Euro 2024 By Train: Stuttgart

During the tournament the main railway station in the city, Stuttgart Hbf, will still be in the midst of its transformation into a showcase hub for 21st century European rail travel.
Stuttgart already has direct international trains from Budapest, Ljubljana, Paris, Venice, Wien/Vienna, Zagreb and Zurich.

A consequence of the building work is that that a temporary concourse has been constructed which gives access to and from the long-distance trains, but this concourse is some distance from the current main station building, which houses the access to and from the local -S-Bahn trains.
At Stuttgart Hbf, these S-Bahn trains use use a part of the station which is below ground and is therefore known as Stuttgart Hbf (tief).

The U-Bahn in Stuttgart is light-rail / super-tram system, but at Stuttgart Hbf the stop is also undeground.
So making the transfer between the express trains and both the S-Bahn and U-Bahn takes around 5 minutes, using the temporary covered walkway, which has been constructed across the building works.

The MHP Arena / Stuttgart Arena is located to the east of Stuttgart city centre.

The closest rail station is Neckarpark which is around a 10-15 min walk - though steps provide the only access to and from the trains at the station.
Follow the crowd along the street which initially leads into an underpass beneath a major road.

Neckarpark is on line S1 on the network of local S-Bahn trains - though on match days there is an additional line 11 service which terminates at Neckarpark.
Combined the line S1 and line S11 provide at least 8 x trains per hour on match days from and to the city's main rail station, Stuttgart Hbf.
Though at Stuttgart Hbf the trains depart from platform/track 102 which is under ground, beneath the main station building - which is currently being reconstructed - allow at least 5 minutes from stepping off an express train and being on platform 102.
Trains on other S-Bahn routes also depart from the same platform - so take care to board the trains on line S1 which will be heading to Plochingen or Kirchheim(Teck), or the line S11 trains which will be terminating at Neckarpark.
It's a two station hop, so the journey only takes 8 minutes.

Though if you will be heading to the stadium from the western side of the city centre, it will be easier to board the S-Bahn trains when they call at Stadtmitte and Börsenplatz (L-Bank) stations.

If you will be heading direct to the MHP Arena from Stuttgart Airport, take trains on line S2 to Stadtmitte and connect there for a line S1 or line S11 train.

The alternative route

On match days the light rail / tram route U11 links the city centre to a stop named NeckarPark (Stadion) which is a 10 to 15 minute walk to the stadium
The most obvious route is to use the footbridge to cross to the other side of the street, but further along the street named, Mercedesstraße, there is a new footbridge into the stadium over the road -and this bridge has elevator access.

According to this map, in the city centre the U11 takes a circular route,.
It begins at the stop at the Stuttgart Hbf, but the combination of the stop being below ground, and the circular route, results in the S-Bahn trains being the better option for a Stuttgart Hbf to the MHP Arena transfer.
The U11 is the better option for heading to the stadium from the eastern side of the city centre, because it stops in locations not served by the S-Bahn trains, including Rathaus, and Charlottenplatz.

Tickets and passes

Match ticket holders can access a 36 Hour Travel Pass across the VVS (Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund Stuttgart) network at no extra cost.
The pass is valid from 06:00 on matchday until 18:00 the following day.

During EURO 2024, selected U-Bahn lines will run every 10 minutes during the day and operate from 04:30 to 01:30.
Tickets can be purchased on the VVS app / website, at ticket machines in stations or at ticket counters in main travel hubs.
Please note that most physical tickets need to be stamped before travelling.

Those with match tickets are able to access a special type of ticket, the DB Ticket Euro 2024 for travel by ICE and IC train to the host city of the corresponding game - the train conductor will ask to see the rail ticket and the match ticket.
Though the tickets have limited availability per departure, so for the widest possible choice of trains, it will be best to book as far in advance as possible.
The key plus of these tickets is that they have a flat rate price for a one-way trip of €29.90 in 2nd class and €39.90 in 1st class; so when the cheapest prices of both types of Sparpreis tickets have sold out, these Euro 2024 tickets obviously become the cheapest option.

If when looking up a journey on DB there are tickets available at a cheaper price than €29.90 in 2nd class and €39.90 in 1st class, they will be offered as an alternative.
Though during the tournament the prices for the longer journeys from and to Stuttgart will otherwise likely be more than €100 - so these DB Ticket Euro 2024's will likely be significant money savers.

The info on our general Euro2024 guide has step-by-step instructions on how to book these tickets.

seat reservations

The 1st class tickets include a seat reservation, which otherwise costs €5.90, but seat reservations are not included when booking the 2nd class DB Ticket Euro 2024 tickets - and a 2nd class seat reservation has an additional charge of €4;90.
If you don't reserve it will be possible to board a train with a 2nd class DB Ticket Euro 2024 ticket to find that no seats are available.
Note that once you factor in the reservation, the additional cost of a 1st class DB Ticket Euro 2024 ticket is only €5-6 - for longer journeys this extra cost will be worth every cent!

core terms and conditions

These Euro 2024 tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded - so book your accommodation before you arrange the rail travel.
U[p to four children aged 6 to 14 can travel with for free of charge with someone aged 15 and over who has purchased a Euro 2024 ticket.

book to travel on to the stadiums

To make the journeys to the stations / public transport stops by the stadiums easier to book, a dedicated journey look up service has been created.
It shows the names of the stations / stops closest to the stadiums in each of the Euro 2024 cities.
That's because the the DB Ticket Euro 2024 ticket can include the transfer on to the stops by the stadiums.
Though something to look out for, is that to book the DB Ticket Euro 2024 ticket, you need to:

• copy the name of the stop
• scroll up the page and click on the red 'Jetzt Ticket buchen' button
• paste the name of the stadium stop into the 'to' box
• follow the booking path - info on how to do this is available here.
  However, if you click on the name of the stadium stop on this look-up page, it will then be automatically included as the destination on DB's standard booking path - but if you proceed to book, you seemingly won't then see the DB Ticket Euro 2024 offer.

If you won't have match tickets for games in the cities that you will be travelling to, the key things worth knowing about the usual tickets to travel on trains in Germany are:

• Tickets for the ICE and IC trains can be booked online and are already available for travel during the tournament.
• Tickets for the Regio and S-Bahn trains can be purchased at the station on the day of travel, but if you don't specify that you want to travel by ICE or IC train, you won't be able to travel by those other train services - so you can't just hop on the next train to depart.
• Because tickets booked last minute at the station for travel by the IC and ICE trains will be more expensive than those which can be used on the Regio and S-Bahn trains.
• Discounted tickets, branded 'Sparpreis' and the cheaper 'Super Sparpreis', are made available for travel on the ICE and IC trains - the further in advance of the travel date that they are booked, the cheaper they will be.
• Up to four children aged 6 to 14 can travel with for free of charge with someone aged 15 and over who has purchased either type of Sparpreis ticket
• Those aged 15 and older pay the adult rate and there is no charge for those aged 5 and under.
• Those aged 65 and over can travel at a discounted rate.

There are now high speed rail lines to the east of west of Stuttgart, hence the city being served by multiple routes taken by ICE trains.
Hence the cities, where the teams which have games in Stuttgart, will play their preceding or following Euro 2024 matches, can all be accessed by direct trains.
There will also be a swathe of additional late night ICE trains, which enable post-match long-distance travel by train.

typical journey time = 5hr 40mins
usual daytime frequency = 1 x direct train every other hour

The trains which travel from Stuttgart to Berlin can make use of two high speed lines during the journey, hence a travel time of around 5hr 40 mins, despite the need to travel across Germany.
During the day ICE trains depart Stuttgart for Berlin every other hour, in even hours, with the relatively new ICE 4 trains being used for the majority of services.
The usual final departure of the day is at 16:51, but during the tournament there will be an additional train which will leave Stuttgart at 00:11 and arrive into Berlin Hbf shortly before 08:00.

The DB Ticket Euro 2024 will be available for travel on this route - the general Euro 2024 guide explains how to book them.

If you will be travelling direct to the Olympiastadion the local S-Bahn trains on lines S3 and S9 link Berlin Hbf with the stadium every 10 minutes - and the journey time is under 20 mins.

typical average journey time = 2hr 15mins
usual daytime frequency = 1 x train every other hour to Köln-Messe Deutz station + 1 x train every other hour to Köln Hbf station

There are three groups of train services which travel from Stuttgart to Cologne / Köln:

1. ICE trains, which depart in every other hour, in the odd hours, and arrive in the city's main rail station, Köln Hbf - they have a journey time of around 2hr 15mins.
   During the tournament there will be an additional later train which will depart Stuttgart at 21:51, plus there is a regularly timetabled train which departs Stuttgart at 02:22 and arrives into Cologne shortly after 06:00am.
2. A mix of IC trains and ICE trains, which also arrive into Köln Hbf - but they take a longer, but more scenic, route through the Rhine Gorge, so have a journey time of around 3hr 30mins.
3. ICE trains - some of which are the brand new Neo trains, which depart in every other hour, in the even hours, and arrive in the city's secondary rail station, Köln Messe-Deutz.
   During the tournament there will be an additional later train which will depart Stuttgart at 23:39 and arrive into Cologne at around 02:30 am.

The DB Ticket Euro 2024 will be available for travel on these routes - the general Euro 2024 guide explains how to book them.

If you will be travelling from Stuttgart direct to the RheinEnergieStadion there are two train travel options:
1 - take trains to Köln-Messe Deutz to connect for tram line 1; so this is the easiest option
2 - take trains to Köln-Hbf, connect for trains, on lines S12 and S19 to Weiden West station and transfer there to a line 1 tram; this route is longer, but it should be less crowded.

From Cologne / Köln

There is a journey guide; during the tournament there will be an additional train which will depart Köln Hbf at 00:28.

typical journey time = around 3hr 30 mins
usual daytime frequency = 1 x fast direct train every other hour

During the day between 07:45 and 18:45 there are ICE trains in most hours which travel from Stuttgart to Dortmund Hbf, which use the high speed line between Frankfurt and Cologne, so have a journey time of around 3hr 30mins.
The final departure of the day is usually shortly after 18:30, but during the tournament there will be an additional later train which will depart Stuttgart at 21:51.
Plus there is a regularly timetabled train which departs Stuttgart at 02:22 and arrives into Dortmund at around 07:20.

There are also a mix of IC trains and ICE trains which take a longer, but more scenic, route through the Rhine Gorge, so have a journey time of around 4hr 45mins.

The DB Ticket Euro 2024 will be available for travel on these routes - the general Euro 2024 guide explains how to book them.

How to travel on to the stadium in Dortmund.

From Dortmund
In even hours there are ICE trains from Dortmund to Stuttgart, which have a journey time of around 3hr 30mins - these trains are heading to München Hbf; the final departure of the day is at 22:36.
In most odd hours there are ICE or IC trains which have a journey time of around 4hr 45mins, but they take the more scenic, non high-speed route through the Rhine Gorge.

typical journey time = around 2hr 40 mins
usual daytime frequency = 1 x fast direct train every other hour

There are 8 x ICE trains during the day which take the fastest route from Stuttgart to Düsseldorf Hbf, so have a journey time of only 2hr 40mins.
The brand new Neo trains are used for some departures.
During the tournament there will be additional departures at 21:51 and 23:39 - this train arrives into Düsseldorf shortly before 03:15
Plus there is a regularly timetabled train, which departs Stuttgart at 02:22 and arrives into Düsseldorf at around 06:30.

There are also two afternoon ICE trains which take a longer, but more scenic, route through the Rhine Gorge, so have a journey time of around 3hr 55mins.

The DB Ticket Euro 2024 will be available for travel on these routes - the general Euro 2024 guide explains how to book them.

Attending the matches in Frankfurt (Main) as a day trip from Stuttgart is entirely possible.

typical journey time = around 1hr 20 mins
usual daytime frequency = 1 or 2 x direct trains per hour

The DB Ticket Euro 2024 will be available for travel on this route - the general Euro 2024 guide explains how to book them.

There are one or two ICE trainsper hour from Stuttgart to Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, the fastest of which have a journey time of only 1hr 20mins.
During the tournament there will be an additional train departing at 00:11, plus an even later regular departure at 02:22.

The Deutsche Bank Park stadium is in a forest to the south of Frankfurt city centre and it doesn't have car park, so most spectators use public transport to access it - hence taking the train is the way to go from Stuttgart.

If you will be travelling from Stuttgart to The Deutsche Bank Park stadium it's possible to connect in Frankfurt (Main) Hbf for trains to Stadion station, which lives up to its name with a location that is a 10 min walk to the stadium.
The trains which travel between Frankfurt (Main) Hbf and Stadion station are

• the S-Bahn local trains on lines S8 and S9, which will be heading to Wiesbaden; the two routes combined provide a service every 15 mins, though extra services may be available on match days.
• the S-Bahn local trains on line S7 which typically depart every 30mins.

In Frankfurt (Main) Hbf the S-Bhan (local trains) on lines S8 and S9 use a part of the station that's underground - hence the details of these trains not being shown on the main departure boards.
However, the trains on line S11 do depart from gleis (platforms/tracks) on the main concourse, so when making a connection in Frankfurt (Main) Hbf between an ICE train and the S-Bahn trains to and from the stadium, taking line S11 is the easier option.

from Frankfurt
The rail journey from Frankfurt (Main) to Stuttgart has a journey guide, which has all the info you need.
During the tournament there will be additional trains which will depart Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 00:17 and 01:50.

Attending the matches in Munich / München as a day trip from Stuttgart is entirely possible.

typical journey time = from 1hr 50mins
usual daytime frequency = 2 or 3 x direct trains per hour

There are typically two ICE trains per hour from Stuttgart to München Hbf, which is the main railway station in Munich.
The journey times range from 1hr 50mins to 2hr 20mins - some of the trains use a new high speed line to the north of Ulm.
During the tournament there will be additional trains which will depart Stuttgart at 00:18 and 02:20.

The DB Ticket Euro 2024 will be available for travel on this route - the general Euro 2024 guide explains how to book them.

Virtually all of these trains also call at a station named München-Passing, which is to the west of the city centre.
If you will be travelling direct from Stuttgart to the Fußball Arena München / Allianz Arena the easiest option can be:

1. Taking a train from Stuttgart to München-Passing - this will be less crowded than making an onward transfer at München Hbf.
2. A local S-Bahn train from München-Passing to Marienplatz station in the city centre.
3. A U-Bahn (metro) train on line U6 to Fröttmaning station, which is around a 15 min walk to and from the stadium.
   On match days additional trains to and from Marienplatz provide a five minute frequency, because some trains are turned around at Fröttmaning - when heading off from the city centre, the regular trains will be heading to Garching.

from Munich

This is a popular year round route for tourists, so the full details can be found on the journey guide Munich to Stuttgart by train.
During the tournament there will be multiple additional trains departing München Hbf at 19:23, 20:43, 20:51 and 01:29
Though there will also also be a regularly timetabled train departing at 00:01.