Adresses and interesting places:

Important adresses

StudyMap: Map from Students for Students

Campus Duisburg Map:

www.msm.uni-due.de/en/kontakt/campus-map/

Hauptmensa:

https://www.stw-edu.de/gastronomie/speiseplaene

University Library:

www.uni-due.de/welcome-service/en/fua_ub.php

USC Universitäts Sportclub:

www.uni-due.de/hochschulsport/usc_philosophie.php

Apps:

Mobile Applications you might need

Bike Sharing/Renting:

https://www.metropolradruhr.de/en/duisburg/

Healthcare:

General Information

https://www.aok.de/pk/nordwest/studenten-mitglied-werden/

www.tk.de/techniker/jetzt-zur-tk/mitglied-werden-studierende

Public Transportation:

https://www.bahn.com/en

www.dvg-duisburg.de

https://www.vrr.de/en/

Tourist Information:

www.duisburg.de/tourismus/service/tourist-information-duisburg.php
 

Germany is a country which is still dominated by cash payments. You will be able to pay cash in all shops or ticket machines. ATMs can be found in all main train stations, airports and branch banks which are spread around the city. Major banks in Germany are Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, Sparkasse, HypoVereinsbank, Volksbank or Postbank. Cash withdrawals by credit card are possible at all ATMs with a VISA/MASTERCARD/AMEX logo. Your local debit card may not be supported or withdrawal fees can be higher than credit card fees. You will find a list of applicable fees on every ATM. If there are complications getting cash with your UnionPay card, try a Sparkasse ATM. Sparkasse accepts UnionPay debit and credit cards. For money exchange you will find branches of Reisebank at all main train stations and currency exchange offices at all airports but it might be cheaper to withdraw cash at an ATM.

In addition to cash you can pay by debit or credit card in most major chain stores and almost all grocery shops. Please pay attention that card payment may be accepted in most shops but that does not mean that you can pay by credit card. Please ask if card payment includes credit cards or look for VISA/MASTERCARD/AMEX logos at the entrance of the shop or at the register. UnionPay or Diners Club cards are not widely accepted.

You can reach every destination in North Rhine-Westphalia by public transportation. Especially in the Ruhrgebiet the railway network is very dense. There are different types of trains in Germany, not all of them are suitable for travelling long distances or outer regions of cities. In general, the easiest way to find the best and fastest route is with the application “DB-Navigator” (free and available in English). The application also shows if your train is delayed.

The white trains called ICE/IC are for long distances to other parts /states of Germany. They only stop in larger cities and you need a special ticket to use them (monthly or semester ticket not valid).

RE/RB: Those (usually) red colored trains are the easiest to use for travelling inbetween cities. They are often used by commuters and may be overcrowded during the rush hour. There is a first class in these trains that costs extra.

S-Bahn: These trains are stopping at many smaller stations inside of cities. As these trains have more stops within the cities they are not recommended for far away destinations.

Trams/Subway and Bus: Larger cities also have trams or subways (recommended e.g. in Cologne) but usually busses will bring you closer to your destination.

Tickets: Make sure you purchase a ticket before entering the train. You cannot buy them inside, except for bus tickets. Some tickets for the train can be bought at the machines at the station but you also need a time stamp on it (the stamp machine is in the train station – not in the train). With your NRW-Ticket (semester ticket) you are allowed to use every public service vehicle like busses, subways and trams in all cities in NRW as well as RE/RB and S-Bahn trains.

Tiger & Turtle

Tiger & Turtle is a walkable rollercoaster in the south of Duisburg. The metal sculpture is built on the highest point of a hill. This puts the visitor 45 meters (148 feet) above the surrounding countryside in Duisburg (www.duisburg.de/tourismus/stadt_erleben/industriekultur/tiger-and-turtle.php).

How to get there?

Starting from Duisburg main station you should take the tram “Straßenbahn 903“ directing to “Duisburg Mannesmann Tor 2 “. You have to get off at the station “Duisburg Tiger & Turtle Bstg. 1”. It should take about 20 minutes to get there and you have to get a two-way “A2”-ticket for that trip. Make sure to check the connections for the way back!

Landschaftspark Duisburg

Landschaftspark Duisburg is a former coal and steel production, which was converted in a public park in 1991. You can walk up the buildings and it is a popular spot for photographers. If you want to take nice pictures of the area and get a feeling for the history of the area you should consider a visit (http://en.landschaftspark.de/startseite).

How to get there?

Starting from Duisburg main station you should take the tram “Straßenbahn 903“ directing to “Dinslaken Bahnhof“. You have to get off at the station “DU-Landschaftspark Nord Bstg. 2”. It should take about 15 minutes to get there and you have to get a two-way “A2”-ticket. Make sure to check the connections for the way back!

Tetraeder Bottrop

The Tetraeder is a metal construction in Bottrop in the form of a tetrahedron with a side length of 60m (200 feet). It is a walkable steel construction located on a 90m (300 feet) hill. At the top of the stairs you are about 150m (500 feet) above the surrounding area (https://www.bottrop.de/freizeit-tourismus/sehenswert/Tetraeder.php).

How to get there?

Starting from Duisburg main station you should take the train “R-Bahn RE3 “directing to “Hamm (Westf)“. You have to get off at the station “Oberhausen Hbf”. There you have to take the Bus SB91 directing to “Richtung Bottrop ZOB Berliner Platz”. You have to get off there (last station). Then take the bus “Niederflurbus 266” directing to “Bottrop Wilhelm-Tenhagen-Str.” And get off “Bottrop Tetraeder Bstg. 01”. It should take about 50 minutes to get there and you have to get a two-way “B”-ticket for that trip. Make sure to check the connections for the way back!

During your stay in Duisburg you might want to see some of the most commonly known cities in Germany or its neighboring countries. For example, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin or Brussels are all cities worth visiting. While for some of these places it is easier and cheaper to go by train, others are better reached by plane. But there is another option in Germany for easy and cheap traveling, which becomes more and more popular: Remote buses like Flixbus.

Visiting Cities by Train

In Germany large cities are quite well connected by trains. Although taking the train to travel through Germany takes more time than flying, it is often cheaper if booked some weeks in advance. Since the Ruhr Area is very well interconnected it also has a high capacity and many possibilities for long-distance trains. If you want to book a train to a city in Germany or in one of its neighboring countries you best have a look at www.bahn.de/en.

Visiting Cities by Plane

Of course you can also always use the plane to visit cities in Germany or its neighboring countries. With the airport of Dusseldorf (DUS) being nearby (only one train station from Duisburg Main Station) it is a very easy and fast option to fly to Berlin, Munich or other cities. To find your flights it is advisable to use Websites as Swoodoo, fluege.de or Skyscanner, which compare the fares of many different airlines and show you that one with the lowest prices.

Please notice: The airport of Dusseldorf Weeze is not the same airport and is located about 60 km away from Dusseldorf. It is not advisable to fly from or to that airport.

Visiting Cities with Remote Buses like Flixbus

Another option to travel from city to city is the use of remote buses, which become more and more popular in Germany. Although this way of traveling takes more time than taking the train or plane, it is most of the time by far the cheapest option. Of course you can always carry luggage with you. A commonly known example for such a remote bus is Flixbus (https://www.flixbus.de/).

Taking the Thalys-train to Paris / Brussels

Reaching Paris from Duisburg is easy and fast. Just jump on the Thalys-train at Duisburg Hauptbahnhof. The journey takes about 4 hours on this high-speed train travelling with up to 300 km/h.

For booking your tickets visit voyages-sncf.com and simply fill in your details (departure/ arrival station and age) into the search mask. If you are on a budget it’s best to book the tickets in advance. Always check how much a first-class ticket is. It occurs a lot that it is only a few Euro more expensive, sometimes even the same fare. These tickets can be changed and are refundable. Other stops along the way are Düsseldorf, Köln (Cologne), Aachen and Brussels. You will be arriving at Paris Gare du Nord which is the biggest train station in Europe. From there you have good transfer options to your accommodation.

Beware of strangers approaching you trying to sell you tickets or pretending to be part of the official staff! It’s a scam! Use the ticket machines or the ticket counters if you want to purchase metro or bus tickets. Best option is to buy un carnet which is 10 tickets at a discounted fare. Every ticket is valid for one ride from A to B including transfers. The Paris Metro is the best way to get around in Paris. The extensive Paris Metro network can be quite overwhelming so it might be helpful to download a navigation app.

Especially during rush hours the metro is overcrowded. Keep your belongings close! Metros run every 2 minutes during rush hours.

Finkenkrug

A very popular bar is “Finkenkrug”. The bar is located near the university, therefore most costumers are students. Finkenkrug has a variety of different beers from all over the world.

Inner Harbour

The "Innenhafen", which means “Inner Harbor”, in Duisburg, is connected with the river Rhine. It has become a lively dining-scene. In addition to more than 15 restaurants and clubs, there are also owner-run bars and franchises. The “Innenhafen” is about 15 minutes away from the central station of Duisburg. You can take the bus 934 from the central station to the station “Betriebshof am Unkelstein” (9 min) and then you have to walk 6 minutes to the harbor.

Vapiano, Losteria, Bolero, Mongo´s, ….