The Deutschlandticket is valid from May 1st. For EUR 49 per month, consumers can use regional trains, S-Bahn trains and buses throughout the country. The new ticket should be of particular interest to commuters. But where are the limits of what is on offer? All important information about the Deutschlandticket is available here at a glance.
Interested parties have been able to buy the ticket since April 3rd. The subscription can be started at the beginning of any month and can also be canceled at any time – up to the 10th of the month. But in contrast to the nine-euro ticket, which had to be bought every month, the Germany ticket is automatically renewed if it is not cancelled. However, the price of 49 euros is not set in stone for all eternity. Price increases have already been announced. Automatic inflation compensation is planned to start in 2024. The offer itself is initially limited to two years.
The Deutschlandticket covers all local and regional transport. This includes all regular buses, subways, suburban trains, trams and RE/RB trains. Excluded are long-distance trains – i.e. ICE, EC and IC. The Flixtrain, the Flixbus and first-class trips are also not included in the offer. Means of transport that are mainly used for tourist or historical purposes are also excluded.
The Deutschlandticket is offered digitally. Users have the choice of accessing it via app or buying a chip card. In addition, a paper ticket with a QR code is temporarily possible with transport companies that are not yet able to issue digital tickets. The ticket can be ordered in the DB travel centers, on the official DB website and in the company’s apps.
If you already have a subscription, you can apply to switch to the Deutschlandticket. You will usually receive a letter in which the further procedure is described. Customers can decide for themselves whether they want the 49-euro ticket or prefer to stay with the old tariff. The Deutschlandticket will also be available as a job ticket. If the employer covers at least 25 percent of the costs, the ticket can be issued with a maximum discount of five percent.
The Deutschlandticket can only be used by one person and is therefore not transferable. Therefore, users must also identify themselves in the event of a possible check. Only children under the age of six can ride for free. Dogs usually also need their own ticket. If you take your four-legged friend with you, you should find out more beforehand. In some cases, you also need a separate ticket for bicycles.
“The respective tariff provisions of the Germany tariff, the state tariffs, transport associations and transport companies apply to taking bicycles with you,” says the Deutsche Bahn website. “If it is possible to take bicycles with you free of charge at the time of the journey on the route actually used or in the tariff zone you are driving through, this is also possible with the Deutschlandticket.” In Bavaria, for example, you need an extra ticket for the bicycle on regional trains. In Baden-Württemberg, on the other hand, it is free of charge.
Some federal states have already announced a reduced ticket for certain groups of people. In Bavaria, for example, there will be a cheaper version for students and trainees for 29 euros from autumn. In Hamburg, trainees should also only pay 29 euros, schoolchildren and people with a low income only 19 euros. In Hesse, on the other hand, a social ticket for recipients of citizenship benefit, housing benefit and social assistance is planned for 31 euros. In Berlin and Brandenburg, dogs are allowed to travel free of charge. In Bremen, citizens’ income recipients receive a ticket for 25 euros. It is best to check with Deutsche Bahn or the regional transport associations which special rules apply in your own federal state.
