The word for "bike" in German is Fahrrad ("ahr-rahd).
For traveling slightly longer distances across town or to neighboring towns, people take the S-Bahn train. The S-Bahn is an abbreviation for Stadtschnellbahn (stahdt-shnell-bahn), which means city rapid railway. If you want to ride an S-Bahn train, you have to go to specific trains stations where the S-Bahn stops. The S-Bahn trains in Dresden have two levels. On the bottom level, there is space for people to stand with their bicycles or with large luggage. Many people ride their bikes to the train station and then bring their bikes on the S-Bahn. Then they take the S-Bahn for a longer distance, get off and bike the rest of the way to work. On the top level of the S-Bahn train, there are more seats for people without bikes or luggage.
What I really like about the public transportation system in Dresden is that you don't need different tickets to ride the bus, tram and S-Bahn. You can buy a single ticket and ride all of the different forms of transportation. Once you have a ticket, you don't need to swipe it at a turnstile to ride the S-Bahn, trams or buses. A conductor will simply walk through the S-Bahn car, tram or bus and ask to see your ticket. I find this system very efficient since it prevents there from being congestion around the entrances and exits of the trains, trams and buses. People can simply get on and off without having to worry about swiping a ticket!
Of course, people in Germany also drive cars and you will see many cars around Dresden. Many people in smaller cities such as Pirna also have a car, especially if they live far away from the city center. However, it is not uncommon for individuals and families not to own a car.
