Leipzig Transportation

Getting There:

By Air:

The Leipzig/Halle Airport ( +49 0341 224 1155/ http://www.leipzig-halle-airport.de ) is located 18 km northwest of Leipzig. The Airport provides service to and from several domestic and international destinations from airlines including:

Air Berlin (+45 30 41 47 75 10 / http://www.airberlin.com)

Air France (http://www.airfrance.com)

Air Malta (http://www.airmalta.com)

Austrian Air (http://www.aua.com)

British Midland (http://www.iflybritishmidland.com)

Cirrus (http://www.cirrus-airlines.de)

Condor (http://www.condor.com)

Cyprus Airways (http://www.cyprusair.com.cy)

European Air Express (http://www.eae.aero)

Eurowings (http://www.eurowings.de)

Germanwings (+44 870 252 12 50 / http://www1.germanwings.com)

Hapag-Lloyd Express (+1 80 509 3 509 / http://www.hlx.com)

Hapag Lloyd Flug (http://www.hlf.de)

KLM Royal Dutch (http://www.klm.com)

KLM UK (http://www.klmuk.com)

Lufthansa (http://www.lufthansa.de)

Scandinavian Airlines (http://www.sas.se)

Spanair (http://www.spanair.es)

Sun Express (+6107 939 280 / http://www.sunexpress.tr/)

Transavia Airlines (http://www.transavia.nl)

Tyrolean Air (http://www.tyrolean.at)

United Airlines (http://www.ual.com)

The Leipzig/Halle Airport is directly linked to the main railway station in Leipzig's city cent re by the Airport Express. Trains run every 30 minutes and the trip is quick and convenient. Intercity trains also stop at the airport station every hour.

Taxis are located in front of Terminal B and the trip via car to Leipzig main station is about 30 minutes.

Rental Car companies at the Leipzig/Halle Airport include:

Avis (http://www.avis.de)

Budget (http://www.budget.de)

Europcar (http://www.europcar.de)

Hertz (http://www.hertz.de)

National (http://www.nationalcar.de)

Sixt (http://www.sixt.de)

By Train:

InterCity and InterCity Express trains access Leipzig Central Railway Station (Hauptbahnhof) in the city center from several major European cities.

Rail passes: If your visit to Leipzig is only part of a larger trip, it may be cheaper to buy a rail pass than point-to-point tickets. For non-European citizens, there are a range of passes available, depending on whether you are visiting only Germany or other countries in Europe as well. Information about the different passes and train travel in Europe can be found at http://www.europrail.net. Europeans can buy an Interrail pass instead - it is cheaper to buy one in your own country, so call your local train station for more information.

By Bus:

Eurolines (http://www.eurolines.com) is the popular bus service that runs throughout much of Europe with regular stops in numerous German cities including Leipzig. By Car:

Approach Leipzig via the A9 autobahn (Berlin-Nuremberg) or the A14 (Halle-Dresden). The A38 and Federal Highways B2, B6, B87, B95, B181 and B184 all pass through or run along Leipzig.

Getting Around:

Leipzig has several affordable and convenient public transportation options. LVB (http://www.lvb.de) is one of the largest local transport companies in Germany and provides tram and bus service throughout the city and surrounding areas. The company also offers city tours.

Taxis, car and bicycle rentals are available at the Leipzig Central Railway Station.

Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Plane -- The Leipzig-Halle International Airport lies 11km (7 miles) northwest of the city center. About 50 airlines link Leipzig with major German cities, such as Munich and Frankfurt, and also some Continental destinations. For airport information, call tel. 0341/2241155 (www.leipzig-halle-airport.de). A train called the Airport Express runs from the airport to the Hauptbahnhof every 30 minutes from 5am to midnight. The fare costs 5€ ($8) for adults and 3.50€ ($5.60) for children. Taxis are also available, meeting all arriving planes, but the 25- to 30-minute ride to the city center will cost around 30€ ($48) each way for up to four passengers.

By Train -- The Leipzig Hauptbahnhof, Willy-Brandt-Platz, lies on the major Deutsche Bundesbahn rail line, with frequent connections to German cities. Seventeen trains arrive daily from Berlin (trip time: 1 hr., 40 min., to 2 hr., 50 min.); 23 trains from Dresden (1 hr., 35 min., to 2 hr.); and 15 trains from Frankfurt (3-4 hr.). For information and schedules, call tel. 01805/996633. The Hauptbahnhof has recently been restored and contains many cafes, shops, and restaurants; it's one of the most happening places in Leipzig.

By Bus -- Long-distance bus service to such cities as Berlin is provided by Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe. Buses depart from the east side of the main rail station. For information and schedules, call tel. 0341/19449.

By Car -- Access is via the Halle-Dresden Autobahn east and west or the E51 Autobahn north and south.

Visitor Information

Contact the Tourist-Information office at Richard Wagner Strasse 1 (tel. 0341/7104265; www.leipzig.de), Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 4pm. The office can supply a map pinpointing the major sights. This place becomes a beehive of activity at the time of the annual trade fairs.

Special Events

Upon arrival, be sure to drop in at the tourist office and see if any festivals are taking place. For a week every year, in October, for example, during the Leipziger Jazztages, the churches, student clubs, and opera house fill with jazz music.

Getting Around

A public transit system of trams, light railways, and buses provides frequent service to all parts of the city. An S-Bahn (light railway) serves the suburbs, arriving and leaving from the Hauptbahnhof in the center of Leipzig.