Bad Schandau Station: Ferry, Buses and the Tram

Last updated: August 2026 · checked on site

For most visitors to Saxon Switzerland, Bad Schandau is not a destination but a junction. Trains arrive here from four directions, buses leave for the surrounding villages, and the historic Kirnitzschtal tram starts here. And when you step off the train, you are on the wrong side of the river.

This article explains how the junction works: arriving, connection times, the ferry, and tickets. For which destinations are worth your time, see the Saxon Switzerland guide.

The most important thing first

The station is called Bad Schandau Nationalparkbahnhof — and it is not in Bad Schandau. The town is on the other side of the Elbe. To reach it, take the ferry (a 10-minute crossing) or walk 30 minutes across the road bridge.

But if you are heading for the Kirnitzschtal valley or the Bastei, you do not need the ferry at all. Those buses leave from right outside the station.

Getting to Bad Schandau

From	Service	Journey time
Dresden Hbf	S1	44 min, every 30 min
Prague	EC / Railjet	1 h 37 – 1 h 53, roughly every 2 hours
Berlin	EC / IC	1 h 55 – 2 h 10, roughly every 2 hours
Děčín (Czech Republic)	U28	28 min
Leipzig Hbf	RE 50	2 h 18, direct on Saturdays

The useful thing to know: the long-distance trains between Berlin and Prague run along the Elbe valley and stop in Bad Schandau. From both cities you arrive without changing in Dresden, which is not what most trip planners expect.

From Leipzig, the RE 50 runs direct on Saturdays: 8.08 → 10.26 out, 16.31 → 19.00 back, from €30.70. On all other days, take the RE 50 to Dresden Hbf and change to the S1 there. A Flixbus to Dresden Hbf and then the S1 works too.

One tip from experience: the RE 50 is usually busy. If you want a seat, be on the platform a few minutes early.

At the station

Platforms 1 and 2 are at street level. Platforms 3 and 4 are reached through a tunnel. There are lifts between all platforms.

You will also find:

• Two ticket machines (Deutsche Bahn), card and cash accepted. VVO day tickets are sold here.
• Toilets, €0.50 in coins
• Luggage lockers near the exit towards the river, €3.50, coins only
• a café

From the platform to street level via the lift takes about 5 minutes — worth knowing if you have luggage or a pushchair.

Your first decision: bus or ferry

The bus station is directly in front of the station building, and the ferry pier is a little further on. Walking times measured from platform 1/2:

• to the bus station: 3.5 minutes
• to the ferry pier: 5.5 minutes

From platforms 3 and 4, add the walk through the tunnel.

Which one you need depends on where you are going:

Destination	How
Bad Schandau town, Kurpark	Ferry
Lichtenhain Waterfall, Kirnitzschtal valley	Bus 241 from bay 5 (faster) or ferry plus the Kirnitzschtal tram (nicer)
Bastei, Hohnstein	Bus 254, bay 2
Schmilka, Ostrau	Bus 252, bay 3
Schöna, Krippen, Reinhardtsdorf	Bus 252, bay 3
Sebnitz, Mittelndorf	Bus 260, bay 4
Krippen, Kleingießhübel	Bus 251, bay 1
Gohrisch, Cunnersdorf, Königstein	Bus 243 / 244, bay 1
Waltersdorf, Prossen, Ebenheit	Bus 253, bay 2

The bus station

Five bays, right outside the station. Buy tickets from the driver — card payment works.

One thing about reading the timetables: each line is listed with its full route, including the part it has already travelled before reaching Bad Schandau. At bay 5, the 241 is shown as "Pirna – Königstein – Bad Schandau – Lichtenhainer Wasserfall – Hinterhermsdorf", even though you board here and only ride the second half.

The three lines most visitors need:

241 (bay 5) — hourly into the Kirnitzschtal valley. Station to Lichtenhain Waterfall in 23 minutes, continuing to Hinterhermsdorf. Monday to Friday from 7.25, then every hour at 25 past, plus later services at 18.55 and 19.55.

254 (bay 2) — hourly to the Bastei (37 minutes) and on to Pirna via Hohnstein. Not every service calls at the Bastei; some run straight to Pirna via Rathewalde. The Rathewalde P+R stop is not served in snow and ice.

252 (bay 3) — take care here: two directions of the same line leave from this bay. One goes upstream via the Elbkai, the historic passenger lift and Ostrau to Schmilka at the Czech border. The other goes downstream via Krippen and Reinhardtsdorf to Schöna (16 minutes). The two run in opposite directions, so check the destination on the bus before boarding.

The F5 ferry

The ferry connects the station with the town pier. You can reach the pier by steps or by ramp, and there is a ramp on the town side as well.

It runs every 30 minutes. From the station on the hour and half hour, from the town at 25 and 55 past.

	Mon – Fri	Sat / Sun / holidays
First from the station	5.30	6.30
Last from the station	22.00 (summer) / 21.30	22.00 (summer) / 21.30
First from the town	4.55	6.25
Last from the town	21.55 (summer) / 21.25	21.55 (summer) / 21.25

The late 22.00 sailing only runs from 28 March to 1 November. In winter the service ends half an hour earlier. Worth remembering if you are planning a late train in February.

The crossing takes different times in each direction: 10 minutes upstream from the station to the town, but only 5 minutes coming back downstream.

The ferry timetable is built around the S1. Coming from Dresden, you normally have about 17 minutes before the ferry leaves; going back, about 14 minutes between arriving at the station pier and the train departing. The measured 5.5-minute walk fits comfortably into both.

Ferry fares

Single €2.00, return €3.00. With a bicycle €3.40 and €5.00. Reduced fares apply for children up to 15, dogs and bicycles.

The Deutschlandticket is valid, and so are VVO tickets. If you have neither: there is no ticket machine on board and the crew takes cash only.

On request the ferry also calls at the Krippen Bornfähre landing. To get off there, tell the crew; to get on, stand where they can see you at the pier.

If the ferry is not running

The alternative is the 30-minute walk across the road bridge. Given the 30-minute ferry interval, that means something practical: if you have just missed a sailing, walking takes about as long as waiting.

In the town

From the town pier, the centre is a few minutes away. There is a Lidl open seven days a week, handy for supplies before a hike.

The walk from the ferry to the Kirnitzschtal tram terminus at the Kurpark takes a good 10 minutes through the town.

The Kirnitzschtal tram

A historic tramway running from the Kurpark into the Kirnitzschtal valley as far as the Lichtenhain Waterfall. It is an attraction in itself, not just a way of getting there.

Summer timetable (28 March to 1 November): first departure 8.15, then every 30 minutes from 9.30 to 18.30, with later services at 19.00 and either 19.40 or 20.35 depending on the season. Kurpark to Lichtenhain Waterfall takes 25 minutes. Coming back, departures from the waterfall run from 8.45 to 18.10, plus 19.10 and 20.10; that direction takes 29 minutes.

Winter timetable (roughly November to March): much reduced, roughly every 70 minutes. First departure from the Kurpark at 9.55, last return from the waterfall at 17.30. If you are travelling in winter, check the timetable first — track work sometimes closes the line completely.

On selected days in summer, historic cars from the 1920s and 1930s run alongside the normal service. These heritage trips carry a supplement of €1.00 (€0.50 for children up to 15).

When boarding: wait for the shunting to finish. The crew will signal when you can get on.

Tram fares

	Single*	Day ticket**
Standard	€7.00	€10.00
Reduced (bicycle, dog, children up to 15)	€3.50	€5.00
Family day ticket	-	€25.00
Groups of 11 or more	€5.00 per person (reduced €2.50)	-

* no stopovers · ** hop on and off until the end of service

Buy from the crew on board.

Which tickets are accepted

The Kirnitzschtal tram has its own fare system. According to the operator's notices, VVO tickets are only accepted in part — a VVO day ticket does not appear to count as a full ticket, but seems to entitle you to the reduced fare. If a day ticket is all you have, expect to pay something extra, and ask the crew if you are unsure.

Fully accepted:

• the Deutschlandticket
• the Gästekarte Sächsische Schweiz mobil
• VVO season tickets (weekly, monthly or annual) covering fare zone 72

With a VVO monthly ticket, one additional adult travels at the reduced fare between 18.00 and 4.00, and all day at weekends and on holidays.

Tickets and cash

Where	Payment
DB machines at the station (2)	card and cash
Buses, from the driver	card
Kirnitzschtal tram, from the crew	cash only
Ferry	cash only
Toilets	coins, €0.50
Lockers	coins, €3.50

Bring cash in small notes and coins. The ferry, the toilets and the lockers cannot be used without it — together that adds up to €6 or €7 quickly.

VVO day tickets are sold at the DB machines at the station. They cover trains and buses across the region; for the Kirnitzschtal tram they are only partly valid, as explained above.

Where to go from here

Bad Schandau is the starting point for most destinations in the national park. Which ones suit your fitness, the season and the time you have is covered in the guide to hiking destinations in Saxon Switzerland.

Timetables change each December and during engineering work. Check vvo-online.de or the transport authority's app before you travel.