In Mainz as well as the rest of Germany, everything is connected by railways! There are many different types of transportation that use rails.
The first step to getting anywhere in Germany is buying a ticket. This is very important! There are no turnstiles or gates in Germany, so you can get onto your transportation as quickly as possible. However, that means there is no way of checking your ticket before you get on. If you get onto a train without the correct ticket, or without a ticket, and get caught, it could mean a 60 Euro fine. That is why it is so important to make sure you have the right ticket!
After a stop at the ticket machine to buy your ticket, you are ready to go! How are you going to use that ticket to get around? Below are some of the options that you have.
First, there's the U-Bahn, short for Untergrundbahn, which means underground rail. What kind of rail is underground? It's the subway, of course! The S-Bahn, short for Stadtschnellbahn, or fast city rail, is a kind of small train that only goes between nearby cities, as well as smaller suburban towns. For me, it's a great way to travel to the neighboring cities of Frankfurt and Wiesbaden.
If you want to go somewhere a bit further, there are other kinds of trains that can take you there.
