Bamberg is easily reached by car, train, and plane.

Travel by plane: Nuremberg Airport

The closest airport to Bamberg is Nuremberg airport (IATA: NUE), which has frequent flights into most major European hubs such as Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam, or London.

If you arrive during the day (before 22:00 or so), the best way to get to Bamberg is by public transportation: take the subway from the airport to Nuremberg main station (Hauptbahnhof) and from there a regional train or S-Bahn. The local transport authority VGN has online time table information available.

You can buy tickets in advance online for the day of your travel. The best way is to get a day ticket for travel of up to two adults, costing 15.60EUR (select fare zone "10-T"). Alternatively you can also buy a ticket on the day of arrival at the ticket machine at the airport subway station, located outside just after exiting the airport terminal. If you are traveling on your own, get a single ticket to Bamberg at the machine, for groups, buy (multiple) day tickets for 15.60 EUR each.  Note that with these tickets you are not allowed to use the fast trains (ICE), use the regional trains and S-Bahns only.

Detailed instructions how to use the VGN ticket machine at Nuremberg Airport can be found on the page "VGN Ticket Machine".

If you arrive later than 22:00 it is best to use a taxi. There are always enough normal taxis in front of the airport, with trips to Bamberg costing around 85-90 EUR. If you are a group, ask for a taxi van. Either one will be in the queue or a van will be called for you. There are also licensed shuttle services which you can book before your trip.

Travel by plane: Munich Airport

Arriving in Munich airport (MUC), take the S-Bahn to Munich central station (Hauptbahnhof) and then take a train to Bamberg (see below for general information on train travel). Since MUC is rather badly connected to public transportation, the whole trip will take between 3 and 4 hours, and will cost 61 EUR one-way. There are very good fast trains (ICEs) from Munich to Bamberg every two hours, alternatively, switch in Nuremberg to a regional train.

Alternatively, take a rental car, which should take about 3h.

Travel by plane: Frankfurt Airport

Because highway A3 between Frankfurt and  Würzburg is notoriously plagued by traffic jams due to a multi-year long construction project, if you plan to fly into Frankfurt, continuing to Bamberg by train is recommended (direct ICE from Frankfurt Airport to Würzburg, continuing with a rather scenic ride on a regional train to Bamberg; total travel time will be between 2:30h and 3:00h, cost around 45 EUR; if you have heavy luggage, avoid the (rare) connections in Schweinfurt as there are no elevators there). 

Travel by train

Bamberg is a stop of the fast ICE line Munich-Nuremberg-Berlin, with connections every two hours. In addition, there are local trains to Nuremberg (see above) as well as to Bayreuth and Würzburg. See the www-pages of Deutsche Bahn for ticketing and connection information. 

Travel by car

Located at intersection of highways (autobahns)  A70 and A73, Bamberg is easily reachable by car. If you come by rental car, ask your hotel beforehand about parking possibilities as most of downtown Bamberg is a pedestrian zone and free parking is difficult to find. Note also that Bamberg is a medieval town and driving there is a daunting task for the uninitiated...