Europe > Germany > Stuttgart (STR)
The Car or no Car advice for Stuttgart can be broken down into three similar questions - do you need a car in Stuttgart ; is it worth it (based on costs), and ultimately - should you rent one? (a balance of the two).🚆 🚌⛴️ Do we need to rent a car in Stuttgart ?
These scores are based on the quality of public transport and other travel options. If these are good enough to see the main points of interest, then you don’t need to rent a car.
💰💶💳 Is it worth hiring a car in Stuttgart?
These scores reflect the practical factors that affect whether renting a car is convenient, good value, and stress-free.
Stuttgart itself works well without a car, but the surrounding region can quickly tilt the balance depending on how far you plan to roam.
Advantages of renting a car in Stuttgart
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Useful for exploring beyond the city
A car makes it easier to reach the Black Forest, Swabian Jura, wine villages, and rural Baden-Württemberg. -
Convenient for countryside stays
Accommodation outside the S-Bahn network is far more practical by road. -
Direct access to scenic routes
Vineyards, hills, and secondary roads are best enjoyed independently 🚗🍇. -
Time-saving for multi-stop regional trips
Driving can reduce travel time when visiting several out-of-town locations.
Disadvantages of renting a car in Stuttgart
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Strong local rail network
S-Bahn, U-Bahn, and buses cover the city and inner suburbs comprehensively. -
Traffic congestion
Stuttgart’s valley geography funnels traffic into busy corridors, especially at peak times. -
Parking constraints
Central areas have limited parking and strict controls. -
Unnecessary for city-focused visits
Most attractions are easy to reach without driving.
Stuttgart 21 and the rebuilt central station
One of the most controversial transport projects in Germany is Stuttgart 21, the long-running scheme to completely rebuild Stuttgart’s central station underground and replace the above-ground tracks with a vast new urban park and garden on top. The idea is to transform the station from a terminus into a through station, freeing up land in the city centre while improving long-distance rail capacity. In practice, the project has become a symbol of cost overruns, construction delays, environmental concerns, and public protest, with budgets rising dramatically and completion repeatedly pushed back.
Despite these problems, the vision remains ambitious: a redesigned Hauptbahnhof integrated into a greener city centre, with new tunnels linking Stuttgart more directly to high-speed routes across southern Germany. For travellers, the works have meant years of disruption, temporary platforms, and confusing station layouts, reinforcing why Stuttgart can feel challenging for drivers and rail users alike. The project underlines the city’s determination to modernise its rail role — but also explains why transport in Stuttgart has been such a contentious political and urban issue for over a decade.
The Staatsgalerie Stuttgart and a walkable city centre
One of Stuttgart’s most distinctive cultural landmarks is the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, which is unusual in that it functions both as a gallery you can walk around and walk over. Designed with ramps, terraces, and open public pathways, the building allows pedestrians to cross its roof and courtyards as part of everyday movement through the city, blurring the boundary between museum space and public realm. Even if you never step inside the galleries, the architecture itself becomes part of the urban experience.
This hillside setting fits naturally into Stuttgart’s broader layout. Despite its reputation as a car city, the central area around the Staatsgalerie, Schlossgarten, and Hauptbahnhof is highly walkable, with green spaces, cultural institutions, and neighbourhoods connected by footpaths and gentle gradients. The gallery’s design reinforces that character, making it both a destination and a thoroughfare, and highlighting how Stuttgart’s compact centre works surprisingly well on foot 🚶♂️🌿.
Conclusion – should you rent a car in Stuttgart
Renting a car in Stuttgart is usually unnecessary if your plans focus on the city itself or on onward rail travel 🚆. With excellent public transport and a compact core, Stuttgart is best explored without a car. A car becomes worthwhile only if you plan to venture into the surrounding countryside or use Stuttgart as a base for regional road trips.
