Wiesbaden



Wiesbaden is the capital of the German state of Hesse. Wiesbaden is a historic spa city which has catered to people from countries near and far for many centuries. At one time, Wiesbaden boasted 26 hot springs. Fourteen of the springs are still flowing today. Even the "old" Romans knew of the "Aquis Mattiacis".

Today it is part of the larger Rhine area and profits from its proximity to the Frankfurt Airport and the business centre of Frankfurt. During peak times (trade fairs, conventions, etc.) a lot of business travellers stay in Wiesbaden instead of in Frankfurt and relax from the busy metropolis in this smaller city with a charming old city.

Tourist information

 * Wiesbaden tourism website

Get in
Wiesbaden is very well connected by many highways from Frankfurt, Cologne or Mainz. Trains travel frequently and are very enjoyable. Travel times by car are roughly 15 minutes from Mainz), 35 minutes from Frankfurt, or 2 hours from Cologne (Köln).

From Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
A taxi from Frankfurt Airport to Wiesbaden costs around €60, S-Bahn is a much better deal at €4.35 one-way and goes every 15 minutes. No bus service.

From the Terminal 1, follow the signs to the regional train station Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof which is in the basement of the Airport building. Usually Wiesbaden is the terminal station for the S-Bahn and regional train so you can easily find the correct platform. There are two train stations at the airport; in the basement the regional train station (S-Bahn & fast regional trains) and near the motorway the „Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbahnhof“ for mid-/long-distance trains (ICE and IC).

The long-distance train station is a longer walk (about an extra 10 minutes). It has much less frequent and more expensive service to Wiesbaden.

Please see additional notes in the sections below regarding train tickets.

Buying RMV tickets
Buying your ticket:

The new vending machines sell both RMV (local travel network) and DB (long distance) tickets. To buy a ticket, e.g., for the S-Bahn, make sure you are in RMV mode.

After having named your destination, choose "Einzelfahrt Erwachsene" for a single trip and the screen should display €4.35 if you are at the airport or €7.80 if you are in Frankfurt. Insert € coins or bills. All machines accept credit card or EC card, too. The printed ticket is already validated and you can board the S8 or S9 for Wiesbaden. (S1 and SE10 from Frankfurt city as well). Don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it! There is also a RMV information desk at the airport's short-distance train station.

From Frankfurt-Hahn airport ()
This airport is located in Hahn 100 km (60 mi) West of Wiesbaden. A taxi would shoot your Ryanair bargain down, so the recommended option is a bus to Mainz (9 connections per day, 1-hour ride, €13) and from there a S-Bahn or RB to Wiesbaden (3 trains per hour, €2.60). See the: timetable HHN–Mainz There is unfortunately no direct bus HHN-Wiesbaden. Another option is a bus to the actual airport of Frankfurt which has S-Bahn connections to Wiesbaden as well – slightly slower and more expensive. You can also take a taxi (9 km) to Traben-Trarbach and take the train from there (via Koblenz).

By car
If you start in Frankfurt, take the A66 until Wiesbaden-Erbenheim (Exit 6). Here you follow the signs to Wiesbaden City Center and Wiesbaden Kurhaus.

If starting from Frankfurt Airport follow signs for Wiesbaden, which takes you on the A3 until the Wiesbadener Kreuz, where you switch to the A66 until Exit 6.

Frankfurt-Wiesbaden
S-Bahns heading to Wiesbaden are S1, S8 and S9. Slightly faster is VIA's regional train (StadtExpress) which departs at the. All these trains cost €7.60, travelling by ICE is more expensive and not faster. If you are travelling in a group, ask for group prices. Get to the train station a few minutes early to allow time to figure out the ticket machine; don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it.

On trains marked IC or ICE, you can buy a ticket from the conductor on the train at a slightly higher price. However, in common with most areas in Germany, there are no ticket-sales staff on local trains (marked S-Bahn, RB, SE or RE) in the RMV tariff area and you must buy your ticket from a machine (or ticket office) before boarding the train. Such trains are patrolled regularly by ticket inspectors, sometimes plain-clothed, but always carrying identification, and you will be fined at least €40 if found without a ticket on a local train.

Cologne-Wiesbaden
If you are travelling to or from Cologne (Köln) Airport, an unforgettable experience is the ICE high-speed train run. The direct Wiesbaden-Köln ICE reaches a top speed of. However, there are only two direct trains a day in both directions; the morning trains depart 06:24, while the evening trains depart 16:45. The journey takes about one hour. There are several other indirect trains available with one connection, the travel times for these is between 1 hr 30 min and 2 hr 15 min.

If you are able to buy a ticket a day or more in advance, you will get the best price on long-distance ICE trains with the Sparpreis (Savings Fare), however on busy days those fares may be sold out. Go online or look for the red ticket machines at any big train station. More information and online purchase are available here:  If you buy a Sparpreis ticket in the DB Reisezentrum, they charge €5 per person and direction.

Another interesting option is the route through the Middle Rhine Valley. You can either take regional trains or long distance trains and pass through towns like Boppard, Koblenz, Bingen and Rüdesheim, enjoying the sights at vineyards, medieval castles and the Rhine river.

Train and bus
Wiesbaden trains and buses operate under the RMV Travel Network (Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund). If you already have a RMV ticket to Wiesbaden, you can use the bus lines without extra charge to reach your final destination. Some train tickets come with a "+City" option which includes municipal transport as well.

Wiesbaden Bus information can also be found here: English

Deutsche Bahn the German National railway.

On foot
Once you are in the city centre it's pretty comfortable to just walk around. There's a main pedestrian area (Fußgängerzone) which is similar to an open-air mall, but more relaxed. Shops line the street and alleys, and it's mostly closed off to cars. Many shops, cafes and restaurants can be found in this area. Be sure to walk around the "Old City" (Altstadt) as well.

By public transport
If you want to go further out of the city centre, you can use the developed bus system. Buses travel frequently and on time. It is possible to buy tickets on the bus, just ask the driver (because of possible language barrier issues, just say the name of the street you want to go to). Your trip will cost you a minimum of €1.60 (adult), but probably no more than €2.60 (one way). At the ticket machines, five such single tickets are available at a reduction as "Sammelkarte". There's also a one day ticket ("Tagesticket"), with which you can go wherever you want, available at the ticket machines (or the bus driver) at €6.30 for adults and €3.70 for children, respectively. Weekly tickets are available for €21.90, and have the added bonus of one other adult and all of your own children (up to 14 y.o.) travelling for free from 7PM weeknights, and all day Saturday and Sunday (and public holidays). (Dec. 2013)

By e-hailing
Uber and Free Now cover the city.

See


One of the most attractive buildings in Wiesbaden is the Kurhaus in the city centre. Built for emperor Wilhelm around 1900 it serves as a wellness and leisure time centre. It also offers a pretty garden where you can walk around or relax. Next to it are two further important buildings: the famous casino and the theatre.

Kranzplatz/Kochbrunnenplatz




Wiesbaden-Biebrich




Do

 * Football: SV Wehen Wiesbaden were promoted in 2023 and now play soccer in 2. Bundesliga, Germany's second tier. Their home ground Brita-Arena (capacity 13,500) is 1 km southeast of city centre.
 * Football: SV Wehen Wiesbaden were promoted in 2023 and now play soccer in 2. Bundesliga, Germany's second tier. Their home ground Brita-Arena (capacity 13,500) is 1 km southeast of city centre.
 * Football: SV Wehen Wiesbaden were promoted in 2023 and now play soccer in 2. Bundesliga, Germany's second tier. Their home ground Brita-Arena (capacity 13,500) is 1 km southeast of city centre.

Buy

 * Pedestrian zone: Kirchgasse and Langgasse:
 * Luisencenter, Kirchgasse: stores include Karstadt Sport and Saturn (electronics).
 * Luisencenter, Kirchgasse: stores include Karstadt Sport and Saturn (electronics).
 * Luisencenter, Kirchgasse: stores include Karstadt Sport and Saturn (electronics).

Eat
Very good restaurants are in the Taunusstraße. Pizza, pasta and more classy Italian style you find in the Goldgasse. And the Moritzstraße has inexpensive döner kebab restaurants.

Mid-range




Go next

 * Eltville am Rhein in the Rheingau
 * Rüdesheim am Rhein in the Rheingau near the Middle Rhine Valley
 * Mainz is just across the Rhine, 11 min by train or 30 min by bus
 * Worms
 * Darmstadt
 * Frankfurt