Vacation on Rügen: Why tourists often ignore the buses

Vacation on Rügen: Why tourists often ignore the buses

Binz, Deutschland - The holiday season on the Baltic Sea coast is in full swing, and the picturesque island of Rügen is a particularly popular destination. But despite the beautiful beaches and the numerous sights, it turns out that many vacationers make little use of the available bus connections. The reason? Handling the bus timetables is often anything but easy. As the Ostsee-Zeitung Many tourists have difficulty finding their way around the island's bus network, although the Vorpommern-Rügen Vorpommern-Rügen (VVR) is increasingly relating to bus connections during the summer months.

The twin sisters Monika Giese and Gabriele Birkholz (74) from Berlin tackled it very differently. You have traveled to Binz by train and are now exploring the city on foot because it does not have a car and local transport was not an option for you. Another traveler, Andreas Sedelmeier (39) from Bavaria, looks different at the topic of mobility: he drives his family in his own car because the children are still small. This shows how different the travel options on Rügen are assessed and used.

public transport and its challenges

Another resident, Klaus Gehr (85), waits in vain for bus line 27. He criticizes the confusing timetables and the lack of signage. In fact, many vacationers report that they do not know how to move on Rügen by bus. Interestingly, Google Maps does not show bus connections while the Deutsche Bahn app offers information. The VVR, on the other hand, states that the passenger numbers rise from June to September, but there are no exact evaluations for the users.

Another example of the creative mobility of travelers offer Kersten and Michael Rüdiger (68) from the Ore Mountains. They brought e-bikes with them that they transport in the car and explore the island on two wheels. Claudia (58) and Harald Bode (64) from Lower Saxony also used bicycles for their day trip to Binz and show that not only cars are an option.

The journey to the island

The journey to Rügen can take place by train and by car. The Deutsche Bahn has attractive ticket offers such as the MV-Ticket and the Stadt-Land-Meer-Ticket Plus. The trip from Berlin to Stralsund takes about three hours and from Hamburg to the Baltic Sea resort of Binz it is around four hours. International travelers, such as from Switzerland, also take the opportunity to travel to Binz overnight.

For Baltic Sea vacationers from Saxony, there are special connections this summer that provide a pleasant journey. Every weekend, an additional intercity train from Dresden to Binz ensures that starting your dream vacation runs smoothly.

The role of the communities

The municipalities on Rügen have set themselves the goal of reducing car traffic and inspiring tourists for the bus. The spa taxes that many vacationers pay are often an additional incentive because they enable free trips to neighboring towns. In Binz, certain bus lines and the local bus can be used free of charge for spa card holders.

It remains to be seen whether the acceptance of bus traffic among holidaymakers is growing with increasing passenger numbers. It remains to be hoped that better signs and information spread will make mobility on the island of Rügen and more guests discover the advantages of public transport.

Further information on the bus connections on Rügen can be found on the website of the vvr where the lines and timetables are also listed.