The Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg (short: VRS) is one of four transport associations in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Validity area
Line network
In the network area, there is a dense network of rail and bus routes, particularly in the major cities of Bonn and Cologne.
Means of transport
Local rail transport (SPNV)
Regional Express (RE)
Regional train (RB)
S-Bahn (S)
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The Cologne S-Bahn connects the city of Cologne with the surrounding area. It consists of the S11, S12, S19 and S23 lines, but the S6 trains also run in Cologne, which is part of the Rhein-Ruhr S-Bahn.
city traffic
Light rail
The trams operated by the Cologne public transport company and Stadtwerke Bonn operate in both cities and the surrounding area. In addition, lines 16 and 18 of the KVB and SWB run from Cologne to Bonn and back.
City bus
Night traffic
Night traffic from Monday to Friday:
Night traffic on the nights before Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays:
ferry
Cable car
The Rheinseilbahn Köln, which is operated by Kölner Seilbahn GmbH, a subsidiary of KVB AG, runs over the Cologne Zoobrücke and is therefore in the area of the VRS, but tickets at the VRS tariff are not recognized.
Regional bus
Traffic Company
The largest transport companies are:
- DB Regio
- Transdev (including operation of the RB26 (Middle Rhine Railway)
- National Express
- Abellio
- Cologne Transport Company (KVB)
- Stadtwerke Bonn (SWB)
Transition to long-distance transport
Long-distance passenger rail transport (SPFV)
Long-distance train stations include:
- 1 Central Station
- 2 Cologne Trade Fair / Deutz
- Cologne / Bonn Airport train station
- 3 Bonn Central Station
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Long-distance bus transport
Long-distance bus stations include the Cologne South long-distance bus station (at Cologne / Bonn Airport and the Cologne North long-distance bus station (at Leverkusen-Mitte train station)
Air travel
- 4 Cologne Bonn Airport(IATA: CGN)
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Rates
- The VRS tariff tickets include single tickets, quad tickets, 24-hour tickets, weekly and monthly tickets as well as special offers for senior citizens, young people and students. In addition, there are supplementary tickets for the use of the 1st class compartments in S-Bahn, regional and regional express trains as well as for using the express bus line to the airport; the price list for 2021 can be found [here].
- In addition, the NRW tariff applies to the in-house tariffs of the railway companies in local transport.
- The NRW Ticket is valid in all means of transport, the Quer -übers-Land-Ticket in local rail transport.
Ticket purchase
- Ticket machines are located at all SPNV train stations as well as at most tram stops and at busy bus stops as well as in the city buses of the KVB and SWB.
- The DB travel centers are now (as of 2021) selling VRS tariff tickets again.
- Tickets can also be purchased in numerous kiosks.
Validators are located in the same places. Tickets from the advance sale in kiosks and ticket offices as well as tickets for four are only valid with a validation stamp.
Park and Ride (PR)
Park and Ride There are systems at many stations of the local rail transport and city transport. These are partly free, partly subject to a charge.
Bike-and-Ride (B R)
As an alternative to taking them with you on public transport, you can park your bicycles at bike-and-ride facilities and change trains.
- Storage options vary depending on the local conditions. For example, exist on Cologne as well as on Bonn Central Station Bike stations, which is manned by staff, this is theft-proof, chargeable and offers other services such as bike rental and repairs.
- Bicycle boxes are theft and weather-proof storage options, these are chargeable and, unlike bicycle stations, require permanent use and registration.
- Bicycle hangers are the most common form of the bike-and-ride system. These can be used free of charge and without registration and are less theft-proof. With regular use, care should be taken to change the parking spaces frequently, on the one hand this discourages bicycle thieves, on the other hand it prevents misunderstandings, since if the same parking space is used continuously, the regulatory authorities suspect that the corresponding bikes are "dead bicycles" and could therefore remove them. Bicycle hangers are often misused as unofficial disposal sites, this leads to annoyance for cycling, as this blocks parking spaces, so bicycle corpses can be reported to the regulatory authorities and removed by them.
Carrying bicycles
- You can take your bike with you on almost all modes of transport, as long as there is enough space available. There is a charge to take it with you; for trips across the network at the VRS tariff, you have the option of purchasing a bike with a bike ticket of the price category 1B or 2A (Single, 4-person, short-term or season ticket) to be transported. Wheelchairs, prams and luggage have priority over bicycles; it is not possible to take tandems, bicycle trailers or bicycles with motorized equipment that require an insurance license.
- Bicycles can also be used with the Bicycle ticket NRW be taken along as well as with the DB bicycle day pass for local transport in local rail transport (S-Bahn, regional train and regional express).
