Look for "Helal" or "Halal"
Turkish shops label halal meat "Helal". Many big supermarkets (REWE, Kaufland, Edeka) also sell halal-certified chicken and sucuk from Turkish brands.
Cultural survival map
Halal food, mosques & getting around
Find Turkish and Arab supermarkets, halal butchers and mosques in any host city. Then learn what your Deutschlandticket covers and where the cheap flights leave from.
Halal food guide
Find halal food in your city
Pick your city and what you need. The live map shows halal butchers, Turkish and Arab supermarkets, Arabic restaurants and mosques nearby.
Read the labels
Watch for Schwein (pork), Gelatine (often pork; look for "Rindergelatine" or "Halal-Gelatine"), Schmalz (lard) and Alkohol in sweets and sauces.
Small towns
If your town has no halal butcher, buy in bulk in the nearest city and freeze it, or order online from German halal shops that deliver chilled meat.
In the Mensa
Menus mark pork and often vegetarian or vegan dishes. Ask the staff "Ist da Schweinefleisch drin?"
Friday prayer
Ask the International Office and last year's GJU students about the nearest mosque and any prayer room on campus.
Ramadan
Many mosques host free iftar evenings, a great way to meet the local community.
Transport
The Deutschlandticket, explained
One ticket for every bus, tram, U-Bahn, S-Bahn and regional train in Germany. Students usually get it as the Deutschlandsemesterticket, included in the semester fee. The current price is on the official site.
Covered
- All regional trains: RB, RE, IRE and S-Bahn, across all of Germany
- U-Bahn, trams and city buses in every city
- Most regional buses and many local ferries
- Unlimited trips, any day, 24 hours
Not covered
- Long-distance trains: ICE, IC, EC (a few IC sections are approved locally; check the DB Navigator app)
- FlixBus and FlixTrain
- First class
- Bikes, in most states (buy a bike ticket)
- Most routes beyond the German border
Tips
- Your Deutschlandsemesterticket (€226.80 a semester from winter 2026/27) is usually included in the semester fee, so you do not buy a separate €63 Deutschlandticket.
- Keep the ticket on your phone (the university app or DB Navigator) and carry your student card or passport. Inspectors check both.
- Filter for "only local transport" (Nur Nahverkehr) in DB Navigator to see which connections are free.
- For long distances, book ICE Sparpreis tickets early. The My BahnCard 25 for under-27s costs €39.90 a year and pays for itself after a few trips.
- Riding without a valid ticket costs a €60 fine (€7 if you show your personal semester ticket within a week).
Travel Europe
Nearest budget airports
Low-cost airlines usually serving each airport. Routes change every season, so each card opens a live flight search.
- LEJLeipzig/Halle FlightsRyanairEurowingsAbout 1.5 h from Erfurt, Jena or Weimar
- NUENuremberg FlightsRyanairEurowingsFrom Ilmenau and Schmalkalden
- FRAFrankfurt FlightsLufthansaCondorRoyal JordanianDirect to Amman; about 3 h from Schmalkalden
- ERFErfurt-Weimar FlightsHoliday chartersSmall airport, tram from Erfurt
Weekend trip ideas
| To | How | Typical fare |
|---|---|---|
| AmsterdamTrain or FlixBus from NRW, or a flight | Train or FlixBus from NRW, or a flight | €20–60 |
| ParisTGV/ICE from Frankfurt, Stuttgart or Saarbrücken | TGV/ICE from Frankfurt, Stuttgart or Saarbrücken | €30–80 |
| PragueBus or train from Dresden, Nuremberg or Berlin | Bus or train from Dresden, Nuremberg or Berlin | €15–40 |
| Vienna & BudapestFlights from Memmingen or Dortmund, or night trains | Flights from Memmingen or Dortmund, or night trains | €20–70 |
| Rome, Milan & BolognaRyanair from BER, CGN, HHN and FKB | Ryanair from BER, CGN, HHN and FKB | €20–80 |
| Barcelona & ValenciaRyanair and Wizz Air from many German airports | Ryanair and Wizz Air from many German airports | €30–90 |
| IstanbulPegasus and Turkish Airlines from most big airports | Pegasus and Turkish Airlines from most big airports | €60–150 |
| AmmanRoyal Jordanian from Frankfurt; compare with connections via Istanbul | Royal Jordanian from Frankfurt; compare with connections via Istanbul | €220–480 return |
Airlines
RyanairCabin bag only is cheapest; check in online to avoid fees.Wizz AirStrong in Eastern Europe; the Wizz Discount Club can pay off for frequent trips.easyJetBerlin, Hamburg and Basel bases.EurowingsLufthansa's budget airline, with many German airports.Royal JordanianDirect flights home to Amman, mainly from Frankfurt.
Travelling outside Germany? Always carry your passport and residence permit (or your visa plus the permit appointment letter). Your semester ticket stops at the border, and low-cost airlines charge for anything bigger than a small cabin bag.