How to get to Ralswiek by bus

Last year when I visited the Störtebeker Festspiele on Rügen for the second time, I considered going by train.  The reason for this was quite simple: it takes about 8 hours to drive there from Oberursel, and that’s without the breaks or any traffic jams!

So when I heard about a train (IC 2355) that went from Frankfurt am Main to Bergen auf Rügen without having to change en route it sounded like a good alternative allowing me to get some work done during journey or just relax and enjoy the scenery.

However what sounded easy at first, turned out to be considerably more complicated.  For a start I would probably need to find somewhere else to stay on the island, as I was not aware of any way to get to the guesthouse that I had stayed at the year before using the public transport network.

The station in Bergen auf Rügen

Instead, I considered staying in Bergen itself and travelling by shuttle bus to the Festspiele, or staying in Ralswiek itself where they take place.

In the end I decided to go by car anyway, because I wanted to able to travel around the island during my stay, but for future visits I went to the station while I was there to find out just how I would get to Ralswiek by bus.

And the answer is…

Well, there are two bus routes that go to Ralswiek.  The first is the number 12 bus from Bergen, which only runs approximately every 2 hours, with the last bus leaving at 7.25pm (as of January 2013).  Returning on a Sunday morning using this service and the direct train would be impossible, as the first bus of the day from Ralswiek does not leave until after the train has departed in Bergen.

The alternative is to use the number 39 bus which only runs in the evenings when the Festspiele are on, something than many visitors do.  However it does not run on the evening of the public dress rehearsal, and there is only one departure time for the return journey, so staying to eat in Ralswiek after the performance is not really an option.

The bus station in Bergen auf Rügen

The truth is, of course, that Ralswiek is not that big, so perhaps not many people stay there and the number 39 bus is quite adequate for the theatre-going guests.  For holidays guests staying there it is quiet and they can still get around, provided they catch the last number 12 bus back in the evening.

Maybe it’s only bloggers who have a lot of photos to take and information to collect in a short space of time that need their car?