This page gives the figures that are published and says plainly where none exist.
Sample taxi fares
The airport's taxi page publishes sample fares, marked "ca." (approximate), "Stand Februar 2024" (as of February 2024) and "ohne Gewähr" (no guarantee). We selected these:
Fixed-price private transfer
DTM Gelsenkirchen
From€114for 2 passengers
Other destinations
- 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
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. The figures are from February 2024 and carry no guarantee, so confirm the fare with the driver before you set off.
Airport buses
The airport express bus (to Dortmund Hauptbahnhof) and the airport shuttle bus (to Bahnhof Holzwickede) are not part of the VRR tariff, so a separate ticket is needed. The airport page publishes no fares, journey times or frequencies for them and refers you to bahn.de, vrr.de and bus-und-bahn.de, so we give none.
Pre-booked private transfer
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. The price is confirmed when you book. We have no official distance or journey time for Dortmund city centre, so none is given.
What to add up
Compare the total for your whole group and your luggage, and the time, not only the fare for one person. A taxi fare is per ride, not per passenger, so it can be good value for a group. If you pay in a foreign currency, exchange rates and card fees apply, so ask your bank before you travel.
The bottom line
Agree how the fare works before you get in, and remember that the sample taxi fares are dated and not guaranteed. A pre-booked transfer has its price confirmed in advance.
Sources (checked 2026-10-27)
- Flughafen Dortmund, Bus und Bahn (official airport page, read 2026-10-27): https://www.dortmund-airport.com/de/bus-und-bahn
- Flughafen Dortmund, Taxi und Transfer (official airport page, sample taxi fares dated February 2024, read 2026-10-27): https://www.dortmund-airport.com/de/taxi-und-transfer