To get around Bamberg you need to be prepared to walk a lot, whether you have a car or not. Also, there is a good public transport network.
However, if you want to rent a car in Bamberg because you want to go on day trips or continue onto a longer journey through Bavaria or Germany, then this guide is for you.
If you are staying only for a day, there is no need for car rental in Bamberg.
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When renting a car in Bamberg makes no sense
Bamberg city itself is very compact and you walk here. Driving isn’t the way to go and the cobblestone streets and narrow lanes will give you a headache. Plus, there are a lot of people crossing the street all the time, it’s hard to get anywhere fast.
If you wanted to get up to Altenburg Castle, that’s where a car would be handy. (You’d still need to walk up stairs, however).
When renting a car in Bamberg makes no sense
It would make sense to rent a car for Bamberg visits if you want to cover more ground in the surrounding region, such as seeing more castles and cute Bavarian villages in the Bamberg region.
When renting a car in Bamberg may be advisable
It’s entirely possible to take the trains to nearby cities and get there fast. They are also very much walkable and the old centers and main attractions are generally within 30 walking minutes of the train stations. (Germans walk or bike a lot.)
With the local VGN network for buses to get around Bamberg with public transport, you can get better deals than with the Deutsche Bahn (German train), so look for that at the machines. You can only buy them via the VGN app or at the machines at the train station or central bus station.
In case you do are planning for longer train trips with the Deutsche Bahn around the region, I want to point out how to get the best travel deals and regional tickets.
Credit cards are accepted at the machines, not when you board (you need change, not bills for that). And you need to validate your ticket before the ride too.
So you see, it can be super easy to take the trains from Bamberg to other cities. But it’s entirely up to your comfort levels of how much you want to walk around. Note that many cities have cobblestone streets in the historic center, which are annoying to walk on. (Don’t wear heels!)
But again, you would have to find a local car park, expect to pay around 2-10 euros for a few hours of parking and then still walk for 10 minutes to the main sights. That’s Germany.
There’s a reason Germans value comfort fashion over fashionable looks, I guess. (You can spot them in jeans, sneakers and all-weather Jack Wolfskin rain jackets a lot).
