Chapter 15

Getting Around: Planes, Trains, Taxis, and Buses

In This Chapter

Flying: Airport lingo you need to know

Driving: Reading road signs and maps

Traveling by train

Taking a bus, streetcar, subway, or taxi

Planes, trains, taxis, streetcars, buses, subways, and automobiles — you have lots of options when it comes to getting around German-speaking countries. In this chapter, we tell you what you need to know to deal with ticket agents, customs officials, car-rental staff, and public transportation personnel. We also show you how to ask the occasional bystander for help, all while keeping a cool head, smiling, and being polite.

Using German at the Airport

Most airline personnel speak several languages, so they’re usually able to assist you in English. But in case you need a little backup, this section provides you with enough vocabulary to navigate the airport with confidence and a smile.

For starters, das Flugticket/der Flugschein (dâs floohk-ti-ket/dêr floohk-shayn) is your airplane ticket. It’s probably a Rückflugticket (ruek-floohk-ti-ket) (roundtrip ticket). When you’re checking in, you also need to have die Bordkarte (dee bord-kâr-te) (boarding pass).

Getting your ticket

If you’re not able to print out your ticket and boarding pass at home before you get to the airport, you’ll need to find the appropriate airline counter. Hopefully the signs at the airport are clear enough, but just in case you’re feeling like Alice in Wonderland and don’t know which way to go, stop an employee and ask for directions to your airline’s ticket counter:

Wo ist der . . . Schalter? (voh ist dêr . . . shâl-ter?) (Where is the . . . counter?)

When you arrive at the ticket counter, just say the following to inquire about your ticket:

Ich möchte mein Ticket abholen. (iH merH-te mayn ticket [as in English] âp-hoh-len) (I would like to pick up my ticket.)

Checking in

When you’re at the check-in counter, the attendant will ask you a few questions to prepare you for boarding the plane:

Haben Sie Gepäck? (hah-ben zee ge-pêk?) (Do you have luggage?)

Wo möchten Sie sitzen, am Fenster oder am Gang? (voh merH-ten zee zits-en, âm fêns-ter oh-der âm gâng?) (Where would you like to sit, by the window or on the aisle?)

In response to the question about where you want to sit, you can respond simply am Fenster/am Gang (âm fêns-ter/âm gâng) (by a window/on the aisle), according to your preference.

You may also want to ask the following questions to get some details about the flight:

Wie lange dauert der Flug? (vee lâng-e dou-êrt dêr floohk?) (How long is the flight?)

Wann fliegt die Maschine ab? (vân fleekt dee mâ-sheen-e âp?) (When does the plane leave?)

If you’re at the airport to meet somebody who is arriving on another plane, you can ask

Wann kommt die Maschine aus . . . an? (vân komt dee mâ-sheen-e ous . . . ân?) (When does the plane from . . . arrive?)

Talkin’ the Talk

Frau Schöller is flying to Prague. At the airport she’s getting her boarding pass at the Lufthansa counter. (Track 29)
Frau Schöller:	Guten Morgen. Ich brauche eine Bordkarte. Hier ist mein Ticket. gooh-ten mor-gen. iH brauH-e ayn-e bord-kâr-te. Heer ist mayn ticket. Good morning. I need a boarding pass. Here is my ticket.
Angestellter:	Ihren Pass, bitte. eer-en pâs, bi-te. Your passport, please.
Frau Schöller hands the counter agent her passport.
Frau Schöller:	Bitte schön. bi-te shern. Here you are.
Angestellter:	Danke. Wo möchten Sie sitzen, am Fenster oder am Gang? dân-ke. voh merH-ten zee zits-en, âm fêns-ter oh-der âm gâng? Thank you. Where would you like to sit, by the window or by the aisle?
Frau Schöller:	Am Fenster, bitte. âm fêns-ter, bi-te. By the window, please.
Angestellter:	Sie haben Platz 15A, einen Fensterplatz. Hier ist Ihre Bordkarte. Haben Sie Gepäck? zee hah-ben plâts fuenf-tseyn ah, ayn-en fên-ster-plâts. heer ist eer-e bord-kâr-te. hah-ben zee ge-pêk? You have seat 15A, a window seat. Here is your boarding pass. Do you have any luggage?
Frau Schöller:	Ich habe nur Handgepäck, diese Tasche. iH hah-be noohr hând-ge-pêk, deez-e tâsh-e. I only have a carry-on, this bag.
Angestellter:	Dann können Sie direkt zum Flugsteig gehen. dân kern-en zee di-rêkt tsoom floohk-shtayk gey-en. Then you can go straight to the gate.
Frau Schöller:	Danke. dân-ke. Thank you.

Going through immigration

When you’re getting off a transatlantic flight, you’re directed straight to die Passkontrolle (dee pâs-kon-trol-e) (passport control). Make sure that you have your passport handy.

Most of the time you get to choose between two lines: One is for EU-Bürger (ey-ooh-buer-ger) (citizens of countries in the European Union) and the other is for Nicht-EU-Bürger (niHt-ey-ooh-buer-ger) (citizens of countries outside the EU, such as the U.S.). After passing through passport control, you claim your baggage and go through der Zoll (dêr tsol) (customs), where you may have to open your luggage for inspection.

Matters are more laid back when you’re traveling from one member country of die europäische Union (dee oy-roh-pey-i-she oon-ee-yohn) (the European Union) to another by car or train. With the number of member states currently at 27 — and still counting — you may find yourself crossing many internal borders of the EU without being checked. So when you drive from Germany to France, for example, you may not even notice where the border is until you suddenly discover that the signs are all in French. And you can import virtually unlimited quantities of goods bought from one EU country to another country.

Jet-lagged after a long flight, all you want to do is leave the airport. But first you have two hurdles to overcome. To help you in your foggy state of mind, these are the words you may need to be familiar with when you go through passport control:

der Reisepass/der Pass (dêr ray-ze-pâs/dêr pâs) (passport)

EU-Bürger (ey-ooh-buer-ger) (citizen of a country of the European Union)

Nicht-EU-Bürger (niHt-ey-ooh-buer-ger) (citizen of a country outside the EU)

Ich bin im Urlaub hier. (iH bin im oor-loup heer.) (I’m here on vacation.)

Ich bin geschäftlich hier. (iH bin ge-shêft-liH heer.) (I’m here on business.)

Ich bin auf der Durchreise nach. . . . (iH bin ouf dêr doorH-ray-ze nâhH. . . .) (I am on my way to. . . .)

Going through customs

You passed the first hurdle and are on your way to customs. Are you one of those people who feel guilty even when you have nothing to hide? Customs officers can make you feel that way. It pays to know how to answer their questions succinctly so you can get past them as quickly as possible.

At der Zoll (dêr tsol) (customs), you usually get to choose between two options: the red exit for people who have to declare goods or the green exit for those people who are carrying only things they don’t need to declare.

So far, so good. Customs officers may, of course, use this phrase to ask you personally whether you have anything to declare, in which case you may need to pay duty:

Haben Sie etwas zu verzollen? (hah-ben zee êt-vâs tsooh fêr-tsol-en?) (Do you have anything to declare?)

To this question, you can respond with either of the following:

Ich möchte . . . verzollen. (iH merH-te . . . fêr-tsol-en) (I would like to declare. . . .)

Ich habe nichts zu verzollen. (iH hah-be niHts tsooh fêr-tsol-en.) (I have nothing to declare.)

Despite your most engaging smile, the customs officer may ask to have a look at your not-so-suspicious-looking stuff by saying

Bitte öffnen Sie diesen Koffer/diese Tasche. (bi-te erf-nen zee deez-en kof-er/deez-e tâsh-e.) (Please open this suitcase/bag.)

And when the customs officer asks what you’re planning to do with a purchase, you may answer

Es ist für meinen persönlichen Gebrauch. (ês ist fuer mayn-en pêr-sern-liH-en ge-brouH.) (It’s for my personal use.)

Es ist ein Geschenk. (ês ist ayn ge-shênk.) (It’s a gift.)

Traveling by Car

Before setting out on a European road trip in a rental car, consider acquiring an internationaler Führerschein (in-têr-nâ-tee-oh-nâ-ler fuer-er-shayn) (international driving permit). You can apply for one at the local AAA (American Automobile Association) Web site. (You can find your local club at www.aaa.com). Even with an internationaler Führerschein, you still need a valid driver’s license. Then you’re all set to discover new territory.

You’re most likely to travel the following types of roads:

die Autobahn (dee ou-toh-bahn) (freeway, four to six lanes)

die Bundesstraße (dee boon-des-shtrah-se) or, in Switzerland, Nationalstrasse (nâ-tee-oh-nahl-shtrah-se) (two- to four-lane highway)

die Landstraße (dee lânt-shtrah-se) (two-lane highway)

Renting a car

You’re likely to find that making car reservations is cheaper and more hassle-free if you do it before leaving for your European trip. However, if you decide to rent a car when you’re already in Europe, you need to make your way to the Autovermietung (ou-toh-fêr-meet-oong) (car rental agency). When you arrive at the car rental agency, you can start out by saying

Ich möchte ein Auto mieten. (iH merH-te ayn ou-toh meet-en.) (I would like to rent a car.)

The attendant will ask you questions about what kind of car you want by saying something like

Was für ein Auto möchten Sie? (vâs fuer ayn ou-toh merH-ten zee?) (What kind of car would you like?)

You can respond with any of the following:

ein zweitüriges/viertüriges Auto (ayn tsvay-tuer-ee-ges/feer-tuer-ee-ges ou-toh) (a two-door/four-door car)

einen Kleinwagen (ayn-en klayn-wah-gen) (compact car)

mit Automatik (mit ou-toh-mah-tik) (car with automatic transmission)

mit Gangschaltung (mit gâng-shâlt-oong) (car with standard transmission)

You may also be asked one or more of the following questions:

Ab wann möchten Sie den Wagen mieten? (âp vân merH-ten zee deyn vah-gen meet-en?) (Starting when would you like to rent the car?)

Wann/Wo möchten Sie den Wagen zurückgeben? (vân/voh merH-ten zee deyn vah-gen tsoo-ruek-gey-ben?) (Where/When would you like to return the car?)

Here are some possible answers:

Ich möchte den Wagen ab dem . . . mieten. (iH merH-te deyn vah-gen âp deym . . . meet-en.) (I would like to rent the car starting. . . . )

Ich möchte den Wagen am . . . zurückgeben. (iH merH-te deyn vah-gen âm . . . tsoo-ruek-gey-ben.) (I would like to return the car on the. . . .)

Ich möchte den Wagen in . . . zurückgeben. (iH merH-te deyn vah-gen in . . . tsoo-ruek-gey-ben.) (I would like to return the car in. . . .)

During the rental process, you’ll hear the following words as well:

der Führerschein (dêr fuer-er-shayn) (driver’s license)

die Vollkaskoversicherung (dee fol-kâs-koh-fêr-zeeH-er-oong) (comprehensive collision insurance)

inbegriffen (in-be-grif-en) (included)

ohne Kilometerbegrenzung (oh-ne ki-lo-mey-ter-be-grênts-oong) (unlimited mileage)

Talkin’ the Talk

Anke has just arrived in Frankfurt. After going through customs, she heads for a car rental agency where she’s talking to an employee.
Anke:	Guten Morgen. Ich möchte ein Auto mieten. gooh-ten mor-gen. iH merH-te ayn ou-toh meet-en. Good morning. I would like to rent a car.
Angestellter:	Was für ein Auto möchten Sie? vâs fuer ayn ou-toh merH-ten zee? What kind of car would you like?
Anke:	Einen Kleinwagen mit Automatik. ayn-en klayn-vah-gen mit ou-toh-mah-tik. A compact car with automatic transmission.
Angestellter:	Wie lange brauchen Sie den Wagen? vee lâng-e brouH-en zee deyn vah-gen? How long do you need the car?
Anke:	Eine Woche. ayn-e voH-e. For one week.
Angestellter:	Ein VW Polo kostet für eine Woche ohne Kilometerbregrenzung 299 Euro inklusive Versicherung. ayn vou-vey poh-loh kos-tet fuer ayn-e voH-e oh-ne ki-lo-mey-ter-be-grênts-oong tsvay-hoon-dêrt-noyn-oont–noyn-tsiH oy-roh in-kloo-zee-ve fêr-ziH-er-oong. A VW Polo costs 299 euros for one week, including unlimited mileage and insurance.

Making sense of maps

A good map tells you plenty more than how to get from Point A to Point B — and you can mark your route as you travel. Another advantage of maps is that they’re primarily visual, so you don’t need to know too much of the language in order to read one. However, you may find that knowing the words for different kinds of maps helpful, in case you need to ask for one:

die Landkarte (dee lânt-kâr-te) (map)

der Stadtplan (dêr shtât-plahn) (map of a city)

die Straßenkarte (dee shtrah-sen-kâr-te) (road map)

On a map written in German (and also on road signs), you may see the following words:

die Altstadt (dee âlt-shtât) (historic center)

die Ausfahrt (dee ous-fahrt) (exit ramp)

das Autobahndreieck (dâs ou-toh-bahn-dray-êk) (where one freeway splits off from another freeway)

das Autobahnkreuz (dâs ou-toh-bahn-kroyts) (junction of two freeways)

die Einfahrt (dee ayn-fahrt) (entrance ramp)

die Fußgängerzone (dee foohs-gên-ger-tsohn-e) (pedestrian zone)

die Kirche (dee kirH-e) (church)

das Parkhaus (dâs pârk-hous) (parking garage)

das Theater (dâs tey-ah-ter) (theater)

Wrapping your brain around road signs

You surely don’t want to get stopped for driving too fast in the wrong direction down a one-way street that’s been closed for construction. To prevent a scenario like this, here are some of the most common road signs that you encounter in German-speaking countries:

Anlieger frei (ân-lee-ger fray) (access only; no exit)

Baustelle (bou-shtêl-e) (construction site)

Einbahnstraße (ayn-bahn-shtrah-se) (one-way street)

Einordnen (ayn-ord-nen) (merge)

50 bei Nebel (fuenf-tsiH bay ney-bel) (50 kilometers per hour when foggy)

Gesperrt (ge-shpêrt) (closed)

Licht an/aus (liHt ân/ous) (lights on/off — you see these signs at tunnels)

Umleitung (oom-lay-toong) (detour)

Vorsicht Glätte (fohr-ziHt glêt-e) (slippery when wet)

Taking a Train

Traveling by rail is a very comfortable way of getting around Europe. No matter whether you’d like to whiz from Stuttgart to Paris on the Intercity Express (ICE) (in-têr-si-tee-êks-prês [ee-tsey-ey]) or feel like heading to quaint towns along the Mosel River aboard the (much) slower Interregio (IR) (in-têr-rey-gee-oh [ee-êr]), you can get practically anywhere by train.

Rail travel is very popular among Europeans, so during peak traveling times making a reservation is advisable. You may be interested in a combination ticket that allows you to rent a bicycle or a car from a train station. Or, if you’re covering a lot of ground in a short time, go online and check out the various types of rail passes before you leave home.

Interpreting train schedules

Every train station displays schedules for all the trains that run through that particular station. However, with the flood of information, you may find it difficult to figure out what you need to know about the specific train you want to take. The following expressions provide some guidance for demystifying train schedules:

die Abfahrt (dee âp-fahrt) (departure)

die Ankunft (dee ân-koonft) (arrival)

der Fahrplan (dêr fahr-plahn) (train schedule)

sonn- und feiertags (zon oont fay-er-tâhks) (Sundays and holidays)

über (ue-ber) (via)

werktags (vêrk-tâhks) (workdays)

Getting information

When you have questions about a train you want to take, head to die Auskunft (dee ous-koonft) (the information counter). There, you may ask any of the following questions:

Von welchem Gleis fährt der Zug nach . . . ab? (fon vêlH-Hem glays fairt dêr tsoohk nahH . . . ap?) (Which track does the train to . . . leave from?)

Auf welchem Gleis kommt der Zug aus . . . an? (ouf vêlH-em glays komt dêr tsoohk ous . . . ân?) (Which track does the train from . . . arrive on?)

Hat der Zug Verspätung? (hât dêr tsoohk fêr-shpêt-oong?) (Is the train delayed?)

Buying tickets

For tickets, you need to go to der Fahrkartenautomat (dêr fahr-kâr-ten-ou-toh-mât) (ticket machine) or der Fahrkartenschalter (dêr fahr-kâr-ten-shâl-ter) (the ticket counter). With the help of the words in this section, you can buy a ticket to virtually anywhere you want to go.

The basics

When it’s your turn to talk to the ticket agent, just say the following to get yourself a ticket:

Eine Fahrkarte nach . . . , bitte. (ayn-e fahr-kâr-te nahH . . . , bi-te.) (A train ticket to . . . please.)

To find out whether you want a one-way or a round-trip ticket, the ticket agent will ask

Einfach oder hin und zurück? (ayn-fâH oh-der hin oont tsoo-ruek?) (One-way or round-trip?)

And to find out whether you want a first class or a second class ticket, the ticket agent will ask

Erster oder zweiter Klasse? (eyrs-ter oh-der tsvay-ter klâs-e?) (In first or second class?)

Extras

On all trains, there’s a set base price per kilometer for first and second class. In addition, you have to pay der Zuschlag (dêr tsooh-shlahk) (surcharge) for the very fast trains marked ICE (Intercity Express), IC (Intercity), or EC (Eurocity). For these trains, the word Zuschlag usually appears on the train schedule or the board displaying departures.

On especially busy trains, you may be better off reserving a seat in advance. To do so, simply ask

Ich möchte gern eine Platzkarte für den . . . von . . . nach. . . . (iH merH-te gêrn ayn-e plâts-kâr-te fuer deyn . . . fon . . . nahH. . . .) (I would like to reserve a seat on the . . . from . . . to. . . .)

Knowing When to Separate Your Verbs

Many German verbs, including many of the verbs used in this chapter, share a peculiar trait. They have prefixes that are detachable from the body (stem) of the verb. When used in the present tense in a sentence, the verb stem and prefix of these verbs separate. The normal verb ending is added to the verb stem, which takes its usual place in the sentence, while the prefix is pushed to the very end of the sentence.

Take a look at this phenomenon in action, using the verb ankommen (ân-kom-en) (to arrive). Notice how the prefix always goes to the end of the sentence, no matter how many words come between it and the verb:

Der Zug kommt um 18.15 Uhr an. (dêr tsoohk komt oom âHt-tseyn oohr fuenf-tseyn ân.) (The train arrives at 6:15 p.m.)

Auf welchem Gleis kommt der Zug aus Dessau an? (ouf vêlH-em glays komt dêr tsoohk ous dês-ou ân?) (Which track does the train from Dessau arrive on?)

How do you know whether a verb is separable? These guidelines indicate that it is:

The verb has a short word at the beginning of the verb to serve as a prefix.

The infinitive is stressed on the first syllable; this is the prefix.

Here are a few verbs that follow this pattern. You encounter several more separable verbs throughout this book. Notice how the first syllable is stressed:

abfahren (âp-fahr-en) (to depart [train])

abfliegen (âp-fleeg-en) (to depart [plane])

anfangen (ân-fâng-en) (to start)

ankommen (ân-kom-en) (to arrive)

aufmachen (ouf-mâH-en) (to open)

aufstehen (ouf-shtey-en) (to get up)

aussteigen (ous-shtayg-en) (to get off)

einsteigen (ayn-shtayg-en) (to get on)

zumachen (tsoo-mâH-en) (to close)

When using separable verbs, the main verb stem with the appropriate ending goes in its usual place. The prefix becomes the last word in the sentence. This rule works for the present and simple past tenses.

Navigating Buses, Subways, and Taxis

German cities and towns usually have excellent public transportation systems. A combination of Bus (boos) (bus), U-Bahn (ooh-bahn) (subway), Straßenbahn (shtrah-sen-bahn) (streetcar), and S-Bahn (ês-bahn) (light rail train to the suburbs) should get you rapidly and safely where you want to go.

Catching the bus

If you need help finding the right bus or train to take, you can ask the agent at the Fahrkartenschalter (fahr-kâr-ten-shâl-ter) (ticket window), or any bus driver (der Busfahrer) (dêr boos-fahr-er) any of the following questions:

Welcher Bus fährt ins Stadtzentrum? (vêlH-er boos fairt ins shtât-tsên-troom?) (Which bus goes to the city center?)

Ist das die richtige Straßenbahn zum Stadion? (ist dâs dee riH-tee-ge shtrah-sen-bahn tsoom shtah-dee-on?) (Is this the right streetcar to the stadium?)

Muss ich umsteigen? (moos iH oom-shtayg-en?) (Do I have to switch [buses]?)

Hält diese U-Bahn am Hauptbahnhof? (hêlt deez-e ooh-bahn âm houpt-bahn-hohf?) (Does this subway stop at the main train station?)

Talkin’ the Talk

Ben wants to take the bus to city hall, but he’s not quite sure which bus he should take. So he approaches a teenager who is standing next to him at the bus stop. (Track 30)
Ben:	Entschuldigen Sie bitte, hält hier der Bus Nummer 9? ênt-shool-dee-gen zee bi-te, hêlt heer dêr boos-noom-er noyn? Excuse me please, does the bus number 9 stop here?
Teenager:	Nein, hier hält nur die Linie 8. Wohin wollen Sie denn? nayn, heer hêlt noohr dee leen-ye âHt. vo-hin vol-en zee dên? No, only number 8 stops here. Where do you want to go?
Ben:	Zum Rathaus. tsoom raht-hous. To the town hall.
Teenager:	Fahren Sie mit der Linie 8 bis zum Goetheplatz, und dort steigen Sie in die Linie 9 um. fahr-en zee mit dêr leen-ye âHt bis tsoom ger-te-plâts, oont dort shtayg-en zee in dee leen-ye noyn oom. Take this bus to Goetheplatz, and switch there to number 9.
Ben:	Wie viele Haltestellen sind es bis zum Goetheplatz? vee feel-e hâl-te-shtêl-en zint ês bis tsoom ger-te-plâts? How many stops are there to Goetheplatz?
Teenager:	Von hier sind es vier Haltestellen. fon heer zint ês feer hâl-te-shtêl-en. It’s four stops from here.
Ben:	Vielen Dank für die Auskunft. feel-en dânk fuer dee ous-koonft. Thank you very much for the information.

Getting a taxi

Taking a taxi isn’t hard. Just make your way over to the nearest Taxistand (tâx-ee-shtânt) (taxi stand) and go straight up to the first car in the line. When you get in, the Taxifahrer (tâx-ee-fahr-er) (taxi driver) will turn on the meter and ask you

Wohin möchten Sie? (vo-hin merH-ten zee?) (Where would you like to go?)

At the end of the trip, you pay the price indicated on the meter, along with a modest tip.

Many Germans taking a taxi alone sit in the passenger seat. You may enjoy doing the same. You have a far greater chance of seeing where you’re going, and you can take the opportunity to ask questions.

Fun & Games

One part of driving safely is understanding and obeying road signs. To see how well you’d do on a German road, match each German road sign to its English translation.

1._____Exit

2._____Slippery road

3._____One way street

4._____Road closed, no entry

5._____Construction site

6._____Highway

7._____Pedestrians only

8._____Connecting highway

9._____Get in lane

10._____Detour