A Day Trip to the North Sea

With your semester ticket, you can reach several destinations on the North Sea. A short train ride first takes you to Bremerhaven. You will find several museums, a zoo, and other attractions directly on the waterfront. From there it is also not far to the city center of Bremerhaven. You can enjoy its maritime flair and fresh fish dishes at the fishing port.

For beautiful walks on the beach or through the mudflats, a visit to the North Sea spa town Cuxhaven is also worthwhile. In addition to cockles and sandworms, you will also find sights such as the “Alte Liebe” – an 18th-century ship jetty and breakwater with its white guardrail, making a nice place for photos. From there you also have a great view of the sea. The old wind indicator from the 19th century is also located there and rounds off the romantic atmosphere.

The semester ticket also takes you directly from Bremen to Norddeich Mole. From the train you can immediately cross over to the ferries that take you to the North Sea islands of Juist and Norderney. The ferry trip is not included in your ticket, but getting to and from the ferry terminal with the semester ticket makes the trip a little cheaper.

Hiking in the Harz

Instead of going to the coast, your semester ticket can also take you to the mountainous Harz region. The Brocken peak is the highest point in the otherwise flat landscape of northern Germany. The trip to Bad Harzburg is included. Once there, you can walk through the treetops on a special hiking trail or get a taste of the mountain air on the Burgberg with the help of a historic cable car.

Still looking for more? The Harz region is full of rewarding destinations: whether hiking through nature, exploring castles and fortresses, or visiting caves and mines, you’re sure to get into a holiday mood here. From Bad Harzburg you can either continue on foot along the many hiking trails or take public transportation, which is, however, not included in the semester ticket.

For a Short City Getaway: Hamburg

Concerts, shopping, excursions – Hamburg has a lot to offer. In one hour and ten minutes, the Metronom will take you from Bremen’s main train station directly to the city of Hamburg. It’s worth it even for a short day trip.

The Schanzenviertel is considered one of Hamburg’s trendiest areas, with its small shops, bars and restaurants, and the “Schanzen” flee market. Other top attractions include the historic Speicherstadt district and the newly built Elbphilharmonie, where visitors can go up to the viewing platform without a concert ticket.

To Amsterdam on a Shoestring

The semester ticket will take you across the Dutch border to Hengelo. Admittedly, it’s not a big city. But in addition to several museums, the city is famous for its street art. You can reach Hengelo in just under three and a half hours. With an additional ticket, you can travel from there to Amsterdam in just under two hours.

Here’s a tip: If you want to travel cheaply to Groningen (another popular destination), use your semester ticket from Bremen to Weener, located just before the Dutch border. From there, all you need is a ticket for the approximately one-hour onward journey to Groningen.

Explore Lübeck Bay

Marzipan, a beautiful historic town, and the proximity to the Baltic coast await you in the Hanseatic city of Lübeck. With the semester ticket, however, you have to travel the route via Lüneburg; the ticket is unfortunately not valid on the direct route between Hamburg and Lübeck. But you will be rewarded with a great excursion destination.

From Lübeck you can reach – again with an additional ticket – the nearby holiday resort towns of Niendorf (Ostsee), Timmendorfer Strand, Scharbeutz, and, of course, Travemünde. Sandy beaches, boat trips, and beautiful cliffs await you. By the way, some ferries depart from Travemünde to Scandinavia – they leave from the appropriately named Skandinavienkai.

How Long Does It Take to Get to …?

Here is an overview of the travel time to some destinations (for informational purposes only; not guaranteed times):

• Bremerhaven: Approx. 35–45 minutes
• Cuxhaven: Approx. 1.5 hours
• Norddeich Mole: Approx. 2 hours 25 minutes
• Bad Harzburg: Approx. 2 hours 50 minutes
• Hamburg: Approx. 1 hour
• Amsterdam: Approx. 6.5 hours*
• Lübeck Approx. 3 hours 20 minutes*

The travel times refer to the regional connections.

*Please note: On the way to Amsterdam, your ticket is valid as far as Hengelo. From there, you will need a connecting ticket. The semester ticket is valid to Lübeck if you take the route via Lüneburg. It is unfortunately not valid on the direct connection from Hamburg.

Where Is the University of Bremen Semester Ticket Valid?

The University of Bremen semester ticket is valid in the entire area of the Bremen-Lower Saxony transport association (VBN) – on buses, trams, and regional trains. It is not valid for IC or ICE connections. Exception: The semester ticket is valid on the IC and EC connections between Bremen Hauptbahnhof (main station) and Emden Außenhafen (Emden outer harbor station) as well as between Bremen Hauptbahnhof and Norddeich Mole.

Furthermore, the semester ticket is also valid as a “state-wide semester ticket” on local trains in Lower Saxony and Bremen, as well as in some cases beyond that. Confused? The map of the area of validity will help you.

Remember: The ticket is only valid in conjunction with official photo ID. A photo of you must also be affixed under the ticket’s plastic film. Our video shows you how to do that:

What About the Deutschland-Ticket?

You can upgrade your semester ticket to a ticket for all of Germany. That means you do not need to purchase the so-called “D-Ticket” separately and thereby pay for the overlap in services twice. Instead, you can extend your semester ticket by paying the difference (currently 17.30 euros per month) between the semester ticket and the D-Ticket. Please note the deadlines – the D-Ticket is purchased as a subscription, but you are allowed to cancel on a monthly basis. The AStA website provides information on how the upgrade works within the app of the Bremen-Lower Saxony transport association (VBN). The D-Ticket is valid on buses and trains in local and regional transportation in all of Germany.

Who Is Responsible for the Semester Ticket?

The semester ticket is negotiated by the students’ union (AStA – Allgemeiner Studierendenausschuss) and the Bremen-Lower Saxony transport association (VBN). The ticket works according to the principle of solidarity: everyone pays the same amount, regardless of usage. The AStA informs about exceptions. You can see the semester ticket’s share of the semester fee on our website.

AStA (students’ union) is a member of the Verkehrs-Landesastenkonferenz (VLAK) Lower Saxony. This is where the “Landesweites Semesterticket” (“state-wide semester ticket”) project was initiated. This allows the semester ticket to be valid in a larger area. The state-wide ticket was introduced for the 2018/19 winter semester. Details can be found on the VBN website and on the “state-wide semester ticket” project website.

Further Information:

Semester ticket website of the University of Bremen students’ union (AStA)

Information about the semester ticket can be found on the VBN website

The “state-wide semester ticket” project