Stay in Braunschweig

Braunschweig is a city of short distances and the best means of transport is the bicycle. All the main streets have cycle lanes and you can reach the city centre from anywhere in Braunschweig in under 20 minutes. If you want to buy a second-hand bike, there are several options:

• There are regular flea markets in various locations.
• Bike auctions are held twice a year at Braunschweig's lost property office.
• At Ebay-Kleinanzeigen you will find a large choice of used bicycles.
• Ask your fellow students if someone has an old bike that is no longer needed.

You can also rent a bicycle. You pay a fixed amount per month, repairs are included in the price. If you do not need the bike anymore, you simply return it and end your contract.

Bus and tram

Braunschweig has a dense network of bus and tram lines that make it easy to reach all destinations in the city area. During the day, the main lines run every 5 to 15 minutes. A single ticket costs about €2.80, a monthly ticket about €70.

Timetable information for Braunschweig

Timetable information for Braunschweig and Lower Saxony

Doctoral students enrolled at the TU Braunschweig receive a student identity card, which is also valid as a semester ticket. This ticket allows you to use all buses and trams in the Braunschweig region and all local trains in Lower Saxony free of charge.

Please note that your semester ticket is only valid with your identity card or passport!

Route network of the semester ticket

Train travel for reasonable prices

Travelling by train in Germany can be quite expensive. However, the Deutsche Bahn offers many savings prices and discounts that you can use:

• With the My BahnCard, all students under the age of 27 receive a 25% or 50% discount on every train journey.
• With the Super Sparpreis, you can travel all over Germany from 19.90€. The earlier you book, the cheaper the tickets will be. Attention: The tickets cannot be refunded or returned!
• With the Quer-durchs-Land-Ticket you can travel with up to 5 persons through Germany at a reasonable price, but you may only use local trains.

Groceries

You can usually buy groceries close to your home. Each neighbourhood has its own supermarkets, bakeries, butcher's shops and kiosks. Food, beverages, hygiene products or cleaning cleaning products can be found in supermarkets such as Edeka, Real or Rewe. Discounters like Aldi, Penny, Netto or Lidl usually offer less choice, but are cheaper. Supermarkets are usually open Monday - Saturday from 8:00 - 20:00, some also until 22:00. Smaller grocery stores such as bakeries close at 18:00 and Saturdays at 13:00.

The best place to buy fresh products from the region is at one of Braunschweig's weekly markets. The largest market takes place on Saturdays at the Altstadtmarkt.

A wide choice of international food can be found in the many Asian, Arabic, Turkish, Spanish or Italian grocery stores.

Go for a shopping spree

In the Braunschweig city centre, extensive pedestrian zones and shopping malls with boutiques, department stores, specialist shops, cosy cafés and restaurants invite you to go for a shopping spree. The shops are usually open Mon - Sat from 10:00 - 20:00.

Shopping in the city center

If you become ill, your first point of contact for all health issues is a general practitioner (Allgemeinmediziner or Hausarzt). The best way to find a good doctor is to ask your acquaintances or friends for a recommendation. Unfortunately, many doctors' offices are very busy and therefore no longer accept new patients. We are happy to support you in your search for a doctor. 

The following link can be used to search for doctors who speak different languages: 

Doctor's directory Lower Saxony

If you need assistance with this, please feel free to contact us by e-mail: more(at)tu-braunschweig.de

Please also note our information under "Emergencies" if you need a doctor very urgently.

If necessary, the general practitioner will refer you to a specialist (Facharzt). Ask your doctor to recommend somebody and to make an appointment for you directly. General practitioners and specialists can be found here:

local telephone directory

Medical Directory of the State of Lower Saxony 

The Medical Directory also lists the foreign language skills of the respective doctors. So you can find a doctor who speaks good English or even your mother tongue.

Unfortunately, the database is currently only available in German. You can find an English manual for use here:

Manual for the Medical Directory (PDF, 118 KB)

German courses

If you want to improve your German language skills during your stay, the Language Centre of the TU Braunschweig offers free German courses at all levels. They cover a broad variety of student requirements, e.g. conversational German, scientific language, presentation or academic writing. A language course usually takes up 2 – 4 hours per week. In addition, there are intensive courses in which you learn German on a full-day basis for 5 – 6 weeks and can thus improve your language level considerably in a short period of time.

German courses at the Language Center

English courses and other foreign languages

The Language Centre also offers English courses and courses in many other foreign languages. There is a wide range of general and specialist language courses at different levels to choose from.

Foreign language courses