After the 49-euro ticket cleared the last hurdle in the Bundestag last Friday, advance sales will start this week. The subscription is the successor to the popular 9-euro ticket from last summer. Nevertheless, some things are different. What consumers need to know now.
Where and how can I buy the 49 euro ticket?
The ticket should come from May 1st as a digital subscription that can be canceled monthly. Starting this Monday, customers can take out a contract, among other things, via the Deutsche Bahn app and website and from the respective regional transport companies. Various companies also offer their own apps through which the subscription can be taken out, such as the transport service provider Hansecom and Mobility Inside. During checks, the subscription can then be proven by chip card or mobile phone ticket.
How can I buy the 49 euro ticket if I don’t have a smartphone?
Anyone who does not have a smartphone can, in principle, take out the subscription in person at the stationary points of sale of the respective transport company. However, this could significantly increase waiting times, according to the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), among others. As a rule, the purchase will not work at ticket machines because there are usually no subscriptions offered. If you don’t have a smartphone, but have an Internet-enabled computer, you can also use it to purchase the ticket online.
Which means of transport can I use with the ticket and which not?
Like the 9-euro ticket in summer 2022, the Deutschlandticket is valid on all local and regional buses and trains. Excluded are ICE, IC and EC trains as well as private coaches. The ticket is also not valid on ships – unless it is a question of connections that are part of local public transport, such as the ferries in Hamburg or via Berlin’s Wannsee.
Is the ticket also valid on the Flix-Train?
No, the ticket is not valid on the Flix-Train or on long-distance DB services. Trips on the Flix bus are also not covered by the Deutschlandticket.
For which period is the 49-euro ticket valid?
The Deutschlandticket is always valid for the current calendar month. So if you only decide on the ticket on May 15th, you have to pay the full 49 euros for the period up to May 31st.
Basically, the Deutschlandticket is intended as a subscription. If you don’t cancel, you will automatically receive the ticket for the next month. However, the ticket can always be canceled at the end of each month.
What about existing subscriptions?
This differs from union to union. In principle, the 49-euro ticket is an additional subscription and does not automatically replace existing offers from transport companies and associations. Existing subscription customers should therefore obtain information from the issuing transport company beforehand.
For whom is it worth switching subscriptions?
Taking out a 49-euro ticket is particularly worthwhile for commuters in regional transport between different cities. In the future, the Deutschlandticket would often cost you a fraction of what you previously had to pay for your subscription. However, if you mainly travel by bus and train in your own city, you should do the math again. Many other public transport subscriptions are usually more expensive there than the Deutschlandticket. However, they often include additional offers such as taking another person with you at the weekend, a dog or your own bicycle.
Example Berlin: The so-called environmental card is transferrable. In the evenings and on weekends, two adults and up to three children (up to and including the age of 14) can travel together on one ticket. The Deutschlandticket generally does not provide for such options.
Will more expensive single and monthly tickets still be offered?
Yes, because many monthly tickets also offer more than the Germany ticket in many places. Of course, single and weekly tickets will also continue to be offered, since a 49-euro monthly ticket is not interesting for everyone. In general, it is still unclear how many people will buy the 49-euro ticket. The Association of German Transport Companies expects around 5.6 million new customers. According to the forecast, eleven million existing subscription customers will switch to the Deutschlandticket.
