This put up could comprise affiliate hyperlinks. Learn my disclaimer coverage.
Excited about shopping for the Deutschland-Ticket to make use of throughout your journey to Germany? Learn this information first!
On this article we first provide the data it’s worthwhile to resolve whether or not this ticket will work to your journey. Then we present you the best way to purchase it if you happen to don’t have a German checking account. Lastly, we reply generally requested questions in regards to the Deutschland-Ticket and share our replace after having used the Deutschland-Ticket on 3 totally different journeys to Germany for a complete of 9 months.
We get a number of questions on this ticket from our journey planning purchasers and our Fb group. We’ve used it for a number of months on 3 totally different journeys and it’s an effective way to journey round Germany.
However, sadly, getting this ticket isn’t as straightforward as merely going to a ticket machine after you step off the airplane after which hopping on a prepare.
If you wish to use the Deutschland-Ticket it’s necessary to know the restrictions of this ticket, have a plan for buying if you happen to don’t have a German checking account (or one with an IBAN quantity), and know when to cancel the subscription.
What Is The Deutschland-Ticket?
The Deutschland-Ticket is a comparatively new subscription-based ticket that permits you to use regional and native trains, in addition to metropolis public transportation (just like the tram, bus, U-bahn, S-bahn), all through all of Germany for one fastened month-to-month price of 58€.
Relying on the specifics of your journey, it might prevent some huge cash. It might, nevertheless, even be extra trouble than you need to cope with. Maintain studying to guage whether or not this ticket will give you the results you want.
The Deutschland-Ticket Sounds Nice! What’s The Catch?
It’s necessary to keep in mind that this ticket just isn’t geared in the direction of vacationers. Right here’s what most necessary for vacationers to know in regards to the ticket:
- It’s by subscription solely. You possibly can’t purchase it at a ticket machine.
- As of January 2025, the price for this ticket is €58 a month (it was €49).
- The ticket is legitimate for every calendar month (e.g., September, October, November – not for any 30 consecutive days).
- You should unsubscribe earlier than the tenth of the month otherwise you’ll get charged for the subsequent month. So if you wish to use the ticket solely in September and never October, it’s worthwhile to cancel your subscription earlier than September 10 (however I’d cancel no less than just a few days earlier than that simply to be on the protected aspect).
- There are a number of apps that you need to use to subscribe to the Deutschland-Ticket. Some, just like the DB Navigator, require you to need to have a German checking account (or one with an IBAN) so fee could be mechanically transferred out of your checking account. When you’d choose to make use of a bank card, you need to use the Rheinbahn app – that’s what we use.
- You possibly can solely use the ticket on native and regional public transportation. No quick trains (ICE/IC/EC), non-public trains, non-public busses (just like the one which takes you as much as Eagle’s Nest), non-public boats, and many others.
- Every individual has to have their very own ticket. There aren’t any group tickets and no sharing. That stated, members of our Fb group have stated they had been capable of have 2 folks’s ticket on one cellphone. When you do that, keep in mind that each of you’ll at all times need to journey collectively!
- The ticket will likely be in an app in your cellphone so it’s worthwhile to have fixed web entry whereas in Germany so you possibly can present your ticket if requested to. UPDATE: members of our Fb group have stated that they had no issues utilizing a screenshot of their ticket after they didn’t have web entry.
- You possibly can’t use the ticket outdoors of Germany (however you need to use it to Salzburg).
How To Resolve If You Need To Use The Deutschland-Ticket For Your Journey To Germany
- Make an inventory of what number of regional trains you propose to take and the way usually you’ll use metropolis public transportation (bus, tram, and many others) in your journey. After I’ve achieved this with one-on-one purchasers, typically we realized that it was cheaper to easily purchase a pair single tickets.
- Take a look at the calendar and see what number of months you’ll must subscribe to the Deutschland-Ticket. When you’re spending 10 days in Germany with 7 in June and three in July, you’ll must subscribe for June and July with a purpose to use the ticket all through your journey. One one journey we determined to subscribe for 4 months despite the fact that we solely want it for half of two of these months as a result of it nonetheless saved us some huge cash.
- Think about how many individuals you’re touring with. Is it price everybody having their very own Deutschland-Ticket? Or would sharing a pair tickets just like the Bavaria Ticket (Bayern Ticket) suffice to your journey? Be aware: youngsters underneath 6 can journey freed from cost. Everybody 6 and older must have their very own Deutschland-Ticket.
- Discover different ticket choices that could be simpler to buy, particularly if touring with others. There are a number of ticket choices that would work simply as effectively, if not higher, to your journey (like utilizing regional day tickets just like the Bavaria Ticket).
- If the flexibleness of getting one ticket is what’s tempting in regards to the Deutschland-Ticket however you’ve realized that you just need to take a number of quick trains (ICE/IC/EC), think about a German Rail Cross. I don’t at all times advocate these passes however in some instances the flexibleness you get could be well worth the expense. For final flexibility, think about getting a German Rail Cross (good for top pace trains) and the Deutschland-Ticket (all the things else)!
When you’re nonetheless determining which trains you need to take to get from one metropolis to a different (or for day journeys), do that analysis earlier than you buy the Deutschland-Ticket! Regional trains are nice for some journeys however they are often considerably slower than ICE/IC/EC trains, you possibly can’t ebook seat reservations (so if the prepare is full you would possibly find yourself standing), and also you’ll probably need to make extra connections.
So don’t merely plan to simply use regional trains in your journey. Use the Deutsche Bahn web site to take a look at all choices for every leg of your journey, after which resolve which legs you need to use the quick trains for vs. the slower trains.
How To Purchase The Deutschland-Ticket With out A German Financial institution Account
As of now, if you happen to attempt to buy the Deutschland-Ticket by way of the Deutsche Bahn, you’ll be requested for an IBAN in order that the month-to-month subscription price could be mechanically transferred out of your account. The issue is that for these of us and not using a German checking account (why did I ever shut my German checking account?!!), it’s unlikely that our financial institution accounts have an IBAN. That stated, relying on which nation you reside in, yours might need one, so do test.
Listed here are 2 workarounds:
1. Create a WISE account. You’ll then have the option to join the ticket via the Deutsche Bahn and have the month-to-month subscription price deducted from your house checking account by way of Smart. Click on right here to arrange your personal Smart account. (When you click on on our hyperlink earlier than creating your personal Smart account we’ll earn a small fee. We use Smart ourselves, so we do advocate it.)
2. Buy the ticket via an area public transportation system’s app that enables purchases by way of bank card or PayPal, comparable to Rheinbahn. Because the ticket is legitimate throughout Germany, it doesn’t matter which native transportation system you buy it from.
I used to be leaning in the direction of utilizing Smart and arrange an account as a result of we’re in all probability going to make use of it sooner or later anyway (replace: we now have used our Smart account to switch cash, so I’m to have it). And members of our Fb group have stated it labored effectively for them, which was good to listen to. However finally, we determined to make use of the Rheinbahn app so we might use our bank card (we wish the airline miles).
Is The Deutschland-Ticket Price It For Vacationers?
Possibly! But additionally perhaps not.
In case your total journey is inside 1 calendar month, you propose to steadily use regional trains and metropolis public transportation (bus, tram, U-bahn, S-bahn), and also you’re certain you’ll bear in mind to unsubscribe in time, it may very well be an incredible deal for you.
Listed here are 2 eventualities to think about:
Situation 1: Two folks touring collectively for two weeks in July visiting Munich and Nürnberg with a number of day journeys. They’re touring completely by prepare and can use metropolis public transit or regional trains nearly day by day. They plan to take public transit to and from the airport. In addition they every have a mobile phone with steady connectivity (both via their service supplier or a SIM card)
On this case, the Deutschland-Ticket is almost definitely your best option.
Situation 2: A household of 5 (with 3 teenagers) is touring for 10 days with 7 days in July and three days in August. They’re touring to Berlin, Cologne, and Munich with in the future journey to Neuschwanstein fort by way of a guided tour. They’ve booked airport transfers to and from the airport, plan to take the ICE between cities, and can primarily focus their sightseeing to every metropolis’s downtown space.
On this case, the Deutschland-Ticket is almost definitely NOT your best option.
When you notice that the Deutschland-Ticket not going to be a very good ticket to your journey, listed here are just a few different tickets to think about:
- German Rail Cross – if you happen to’re searching for flexibility, need to take quick trains (ICE/IC/EC), need the choice to take any prepare and be capable to cease and discover a metropolis for just a few hours in your option to your subsequent vacation spot (e.g., cease in Nürnberg for a pair hours whereas touring from Berlin to Munich), and don’t need to spend time researching and buying particular person prepare tickets, getting a rail move is usually a good selection. It’ll probably value greater than shopping for the most cost effective particular person prepare tickets however you’ll have much more flexibility, which is usually priceless! And typically you may get reductions on rail passes.
- Regional day tickets (e.g. the Bavaria Ticket) – these are nice for day journeys! You possibly can solely use them on regional transportation, and if touring on a weekday you possibly can’t use it till after 9am, however they’re cheap, particularly if a number of folks journey collectively. You should buy the ticket forward of time or on the day of journey at a ticket machine or within the DB Navigator app.
- Level-to-point prepare tickets – if you happen to’re solely taking the prepare a pair occasions in your journey, you would possibly simply need to purchase particular person tickets. Particularly if you wish to use the quicker excessive pace trains. When you ebook far sufficient prematurely you possibly can rating nice costs on quick trains. Do observe that these low cost tickets are for train-specific journey so whilst you lower your expenses, you do lose flexibility.
- Native public transit passes – Think about how usually you’ll really use metropolis public transit since you would possibly discover that you just really solely want to purchase a pair particular person tickets or in the future move.
Deutschland-Ticket For Vacationers FAQ
How A lot Does The Deutschland-Ticket Price?
Solely 58€ a month (there was a worth enhance in January 2025)! It’s an incredible deal and will give you the results you want if you happen to’ll be utilizing public transportation and native trains in Germany.
What Varieties Of Public Transportation Can I Use With The Deutschland-Ticket? Can I Use The Deutschland-Ticket For Lengthy-Distance Trains?
The important thing right here is native and regional. So you need to use metropolis and regional busses, trams, U-bahns, S-bahns, and regional trains like RE and RB trains. You can not use the Deutschland-Ticket on long-distance excessive pace trains (ICE/IC/EC), non-public trains or busses, historic or touristic transportation, boats or FlixBus/FlixTrain.
Are There Any Restrictions On The Use Of The Deutschland-Ticket?
Sure! Right here’s what’s most necessary for vacationers to Germany:
- You possibly can’t use this ticket on long-distance trains (Fernverkehr). So no ICE, IC or EC trains. You can also’t apply it to any vacationer or historic transportation, FlixBus or FlixTrain or non-public trains or busses or boats/ferries.
- This ticket is just obtainable as a subscription. So you possibly can’t spontaneously purchase it from a ticket machine when you’re in Germany after which hop on the prepare. It’s a must to plan forward.
- It’s a must to cancel your subscription earlier than the tenth of the month so that you don’t pay for the subsequent month.
- The ticket is legitimate for every calendar month, not 30 days from the date of buy.
- Every individual 6 years and older must have their very own subscription.
How Do I Subscribe To The Deutschland-Ticket? Is It Attainable To Cancel Or Change My Subscription?
You possibly can subscribe and cancel your subscription on-line or inside the app you used to buy . If in case you have a German checking account (or one with an IBAN) you possibly can subscribe by way of the Deutsche Bahn web site (if you happen to don’t, preserve studying).
You can subscribe in individual in Germany at a prepare station however solely when you have a German checking account/IBAN. So nearly all of vacationers will need to subscribe earlier than touchdown in Germany. Don’t waste time getting this ticket in Germany, get it earlier than you allow to your journey.
How Can I Purchase The Deutschland-Ticket If I Don’t Have A German Financial institution Account?
At current, you possibly can create a Smart account and use that to have every month’s fee transfered out of your private checking account. When you use Smart, you should buy your ticket by way of Deutche Bahn/DB Navigator app.
Another choice is to buy the ticket via an area public transportation system’s app that enables purchases by way of bank card or PayPal, comparable to Rheinbahn. Because the ticket is legitimate throughout Germany, it doesn’t matter the place you buy it.
Can I Use The Deutschland-Ticket For Journey Outdoors Of Germany?
Nope. The Deutschland-Ticket is just legitimate inside Germany. If you wish to go to a city over the border, use the Deutschland-Ticket to a city on the border after which purchase a ticket from that city your vacation spot within the different nation. You should buy that ticket on-line, via the DB Navigator app or at a prepare station (they’ll additionally have the option that will help you determine which city you possibly can journey to with the Deutschland-Ticket).
Be aware: we had been in a position to make use of our ticket after we took the prepare between Munich and Salzburg however not from Freiburg all the way in which to Strasbourg.
Is The Deutschland-Ticket Legitimate For One Day Or A number of Days?
It’s solely legitimate for one calendar month at a time (e.g., June, July, August – not 30 consecutive days from while you buy) When you solely want it for a pair days in a single month, you’ll must subscribe for the complete month. When you want 7 days in a single month and three days within the following month, you’ll must subscribe for each months.
Can I Journey With The Deutschland-Ticket On Weekends And Holidays?
Sure! There aren’t any restrictions as to when you need to use the ticket throughout the week or on a day.
Are There Any Reductions Or Particular Provides Obtainable For Households Or Teams?
No. At current, every individual 6 and over should have their very own ticket, and there aren’t any reductions for getting a number of tickets.
How Can I Discover the Trains That I Can Take With the Deutschland-Ticket?
I like to recommend utilizing the Deutsche Bahn web site (or the DB Navigator app) as a result of while you seek for prepare occasions you possibly can the mode of transport to “native trains solely.” That means you recognize you possibly can take any of the trains that come up within the search outcomes.
I Want Extra Prepare Assist!
No downside! The easiest way for us that will help you is to ebook a one-on-one Zoom seek the advice of.
If in case you have our Germany Journey Planner, test the Germany Prepare Journey Made Simple information. You may as well get it as a stand-alone information right here.
UPDATE: Our Expertise With And Overview of The Deutschland-Ticket
We’ve been utilizing the Deutschland-Ticket for near 9 months now over 3 separate journeys. In brief, we love this ticket! Right here’s a abstract of our experiences to date:
- Aaron and I every subscribed utilizing the Rheinbahn app on our telephones and a bank card earlier than arriving in Germany.
- As soon as we arrived on the Frankfurt am Most important airport (and on later journeys the Munich and Berlin airports) we merely turned on our telephones and hopped on a regional prepare and went proper to remaining vacation spot. On one journey specifically, I used to be glad we hadn’t purchased tickets for a quick prepare as a result of our airplane was 2 hours late and we probably would have missed the prepare. We love the flexibleness of the Deutschland-Ticket!
- We’ve used the ticket on tons of regional trains, native trams, busses, the U-bahn, and S-bahn. It’s been SO good not having to pay for every a type of issues individually. We’ve saved A LOT of cash. In fall 2022, for instance, we every paid about 90 Euros only for 1 month transit passes in Berlin (and it didn’t even cowl all of Berlin)!
- It does take longer to journey on regional trains. If we had been right here on trip I’d take quick trains as a lot as potential to avoid wasting time.
- Some regional trains have been crowded with standing room solely. We have now needed to stand on a pair trains. No, it wasn’t fulfilling. However in all the months we’ve been taking regional trains to all corners of Germany, we’ve had no downside discovering seats 97% of the time.
- Regional trains range all through Germany so we’ve traveled on a number of totally different sorts of trains with and with out our baggage. Most, however not all, have baggage racks that may accommodate our carry-on dimension journey backpack and spinner suitcase.
- Seats on some regional trains are pretty comfy whereas others are…not. In contrast to older trains, home windows don’t open, so when it’s sizzling outdoors the trains can get stuffy. Trains technically have A/C, however it works higher on some than on others. The experience has been fairly easy, although – higher than the older trains. Thankfully, journeys on regional trains are pretty brief so we haven’t needed to put up with uncomfortable seats or sizzling, stuffy, crowded trains for very lengthy.
- We’ve needed to change trains extra steadily, which suggests going up and down stairs to vary platforms (or ready for the elevator) and typically sprinting to make our connection. German trains are not as reliably on time as they was, so we’ve missed just a few connections on account of prepare delays. Up to now we’ve simply caught the subsequent prepare and it hasn’t been an issue.
- Loos are hit or miss on regional trains. Typically they work, typically they don’t. Some regional trains haven’t had a rest room in any respect.
- Our tickets have been checked on some trains however not all. After we see a conductor we merely pull up our ticket within the Rheinbahn app and the conductor scans it. Typically they ask for ID and we present them our passport or US driver’s license. Tremendous straightforward.
- I did have one subject with my ticket. A couple of days earlier than the brand new month, Aaron noticed that his subscription had renewed however mine hadn’t. I lastly discovered that the bank card I used to pay for the subscription was the one I needed to cancel simply earlier than leaving for Germany. So when the app tried to resume, my bank card didn’t work and my subscription wasn’t renewed. As soon as I figured this out, I up to date my bank card information and was capable of buy a ticket for the subsequent month. It was a simple repair however it was irritating to not have gotten any notifications so I might have fastened the problem earlier.
- There’s an enormous cancelation button within the Rheinbahn app so canceling our subscription was straightforward. That stated, I did discover that I used to be nonetheless being charged for my subscription after I canceled my ticket. Aaron didn’t proceed to be charged. A couple of different folks in our Fb group encountered the identical subject. Thankfully, after contacting Rheinbahn, we had been all capable of cease the fees.
All in all, the Deutschland-Ticket is a implausible deal and we’ll use it so long as it’s provided!
Subsequent Steps For Planning Your Journey:
