Rental Bike System

Since the winter semester 2014/ 2015, the Call a Bike service offered by Deutsche Bahn has also been available to all h_da students at a reduced rate.

There are numerous stations in Darmstadt, spread throughout the city, in addition to the nationwide use of the rental bikes. Since April 2023, there are also at least 2 stations in Dieburg - at the Dieburg campus and at the train station in Dieburg.

The rental system works similar to the semester ticket and is integrated in the student status. After a one-time registration, the bicycles can be borrowed throughout Germany in (almost) all cities where Call a Bike is available and as often as desired.

Call a Bike is financed on a solidarity basis via the semester ticket fee. The contribution is currently 2.38 EUR per student and semester.

1. Download the Call a Bike app (iOS or Android).
2. When registering, enter the special rate password to activate the special rate for students (case sensitive).
3. The Student Flat special rate for Call a Bike is then already preset.
4. Log in with student mail address, enrollment number and private payment data.
5. Complete registration with the confirmation code sent to the e-mail address.
6. Then simply log in to the app with customer data.
7. After logging in, the freely available bikes in your area are displayed. For an optimal result, it is necessary to grant the app access to the location data.
8. And now: Simply rent a Call a Bike bike via QR code scan of the app. And ride off!

1. Borrowing

• open the app
• click on the red QR code button
• scan the QR code on the bike or alternatively enter the bike number
• start cycling as soon as the lock pops open with a loud "clack"

2. Break

• open the app and display the current ride
• tap on "Pause"
• push the lock lever down onthe bike
• to resume the ride, swipethe lock icon to the right and continue riding

3. Return

• if the lock is green, you can park the bike
• if the lock is orange, you are outside a drop-off area and fees may apply
• finish your ride in the app and press down the lever on the lock
• your booking is finished
• please note that there is a fee for returning the bike outside a station.

You can rent the Call a Bikes as often as you like for up to 60 minutes without any costs. If your rental lasts longer than one hour, you will be charged from the 61st minute on.

To avoid chain rentals, you must take a break of at least 15 minutes after a first rental of 60 minutes. After that, the bike can be rented again free of charge. Since the average rental time for Call a Bike throughout Germany is far less than one hour, this information should only have theoretical relevance.

Incidentally, you can borrow up to three bikes at the same time for free via your account and therefore also travel together with friends and acquaintances on the bike.

Costs are therefore incurred when using the rental bikes from the 61st minute or even when returning the bikes outside a station.

Station network

The stations at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences are currently located more at the Darmstadt campus. For Dieburg as another location of the h_da, there are also at least 2 stations since SoSe 2023. Regardless of this, you can currently rent and return bicycles at over 30 stations in Darmstadt. All stations are marked with a sign and/or a stele so that you can easily find them. And the app also helps you find or return them.

Nationwide use

Call a Bike is not only available to you in Darmstadt. You can also borrow Deutsche Bahn bikes free of charge in over 50 cities throughout Germany. City-wide systems are available in Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Cologne, Karlsruhe, Marburg, Munich, Rüsselsheim, Stuttgart and Wiesbaden, as well as in Kassel (under the name KonRad) and in Hamburg and Lüneburg (under the name StadtRad). Furthermore, Call a Bikes are also available for you to borrow at over 40 ICE train stations throughout Germany.

Other regulations for Berlin and Stuttgart

The special conditions (free loan of up to three bikes for up to 60 minutes) are valid in almost all cities. Temporarily, the service portfolio for RegioRadStuttgart cannot be used and there may be a winter break at individual ICE stations.

In Berlin, there has been LIDL-Bike since spring 2017, which is also operated by Deutsche Bahn, but unfortunately is not included in the special conditions. Here, the regular prices apply from the 1st minute.

DB Rent is ISO-certified and strictly adheres to the Federal Data Protection Act. All personal data that is collected from you during registration is used solely for the purpose of processing the customer relationship. The data will not be passed on to third parties. DB Rent does not
create mobility profiles. Your student e-mail address will only be used for advertising purposes (newsletters, competitions, etc.) if you have explicitly agreed to this during registration.