Germany
Dortmund
Away-day guide
Dortmund is one of Europe's easiest football weekends: a compact centre, direct public transport to the ground and no shortage of beer or late food. Alter Markt works well for visiting groups, while the stadium-side and Kreuzviertel pubs become much more BVB-heavy on matchday.
Public transport
Dortmund uses the VRR network. The Stadtbahn is the main city-centre system: its U-lines run underground through the centre and above ground farther out. Buses cover the gaps, while S-Bahn and regional trains are useful for the airport, neighbouring Ruhr cities and Signal Iduna Park. A price-level A adult single within Dortmund is about 3.80 and is valid for one journey towards your destination; it is not a return ticket. A one-person 24-hour ticket is roughly 9.30 and is usually better value after three trips, with 48-hour and group versions also available. Buy through the VRR app, from station machines or on buses where available. Validate any paper ticket that is not already time-stamped, and activate mobile tickets before boarding; there are no ticket barriers but inspections are common. If the match ticket is marked KombiTicket, it normally includes local VRR travel for the stated period. DB Navigator is useful for S-Bahn and regional trains.
Typical prices
- Beer (0.5L)
- EUR 5
- Coffee
- EUR 3.5
- Meal, mid-range
- EUR 16
- Taxi from airport
- EUR 38
- Single transit ticket
- EUR 3.8
✈ Airports & cheaper alternatives
- Dortmund Airport DTM primary 13 km The direct AirportExpress bus reaches Dortmund Hauptbahnhof in about 25 minutes. A cheaper but slower option is bus 490 to Aplerbeck followed by Stadtbahn U47; alternatively take the airport shuttle to Holzwickede station and continue by train. The local and easiest airport, although its route network is smaller than Düsseldorf's. Low-cost flights can be good value, particularly from central and eastern Europe.
- Düsseldorf Airport DUS alternative 65 km Take the SkyTrain to Düsseldorf Flughafen station, then a direct RE1 or RE6 regional train towards Dortmund Hauptbahnhof. Check for engineering work before travelling. The best all-round alternative, with far more flights and often better fares. Allow roughly 75 to 90 minutes to reach Dortmund.
- Cologne Bonn Airport CGN alternative 95 km RE6 runs from the airport towards Dortmund, taking roughly 1 hour 45 minutes. Faster connections may involve an ICE and a change at Köln Hauptbahnhof. Worth checking for low-cost flights, but the transfer is longer and late-night options are thinner.
- Weeze Airport NRN alternative 110 km Take bus SW1 to Weeze station, RE10 to Krefeld, then continue via Duisburg or Düsseldorf to Dortmund. Late arrivals can make the journey awkward. Sometimes much cheaper, particularly with Ryanair, but it is nowhere near Dortmund despite occasionally being marketed as a regional alternative. Allow at least 2 hours 30 minutes and avoid tight connections.
🍺 Supporters' pubs
Borussia Dortmund
Home fans: Home support commonly starts on Alter Markt, particularly at Wenkers, before moving through the Kreuzviertel via Kreuzstraße and Lindemannstraße. Ratsschänke, Mit Schmackes, Strobels and the Rote Erde/Freibad beer-garden area are strongly associated with BVB support.
Away fans: Alter Markt is the usual official or police-recommended gathering area for visiting supporters, with Wenkers, Zum Alten Markt and the surrounding brauhauses convenient for groups. The Londoner is the strongest specifically away-friendly recommendation and visiting colours are normally accepted. Strobels has seen visiting and home supporters mix peacefully, but it is fundamentally a BVB pub and gets packed. Large or noisy away groups should use Alter Markt or The Londoner rather than Ratsschänke, Mit Schmackes, the Rote Erde/Freibad beer gardens or the kiosks immediately around the stadium, which are overwhelmingly home-supporter territory.
Borussia Dortmund are the city's only club in a 2026/27 UEFA competition, playing in the Champions League league phase. Ordinary pubs do not routinely check match tickets, but match-specific fan zones can impose colour or entry rules. Visiting colours are prohibited in the South Stand and its southern corners; use the designated away allocation and follow the visiting club's final police and supporter notice.
Sourced from supporters' forums — always follow your club's and police advice for the fixture.
Nightlife
Alter Markt and the streets around Reinoldikirche are easiest for a one-night football trip, with plenty of pubs close together and simple links back to the Hauptbahnhof. Brückstraße is younger, louder and generally cheaper, with late bars and takeaways. The Kreuzviertel has Dortmund's best pub-crawl territory around Kreuzstraße, Lindemannstraße and Möllerbrücke, though it becomes strongly BVB-oriented on matchdays. Unionviertel, west of the centre around the Dortmunder U, is more alternative and less football-focused.
Food & drink
Try currywurst with chips, Pfefferpotthast beef stew and Dortmunder Salzkuchen, a seasoned bread roll traditionally served with minced pork and onions. Dortmund is known for Export lager; common local names include Brinkhoff's, Dortmunder Kronen and DAB. A normal pub measure is 0.5L. Alter Markt has traditional brauhaus-style food, while the Kreuzviertel has a wider mix of burgers, pizza, Turkish food and sit-down restaurants.
Cheap eats & beer
For a quick central feed, Wurst Willi by Petrikirche is a reliable currywurst-and-chips stop, while Kartoffel-Lord on Gerberstraße does inexpensive wraps, baked potatoes and vegetarian or vegan food. Brückstraße and Münsterstraße have clusters of kebab, falafel, pizza and Asian takeaways where a filling meal is commonly 7-12. Bakeries around Kampstraße and the Hauptbahnhof are useful for breakfast or train supplies. For cheap beer, buy bottles from a kiosk or supermarket for roughly 1.50-2.50; ordinary bars around Brückstraße are generally cheaper than the smarter places on Alter Markt. The Londoner is the clearest away-friendly football pub. Wenkers and Zum Alten Markt are convenient gathering places on Alter Markt but are not especially cheap. Near the ground, takeaways along Hohe Straße, Kreuzstraße and Lindemannstraße are better value than stadium catering. Strobels and the Rote Erde/Freibad beer-garden area are useful for an early drink but are heavily BVB-oriented and fill quickly.
Staying safe
Central Dortmund is generally straightforward for visiting groups, but watch phones and wallets around the Hauptbahnhof, busy Stadtbahn platforms and crowded matchday bars. The streets immediately north of the main station can feel rough late at night; use normal city precautions rather than wandering around drunk and separated from your group. Keep away colours covered if moving through packed home-supporter areas around the Kreuzviertel or stadium, and do not enter the South Stand in visiting colours. Police may impose match-specific alcohol, glass-bottle or route restrictions, so follow instructions even if they differ from an earlier trip. Leave pyrotechnics at home and keep a photo ID with you.
On matchday
Away supporters should follow the visiting club's final fan notice rather than relying on the normal route: police can designate Alter Markt as the meeting point and may hold or redirect groups at Dortmund Hauptbahnhof or Signal Iduna Park station. The away allocation and entrance are on the north side; visiting colours are not allowed in the South Stand or southern corners, and stewards can refuse entry. Stadtbahn U45 normally receives extra event services to Stadion, while U42 to Theodor-Fliedner-Heim provides a useful alternative. Strobelallee and nearby roads are commonly controlled or closed to through traffic around major matches, parking restrictions are extensive and station platforms can be temporarily held for segregation after full-time. Arrive at least 90 minutes early and check bag rules, as the ground applies strict size limits.