Not sure how to get around the Black Forest without a car? This black forest travel guide shows you how: ask your accommodation for a KONUS guest card, then ride regional buses and trains free during your stay.
This page is one part of the southwest germany travel guide, which looks at Baden-Württemberg as a whole.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| KONUS guest card cost to guests | Free of charge during your stay |
| Transport networks covered by KONUS | Nine |
| Destinations where KONUS is issued | Around 150 |
| Region length, north to south | 160 km |
| Region width | Up to 60 km |
| Tours in the Black Forest App | Over 4,000 |
The figures come from the KONUS page of Schwarzwald Tourismus and the Black Forest Highlights outdoor page. They can change, so check the sources before you rely on them.
How the KONUS guest card works
The KONUS guest card is a free pass for buses and trains in the Black Forest tourist region, from Pforzheim to Basel and from Karlsruhe to Waldshut. According to the Schwarzwald Tourismus KONUS page, it works across nine transport networks and costs guests nothing.
You do not buy it at a counter. You register at your accommodation, and the same page says the card can be obtained in around 150 tourist destinations (2026 flyer edition).
- Ask your host before booking whether the property issues the card.
- Register for the card when you check in.
- Carry an official photo ID, because the card is issued in your name and cannot be passed on.
- Ride regional buses and trains until your day of departure.
The card is valid only from check-in until the day you leave. You can use it on the way out, but not on the way in, so plan your arrival journey separately.
Some accommodation, such as some youth hostels and clinics, is exempt from tourist tax, and those places cannot issue the card. That makes the tourist tax rule worth checking before you compare places to stay, as the KONUS page advises.
What the KONUS card covers and what it skips
The card is a second-class ticket on all buses and trains of the participating networks. It also covers trams and buses in the cities of Freiburg and Karlsruhe, according to the KONUS page.
These services are not included:
- ICE, IC, EC and ECE long-distance trains
- Ski lifts
- Mountain railways
- First class
A digital version exists as well. The digital KONUS page describes a card you open on your smartphone, and the main KONUS page says all KONUS municipalities should be able to issue it by the end of 2026. Ask your accommodation whether it already does.
Pets and bicycles can travel on board, but each transport network sets its own conditions of carriage. Check the rules of the network you will use before you set out with a dog or a bike.
Getting around the region by bus and train
Mainline trains reach the region from stations including Pforzheim, Karlsruhe, Baden-Baden, Offenburg and Freiburg, according to a Germany Travel feature on the Black Forest. The same feature says an extensive network of bus and train lines takes hikers to viewpoints, villages, trails and farms.
For fares and tickets across the wider state, the guide to public transport baden-wuerttemberg gives the bigger picture. Use it alongside the KONUS rules above when you plan a route that leaves the region.
If you stay in Freiburg without a KONUS card, a 3-day Welcome Card is another option. The Black Forest Highlights guest card page says it covers all public transport in the RVF area for three days.
Hiking and cycling in the Black Forest
The region stretches 160 km from north to south and is up to 60 km wide, according to Black Forest Highlights. You find dense forests in the north and views as far as the Alps in the south.
The Romans called the low-mountain landscape “silva nigra”, which is how the Black Forest got its name, says the Germany Travel feature.
The free Black Forest App is presented as a companion for over 4,000 tours. The outdoor page also lists highlights such as these:
- Baiersbronner Seensteig in Baiersbronn
- Three Seen-Cycle path in Hochschwarzwald
- Gourmet path Himmelbergrunde in Bad Dürrheim
- Badischer Weinradweg on the Badische Weinstraße
Attraction cards and sights to plan around
The SchwarzwaldCard grants free admission to over 200 adventure attractions. According to the guest card page, you get one free visit to each attraction on three days of your choice within a year.
The Hochschwarzwald Card is a regional alternative. The same page promises more than 100 attractions in its area, mostly free of charge.
Cards are only one part of the planning. The Germany Travel feature highlights a few sights you could build days around:
- The Vogtsbauernhof Open Air Museum, with seven preserved farmhouses from five centuries and its own station, Gutach/ Freilichtmuseum, according to the feature.
- The pedestrian bridge in Bad Wildbad, which spans 380 metres at heights of up to 60 metres, as the same feature reports.
- The Vital-Therme spa in Bad Wildbad, where visitors swear by the thermal waters.
The Vogtsbauernhof is described as more than just a museum. On certain days a seamstress threads beads for a colourful headdress found only in the Black Forest, so it suits you if you want living traditions rather than only exhibits, per the Germany Travel feature.
Walkers who like a lake have options around Titisee, from easy paths to the challenging Höhenklimaweg Hinterzarten/Große Seerunde, a high climate trail covering almost twelve kilometres. In the Wiesental valley, the same feature calls the Zell im Wiesental train station an ideal starting point for hikes, including an eleven kilometre route to the Hohe Möhr mountain.
The guest card page also lists the DreiWeltenCard. It points to the Solemar thermal baths in Bad Dürrheim, the Smilestones miniature world at the Rhine Falls and a ride on the Sauschwänzlebahn railway from Blumberg.
Card benefits differ by area, so match each card to the places you actually plan to visit and the days you will spend there. A card that pays off in one region may add little in another.
If your route also includes a city break, the guide to things to do in stuttgart helps you plan that part.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a car in the Black Forest?
Show answer
Not necessarily. Mainline trains reach the region from stations including Pforzheim, Karlsruhe, Baden-Baden, Offenburg and Freiburg. With a KONUS guest card from a taking-part accommodation, regional buses and trains are free during your stay, as the KONUS page describes.
Is the KONUS card valid on ICE and IC trains?
Show answer
No. The KONUS page says ICE, IC, EC and ECE services are excluded, as are ski lifts and mountain railways.
Can I use the card on the day I arrive?
Show answer
Only from the moment you check in. It works until the day of your departure, including the journey out, but not the journey in.
Can I lend my card to a friend?
Show answer
No. The card is issued in a specific person’s name and is valid only together with an official photo ID.
What if my accommodation does not issue the card?
Show answer
Certain accommodation types, such as some youth hostels and clinics, are exempt from tourist tax and cannot issue it. Ask about the card before you book.
