From May 1, the Deutschlandticket will be available for 49 euros. The objective is to bring order to the tariff jungle of local transport associations. What the new ticket can and cannot offer.
Travel all over Germany by bus and train for less than 50 euros per month. This is possible with the Deutschlandticket, also known as the 49-Euro-Ticket. But how far can we go with it? And will buses and trains be overcrowded again, as they were during the three summer months when a €9 ticket caused some lines to fill up?
After the note became popular, the federal and state governments long negotiated a successor. The result is an additional $40 monthly subscription model that can be paid monthly or annually. Unlike the 9-Euro-Ticket, it cannot be purchased separately for each month, but only as a subscription.
Where is the ticket valid?
According to Deutsche Bahn, the Deutschlandticket is valid nationwide – on all local rail passenger trains, i.e. regional, suburban, etc. Additionally, it can also be used on buses in areas covered by various transportation associations.
The exception is long-distance transport – ICE, IC, etc., as well as some ferries. According to Deutsche Bahn, this rule also applies to vehicles that are mainly used for “tourist or historical purposes”.
Passengers who pass through multiple fare zones en route, or whose ticket cost more than 49 euros per month, are likely to benefit the most.
From long distance to local?
Everything depends on the situation. Financially, frequent flyers with a €49/month ticket are generally better off than those with multiple ICE tickets, depending on the fare at the time of booking. But in order to transfer to public transport, you need to have a margin of time.
If the trip from Frankfurt main station to Berlin on the ICE Sprinter takes about 3 hours and 50 minutes, then by local transport – with a good transfer – it will take about 9 hours.
On the Frankfurt-Cologne route, the journey by ICE takes about an hour and a half or even less, and by local transport, with the right transfer, you can get there in just over three hours. With a few extra hours, you can save money.
The Deutschland-Ticket can be used before and after a long-distance train. However, a separate ticket is still required for long-distance train travel. This affects all passenger rights in case of delay: if the next long-distance train is late, the transfer is not canceled and no refund request can be made.
Who can travel with a 49 euro ticket?
The ticket can only be used by its owner. The Deutschlandticket is personalized and is only valid with personalized entry and official ID, according to Deutsche Bahn. Children under 6 can travel for free – if they are older they need their own ticket. Dogs are also not automatically allowed on the train. For them, the appropriate ticket must be purchased – for the route used or the fare zone through which they pass. The exact rules can be found on site.
Is the bike included?
Same answer as in the previous paragraph: it depends. The corresponding tariff rules of the national tariff and transport associations also apply to the transport of bicycles. If you need a ticket for a two-wheeled friend in the relevant fare zone, you must book it via Deutschlandticket.
Scenic rides
Germany has some great train routes that you can experience with a €49 ticket. For example, from Bingen to Koblenz: along the banks of the Rhine, including a view of the Lorelei, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Middle Rhine Valley”. Or the Höllentalbahn in the Black Forest, one of the steepest train lines in Germany.
According to Carl-Peter Naumann of the passenger association Pro Bahn, traveling to tourist destinations can become very stressful. “It will be essential that short-term holiday travel and commuter travel intersect.” In this case, there is a risk of overloading the train.
Those who can should track times when there are fewer people on the roads. As Naumann says, even a €0 ticket is not a solution to the problem: “You can offer a €49 ticket to as many people as you want. They won’t use it without the proper opportunities. According to him, the expansion of public transport, the management of parking spaces and changes in transport planning play a big role.
In all the countries
But those who really want to learn something new and have enough time can discover all of Germany by traveling on local transport using a new ticket.
How about a trip, like from north to south? You will only need around 13 hours, at least if you can complete all seven transfers from Flensburg to Konstanz.
Or from west to east? You can get from Aachen to Görlitz in about 16.5 hours.
And if you have plenty of time, you can travel by local transport from Sylt in the far northwest to Berchtesgaden in the southeast in around 22 hours with a suitable transfer. On the way, most of the country will appear to your eyes – and, perhaps, looking out the window, you can simply take a break from the frenetic pace of the modern world.
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