A method for determining at least one distance to at least one transponder (4, 5, 7, 8) from a plurality of transponders and an interrogation node or a predetermined point arranged locally fixed thereto, comprising the following steps: - transmitting a first, in particular exactly one, interrogation signal from the interrogation node and transmitting in each case one, in particular in each case exactly one, a first response signal by at least two of the plurality of transponders and - determining a ranking of at least a subset of the plurality of transponders (4, 5, 7, 8) based on the signal strength, a signal-to-noise ratio and/or RSSI of the first response signals and/or a transmit power and/or gain adjustment of the first response signals, wherein the ranks of the transponders in the ranking are determined by an estimated distance and the highest rank in the ranking is given by the lowest estimated distance or the ranks of the transponders in the ranking are determined by at least one value usable for a distance estimation and the highest rank in the ranking is given by the value usable for a distance estimation standing for the lowest distance, said value being derived and/or calculated, in particular exclusively, from said at least one first response signal received at the interrogation node and characterised by - transmitting a second interrogation signal, in particular a plurality of second interrogation signals, from the interrogation node and transmitting at least one second response signal, in particular a plurality of second response signals, by at least one of the transponders of the subset (5, 7, 8) of the plurality of transponders, wherein, among said at least one transponder transmitting at least one second response signal, there is at least one transponder which has an upper, in particular the highest, rank, and - using said at least one second response signal, carry out at least one, in particular exactly one, first response signal distance determination by means of phase-based distance measurement and/or time of flight measurement and/or round trip time measurement, wherein the first distance determination defines the determination of the distance between the interrogation node and one of the transponders of the plurality from which a second response signal has been received and which has an upper, in particular the highest, rank, wherein the distance determination has a higher accuracy than the distance estimation or a distance estimation based on said at least one first interrogation signal and/or based on said at least one first response signal and wherein the plurality is at least two, in particular at least three. - transmitting a first, in particular exactly one, interrogation signal from the interrogation node and transmitting in each case one, in particular in each case exactly one, a first response signal by at least two of the plurality of transponders and - determining a ranking of at least a subset of the plurality of transponders (4, 5, 7, 8) based on the signal strength, a signal-to-noise ratio and/or RSSI of the first response signals and/or a transmit power and/or gain adjustment of the first response signals, wherein the ranks of the transponders in the ranking are determined by an estimated distance and the highest rank in the ranking is given by the lowest estimated distance or the ranks of the transponders in the ranking are determined by at least one value usable for a distance estimation and the highest rank in the ranking is given by the value usable for a distance estimation standing for the lowest distance, said value being derived and/or calculated, in particular exclusively, from said at least one first response signal received at the interrogation node and characterised by - transmitting a second interrogation signal, in particular a plurality of second interrogation signals, from the interrogation node and transmitting at least one second response signal, in particular a plurality of second response signals, by at least one of the transponders of the subset (5, 7, 8) of the plurality of transponders, wherein, among said at least one transponder transmitting at least one second response signal, there is at least one transponder which has an upper, in particular the highest, rank, and - using said at least one second response signal, carry out at least one, in particular exactly one, first response signal distance determination by means of phase-based distance measurement and/or time of flight measurement and/or round trip time measurement, wherein the first distance determination defines the determination of the distance between the interrogation node and one of the transponders of the plurality from which a second response signal has been received and which has an upper, in particular the highest, rank,