Most stores in Dresden are open from Monday to Saturday, typically between 7 or 8 AM and 8 to 10 PM. They are generally closed on Sundays, with the exception of convenience stores located in train stations, which may remain open.
Both cash and card (EC/debit cards) are normally accepted in Germany, but some places may not accept credit cards. Carry some cash just in case.
Trams and buses within the city are operated by the Dresden Transport Services (DVB), which is part of the wider network Oberelbe Transport (VVO) of regional transport providers. Schedules and information about the ticket prices are provided on their website and at each tram or bus stop. You can find free smartphone apps for public transport in Dresden by searching your app store for VVO or DVB.
For journeys involving trains the “DB Navigator” app by Deutsche Bahn is useful.
Tickets can be bought in yellow vending machines on board of many trams and buses, at most central bus and tram stops, and at the service points. Riding without a valid ticket will result in a fine.
If you travel a lot by bus and train, you can benefit from the Deutschlandticket. The Deutschlandticket is sold as a monthly subscription. The ticket is valid for one calendar month and is automatically renewed. If you enroll at the university, you will receive the Deutschlandticket with your student card. The cost of the ticket is included in the semester fee.
Employees of TU Dresden are eligible for reduced fares in cooperation with DVB. Please find more information on the TU Dresden website (login necessary).
Follow this link for other useful emergency numbers.
Try to stay calm and provide the emergency authority with following information:
There will always be an English-speaking or at least English-understanding operator on duty at the emergency call center.
Find here information about the message emergency call for deaf people, people with impaired hearing or for those who are speech impaired.
Medical services are provided by general practitioners (Hausärzte), specialists (Fachärzte), and hospitals. In most cases, patients visit a general practitioner first, who can refer them to a specialist if needed.
Upon request, we will provide an up-to-date list of general practitioners and specialized doctors speaking English or other languages. You can also look up a doctor who speaks a certain language in the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians of Saxony‘s database. Note that the doctor but not all their staff may speak the respective language.
If you are sick during the night, on weekends or public holidays and need a doctor, please call the standby duty: 116 117 or 0351-19292, some of the staff speak English.
During the night, on weekends and holidays there is an emergency pharmacy service. Since the pharmacy in charge of the emergency service changes, please check the emergency service schedule of pharmacies.
In life-threatening situations related to mental health please call 112.
To talk anonymously to someone over the phone in a difficult situation call the toll-free confidential helpline at 0800-111 0 111 or 0800-111 0 222 (around the clock) or the local crisis helpline 0351-804 1616 (Mon-Sun 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.)
TU Dresden compiled an overview of various available mental health support services here.
You can find further information in various languages on the website of Dresden’s psycho-social help services and on the website of the Telefonseelsorge.
A German bank account is needed for many recurring transactions of everyday life, from receiving your salary to paying your health insurance or rent etc. We therefore recommend to open a German bank account.
Please note that cash and debit cards are the prevailing means of payment in shops in Germany. Credit cards are not accepted everywhere.
Dresden is considered a safe city. Anyway, security in public spaces and police work is different in every country. Therefore we collected a few useful hints for you to keep in mind when dealing with an case of emergency. Download here an information leaflet of the police about your rights in criminal proceedings.
Each tram has a speech item button to contact the driver. Usually the drivers rarely understand English but Help! is understood for sure. If you use the emergency brake, the tram stops immediately and the doors will open. Please only use it in cases of real emergencies! The stop may hurt other passengers and you can be hold liable for it. In any case, the driver has to clarify the situation when the emergency brake has been used.
Video sequences are recorded on a hard drive in the tram or bus. They are deleted automatically after 24h.
