Mobility
Depending on your budget and your preferences find here a comprehensive overview on how to commute in Freiburg.
Freiburg is located in the extreme south-west of Germany close to the French and Swiss borders. The Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics is situated in the northern part of Freiburg, approx. 10 minutes drive from Freiburg main station. If you are looking for a detailed overview on how to reach the Institute from abroad, please have a look at our Contact & Approach website.
If you want to use public transport, car-sharing or get a bike in Freiburg, here we present all relevant options. We hope you will find what better suits your needs.
Public transport
The company VAG Freiburg covers the whole city with trams and buses. Shortly after your arrival you will likely rely on public transport. You can download the Route map of Freiburg in high resolution here
At the moment, you can buy following tickets:
- Single ticket, valid one-way, 1h maximum: € 2.50
- 2x4-journey ticket, e.g. 8 single tickets: € 18.00
- Regio24, valid for 24 hours: € 7.00
Monthly tickets:
- RegioKarte Basis, only valid for yourself, starts on the 1st day of the month: € 60.50,-
- RegioKarte Übertragbar, anybody with the card can use it, not personalized, valid from the day of purchase for 30 days and on Sundays, as well as public holidays, you can travel another adult and up to four children at no extra costs: € 66,- (also available as a subscription service with a littlediscount: € 56,-
Single tickets can be purchased from a machine in the tram/bus or from the driver. The other tickets can be bought at ticket machines or in the VAG shop at Bertoldsbrunnen and in corner shops. Search for points of ticket sale here: www.rvf.de (go to: Fahrkarten & Tarife » Fahrkarten kaufen » Verkaufsstellen & Automaten)
There is also the VAG app for smartphones (iOS & Android). It gives access to schedules, routes, route maps, and even allows for mobile ticket purchases (bank account, VISA card, Master card, AMEX card needed). Here, the only catch is that your phone must have enough battery life for the duration of your trip to prove you purchased a ticket. The app is available in English.
Tip: The RegioKarte covers travels with bus, tram, regional trains in the zones A, B, C – a quite extended area of the region (including Breisach, Titisee, Schluchsee, Staufen etc).
IMPORTANT: If you do not have a valid ticket with you during one of the frequent ticket checks, you will be required to pay a € 60,- fine.
Bike
Using a bicycle for individual mobility is very common in Freiburg. At the Institute you will find roofed bike racks and many streets in Freiburg have bike paths, which makes biking the easiest and a very convenient way to get around in the city.
You might get the cheapest second hand bikes at a flea market or at many bike shops selling second hand bikes that are checked for roadworthiness (for example Bud’s Bikes near the Institute). You should invest in a good bike lock and avoid leaving your bike out on the street overnight. If you don’t want to invest in your own bike, then you can also rent one. There are quite a few bike sharing providers in Freiburg
- FREIBURGbikes
- LastenVelo (rental of cargo bikes for free).
- Swapfjets (monthly subscription for a bike from € 16.90,- /month + € 19.90,- one-off-fee)
- Frelo (cooperation between VAG & nextbike which is also vailable in 60 German cities). They cover the whole city with 400 bikes at 55 stations at reasonable price (approx. € 1,-/30min) for spontaneous trips as well as commuters
Car-sharing
There are currently two car-sharing companies in Freiburg. They vary significantly in their price structures
and services:
- Grüne Flotte (Website only in German) offers more than 250 cars at 100 car-sharing locations in the city of Freiburg and surrounding area
- Stadtmobil offers 230 cars at 130 car-sharing locations in nearly 28 communities in Freiburg and surrounding area
For both options you will have to bring the car back to it’s original parking slot/station after rental.
Car rentals
You will find several well-known car rental firms in Freiburg. Below we list their addresses.
Avis
St. Georgener Str. 7
79111 Freiburg
www.avis.de
Buchbinder
Lörracher Straße 10
79115 Freiburg
www.buchbinder.de
Europcar
Lörracher Straße 10
79115 Freiburg
www.europcar.de
Hertz
Lörracher Straße 49
79115 Freiburg
www.hertz.de
Sixt (closest to the institute)
B.-Ottenstein-Str. 4
79106 Freiburg
www.sixt.de
