Other means of transportation
By foot
The inner cities of Ulm and Neu-Ulm are quite small and everything can be easily reached by foot. However, the universities (and also some student residences) in Ulm and Neu-Ulm are located on the outskirts of the cities.
Bicycle
Exploring Ulm by bicycle is easy as there are a lot of bike paths in the city. Cycling along the Danube river or the Blau is especially popular. But be aware that Ulm University and parts of Ulm University of Applied Sciences are located in higher regions of the city and the altitude difference to the inner city is up to 200 m.
People who have had enough of searching for a parking space or waiting for buses and enjoy cycling should take a look at the university’s webpage, where they will find a map of cycling paths in Ulm and its surroundings. In addition, other useful information concerning the availability of public bicycle pumps, bicycle shelters, parking and even shower possibilities at Ulm University can be found there.
Further information and more tips about cycling in and around Ulm can also be found on the website of the ADFC Ulm / Neu-Ulm (Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club, only in German!)
In Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, you are allowed to take your bike onto the bus and tram for free before 6.00 a.m. and after 9.00 a.m. until the end of operating hours from Monday to Friday as well as on the whole day on weekends and public holidays. Please be aware that wheelchairs, strollers, etc. have priority and that it is the driver’s decision whether you are allowed to take your bike on the bus or tram in the end.
The ski and bicycle workshop
Ulm University has its own ski and bicycle workshop (Fahrradwerkstatt), where all students can repair their bicycles, wax their skis and get help and advice from other students.
The new address of the bicycle workshop is: Albert-Einstein-Allee 14 (at the Kliniken Wissenschaftsstadt stop).
Tel. +49 (0)731/50-23852, stuve.fahrrad[at]uni-ulm.de
Taxi
In Germany, taxis are rather expensive. However, if you share a taxi with friends who have the same destination, it might be a good bargain for you. A ride from the inner city to Ulm University or to other distant parts of the city will be about € 10 - 15. If you share a taxi with more than 4 people, please order a large-capacity taxi (Großraumtaxi).
Taxizentrale Ulm (only in German!), Tel. +49 (0)731/66066
Taxizentrale Neu-Ulm (only in German!), Tel. +49 (0)731/77000
Carpooling
A Mitfahrgelegenheit is a way of organised traveling with other people, where one offers their car and all travelers share the cost of the trip, which makes the journey for all participants much cheaper. There are plenty of web pages with different priorities offering Mitfahrgelegenheiten. You have to pay for the services of some of them, others are free of charge.
To avoid any misunderstandings during the trip, contact your fellow passengers beforehand to find out how many seats are free or to let them know how many you need, to arrange where to meet and where to drop off and how high the travel expenses will be. It is also useful to exchange names and phone numbers, so you can contact each other in case of any change of plan, problems or delays.
There are professional flight web pages which help air passengers to find a fellow passenger for their flight and some other websites that connect railway travelers with each other.
You can minimize the risk of traveling with an unknown person by using websites which offer a rating system for their members and/or verification of their identity by storing a copy of their ID card or the like.
Web pages offering Mitfahrgelegenheiten (mainly in German):
Long distance buses
Do you want to travel cheaply by bus? No problem! Since 2013, the network and the amount of long-distance bus providers has increased. They have become an interesting alternative to Deutsche Bahn. Even though the journey might take longer, long-distance busses attract with lower prices for destinations within Germany and abroad. Some intercity bus companies connect large and medium-sized cities daily and make it possible to travel cheaply across Germany. For example, there are tickets for an intercity bus from Ulm to Munich from € 8.
The BahnCard is valid on long-distance busses of Deutsche Bahn for destinations within Germany. The owners of BahnCard RAILPLUS get a 25% discount for destinations abroad in 28 European countries.
For current offers and prices of many different intercity bus companies, please refer to www.checkmybus.co.uk
If your bus leaves at least 90 minutes late, the bus company is obliged to offer you snacks and drinks. In case of a delay of more than 120 minutes or a cancellation, the company has to provide an alternative way to reach your destination or offer you a full refund for your ticket. For more information on your passenger rights on international and domestic bus journeys longer than 250 km within the EU, please refer to the information provided by the European Consumer Centre Germany.
Airports
From Ulm, you can easily reach different airports:
Frankfurt airport (ca. 2.30 hrs by train, ca. 3.00 hrs by car)
Friedrichshafen airport (ca. 2.00 hrs by train, ca. 1.30 hrs by car)
Memmingen airport (ca. 1.15 hrs by train, ca. 0.45 hrs by car)
Munich airport (ca. 2.00 hrs by train, ca. 1.45 hrs by car)
Nuremberg airport (ca. 2.45 hrs by train, ca. 2.30 hrs by car)
Stuttgart airport (ca. 1.45 hrs by train, ca. 1.00 hrs by car)
Zurich airport (ca. 4.15 hrs by train, ca. 2.45 hrs by car)