Meissen is an underestimated destination for tourists in Saxony. If you know the city primarily through its world-famous Meissen porcelain, you might wonder what else the city has to offer. Quite a lot! From Dresden, you can reach Meissen quickly and easily by train or S-Bahn (suburban train). The S1 line runs regularly every half hour, perfect for tourists as you won’t have to wait too long, in case you miss a connection. This S-Bahn runs from Schöna via Pirna, and almost every stop in Dresden, such as the main station or Neustadt, all the way to Meissen Triebischtal. For tourists on their way to Meissen, either “Meissen” or “Meissen Altstadt” are the preferred stops.

Taking the S-Bahn Train S1 from Dresden to Meissen

The S1 Suburban train in Saxony uses double-decker trains you might recognize from other regional train services (IRE) in Germany. Therefore, the carriages are of a much higher standard, than usual local trains or trams. Free WiFi, coat hooks, bins, areas for smaller and bigger luggage, a toilet and spacious areas for bicycles are standard for those double-decker coaches by manufacturer Bombardier. Even in second class, you will find a few single seats, on the upper deck, usually 2nd class is in a 2-2 configuration, or quadruples. Most seats are quipped with fold-down tables or a sturdy one in the quads. The S-Bahn Train on my journey was equipped with both a second and first-class, however, there aren’t many differences on such a regional train.

Where to buy the tickets for the Dresden to Meißen journey

For the quick 37 minute journey from Dresden HBF main station to Meißen Altstadt, the single-journey ticket is 6,80 Euro per adult, 4,60 Euro for children under the age of 15. For unlimited journeys, the day ticket is 15 Euro or 13 Euro reduced.
Of course, you can also use regional Deutsche Bahn tickets such as Sachsen-Ticket for this journey within the state of Saxony, which is 24,50 Euro per day. This base price is for 1 person in second class, for two people its 32 Euro, for 3 people 39,50 Euro, for 4 people 47 Euro and for 5 people, the maximum capacity for this ticket, its 54,50 Euro.

If you can, or want to, it’s advised to buy your ticket(s) via the official DB App. This smartphone application by Deutsche Bahn is either available for Android or Apple devices. Here you can easily buy your ticket as you go, the ticket is saved within the app or your smartphone wallet and can easily be shown during ticket controls. Additionally, the single-journey ticket is only available via the DB App, not via the Deutsche Bahn website. Or from a ticket machine at the station, however, buying it via your smartphone and paying it via PayPal or credit card is so much faster.

Dreden to Meissen Trip Report

Below for you now some pictures of my train journey from Dresden Mitte station to Meissen Altstadt, back on a Sunday in May 2020. For the journey Dresden – Meißen you should choose a seat on the right side of the train, in the direction of travel, and vice versa one on the left side then leaving Meißen again, to enjoy a stunning view of Albrechtsburg Castle of Meissen. Ideal for a last picture of Meissen, before leaving for good.
You can check out more Rail Trip Reports on the International Train Travel Review page.