Stuttgart Airport coach transfers: the SAB bus terminal and the city's diesel rules

Registering the stop

You will find the SAB at ground level beneath car park P14, squeezed in beside Flughafenstraße and Terminal 4. Of its 18 stands, numbers 4 to 18 take long-distance lines and group coaches. A group coach registers with the terminal's control centre, and the terminal's management must confirm the stop no later than three hours before the coach arrives. The partner operator does this, but it needs your flight details in good time.

A late flight change matters more here than elsewhere. Send updates as soon as you have them, so the registration still matches the coach.

At the bus terminal

The terminal is covered, open around the clock and has a heated waiting room. The walk from the S-Bahn station is about 200 m, and Terminal 3 has signs pointing the way. For a longer wait, coach parking spaces lie directly opposite, between Terminals 3 and 4.

Entry is moving to number-plate recognition, with plates registered in advance. That is the operator's task, not the organiser's.

Where the coach meets the group

• Coaches use the Stuttgart Airport Busterminal (SAB), directly between Flughafenstraße and Terminal 4, at ground level under car park P14: three lanes with 18 stands, where stands 1-3 serve local and regional buses and stands 4-18 serve long-distance lines and occasional (group) coaches. From the A8 or the B27, follow the signs to the airport, then 'SAB Busterminal' / P12 / P14. The bus terminal is covered, open around the clock, has a heated waiting room and is about 200 m from the S-Bahn station; it is signposted from Terminal 3. Group coaches must register with the bus terminal's control centre, and the stop must be confirmed by its management at least 3 hours before arrival. The airport publishes no separate waiting area for cars with driver.

Coach parking and waiting

• For a longer stay than a quick drop-off or pick-up, the coach parking spaces are directly opposite the bus terminal, between Terminals 3 and 4. Entry to the bus terminal is moving to number-plate recognition only: coach companies register the plates of their vehicles in advance (a list two days ahead for regular users), and occasional coaches pay before leaving, at the pay machine or card terminal at the exit barrier. The Kiss & Fly zone on the departures level in front of the terminals is barrier-controlled and gives cars 8 minutes free (airport guide, July 2025).

By road to the city centre

• about 13 km by road to the Schlossplatz, in the centre of Stuttgart, about 20 min in light traffic; longer at peak times

Stuttgart's Umweltzone

The whole city is an Umweltzone, and diesel bans apply as well. In the inner zone, which covers the central valley basin, Bad Cannstatt, Feuerbach and Zuffenhausen, diesel coaches need Euro VI. Hotels around the Schlossplatz, about 13 km and 20 minutes from the airport, are inside it. Give us the hotel address so the operator can match the coach to the rules.

Messe Stuttgart is right next to the airport. A trade-fair group staying nearby may need only short hotel runs, not a drive into the city.

Long days out of Stuttgart

Allow about 1 h 30 min for Heidelberg (127 km), close to two hours for Rothenburg ob der Tauber (152 km) and about 2 h 10 min for Freiburg im Breisgau (204 km). A Rothenburg day that starts with an airport pick-up is a full driving day, so check it against drivers' hours before you fix the times.

Questions organisers ask

Who registers the coach with the bus terminal?

The operator. Your job is to send flight numbers and arrival times early enough for the three-hour rule.

Can the coach wait for a late flight?

Yes, on the coach parking opposite the bus terminal, which is meant for longer stays. Waiting time is agreed when you book.

Do ICE trains stop at the airport?

Not yet. The Stuttgart 21 station at the airport is due in December 2030. ICE trains stop at Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof, about 25 to 30 minutes away by S-Bahn.

Cities

• Stuttgart

Vehicles with a driver

• Full-size coach (Reisebus) — Seats: 49-57
• Midi-coach (Midibus) — Seats: 29-35
• Minibus (Kleinbus) — Seats: 9-16 passengers plus the driver
• Executive Sprinter-style minibus — Seats: 8-16 passengers plus the driver
• Executive car with driver (Mietwagen mit Fahrer) — Seats: 1-3 (up to 8 passengers in a van-type car)
• Wheelchair-accessible minibus — Seats: Varies by layout; wheelchair positions replace seats

Price a Stuttgart Airport coach

We need the flight numbers, arrival times, headcount, bags and first stop, whether hotel, Messe or a day trip. A licensed partner operator supplies the vehicle.

Request a quote or call 35227647770