Vehicles

1. das Auto

   Car

   Usage

   The general word. The formal term is "Personenkraftwagen", abbreviated "Pkw", which turns up on forms and in traffic reports

2. der Bus

   City bus

   Usage

   The city bus; the stop is "die Haltestelle". In most cities you buy the ticket before boarding and validate it — "entwerten" — in the machine

3. der Fernbus

   Long-distance coach

   Usage

   The intercity coach, dominated by the green FlixBus, a German company, and usually cheaper than the train. The terminal is the "Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof", signed ZOB

4. der Zug

   Train

   Usage

   Germany's operator is Deutsche Bahn (DB). The station is "der Bahnhof" and the platform "das Gleis". Austria has ÖBB, Switzerland SBB

5. der ICE

   ICE (German high-speed train)

   Usage

   Short for InterCityExpress — Berlin to Munich in about four hours. A seat reservation costs extra and is optional; without one you may sit anywhere not flagged as reserved on the display above the seat. The advance "Sparpreis" fare is far cheaper

6. die Regionalbahn

   Regional train

   Usage

   The local stopping train, signed RB; the faster version is the Regional-Express (RE). The flat-rate Deutschlandticket covers these but never the ICE

7. die S-Bahn

   S-Bahn (city rail)

   Usage

   Short for Schnellbahn — the commuter rail linking the city with its suburbs, mostly above ground, marked by a white S on a green circle. It is usually how you reach the airport, and it shares a ticket zone with the U-Bahn

8. die U-Bahn

   U-Bahn (metro)

   Usage

   Short for Untergrundbahn, marked by a white U on a blue square, in Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Vienna among others. There are no barriers — it runs on trust — so travelling without a ticket brings a steep "erhöhtes Beförderungsentgelt" penalty fare

9. die Straßenbahn

   Tram

   Usage

   Still running in most German cities; casually "die Tram". Vienna nicknames it "die Bim", and Swiss German makes it neuter: "das Tram"

10. das Taxi

    Taxi

    Usage

    German taxis are traditionally beige. You queue at a "Taxistand" rather than hail one, and fares are set by law on a distance meter

11. die Mitfahrgelegenheit

    Ride share

    Usage

    A long-standing German habit, now run mostly through BlaBlaCar — the cheap way between cities. Often shortened to "die Mitfahrt"

12. das Motorrad

    Motorbike

    Usage

    Literally "motor wheel". A small step-through scooter is "der Roller"

13. der E-Scooter

    E-scooter

    Usage

    Legally an "Elektrokleinstfahrzeug". In Germany you must use the cycle lane, not the pavement — and riding one after a beer counts as drink-driving and can cost you your licence

14. das Fahrrad

    Bicycle

    Usage

    Shortened to "das Rad". German cities mark cycle lanes in red paving, and walking in one gets you shouted at in earnest. Long-distance "Radwege" cover the whole country

15. das Flugzeug

    Plane

    Usage

    Literally "flying thing". Domestic hubs are Frankfurt and Munich, though the ICE beats the plane on many routes

16. das Schiff

    Ship / Boat

    Usage

    The general word; a small one is "das Boot". Rhine and Moselle sightseeing cruises are run by the "Personenschifffahrt"

17. die Fähre

    Ferry

    Usage

    For the North Sea and Baltic islands such as Sylt and Rügen, and for crossing the Rhine or Elbe. In Hamburg the harbour ferries are part of the public transport network and a normal ticket is valid

18. die Seilbahn

    Cable car

    Usage

    Literally "rope railway" — for the Zugspitze and Alpine resorts across Switzerland and Austria. The rail-bound kind on a steep incline is a "Standseilbahn"

19. das Postauto

    PostBus (Swiss yellow coach)

    Usage

    Switzerland's yellow postal coach, the lifeline to villages the railway cannot reach and the way visitors cross the passes. Its famous three-note horn sounds on blind mountain bends. Not a German word in this sense

20. der Nachtzug

    Night train

    Usage

    Mostly the Austrian ÖBB "Nightjet", running from Vienna to Berlin, Paris and Rome. You choose between a seat, a couchette ("Liegewagen") and a proper sleeper ("Schlafwagen")

21. der Lastwagen

    Lorry / Truck

    Usage

    Traffic reports and signs use the abbreviation "Lkw" (Lastkraftwagen). On the Autobahn, lorries overtaking each other are the classic cause of a jam

22. das Wohnmobil

    Campervan / RV

    Usage

    Literally "living vehicle", and hugely popular in Germany — towns provide dedicated "Stellplätze" with water and waste facilities. A towed caravan is a "Wohnwagen"

23. der Krankenwagen

    Ambulance

    Usage

    Say "rufen Sie einen Krankenwagen". The emergency number is 112 in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and across the EU

24. der Mietwagen

    Rental car

    Usage

    "Ich möchte ein Auto mieten". German rentals default to manual gearboxes — ask for "Automatik". Most city centres are an "Umweltzone" you may not enter without the green windscreen sticker

25. die Autobahn

    Autobahn (motorway)

    Usage

    Germany's motorway — free for cars, and derestricted on some stretches, though the advisory limit is 130 km/h and exceeding it counts against you in an accident. Hogging the left lane is illegal. Austria and Switzerland charge instead, via a windscreen "Vignette"

26. die Kutsche

    Horse carriage

    Usage

    The sightseeing carriage — Vienna's two-horse version has its own name, "der Fiaker". On car-free islands such as Juist it is still real transport

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