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Useful information in English for International Students in CAU Kiel!
Getting to Kiel
HAMBURG AIRPORT
The closest Airport to Kiel is Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel (HAM) If you arrive to Hamburg airport, here are some options to get to Kiel:
KIELIUS
The cheapest and most convenient option to get from there to Kiel is by the bus called ‘Kielius’. To find the bus stop, when arriving to Hamburg Airport walk to the space between Terminals 1 and 2 and step outside. In the bus stop letter B, you will find the Kielius!
The bus is 20€ for a single trip, but if you show your admission letter, you get a discount and just pay 7€ the single trip.
You can find more information here.
KIELEXX
Another option to get from Hamburg to Kiel is the KielExx – a shuttle taxi that goes between your doorstep and Hamburg airport. It is more expensive (about 30€), but depending on the weight of your luggage it may be worth it.
You can find more information here.
TRAIN
You can also take the train (the term train station it is abbreviated Hbf, which stands for Hauptbahnhof in German).
If you buy your train tickets in advance through the German train (see detailed information about the German train or Deutsche Bahn -DB here), you might book together the metro ticket to get you from the airport to the train station and you might find some discounts as well.
LÜBECK AIRPORT
Another airport close to Kiel is Lübeck Blankensee (LBC), which focuses more on Ryanair flights. From the train station “Lübeck Flughafen” (or Lübeck airport), you can reach Kiel in 1.5 hour as well (for about 17€).
SLEEPING AT THE AIRPORT
If you ever get stuck at the airport e.g. because your outgoing flight leaves early but the train/bus arrives at the airport the night before or your plane arrives in Hamburg late and the first train/bus leaves only the following morning, then you should check out the following website.
It doesn’t solve the problem of getting stuck, but it is helpful about the best places to spend the night at the airport of your choice (it also tells you if the airport is open at all during the night).
OTHER OPTIONS IN GERMANY OR CLOSER CITIES
Perhaps you are not flying to Hamburg or Lübeck airports, so here are some other options on how to get from airports throughout Germany to Kiel.
The fastest (and cleanest) option is to go by train, see information about the German train or Deutsche Bahn (DB) here.
Moreover, you can get to Kiel through bus connections. The German word to look up would be “Fernbus” (which means coach). Coaches can be much cheaper than trains and are quite comfortable, but generally take longer and some of them have baggage limitations.
A good starting point is the website busradar which is a search of the offers from different companies. Often, it is cheaper to book tickets in advance and online.
USEFUL WEBSITES
Other great websites to finding different and cheap options to travel are these (mainly if you are travelling from Europe, but they can also be helpful for travelling around once you get here):
For information about how to find bus connections to your hotel, hostel or new home, once you are in Kiel, click here.
TIP:
Also with your student ID, the price for a round trip is 12€.
