Train stations in Heidelberg

Heidelberg Hbf is where the ICE, IC, FlixTrain and Nightjet services stop, and it sits outside the old town. Trams and buses link it to Bismarckplatz and the old town, and the Bergbahn runs up to the castle from Kornmarkt.

Arriving at Heidelberg Hbf

The station is on Willy-Brandt-Platz, and the rnv trams and buses leave from the stops just outside. Tram 5 (stop A/B) and tram 21 (stop C) run from the station to Bismarckplatz, at the western edge of the old town. For the castle, bus 20 from stop C goes directly to Rathaus/Bergbahn, beside the Bergbahn lower station at Kornmarkt, and on to Heidelberg-Altstadt station. An rnv Mobilitätszentrale (mobility centre) stands by the stops, and tickets are also sold at machines, by the driver on buses and in the rnv app.

A single ticket within Heidelberg costs €3.50 in 2026 and is valid for 90 minutes in one direction, including changes. The station also has a DB Reisezentrum for long-distance tickets.

Trains from Heidelberg Hbf

ICE trains to Frankfurt Hbf leave every hour or two and take about an hour. Stuttgart Hbf is as little as 39 minutes away, and Munich Hbf takes about 2 hours 57 minutes on the direct ICE services. Mannheim Hbf is 11 to 12 minutes away on the IC trains to Cologne and a few ICEs, but most ICEs to Frankfurt run via Weinheim and do not stop in Mannheim. S-Bahn and regional trains also run to Mannheim several times an hour. Cologne Hbf takes around 2 hours 40 minutes on the IC. Karlsruhe Hbf is about 35 minutes away. An ICE to Hamburg Hbf leaves in the early morning, Monday to Saturday, and takes about 4 hours 40 minutes.

FlixTrain's FLX 10 calls at Heidelberg Hbf on its way between Basel or Stuttgart and Berlin and Hamburg, with several trains a day until at least 12 December 2026. It reaches Berlin Hbf in about 5 hours.

Two ÖBB Nightjet trains call here. The one to Hamburg-Altona leaves at 01:03 and runs via Frankfurt Süd, Hannover and Bremen, and the one to Zürich HB leaves at 05:34 via Karlsruhe, Offenburg, Freiburg and Basel Bad Bf. Both have sleeping and couchette cars, and a reservation is required.

Regional trains run to Heilbronn, Mosbach, Karlsruhe, Mannheim and Frankfurt, and the S-Bahn Rhein-Neckar serves the Neckar valley and the Rhine plain.

Frankfurt Airport's long-distance station has no daytime direct train from Heidelberg. Only two night ICE services, at 02:02 and 03:43, call there directly, so most travellers change trains on the way.

The castle and the Bergbahn

Bus 20 from Heidelberg Hbf and bus 36 from Bismarckplatz stop at Rathaus/Bergbahn, beside the lower station at Kornmarkt. The lower line runs to the Schloss station and Molkenkur every 10 minutes from 09:00 to 20:00 until 1 November 2026, when the winter timetable starts. The upper line from Molkenkur to the Königstuhl runs every 20 minutes. A Schlossticket costs €11 for a return on the lower line and includes entry to the castle courtyard, the Fasskeller and the German Apothecary Museum. The Panorama ticket to the Königstuhl and back costs €17 and includes the same entries. Tickets are valid only on the day they are validated.

Other Heidelberg stations

Heidelberg-Altstadt is an S-Bahn station on the eastern edge of the old town, closer to the castle than the other three stations, and it has no staff. The S1, S2, S7 and S8 call there, along with a few regional trains on weekdays. No ICE or IC does, so use Heidelberg Hbf for long-distance trips.

Heidelberg-Weststadt/Südstadt is the first S-Bahn stop after Heidelberg Hbf on the S1, S2, S7 and S8, useful if you are staying in those districts. Heidelberg-Kirchheim/Rohrbach lies on the southern side of the city. The S2, S3 and S4 and RB 68 regional trains stop there, and the S3 continues to Wiesloch-Walldorf, Bruchsal and Karlsruhe.

Tickets and the Deutschlandticket

The Deutschlandticket costs €63 a month. It covers regional trains, the S-Bahn, buses and trams, so it works on rnv trams and buses and on the S-Bahn between all four stations. It does not cover ICE, IC, EC or FlixTrain. It is a subscription, but you can cancel by the 10th of the month and it ends at the end of that month.

Rail passes and reservations

As of October 2026, an Interrail Pass covers ICE, IC and EC trains in Germany. On the ICE a seat reservation is optional and costs €5.50 in second class or €6.90 in first. Regional trains need no reservation. Before boarding any train, including the S-Bahn, fill in a travel day, or you risk a €60 fine. The Nightjet needs a paid reservation. FlixTrain is not included in the pass.