I want to run up to Wuppertal to have a ride on the Schwebebahn and fly over the river and hang under the arches.
Is it worth it? And does anybody here know if the verkehrsverbund in Wuppertal is the same one in Koeln? And if there is a day pass like the Bayern Ticket which would cover the lot?
It is worth it, there are some interesting views although not very pretty (such as when the line seems to run right through a huge chemical works). The ride is actually very smooth, and even though I am often scared of heights I didn't have any problem. Hang around a couple of minutes after the train arrives at a terminus to see the ridiculously tight curves on the end loops.
Wuppertal is not in the same transport union as Koeln. Koeln is in the VRS (Rhein-Sieg) while Wuppertal is in the VRR (Rhein-Ruhr). There is a Nordrhein-Westfalen Ticket that works just like the Bayern-Ticket and will cover both rail and the Schwebebahn.
Another point of interest is the Burgische Museumsbahn (http://www.bmb-wuppertal.de/) at Kohlfurth, which is a preserved section of the old cross-country tramline between Wuppertal and Solingen and can be reached on the regular bus route that now links the two towns. They only operate every other Sunday, but you can visit the depot at Kohlfurth on all Saturdays or Sundays.
You might also be interested in the trolleybuses of Solingen, the largest by far of the three remaining systems in Germany, which connects with the western terminus of the Schwebebahn at Vohwinkel.
Thanks so much, Philip, that's just what I needed. I don't think I will get to the tram museum this time but it is so close to Koeln it will be easy for a second leg.
There is a day pass "like the Bayern-Ticket" for travel in NordRhein-Westfalen. It's call the Schöner-Tag-Ticket.
NRW consist of several Verkehrsverbünde, including VV Rheinland-Sieg (VRS, Köln) and VV Rheinland-Rhur (VRR, Düsseldorf).
I was trying to work this in on my upcoming German trip between Duesseldorf Airport and Berlin, but wifey put her foot down on this side trip, so we are heading straight to Berlin on the ICE.
