How do I get around in Vechta?

If you don't want to walk everywhere, you can rent a bike or buy a used bike quite easily. If you are here for just a few days and you prefer to rent a bike, please get in touch with us and we can give you information on renting bikes in Vechta and assist you with the rental.

Moreover, the AStA (Students Association) of the University of Vechta offers a small bike lending programme for international students and researchers. Since there are only a few bikes available, you should get in touch with us at the Welcome Centre as soon as possible, or directly with Leon Isenberg of the Bike Workshop of the University at fahrradwerkstatt@asta-uni-vechta.de.
They will inform you on the bike rental conditions.  

If you instead prefer to buy a used bike, you can find used bikes for sale on Ebay or on the Facebook group "Flohmarkt Vechta und Umgebung". Before you complete the transaction, please make sure that the bike fulfills the security requirements demanded in Germany (for instance, it should have functioning lights, brakes and a bell). You can find more information on bike security requirements here (in German only).

You can also get around Vechta by bus. The city bus circulates between 6:30 am and 8:00 pm. You can find information on bus lines and timetables here , and here you can access the bus lines map. The website is available only in German, but it is quite self-explanatory. You just need to insert your point of departure (in the field "Start") and your wished destination (in the field "Ziel"), as well as the date (Datum) and time (Uhrzeit) on the drop-down menu. Please don't forget to specify the city name (Vechta) before any location (street, square) names. The price for a one-way ticket is 1,50€ or more, depending on the destination. In addition to the city bus, there is also a mobil+ bus service, which covers an area broader than the city bus. It works as a bus on call, namely you need to book your trip at least an hour before your planned trip either online on www.moobilplus.de through the App, or by phone at 0800 30 30 20 1. You can find the bus network map here. If you are a student and regularly matriculated at the Uni Vechta, you can ride the bus in Vechta for free by exhibiting your Semesterticket (please scroll down for more information on the Semesterticket).

If you wish to explore more than the direct surroundings of Vechta, you can reach many German cities easily by train. The Nordwesbahn (private railway company) offers hourly trains toward  Osnabrück or (in the opposite direction) toward Bremen central station. From these two bigger stations, many long-distance trains of the Deutsche Bahn and other private companies depart in a range of different directions. If you hold a Semesterticket, you can use the regional trains within the state of Lower Saxony for free. If you don't have a Semesterticket, you will have to buy a ticket before getting in the train, either at the ticket vending machines, at the ticket office (Reisezentrum) at the train station, or online on the website of the Deutsche Bahn or via the App "DB Navigator". More information on ticket fares and timetables are available on the website of the Deutsche Bahn, available in many languages. 

If you prefer to get around by car, you can find several car rental shops in Vechta. In order to sign a rental contract, you will need the following documents:

• Your driving licence (if you have already resided in Vechta for more than six months, please check with the competent authorities whether your driving licence is still valid)
• An international driving licence, if your driving licence was issued in a language that is not current in Germany
• A valid credit card
• An official identification document (passport)

Please get informed in advance on whether your driving licence is legally recognized in Germany. If you want to drive in Germany and you have transferred your residence here, you are subject to the German driving licence regulations. Please note that, in this case, your driving licence is only valid for the first six months upon your arrival, thereafter you will have to apply for a German driving licence. If you are a European citizen and you hold a European driving licence, the latter should be recognized in Germany. For more information, please visit the relevant European Union website.

To park your car in Vechta, you can use for free the parking lots of the University (indicated as P1 and P2 on the University map). In the city centre, there are several (free) parking options. For instance, you can park your car for free in the following zones:

• Parkhaus Bremer Tor
• Sprengepielplatz (up to 2 hours with parking disc)
• Neuer Markt (up to 2 hours with parking disc)
• Tiefgarage am Rathaus (up to 2 hours with parking disc) 
• Große Straße from crossroad Neue Markt till crossroad Dominikanerweg (up to 30 minutes with parking ticket)
• Große Straße from crossroad Marschstraße till crossroad An der Propostei

If you are matriculated at the University of Vechta, you will receive a "Semesterticket" each semester of your studies. With this ticket you can travel for free on all local trains within the state of Lower Saxony (S-Bahn, Regionalbahn, Metronom, Nordwestbahn, etc.) in the 2nd class wagons. You can also travel for free on the busses of city bus Vechta (StadtBus), VGV and mobil+ busses. Usually intercity and long-distance trains are excluded from the coverage of the Semesterticket, i.e. you will have to pay a normal ticket to ride these trains. An exception are the IC trains between Norddeich Mole/Emden Außenhafen and Bremen central station, which are free for holders of a Semesterticket. The full Semesterticket network coverage (trains) is available here.

The Semesterticket allows you to reach other cities in Lower Saxony via local trains for free, but it does not cover public transportation in cities other than Vechta (e.g. busses, trams, subway in Bremen, Hamburg, etc.). If you want to bring your bike, you will have to pay the bike supplement ticket (Fahrradticket), available at the vending machines (5,00 € pro ticket, valid for the whole day).