Updated in 2022
Some of the below is updated to include new electronic payment and app methods, plus current Corona/COVID rules.
This guide reads a little like “How to Ride a Bus” rather than “Riding the Bus in Wiesbaden” because I feel that not many American ex-pats/immigrants are familiar with public transportation, or haven’t had to use it in the past, and therefore are hesitant to try.
Riding the bus in Germany/Europe is both alike and not alike most bus systems in the US; they are generally more frequently run, with more vehicles per line, and they cover more distance. I take the bus nearly everyday and have run into a few snags, but usually due to issues like traffic, which are out of the bus driver’s control. There’s normally always a place to sit, you can take your bike on busses (not during rush hour, us the middle doors) and bus stops are numerous. At almost every major inner-city stop is an electronic panel displaying the time to the next bus on each line that serves that stop.
However, to make life a little more confusing, in Wiesbaden the company that runs the utilities and the company that runs the busses, is the same. Or at least, uses the same name, and that can be difficult to work out at first. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure how the trains, busses, or ESWE itself are all interlinked, but it’s a great system and works well.
If you use Mint or a credit card to pay either of these things, “Eswe Versorgungs Ag” is your utility payment and “Eswe Verkehrs Gmbh” is your bus ticket. You are looking for Eswe RMV if you google this (or click here). RMV bus routes take you all around the Greater Frankfurt Area and includes regional SBahn trains as well. On the front page there’s a destination planner; usually the bus stops are labeled with “WI” or “MZ” or another city abbreviation to differentiate if there is more than one bus stop with the same name.
The bus driver will not ask to see your ticket and you can get on and off at any door, but if there’s an agent on board you’d better have a proof of purchase ready. These are random checks and in four months of riding the bus I’ve only been asked once. The fine is €60 without a ticket; you can certainly take the risk and not buy one, but then again you are riding public transportation without paying so is that the most socially responsible decision?
If you’re boarding with a pre-purchased paper ticket, make sure to insert it into one of the nondescript orange or yellow boxes to have it stamped with the date and time otherwise it is not considered a valid journey. It does not matter which way end or side up you punch it.
Ticket Options & Pricing
- For the quick ride – If you need to hop on quick or don’t feel like walking, the one-way ticket (Einzelfahrkarte) is best. It’s the most basic ticket and it’s also the ticket the bus driver will give you by default unless you specify otherwise. This ticket will cost either €2,00 or €3,20 for one adult, depending on distance and age.
- For the tourist (or you have multiple trips to do or know you will return to your destination) – the best for a day of tourism, the day ticket will cost double the single ticket. There are group discounts as well (up to 5 people).
- For a temporary bus need – car is in service, car is being borrowed, have just moved and don’t have car, the weekly ticket is a good one. Good for 7 consecutive days and weekends/evenings are free. As a bonus, you can bring an adult passenger (and any number of children) along with you after 19h on weekdays and all day weekends and holidays.
- For the daily commuter – Monthly passes are a great deal, expensive upfront but the math checks out for two trips a day. Same passenger bonus as weekly. There are also different price classes if you use transportation outside of commuter hours.
- For die-hard public transportation fans – the yearly card is your ticket; pay for unlimited trips for an entire year, and never worry about expiration. Same passenger bonus and price class options as the monthly ticket.
*When updating this post from 2015, the prices were in general half of what they are today. 2022 saw significant price increases, like most industries and countries around the world.
How to buy a bus ticket
There are a few different ways to purchase tickets:
- You can always pay on the bus – tell the bus driver the name of the stop you’re going to; they will enter that into their system and print a ticket for you. You will have to pay in cash for this but they will issue change. NOTE: because of Covid, it is quite possible some busses still won’t let you enter through the front door, nor buy a ticket on the bus.
- At certain bus stops – some bus stops (like the ones marked on this map) have ticket kiosks. Sometimes these take credit cards, but not always. Giro/EC card and cash/coin are your best bets here.
- Eswe Info Center at the train station OR Marktplatz – here you can purchase any type of ticket, including the monthly passes, and ask questions. If you are coming into town off the train and need a bus to your final destination, see these people first.
- Online – purchase weekly or longer passes here, or Senior or Student discount passes. Link here.
- RMV SmartCard – you can book all your online purchased tickets onto this plastic card, and same with Service Center tickets. If checked on transport the Ordnungsamt will have readers. If you have NFC on your phone, you can also reload your card directly from the RMV app.
- This incredibly awesome app – this is the best; If you know me IRL, you know my obsession with all things wireless and in the cloud. In order to use this app, you need to have an account with RMV and you need to have it installed and linked on your phone. Purchase tickets when you actually get on the bus, while you’re waiting at the stop, while you’re in the café, all no longer than an hour before the your ride: all ticket types are available. This will also track your SMILES reward points if you sign up for this option when your make your online account. Android or Apple.
Here’s where to make an account online for SMILES and eTickets.