Coach & Minibus Hire in Germany

Heidelberg with a Minibus: Castle, Old Town and Neckar

Heidelberg's old town is made for walking, and its castle rises above the roofs. A minibus with a driver brings your group from Frankfurt Airport or the station to the Neckar, then on to palaces and cathedral towns nearby.

The Neckarmünzplatz drop

Coach groups are set down at the Neckarmünzplatz, by the Tourist Information in the heart of the old town. It is a short set-down only: everyone gets out and the vehicle leaves at once. Coaches that linger can be towed away.

The Karlstor coach park, about 300 m away, is often busy and cannot be reserved. The coach park in the Bahnstadt, on Speyerer Straße, holds up to 35 coaches and does take bookings; it is about 12 minutes' drive from the old town. Heidelberg lifted its Umweltzone in March 2023, so vehicles need no sticker and face no diesel ban.

Sprinter 19-seat minibus, side view
Sprinter 19-seat minibus, side view

Up to the castle

There is no drop-off at the castle gate. The castle itself recommends the Bergbahn from the Kornmarkt, or the walk up the Burgweg. A coach may drive up to the small castle coach park, which has room for six and must be booked in advance, but not between 19:00 and 08:00.

The courtyard, the Altan terrace and the Great Vat are open daily; the rooms inside can be seen only on a 60-minute guided tour. The Bergbahn closes from October 2027 to April 2028, and a replacement bus runs in its place.

Landing near Heidelberg

Favourite stops in Heidelberg

  • Philosophenweg — Panoramic path on the south slope of the Heiligenberg, across the Neckar from the Altstadt; the steep Schlangenweg climbs to it from just above the Alte Brücke
  • Kurpfälzisches Museum — City museum at Hauptstraße 97; open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-18:00, closed on Mondays. Guided group tours are requested by phone or e-mail, ideally two weeks ahead; a group more than 15 minutes late loses its tour
  • Alte Universität and Universitätsmuseum — Germany's oldest university (founded 1386); the old building holds the Universitätsmuseum, the Alte Aula and the rector's office, on the Universitätsplatz
  • Heiliggeistkirche and the Marktplatz — Gothic church on the Marktplatz beside the Rathaus, in the middle of the Altstadt
  • Alte Brücke — 18th-century sandstone bridge with the medieval Brückentor, linking the Altstadt with Neuenheim; a short walk from the Neckarmünzplatz
  • Altstadt walking tours from the Neckarmünzplatz — Groups arriving by private coach meet their guide at the Tourist Information on the Neckarmünzplatz, which is also the official coach set-down point; other meeting points lie in the old town between Karlsplatz and Universitätsplatz. Heidelberg Marketing recommends booking early for May to October
  • Heidelberger Bergbahn and the Königstuhl — Funicular from Kornmarkt via the Schloss station to the Molkenkur, then on to the Königstuhl (over 550 m). Bus 39 also runs from Bismarckplatz to the Königstuhl. Both funiculars are closed from 4 October 2027 to 7 April 2028, with a replacement bus Kornmarkt - Schloss - Molkenkur
  • Deutsches Apotheken-Museum — Pharmacy museum inside Schloss Heidelberg; open daily 10:00-18:00 from 1 April to 5 January and 10:00-17:30 from 6 January to 31 March
  • Schloss Heidelberg — Castle courtyard, Altan terrace and the Great Vat cellar (Fasskeller) open daily 09:00-18:00 (last entry 17:30); the interiors can only be seen on a 60-minute guided tour. Group tours are booked through the castle's group service centre. Coaches park only at the castle coach park (6 places, booking required); otherwise groups use the Bergbahn from Kornmarkt or walk up the Burgweg

Good places to be picked up

  • Rohrbach / Südstadt
  • Kirchheim (SNP dome)
  • Handschuhsheim
  • Neuenheim
  • Weststadt
  • Bahnstadt (Hauptbahnhof and Heidelberg Congress Center)
  • Bergheim / Bismarckplatz
  • Altstadt

In the old town

Guided walks for coach groups start at the Tourist Information; book early if you come between May and October. The Alte Brücke is a few minutes away, and across the river the steep Schlangenweg climbs to the Philosophenweg and its view back over the town.

The Kurpfälzisches Museum on the Hauptstraße closes on Mondays and likes group requests about two weeks ahead. Be punctual: a group more than 15 minutes late loses its tour.

Short trips from Heidelberg

Schloss Schwetzingen is about 14 km away, with five paid coach places on the Alter Messplatz, roughly 300 m from the palace. Speyer and its cathedral are about 35 km away, Worms about 48 km, and Neckarsteinach, upriver, about 14 km.

Kloster Maulbronn is about 66 km and Baden-Baden about 96 km. For Strasbourg, about 136 km, the vehicle needs a French Crit'Air sticker; the German one does not count there.

Questions travellers ask

How do we get from Frankfurt Airport to Heidelberg?

It is about 84 km, around an hour and a quarter by road in light traffic and longer at peak times. By train it takes about an hour with a change in Mannheim, which is harder work with luggage.

Can wedding guests be collected from the castle late in the evening?

Coaches may not drive up to the castle between 19:00 and 08:00 without an individual permit from the city's traffic office. For an evening celebration, plan a pick-up in the old town, or raise the permit when you book.

Is Rothenburg possible as a day trip?

Yes. Rothenburg ob der Tauber is about 155 km away, two and a quarter hours each way: a long but manageable day with a lunch stop in the walled town.

Other trips we can arrange

Other vehicles with a driver