You can find lots of suggestions for exciting destinations here.
But how can you get there?
Your semester ticket allows you to travel across a huge region – easily and for free.
Explore beautiful Heidelberg and Speyer, as well as the attractive landscapes and picturesque towns in the Neckar Valley (Neckartal with Hirschhorn, Eberbach or Bad Wimpfen), on the Mountain Route (Bergstraße including Weinheim) or the Wine Route (Weinstraße including Bad Dürkheim, Deidesheim, Neustadt, Freinsheim, etc.) which begins in the German Palatinate region and continues well into France.
Your semester ticket also allows you to cross the border, for example local trains bring you to Wissembourg in the French region of Alsace.
Beyond the semester ticket area, you can follow several routes to reach further destinations. Depending on the transport type that you choose, you will only need to pay the difference. It’s always worth asking at the ticket counter.
As for destinations further afield from Mannheim, you can cross the whole of Germany and part of Europe without changing trains, which is a great advantage. With the ICE high-speed trains you can reach Hamburg, Munich or Berlin within five hours.
If you plan to travel a lot, it is probably worth purchasing a Bahn Card (which gives you a 25% or 50% reduction on train tickets including on offers!). Plan well ahead of time if you can: for every destination there is a certain amount of extremely reduced tickets beginning 90 days in advance, while supplies last. Prices are also lower for group bookings than for individual tickets. Check out the DB website!
In the last few years, coach companies have begun transporting passengers to major destinations. They’re comfortable and much cheaper than the regular train fares.
A very popular way of travelling among students is the so-called Mitfahrgelegenheit (several people in one car sharing the costs). This is possible with friends but also through one of the different platforms which connect people travelling to the same destination. Ask your fellow students about their experiences and which agency they would recommend.
Mannheim has direct connections to the international airports in Frankfurt and Stuttgart. You can also book cheap flights from Frankfurt/Hahn, which is accessible by car or shuttle bus. Watch out for the purchasing conditions and additional costs. Cheaper carriers also now fly from Frankfurt International airport.