Oldenburg

By plane

The closest airports are Bremen BRE (), Hamburg HAM () and Amsterdam Schiphol AMS ().

• Bremen Airport BRE : Take tram 6 to Bremen Hauptbahnhof, then change to an Oldenburg Hauptbahnhof train. The trip will take around 1h and cost about 12€.
• Hamburg Airport HAM: Take train S1 to Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, then change to a Bremen Hauptbahnhof train, then change to an Oldenburg Hauptbahnhof train. The trip will take around 2h10, and cost about 36€. A direct bus to Oldenburg is available from Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, see details below.
• Amsterdam Schiphol Airport: The train trip has been complicated by the damaged Friesen bridge that will not be replaced until 2024. It is possible to use a train-bus-train option (around 4h20), or to take a train to Sloterdijk (24 minutes) and then a FlixBus to Oldenburg Hauptbahnhof (4h30). A direct bus to Oldenburg is available from Amsterdam Sloterdijk, see details below.

By train

Regional services connect

Oldenburg (Oldenburg) Hauptbahnhof

to surrounding towns.

• Bremen: Transport to other German cities will generally require a transfer in Bremen. There are two direct trains an hour between Bremen and Oldenburg, with travel times of 30-40 minutes.
• Hamburg: There are three trains an hour from Hamburg to Bremen, with a transfer required to Oldenburg. Total travel times are 1h40-2h15.
• Amsterdam: There are four trains an hour from Amsterdam, but the trip has been complicated by the damaged Friesen bridge that will not be replaced until 2024. The train and bus combinations will take 4h16-5h30, and can be booked through Deutsche Bahn.
• Groningen: Travel to/from Groningen (generally requires a transfer in Leer (D) and from there on to Oldenburg. Be aware of the border crossing after Nieuweschans. You can't use a Dutch ticket to go to Germany.

By car

You can reach Oldenburg from the A1, A7, A27 and E22 highway.

By bus

FlixBus operate direct buses from the North side of the (ZOB)

• Hamburg: 7 buses per day (2h25-2h35, 9-20€)
• Amsterdam Sloterdijk: 4 buses per day (4h35-5h10, 17-20€).

Advance booking through the FlixBus website is recommended, because it is cheaper and the buses do fill up.

By bicycle Oldenburg prides itself on cycling, and has extensive bicycle paths within the town and to adjacent towns. Bicycle rentals are available downtown from Vosgerau Am Damm (6,50€/day), Fahrradzentrum Oldenburg (10€/day), Swapfiets (17.5€/month). The Fahhradselbsthilfewerkstatt (bicycle repair shop) at Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg also rents out bikes at around 20€/month.
By bus
Frequent local buses are operated by VWG, with route and timetable information also available in Google Maps Navigation. You can buy tickets on the bus (2€45), but is slightly cheaper to buy a set of 4 rides (8€20), a day pass (7€) or a multi-day pass.

• Schloss Oldenburg

  address: Schloßpl. 16, 26122 Oldenburg, Germany
  A well-reviewed collection of rooms and art, but the appeal may be limited by the lack of English signage.

• St. Lambertikirche

  address: Markt 17
  Built between 1155 and 1234

• Oldenburg Film FestivalSeptember

• Schlossgarten OldenburgA 16 hectare public park next to downtown, with curving paths, a multitude of lakes/ponds, and some of the oldest rhododendrons in Germany.

• Bremen is very close, see the "by train" section.

Carl von Ossietzky University (founded 1973) is an important regional university.

• Schlosshöfe Oldenburg

  address: Schloßpl. 3, 26122 Oldenburg, Germany
  The largest mall downtown, with a pay-parking lot and a food court. A good option for rainy days downtown.

• Einkaufsland Wechloy

  address: Posthalterweg 10, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
  The largest mall in the area, and the home of one of Oldenburg's largest supermarkets (Famila XXL Wechloy). The mall has free parking, and there are a range of businesses in the surrounding area.

Budget

• There are a host of eateries in the city center, including a variety of doener stands, Chinese Food, a McDonalds and a Burger King.
• On weekdays the Pferdemarkt ("horse market") hosts a market at which you can buy fresh baked breads, vegetables, meats, but no horses.
• The largest supermarkets are Real Stubbenweg, and the Famila XXL Wechloy. Smaller supermarkets include Lidl, Aldi, Penny, Rewe and Aktiv-Irma.

• Müller & Egerer

  address: Nadorster Str. 222, 26123 Oldenburg, Germany
  Part of a regional bakery chain, this location has a nice cafe and does a very popular Sunday all-inclusive breakfast buffet.

• Arabic shops

  address: Ritterstraße
  There are 2 Arabic shops where they tend to have more kinds of vegetables and things you wouldn't find in any other normal supermarket. Starting with cheese and ending with polenta.

Mid-range

• Biggie B

  phone: +49 441 18000944
  address: Haarenstraße 9, 26122 Oldenburg
  Among burger connoisseurs, these are considered the best burgers in town.

• Mom's Diner

  phone: +49 441 36103590
  address: Donnerschweer Str. 121A, 26123 Oldenburg
  More of a higher end "burgers and fries" place than a diner. Good burgers, authentic American curly fries, decent mainstream/Mexican beers and great service.

• Restaurant Rondell

  phone: +49 441 2182640
  address: Poststraße 8, 26122 Oldenburg
  It's an inauthentic local rendition of an inauthentic version of Mexican food, but the food is passable and it has decent cocktails and a nice outdoor seating area.

Splurge

• Klinkerburg

  phone: +49 441 259 29
  address: Bahnhofsplatz 12 A, 26122 Oldenburg, Germany
  A popular choice for solidly executed regional dishes.

• Patio

  phone: +49 441 2174747
  address: Bahnhofstraße 11, 26122 Oldenburg
  Widely considered to have the best cocktails in town, with a laid-back ambiance and good food. Not cheap, but good value.

• Kleine BurgPopular with locals for a nice night out, this restaurant serves traditional German/European fare.

• Antalya RestaurantHigh end Turkish, with great ambiance, food and service. A bit of trek (7km) South of downtown.

• Bei Franz

  address: Donnerschweer Str. 6, 26123 Oldenburg, Germany
  A popular steakhouse

• Patio

  address: Bahnhofstraße 11, 26122 Oldenburg, Germany
  Widely considered to have the best cocktails in town.

• Strohhalm Gaststättenbetriebs

  address: Wallstraße 1A, 26122 Oldenburg, Germany
  A popular part of the "Wall Street" bar area. Stronhalm ("drinking straw") shows live sports, has outdoor seating, and allows smoking inside.

• Havana

  address: Donnerschweer Str. 8, 26123 Oldenburg, Germany
  A popular bar/restaurant with decent cocktails and a beer garden.

Budget

• DJH Youth Hostel

  phone: +49 441 87135
  address: Alexanderstr. 65

Mid-range

• Hermes Hotel

  phone: +49 441 779390
  address: Ankerstr. 19

Splurge

• Bremen
• Delmenhorst
• Groningen — twin city of Oldenburg, across the border in the Netherlands