Spending a great holiday while keeping an eye on your own carbon footprint and the climate - this is becoming increasingly important for many people. Anyone travelling to North Rhine-Westphalia can travel with a clear conscience. The dense transport networks for buses and trains, both international and regional, the short distances within the state and various guest tickets, which not only include discounts and free admission, but are also valid for a climate-friendly journey to and from the destination by bus and train as well as for local public transport, are particularly helpful.
Travelling sustainablyConvenient by bus and train
North Rhine-Westphalia has excellent international connections: The Thalys and ICE high-speed trains connect Cologne and Dortmund with Brussels, Paris and Basel. Travelling from Zurich, Basel, Vienna and Innsbruck is even possible in your sleep thanks to night trains.
The numerous Flixbus connections are an environmentally friendly alternative by road: North Rhine-Westphalia is also easy to reach from other European countries using this mode of transport. For example, there are direct bus connections from Basel, Vienna, Warsaw and London. Once you have arrived, you can continue your journey sustainably: in the land of short distances, you can easily get from A to B by train: this is ensured by the densest rail network in Germany with around 6000 kilometres of track.
Good to know: Guests can also set sail sustainably in NRW
Europe's largest fully electrically powered passenger ship is on the Biggesee in Sauerland; the MS Westfalen is clean, quiet and CO2-neutral. And on Lake Aasee in Münster, a passenger ship also provides sustainable boating pleasure: The solar-powered "Solaaris" offers round trips from spring to autumn.
www.mobil.nrw | biggesee.de | aaseeschiffahrt.overschmidt.de
On the road in NRWClimate-friendly and cost-effective
Whether it's a museum in Düsseldorf, shopping in Cologne or industrial heritage in Essen: Many cities and sometimes even entire regions in North Rhine-Westphalia offer Welcome Cards that not only provide many discounts or free admission, but also free travel by bus and train.
The WelcomeCard Ruhr, for example, offers free or half-price admission to many attractions in the Ruhr region for a selected period of 24, 48 or 72 hours, as well as free use of public transport throughout the Ruhr region - and sometimes even beyond: the ticket is also valid for some journeys from the Dutch border region. The DüsseldorfCard is valid as a ticket for buses and trains in the city area and is also available in a bike version: those who prefer to discover the city by bike can book the DüsseldorfBikeCard including a hire bike for 24 or 48 hours.
Other tourist tickets are automatically included with overnight stays in certain establishments: The SauerlandCard for Ferienwelt Winterberg, for example, is automatically handed over when the spa fee is paid. The GästeCard in the North Eifel is included with an overnight stay in one of the participating accommodations. If you book your Eifel holiday in good time, you can even use the card for your journey there. Whether you're travelling to the city or the countryside, it's worth keeping an eye out for offers like this when you're in NRW.
Good to know: Better climate in the city
In Düsseldorf, the largest green façade in Europe ensures a good urban climate. Around 35,000 hornbeam hedge plants grow horizontally and vertically at Kö-Bogen 2.
www.welcomecard.ruhr | www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de | www.winterberg.de| nordeifel-tourismus.de |
By pedes or pedalsStroll, hike or cycle
Smaller cities with shorter distances make for a relaxed exploration on foot or by bike. Aachen, Münster, Bielefeld or Bonn invite you to stroll through the streets and the sights can be easily reached on foot.
If you want to do longer tours and cycle from one city to another, you also have the opportunity to do so. For example, if you hire a bike from Metropolrad Ruhr in one of the ten participating cities in the Ruhr region, you can return it to any of the others. The same applies to the green bikes from "NiederrheinRad": whether Duisburg, Krefeld Kleve, Wesel, Viersen or the Rhine district of Neuss, bikes can be picked up and returned at the hire stations spread throughout the region.
Anyone who wants to explore NRW on two wheels has a huge selection of beautiful routes to choose from: The NRW cycle network covers a total of around 30,000 kilometres. The network of hiking trails is even larger at over 50,000 kilometres. Whether a certified premium hiking trail, "Top Trail of Germany" or an insider tip: NRW offers natural experiences, beautiful views and new adventures at every turn.
Good to know: Sustainable travel regions in NRW awarded
With the North Eifel and Ferienwelt Winterberg, two regions in NRW have already been recognised as sustainable travel destinations by the renowned certification company TourCert gGmbH.
