Dortmund Airport Transfers: What You Actually Need to Know

Dortmund Airport (DTM) lists two ways into the region on its official pages: the airport express bus and the airport shuttle bus, plus taxis and pre-booked transfers. The airport express bus connects the airport directly with Dortmund Hauptbahnhof (the main station), and the airport shuttle bus connects it directly with Bahnhof Holzwickede. Both stations can be reached by regional and long-distance trains of Deutsche Bahn. A pre-booked private transfer is the door-to-door option; use the quote tool on this page for your route.

The airport pages do not publish the distance or the journey time to the city centre, so this guide gives none for Dortmund itself.

The airport's pages tell you where the buses and the taxis are, not what the arrivals hall looks like, so this guide does not describe the hall or baggage reclaim, and we did not find an official statement on baggage waiting times.

What the pages do say is practical. The bus stops are directly in front of the terminal, on the departures level (Abflugebene, level 1). The taxi rank is at the arrivals level (Ankunftsebene), next to the east exit (Ausgang Ost). Decide before you land which option you will use, and tell your transfer provider if your flight changes.

Airport express bus: a direct bus link between the airport and Dortmund Hauptbahnhof. From the main station you can continue by train.

Airport shuttle bus: a direct bus link between the airport and Bahnhof Holzwickede, which also has regional and long-distance train connections of Deutsche Bahn.

Local bus lines: the airport page also lists line 490 (Dortmund-Aplerbeck), line 440 (Lütgendortmund/Horde) and line 57 (Bahnhof Unna).

Tickets: the airport express bus and the airport shuttle bus are not part of the VRR tariff (Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr), so a separate ticket is needed. The airport page refers to bahn.de, vrr.de and bus-und-bahn.de for further information. It publishes no fares, journey times or frequencies for the buses, so we give none.

Taxi: the taxi rank is at the arrivals level next to the east exit. Sample fares are in the next section.

Pre-booked private transfer: a pre-booked transfer goes to your accommodation at a price confirmed when you book. If meet-and-greet is included in your booking, the driver meets you as stated in your booking confirmation.

The airport's taxi page publishes sample fares, marked approximate. We selected some of them:

• about 11 EUR: Holzwickede
• about 21 EUR: Unna
• about 35 EUR: Dortmund Hbf (main station)
• about 71 EUR: Bochum
• about 105 EUR: Essen
• about 165 EUR: Düsseldorf Airport

These are sample taxi fares that the airport publishes on its taxi page, marked "ca." (approximate) and "Stand Februar 2024" (as of February 2024), with the statement "ohne Gewähr" (no guarantee). In English: approximate, dated February 2024, no guarantee. Today's fare can differ, so confirm it with the driver before you set off. The airport page adds that between 22:00 and 06:00, and on Sundays and public holidays, the fare rises by about 10% for trips within Dortmund, to Unna and to Holzwickede.

For comparison, the live price to Essen is from EUR 119. The live price to Gelsenkirchen is from EUR 114. Our route database estimates about 46.6 km and 56 minutes to Essen, and about 43.6 km and 52 minutes to Gelsenkirchen. Prices depend on the destination and the vehicle, so use the quote tool on this page for your exact route. We give no bus fares because the airport page shows none.

The airport pages do not publish a night timetable for the buses or taxi operating hours, so do not assume that a bus or a taxi will be waiting after a late landing. They do mention a fare supplement for night trips: between 22:00 and 06:00 the sample taxi fares for trips within Dortmund, to Unna and to Holzwickede rise by about 10%.

If your flight lands late, the safest plan is a pre-booked transfer confirmed before you fly. Give your flight number and address at booking, and check your booking confirmation for how delays are handled.

We found no official family information on the airport's transport pages, apart from a luggage-trip service (Kofferfahrten) mentioned on the taxi page, so none is given here. We also found no official statement on child seats in taxis. If you need a child seat, request it at booking, give the child's age and weight, and confirm it in your booking confirmation.

With several bags or a stroller, tell your provider the group size and luggage count at booking so that the vehicle is large enough.

For drop-off, the airport page names the area in front of the terminal on the departures level (level 1), the Kiss & Fly zone. For pick-up, the taxi rank is at the arrivals level next to the east exit. The bus stops are directly in front of the terminal on the departures level.

For a pre-booked transfer, the meeting point and driver details are in your booking confirmation. If meet-and-greet is included in your booking, follow the instructions there. Keep your booking confirmation open on your phone while you walk out.

Take a taxi if: you want to leave straight away and your destination is close; the sample fares above give an idea, and you should confirm the price with the driver.

Take the airport express bus if: you are going to Dortmund Hauptbahnhof and want to continue by train. Buy a separate ticket; it is not part of the VRR tariff.

Take the airport shuttle bus if: you are going to Bahnhof Holzwickede.

Book a private transfer if: you have a group, children or heavy luggage, arrive late, or want the arrangement and price confirmed before you fly.