SemesterTicket

Last updated 1. April 2024 | Sprecherinnen

At the beginning of each new semester, you receive your own Semester ticket. This ticket enables you to use bus transport in Lüneburg as well as regional trains in all of Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony) for free – this ensures you always can be on time for your classes and lectures. To finance this, you are required to pay a relatively small contribution fee each semester. This affordable offer is made possible by the fact that all students pay the contribution according to the principle of solidarity. The SemesterTicket sent to you, which is also your student ID, together with an official photo ID (ID card, driving license or passport) is valid as a ticket. You must not laminate your SemesterTicket or it becomes invalid.

You can find that on this page:

Applying for a replacement ticket

If you lose your student ID/semester ticket, you can get a replacement for €5.00 from Student Services(here is the application form).

Area of validity of the semester ticket

You can find the complete route network here.

Also included in your SemesterTicket are:

  • All busses in the city and county of Lüneburg (operated by KVG)
  • Radspeicher Lüneburg (the bicycle park at the train station). Please note: At the beginning of each semester, you have to obtain a (new) pass at the counter.
  • SemesterTicket Kultur
  • StadtRad Lüneburg

The semester ticket does notcover:

  • HVV area as a whole – no buses, suburban trains and subway trains in Hamburg (the only exception is the S3 on the Hamburg Hbf – Stade route and the S31 Hamburg Hbf – Neugraben from December 10, then the S3 from Hamburg Harburg – Neugraben and the S5 from Hamburg Harburg – Stade)
  • Busses, trams and underground trains in Hanover
  • Interregio Express on the route Hamburg – Lüneburg – Uelzen – Berlin
  • taking your bicycle on the train (permitted on KVG buses, as long as space is available)
  • The train route between Hamburg Hbf and Büchen

Semester ticket fee – exceptions and distribution

Exempt from paying for the SemesterTicket are, according to our contracts:

  • Students on leave
  • Students on distance-, online- and further learning courses (absence for at least 120 days)
  • Guest auditors
  • Evening course students
  • Severely disabled students (must hold the pass with a valid stamp in accordance with a hardship application)

If you belong to one of these groups, you can find more information and apply for a refund here.

FAQ

Do you have direct questions? We have collected some frequently asked questions here. So feel free to read through here and if you have any further questions, please contact the AStA office team. (Click on the arrows to open the drop down.)

Why does the circular that the university sent out with the re-registration request mention a different student body fee than the one I paid last semester? What am I paying the remaining fee for?

The student body fee is correctly stated on the re-registration request. It includes the fee for the SemesterTicket (which can change every semester). There is an additional contribution fee of 19€ for the student body (AStA, StuPa, FGVen). This can also be used to finance e.g. the DSI or the General University Sports.

Do I have to pay the €19 for the constituted student body?

Yes, the amount is obligatory based on §20 NHG from all enrolled students. This finances the student self-administration, which works for the interests of the students and offers services and cultural events.

Can I get a refund for the SemesterTicket?

Yes, the reimbursement of the SemesterTicket fee is possible if the criteria of the hardship regulations are met. Exceptions are unfortunately not possible. If you exmatriculate during the first four weeks of the lecture period, you will get your entire paid fee back from the Student Services. You can find the application form and further information here.

Help, I’ve lost my semester ticket!

Don’t worry, that’s no problem: Just apply at the Student Services and get a new ticket for 5 €! You can find the application form here.

Can I use the SemesterTicket during my semester off?

No, because the contracts with the transport companies stipulate that students may not receive a SemesterTicket during the semester of leave. Unfortunately, we cannot make any deviations from this.

Can I do without my SemesterTicket during my internship semester?

Unfortunately, the current legal situation does not allow you to waive your Semesterticket during your internship semester.

Is the SemesterTicket also valid before 9:00 am?

Don’t worry, you can aim for the 8:15 a.m. lecture without any worries: The SemesterTicket can be used around the clock, unlike the Niedersachsen-Länderticket, which is bought at the ticket counter or from a ticket machine.

There are already preliminary courses in September, is the SemesterTicket also valid then?

No, unfortunately not. The ticket will only be valid from 01/10. onwards. You will have to buy extra tickets for the time it takes to get there.

Can I buy these connection cards in Hamburg now?

Unfortunately, the SemesterTicket is now not part of the HVV offer due to other contractual partners. This means that the use of “supplementary cards” is not possible, as we no longer have an HVV card that can be used. The KVG Lüneburg buses are part of the HVV, which is why the contract is concluded with the HVV.

But I have to travel regularly in Hamburg, is the discounted season ticket also gone?

The option of purchasing inexpensive season tickets for students remains available. As before, you will need proof of authorization, which the Info-Portal will stamp for you. This ticket is available at all HVV service points or from the HVV-Infoline 040/19449. If you are still unable to understand why you are buying a season ticket, the following sentence may help: “The University of Lüneburg is registered in the list of educational institutions at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and Crafts.” Hamburg social card/family pass also apply to the purchase.

Can I use my SemesterTicket to buy supplementary tickets for the 1st class? with my SemesterTicket?

The SemesterTicket is generally only valid for 2nd class and local transport. Unfortunately, the current legal situation makes it impossible for you to purchase supplementary cards of this type.

What about my children and my bike?

Children up to and including 5 years of age can travel free of charge. Bicycles can only be taken on buses; bus passengers with strollers, walkers, wheelchairs, and the like take priority.

Is there a carpooling arrangement, e.g. at the weekend for other people?

Unfortunately no. Only your children up to the age of 5 can travel free of charge. Other people will need a valid ticket.

What do I do if I have been caught on the Metronom without a photo ID?

It is important that you carry an official photo ID (ID card, driver’s license, or passport) with you and your semester ticket. In case of a ticket inspection, the conductor can also accept another photo ID with your name and photo, if they are is accommodating (e.g. ID from Studio21 or something else). If you do not have a photo ID with you, you will be fined at least 60 Euros. However, this penalty will be reduced if you visit a service point / sales outlet of the Metronom company (see website of Metronom) within 14 days and show your photo ID in combination with the semester ticket there afterwards.

Does the HVV alcohol ban also apply on KVG buses in the district of Lüneburg from 01.09.2011?

Yes, the alcohol ban applies in the entire HVV and all partner companies of the HVV. Thus, consumption and provision of alcohol are also prohibited on the bus.

Why am I paying for the StadtRAD even though I have the same terms of use as everyone else?

To set up the StadtRAD, the student body signed a contract with the city and DB to bring the bike rental system to Lüneburg. The locations were chosen so that students can easily reach the university and the train station So we pay for it because otherwise, the system would not exist. The service includes 60 minutes free use of up to 3 bikes at the same time. However, the cargo bikes currently have to be paid for from the very first minute. To avoid the annual fee, you must register here with your @stud.leuphana.de email address. There you will also find further information on the conditions and registration.

Since August 15, 2023, the €49 ticket no longer allows me to switch to long-distance trains in the event of severe delays. Does this also apply to the semester ticket?

Yes, this also applies to the semester ticket. If you are at least 20 minutes late, you can normally use a higher-value train that does not require a reservation. Customers with a local transport ticket must first buy a valid long-distance ticket and can then claim the expenses incurred. Significantly discounted tickets, such as the semester ticket, are excluded from this regulation.

How have semester fees developed in recent years?

WS 2014/15 = 331,16 € Summer semester 2015 = € 334.38 WS 2015/16 = 329,15 € SoSe 2016 = 331,70 € WS 2016/17 = 347,81 € SoSe 2017 = 348,16 € WS 2017/18 = 364,33 € SoSe 2018 = 364,48 € WS 2018/19 = 352,89 € SoSe 2019 = 353,09 € WS 2019/20 = € 357.32 SoSe 2020 = 357,32 € WS 2020/21 = 367,35 € SoSe 2021 = 367,55 € WS 2021/22 = € 368.37 SoSe 2022 = 368.67 € WS 2022/23 = € 321.00 SoSe 2023 = € 321.30 WS 2023/24 = € 317.55

9 € ticket refunds

All students who have paid their semester fee in the summer semester 2022 can have the overpaid money refunded until 31.12.2025 (except for Students of the Professional School and students who have received a refund by other means).

Why again?

For your semester ticket, which you can use for bus transport in the district of Lüneburg and local trains in Lower Saxony and Bremen, you paid € 157.67 in the summer semester 2022. With the introduction of the so-called 9-euro ticket, your semester ticket for the months of June, July and August has become obsolete. For these months, we therefore only pay the bus and train companies 9 euros per student per month.

You will therefore get € 51.84 of your semester fee for the summer semester 2022 back!

As we do not have your bank details, we cannot automatically transfer this contribution to all students.

Therefore, every student must apply for reimbursement of the €51.84 using this form.

The application must be filled out by hand and sent to the AStA by post or drop-off.

All students who have paid their semester fee in the summer semester 2022 are eligible to apply (excluding Students of the Professional School and students who have received a refund by other means).

The refund option is available to all eligible students until December 31, 2025. We ask you to submit your application as soon as possible.

If you have any problems or queries, please contact us at