Wuppertal / Dusseldorf / Cologne Ticket Validity

[Sterre]

I'm travelling to Wuppertal next month to ride the Schwebebahn, and planning to travel to Dusseldorf and Cologne on day trips while there.
I could do with some help understanding the ticketing zones and validity of the 24 hour tickets - no matter how much I read the VRR and VRS websites, I'm still not 100% confident.

When my partner and I travel for a day trip to Dusseldorf, I was planning to buy the VRR 24-Stunden-Ticket 2 Personen for €21.80, which on the DB website says it is valid from 65 Wuppertal Hbf, Wuppertal, Fare Category B. Does this mean that my partner and I can then also travel on the local public transport in Dusseldorf on that ticket also? Or does Fare Category B not extent that far?

Similarly, we're planning to travel to Cologne for the day, and I was planning to buy the VRS 24StundenTicket 5Person for €46.36, which on the DB website says it is valid from Wuppertal Hbf (area of validity Wuppertal West, 1650), fare category 5. As above does this ticket allow us to use the local public transport in Cologne?

Thanks!

 

[Flying Snail]

How many day tickets are you planning and what other travel on this trip and what dates, it sounds like you are already getting towards the cost of a months Deutschland ticket.

It is possible to get a partial month and cancel before renewal from at least one of the issuers.

 

[rvdborgt]

The dates will be important, since you can buy a Deutschlandticket for part of a month via HVV.

 

[IanXC]

Also worth checking if your hotel in Wuppertal issues complementary local tickets - I've seen multiple reports that they do.

 

[Sterre]

We're only there from 7th June to 12th.

I'm trying to avoid the Deutschland Ticket because while I know it would probably cheapest, trying to wrangle my partner into subscribing and then cancelling the subscription is not worth the €10 or so we'll save. It's bad enough I'm taking him on holiday to essentially ride trains.

 

[poffle]

Here you will find a simplified map showing tariff zones for VRR-VRS tickets:

https://www.kvb.koeln/tickets/tarifgebiete/vrs_vrr.html?INCLUDEMODUL=dokumente_einzeln2.mod/inc.download.php&downDokument=299

The Wuppertal to Cologne day ticket is valid in the whole Cologne area so includes buses, trams, local & regional trains. I think this ticket is valid for all the zones on the map.

Likewise the Wuppertal - Dusseldorf ticket is valid on all the buses, trams, local and regional trains.

 

[AlbertBeale]

We're only there from 7th June to 12th.

I'm trying to avoid the Deutschland Ticket because while I know it would probably cheapest, trying to wrangle my partner into subscribing and then cancelling the subscription is not worth the €10 or so we'll save. It's bad enough I'm taking him on holiday to essentially ride trains.

Ah yes - that sort of problem will ring bells for many people here....

 

[DelW]

It's bad enough I'm taking him on holiday to essentially ride trains.

If you both like beer, the altbier in Dusseldorf and the kolsch in Koln are both distinctive local specialities that you may enjoy. The only downside is that in some bars there may be little alternative on offer. There are some excellent bars and beer gardens in both cities. Wuppertal has a smaller choice, though we did find one good one, which even had a model schwebebahn running around the ceiling of the main bar.

 

[Sterre]

Here you will find a simplified map showing tariff zones for VRR-VRS tickets:

https://www.kvb.koeln/tickets/tarifgebiete/vrs_vrr.html?INCLUDEMODUL=dokumente_einzeln2.mod/inc.download.php&downDokument=299

The Wuppertal to Cologne day ticket is valid in the whole Cologne area so includes buses, trams, local & regional trains. I think this ticket is valid for all the zones on the map.

Likewise the Wuppertal - Dusseldorf ticket is valid on all the buses, trams, local and regional trains.

Excellent! Thank you so much.
My anxieties have been alleviated

 

[AlbertBeale]

If you both like beer, the altbier in Dusseldorf and the kolsch in Koln are both distinctive local specialities that you may enjoy. The only downside is that in some bars there may be little alternative on offer. There are some excellent bars and beer gardens in both cities. Wuppertal has a smaller choice, though we did find one good one, which even had a model schwebebahn running around the ceiling of the main bar.

Where?! Which bar...?

 

[DelW]

Where?! Which bar...?

I'll need to dig into my records, but I definitely have photos. I'll get back to you ...

 

[AlbertBeale]

I'll need to dig into my records, but I definitely have photos. I'll get back to you ...

Great - thanks. Given how much I enjoyed the dangleway when I visited a few years back, I'll make sure I stay long enough for a drink next time!

 

[DelW]

Great - thanks. Given how much I enjoyed the dangleway when I visited a few years back, I'll make sure I stay long enough for a drink next time!

Looks like the Wuppertaler Brauhaus. Photos taken in 2015. The beer was good too!



(Edited to add): Google Maps locates it a little way north-east of Wuppertal Alter Markt schwebebahn station, which tallies with my recollection.

 

[AlbertBeale]

Looks like the Wuppertaler Brauhaus. Photos taken in 2015. The beer was good too!

View attachment 158016View attachment 158017View attachment 158018

Thanks again!

 

[peteb]

We're only there from 7th June to 12th.

I'm trying to avoid the Deutschland Ticket because while I know it would probably cheapest, trying to wrangle my partner into subscribing and then cancelling the subscription is not worth the €10 or so we'll save. It's bad enough I'm taking him on holiday to essentially ride trains.

It really isn't hard to cancel the Deutschland ticket. On the Hamburg based HVV app you just click to cancel and confirm. On the Bremenn based Fahrplanner you just click on the email they sent to confirm the ticket and click the cancel button from that. This doesn't cancel your current months ticket, it cancels the next and subsequent months. The only key thing is to cancel on or before the 10th of the current month. So we cancelled ours yesterday but still have till 31/05/24 to ride all buses, trams and trains in Germany.

Strangely since we entered Germany on 9th May we have not been gripped once. Including first class on IC trains (with interrail). Plus all exit gates at stations have been open.

 

[U-Bahnfreund]

Plus all exit gates at stations have been open.

There are no gates at stations in Germany

 

[peteb]

There are no gates at stations in Germany

Oh ok. I'm sure we were stopped at some stations last year before/after getting a train, (eg: Goerlitz), but maybe remembered the wrong country!!

Still waiting to be asked for my Deutschland ticket!

 

[The Prisoner]

Have just done this trip staying in Cologne and headed to Wuppertal and Düsseldorf for the day. Ticketing was fairly straight forward - just remember that VRR and VRS tickets are not valid on ICE and it’s pretty easy.

The DB app is a good place to start as it shows all services and which tickets are valid on them.

You need to validate the Schwebebahn ticket once you’ve bought it. Made the mistake of not doing this as I bought our tickets from the machine so (wrongly) assumed I didn’t need to as the ticket was dated already. This isn’t very clear at the stations and when our tickets were checked I hadn’t done so - fortunately the inspector took the common sense approach and did this for us on the train rather than fining us. Use the unmarked yellow machines at the station to validate.

Have to say the “danglebahn” was epic. Bucket list stuff! Very enjoyable trip and great people. Did the return leg back to Chester entirely by train which was fab. Enjoy!

 

[stuu]

Looks like the Wuppertaler Brauhaus. Photos taken in 2015. The beer was good too!

View attachment 158016View attachment 158017View attachment 158018

(Edited to add): Google Maps locates it a little way north-east of Wuppertal Alter Markt schwebebahn station, which tallies with my recollection.

Love it!

Will have to try and figure out a way to add that to my Schwebebahn visit in July

 

[DeverseSam]

You need to validate the Schwebebahn ticket once you’ve bought it. Made the mistake of not doing this as I bought our tickets from the machine so (wrongly) assumed I didn’t need to as the ticket was dated already.

You were lucky as in Berlin you would have been treated differently.

Any chance of posting a pic of the ticket so others can learn what to look for?

 

[Flying Snail]

A museum/VR experience opened last year for the schwebebahn, located near one of the stops in Wuppertal. https://schwebodrom.com/de

 

[Wandering Pom]

You need to validate the Schwebebahn ticket once you’ve bought it.

I'm curious - why did you need a separate ticket for the Schwebebahn? Wasn't your day ticket (VRS?) valid on it?

 

[DelW]

Love it!

Will have to try and figure out a way to add that to my Schwebebahn visit in July

It was well worth the stop-off. Here's a couple more views to whet your appetite

 

[MontyP]

I've got a similar dilemma - travelling to Germany for the Euros football. I have an international ticket as far as Cologne, then need to travel on to Dusseldorf to my hotel and then to/from games in Dortmund (same day) and Gelsenkirchen (day 2) before returning to Cologne on day 3 for the train back to Brussels. I think a VRR 48-Stunden ticket will cover Dusseldorf/Gelsenkirchen/Dortmund, but does it cover Cologne-Dusseldorf with the right choice of zones?

 

[nwales58]

VRR southern border is Langenfeld. As ever in Germany see each tarif union's zone plan:

Tarifgebiete, Regionen & Preisstufen | VRR

Welche Städte und Kreise zum VRR-Gebiet gehören und wie weit Sie mit einem VRR-Ticket fahren können, erfahren Sie hier! Jetzt klicken.

www.vrr.de

which leads you to VRS for your extension to Köln. Also wander around VRR's site to work out what is cheapest.

 

[DeverseSam]

I've got a similar dilemma - travelling to Germany for the Euros football. I have an international ticket as far as Cologne, then need to travel on to Dusseldorf to my hotel and then to/from games in Dortmund (same day) and Gelsenkirchen (day 2) before returning to Cologne on day 3 for the train back to Brussels. I think a VRR 48-Stunden ticket will cover Dusseldorf/Gelsenkirchen/Dortmund, but does it cover Cologne-Dusseldorf with the right choice of zones?

free for football I think

 

[The Prisoner]

I'm curious - why did you need a separate ticket for the Schwebebahn? Wasn't your day ticket (VRS?) valid on it?

We traveled by ICE from Cologne to Wuppertal and bought Schwebebahn tickets from the machine at the HBf Schwebebahn station. Not sure if that ticket was a VRS one?

You were lucky as in Berlin you would have been treated differently.

Any chance of posting a pic of the ticket so others can learn what to look for?

My son has the ticket, but from memory (and the written endorsement) the ticket from the machine was standard size and when inserted in the unmarked yellow machines it prints a date at right angles along the bottom. The printed ticket the machine sold already had the date on it, but I guess you could have bought it and tried to use it another day?

I think my lack of anything other than basic German saved me as I just looked blankly at the guy and he helped out. Could be signed clearer - isn’t obvious and there wasn’t much in the way of English signage (then again why should there be i suppose?!)

 

[rvdborgt]

The printed ticket the machine sold already had the date on it, but I guess you could have bought it and tried to use it another day?

Every transport authority does its own thing: at ticket machines, some only sell tickets for immediate travel, i.e. tickets have a date and time to mark the start of validity. Others sell undated tickets, which then of course have to be stamped. Unvalidated tickets will however have a date of sale because they typically expire some time after the next price increase.

 

[Wandering Pom]

We traveled by ICE from Cologne to Wuppertal and bought Schwebebahn tickets from the machine at the HBf Schwebebahn station. Not sure if that ticket was a VRS one?

Sorry, I got confused between you and the OP, who was planning to use local transport tickets between Cologne and Wuppertal. VRS is the transport authority for the Cologne/Bonn area; it has a day ticket that's apparently valid as far north as Wuppertal, in which case it would probably be valid on the Schwebebahn too. But if you bought the ticket locally in Wuppertal, I think it would instead be a VRR ticket, which is the transport authority for the whole Rhein-Ruhr area, from Dusseldorf to Dortmund.

 

[Capybara]

Looks like the Wuppertaler Brauhaus. Photos taken in 2015. The beer was good too!

View attachment 158016View attachment 158017View attachment 158018

(Edited to add): Google Maps locates it a little way north-east of Wuppertal Alter Markt schwebebahn station, which tallies with my recollection.

The only time I visited that place it was in August and they wouldn't let you sit inside, only outside, which was annoying as I really don't like sitting outside. Then when I ordered a wheat beer which was supposed to be their own they returned with a Paulaner claiming they were out of their own. It hadn't occurred to them to tell me first. Those issues and all round slow service meant it got the thumbs down from me which is quite rare because I'm usually quite easily pleased with a Brauhaus. Might just have been a bad day, and this was six years ago so don't let that put you off.