Train stations in Freiburg im Breisgau

Freiburg (Breisgau) Hbf is the station for the old town and the only one of Freiburg's three stations with long-distance trains. Freiburg-Herdern and Freiburg-Wiehre are small S-Bahn stops outside the old town.

Arriving at Freiburg (Breisgau) Hbf

Freiburg (Breisgau) Hbf stands in the city centre on the Rhine Valley line between Karlsruhe and Basel. ICE and ECE trains, regional trains and the S-Bahn lines into the Black Forest all call here, and trams and buses leave from the station. The DB information desk is open daily from 06:00 to 00:00.

Trains from Freiburg (Breisgau) Hbf

Basel is the main international link. ICE and ECE trains cover it in as little as 39 minutes, and several ICE trains carry on to Zürich, which takes 1 hour 45 minutes at the fastest, and to Brig. The RE 7 and RB 27 run along the same line through Bad Krozingen and Müllheim to Basel Bad Bf.

One ECE a day runs through Zürich and the Gotthard to Milano Centrale in about 5 hours 35 minutes. A morning TGV runs to Paris Est via Offenburg and Strasbourg in about 3 hours, calling at Ringsheim for Europa-Park. It leaves at 06:36 Monday to Friday, with later departures on Saturdays (07:06) and Sundays (07:08), and these runs end between 6 and 12 December 2026.

Northbound, ICE trains run via Karlsruhe Hbf to Frankfurt, Berlin Hbf and Hamburg-Altona, and an ECE goes to Hamburg Hbf. Karlsruhe takes about an hour and Frankfurt 2 hours 13 minutes at the fastest. The RE 7 also heads north through Lahr and Offenburg towards Karlsruhe, and the RB 26 runs to Offenburg. These times are for the timetable valid until 12 December 2026.

Night trains leave in the late evening: Nightjets to Hamburg, Amsterdam and Berlin, and a EuroNight to Prague via Dresden.

The S-Bahn lines fan out from the Hbf. The S1, S10 and S11 are DB Regio lines that run up the Höllental to Kirchzarten, Titisee and Neustadt (Schwarzwald). Westwards the S1 goes to Breisach and the S11 to Endingen am Kaiserstuhl, both via Gottenheim. The S2 is run by SWEG and follows the Elz valley through Denzlingen and Waldkirch to Elzach.

On most days there is no direct train to Mulhouse. Take the RE 7 or RB 27 to Müllheim (Baden) and change there for the French regional trains to Mulhouse, which leave a few times a day. On Sundays until 15 November 2026 one SNCF train runs through from Freiburg (Breisgau) Hbf at 09:36 and reaches Mulhouse Ville at 10:19.

Getting from the station into the centre

Stadtbahn lines 1, 2, 3 and 4 stop at Hauptbahnhof and at Bertoldsbrunnen, the central stop of the old town. Münsterplatz, the cathedral square, is a short walk from the station; by tram, ride to Bertoldsbrunnen and walk a few minutes east.

A single ticket within Freiburg costs €3 at the ticket machines and €2.70 in the VAG mobil or RVF mobil app. It is valid for 1 hour and allows changes (VAG prices, October 2026). A short-trip ticket for up to three stops costs €1.90, and a day ticket for one person and up to four children starts at €6.91.

Tickets

The Deutschlandticket costs €63 a month as of October 2026. It is valid on regional trains, S-Bahn, local buses and trams, including the Freiburg Stadtbahn and the regional trains and S-Bahn around the city. It is not valid on ICE, IC, EC, ECE or any other long-distance train. It is sold as a monthly subscription that starts at the beginning of a calendar month, and VAG Freiburg sells it too.

The other two stations

Freiburg-Herdern lies north of the old town. The S2 stops there about every 30 minutes towards Freiburg (Breisgau) Hbf and out to Denzlingen, Waldkirch and Elzach, and a few early and late RE 7 and RB 26 trains call too. It is useful only if you are staying in Herdern or heading up the Elz valley.

Freiburg-Wiehre is the first stop after the Hbf on most S1, S10 and S11 trains towards Kirchzarten, Titisee and Neustadt. It suits the Wiehre district, but for the old town and everything else, board and alight at the Hbf.

Rail passes and reservations

As of October 2026, regional trains and the S-Bahn need no reservation with an Interrail pass. On ICE and ECE trains to Frankfurt, Basel and Zürich a reservation is optional but recommended, at €5.50 in second class and €6.90 in first. The ECE to Milan needs a reservation (€17), and so does the TGV to Paris (€19). Night trains always need one. Booking through Interrail adds a €2 fee per seat.

Common mistakes

The S1 to Breisach and the S11 to Endingen leave Freiburg (Breisgau) Hbf as one train and split at Gottenheim, so sit in the half that goes to your destination.

The Deutschlandticket covers the RE 7 and RB 27 but not the ICE or ECE on the same line to Basel, so check the train type on the departure board before you board.