the train travels along an embankment right through the sea. On arrival in Sylt, travelers can use the local bus to get around, rent bikes (not included in the Deutschland-Ticket) or just walk to the beach. Don't miss the region's famous Fischbrötchen, or fish sandwiches. Berlin to Zittau, into the mountains Klaus Scheddel, the author of the guidebook 'With the Deutschland-Ticket From Berlin,' traveled 32 routes from the German capital to write his eco-friendly travel guide. But the Deutschland-Ticket discovery that most delighted the longtime Berliner was a trip to the charming, largely undiscovered historic city of Zittau, labout three hours to the south, near the Czech and Polish borders. The city is nestled at the foot of the Zittau mountains, which are remarkable for their striking sandstone rock formations, named for the forms they resemble: praying nuns, a beehive, a brooding hen, a crocodile. From Zittau, you can travel into these mountains to Oybin on a small-gauge steam train that dates from the 19th century. Part of the public transportation system, this train requires additional payment of an 'historical surcharge' of 10 euros per person, per day. Munich to Füssen, and Cinderella's castle From Munich, with its beer gardens and one of the world's largest museums for science and technology, the Deutsches Museum, you can board a train to the historic city of Füssen. About a two-hour ride through the foothills of the Alps, this route brings you to an area known for its mountains, lakes and castles, and features spectacular views of the peaks of the Ammergau and Allgäu Alps. In Füssen, which calls itself 'the highest town in Bavaria,' you might want to stop to eat local Allgäu specialties such as Kässpatzen (homemade noodles mixed with regional cheese), or the local Sissi Torte, created in honor of the Austrian empress's 19th-century visit to the city. From Füssen, a short bus ride will take you to Neuschwanstein Castle, Walt Disney's inspiration for Sleeping Beauty's castle.
