When planning a trip to Germany, most tourists opt for the obvious visit to Berlin, Heidelberg, or Munich.

But what a shame this is, considering Germany has countless other cities well worth a visit like, for example, Dortmund.

Located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Dortmund is at the heart of what was once Germany’s major industrial region. For centuries, this region, known as the Ruhrgebiet, was home to a thriving coal and steel industry. Although these industries have since collapsed, Dortmund continues to flourish and endure.

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Dortmund, Germany budget travel guide

Today, the city has reinvented itself into one of Germany high-tech hubs and has an exciting and varied cultural and restaurant scene. But Dortmund is perhaps best known for one thing: soccer. The local team, Borussia Dortmund, is one of the best in the Bundesliga, making Dortmund a sport’s mecca for any German football fans.

Getting there

By train

You can reach Dortmund very easily by train from any other city in Germany. To get the best and most flexible prices, be sure to book as far ahead as possible. You can purchase tickets online directly at the Deutsche Bahn website.

By bus and air

Taking the bus is sometimes the cheaper option, although it normally takes a few hours longer than the train. Check out the FlixBus website to compare prices. If you would prefer to fly directly to Dortmund, you’re in luck. The city has an international airport and an airport shuttle service which will take you straight to Central Station.

Related: How to use Flixbus to find cheap tickets on Europe’s largest budget bus service

Getting around town

By public transit

Dortmund has an extensive public transport system, with trains and buses that will easily get you wherever you need to go. Single fare tickets are available in five different Preisstufen (price categories). The shortest in the Kurzstrecke (short distance) ticket, which is valid for twenty minutes after validation and costs €1.60. The longest is Preisstufe D, which is valid for 300 minutes after validation and costs €15.30. This ticket will get you anywhere within the Vehrkehrsbund Rhein-Ruhr, which means you could make a jaunt over to one of the many nearby cities, like Düsseldorf, Essen, and Wuppertal, among others.

However, since single fare tickets only cover travel and transfers in one direction, if you plan to mainly stay within Dortmund city limits, a Preisstufe A ticket (costs €2.70 and is valid for 90 minutes after validation) should give you more than enough time to explore. So you don’t have to deal with figuring out how to use the ticket machines with impatient strangers waiting behind you, you can also buy tickets in packs of ten online. If you’re traveling in a group, you may want to opt for the 24 or 48-hour ticket. These tickets cover travel for up to five people and are purchased in the same Preisstufen as the single fare tickets, so decide beforehand how far you’d like to go. No matter which ticket you purchase, the good news is children 6 and under always ride for free.

By bike

Like most German cities, Dortmund is also very bike friendly. To rent a bike, download the Metropolradruhr app. Find a bike docking station, enter the bike number and scan the QR code with your phone. Registration is free and bike use cost €1 per 30 minutes, with a daily maximum rate of €9.

Affordable things to do in Dortmund

Dortmund has plenty of sites and museums to enjoy, but let’s start with the free ones.

Free attractions in Dortmund

These include a peek at St. Petri Ev. Stadtkirche (Westenhellweg), a gothic protestant church with an impressive altar known as the “Goldene Wunder von Westfalen” (Golden Marvel of Westfalia). Dortmund is also home to Europe’s biggest canal port, which connects the city to the North Sea. Opened by Kaiser Wilhelm in 1899, Dortmund Port has many architectural highlights, like das Alte Hafenamt (the old harbor master’s office) at Sunderweg 130.

Explore a beautiful park

Take a stroll around Westfalenpark, Dortmund’s beautiful city park complete with a rose garden, botanical gardens, and a flamingo pond. When there, keep a lookout for the Florianturm, Dortmund’s TV tower, and beloved city symbol. The bad news is you have to pay to enter the park, but luckily the price won’t burn a hole in your wallet. Day ticket park entry cost €3.50 per person in the summer (winter rates are slightly cheaper). Two small group rates are available: Kleingruppe 1 (1 adult and up to 4 children) for €7 or Kleingruppe 2 (2 adults and up to 4 children) for €10.50. If you’d like to take in the view at the top of the Florianturm, then opt for the Tageskombikarte (day combo card), which costs €5.50 for one, €11 for Kleingruppe 1, and €16.50 for Kleingruppe 2.

Dortmund museums

Dortmund also has several interesting museums. To get a feel for Dortmund’s former industrial glory, be sure to check out the LWL-Industriemuseum (Westphalian State Museum of Industrial Heritage). This museum includes eight locations spread throughout the Ruhrgebiet. The Zech Zollern museum (Grubenweg 5) is the one located in Dortmund and includes a permanent exhibition about the history of coal mining in the region (costs €4 for adults, €2 for children and teenagers).

Besides coal and steel, Dortmund is also famous for its beer. To find out more about the city’s brewing history, check out the Brauerei Museum. Museum Ostwall (Leonie-Reygers-Terrase 2) is an innovative modern art museum housed in an old brewery and the Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte (Museum for Art and Cultural History, Hansastrasse 3) takes you on a wild ride through art and design treasures stretching from antiquity to modern day. Now the good news for any bargain hunter: each of these three museums costs on €5 for adults and visitors 18 and under are free!

Soccer on the cheap

Last but certainly not least, a trip to Dortmund is not complete without a little Fussball. Unfortunately, both the Deutsches Fussball Museum (German Soccer Museum) and a game at the stadium will put you back a pretty penny. Our suggestion? If you’re there during soccer season, get to a sports bar early and enjoy a local brew and do some crazy football watching. But beware: if the home team Borussia Dortmund is playing, make sure you don’t accidentally root for the opposing team or you might find yourself in a whole lot of trouble!

Eating and drinking on a budget

Dortmund has plenty of nicely priced restaurants, cafes, and pubs to choose from. Here are some of our favorites.

Oma Rosa Café Dortmund
Chemnitzerstrasse 9

Enjoy this charming, centrally located café with “Oma” (grandma) inspired décor. You’ll find great coffee and cakes as well as German cuisine with vegetarian and vegan options.

Grüner Salon
Nordmarkt 8

This pub has delicious international dishes for €10 and under. If you’re a beer lover, sample a few of the local brews they have on tap.

Fischer am Rathaus
Betenstrasse 14

If you’re more in the mood for a light snack, then mosey over to Fischer am Rathaus. Fischer am Rathaus has been at the same location since 1848 and is arguably Dortmund’s best bakery.

Gänsemarkt
Schuhhof 8

A traditional no-frills Eckkneipe (corner pub), Gänsemarkt is a Dortmund institution. Chow down on a Mettwurst Brötchen and toss back a cold one while watching a little local soccer.

Mr. Pizza
Provinzialstrasse 218

Mr. Pizza serves up different inexpensive Italian classics, and many fans claim it’s the best pizza in the Ruhrgebiet.

Cheap hotels in Dortmund

Although attractions and food in Dortmund are pretty cheap, finding a hotel at a rock-bottom price isn’t always easy. Here are a few of our favorite places to stay in the city center that won’t cost an arm and a leg.

A&O Dortmund Hauptbahnhof
Double rooms from $75

With everything from spacious family rooms to bunk beds in shared dorms, you can find some of the lowest rates in town here. The location puts you right in the heart of the city.

Hotel Carlton
Double rooms from $93

The rooms are simple yet comfy at this budget hotel in the downtown area. Start your day off with a complimentary breakfast buffet and surf to your heart’s delight with free Wi-Fi.

DJH Jugendgästehaus Adolph Kolping
Dorm beds from $40

This fun downtown hostel has everything from a ping-pong table to an on-site bar with a beer garden. You can easily walk to markets and parks when you want to get out and explore.

Looking for more options? Browse more than 120 hotels in Dortmund, Germany.

Additional ways to save

Unlike many other cities, Dortmund doesn’t have a city card on offer to save on sites and transportation. But since most attractions cost €5 or less and plenty of cheap eats and drinks are to be had, your trip to Dortmund will still not be a pricey one.

However, you can still save by avoiding the touristy CityTour buses. Instead, take a look at their itinerary and map it out on public transportation or bike routes. Although we definitely recommend visiting other cities near Dortmund, it wise to plan ahead which cities you’re most interested in and purchase your Preisstufe ticket accordingly.