faq
Now we’re really getting started: Germany is leaving the tariff jungle in public transport a little behind. From tomorrow it will be valid – the 49 euro ticket or Germany ticket. What you should know now.
After lengthy discussions and preparations, the Deutschlandticket will actually be launched tomorrow. The expectations in advance were high. For Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP), it is the major reform of local public transport, the start of its digitization. For Evelyn Palla, who is responsible for regional transport at Deutsche Bahn, May 1, 2023 is public transport day.
Whether the expectations will be met remains to be seen. Also whether buses and trains can cope with the increase in travelers at all. The fact is, however, that as of May 1st, Germany will leave the jungle of tariffs in local public transport at least a little behind and introduce a nationwide valid ticket costing 49 euros.
Where and how can I buy the 49 euro ticket?
The ticket is sold by most regional transport companies as well as by Deutsche Bahn. Various companies also offer apps that can be used to subscribe, such as the transport service providers Hansecom and Mobility Inside. The subscription can be presented by chip card or mobile phone ticket during checks. With a transition period until the end of the year, paper tickets with a QR code will also be issued.
From the customer’s point of view, it doesn’t matter where the ticket is bought. The smaller, private transport companies in particular have recently campaigned aggressively to buy from them. They worry about liquidity bottlenecks if they initially lose ticket revenue and have to wait for the compensation payments.
Which means of transport can you use?
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 and trips with Flix-Bus. 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.
What exceptions are there for regional trains?
Some regional express lines are also excluded: The ticket is not valid on trains operated by long-distance providers such as DB Fernverkehr, Flix-Train, Thalys International, or WESTbahn. The ticket is therefore not valid on lines such as the RE 52432 from Bremen and intercity trains operated by DB Fernverkehr. This also applies if other local transport tickets are recognized in these long-distance trains.
Deutsche Bahn recommends checking the connection details to determine which operator is responsible for a particular line. According to DB Fernverkehr, it is currently “in talks with countries and authorities” about exceptions on certain sections of the route. The ticket is currently valid for long-distance trains between Rostock Hbf and Stralsund Hbf.
For what period is the 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.
How many Germany tickets have been sold so far?
According to the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), as of April 25, more than three million people have already opted for a Germany ticket. According to the VDV, these include 750,000 customers who did not previously have a monthly subscription for public transport. The industry expects the number of ticket holders to steadily increase over the coming months.
At the start of sales, the VDV had forecast that around 5.6 million new subscription customers would buy the Deutschlandticket and around eleven million people who already had a local transport subscription would switch to the 49-euro ticket.
So the sales figures for the 9-euro ticket will not be reached?
No, but a comparison with these figures is hardly possible. The campaign period for the 9-euro ticket was limited to three months from the start of sales last summer, and the price was significantly lower – so there was an immediate run on the new ticket. The Germany ticket is now designed for the long term and is also more expensive – for example, it is not worth it for just one day trip per month.
Also: With the Deutschlandticket there is a job ticket option that many companies are interested in, but some have not yet completed it in time for the start on May 1st. If the employer pays at least 25 percent of the ticket price, there is a federal discount of five percent on top. The ticket then costs the consumer a maximum of 34.30 euros per month.
What discounts are there apart from the job ticket option?
This is where it gets a bit confusing. Some federal states have decided to offer the ticket for certain groups of people at a lower price – for example for students, trainees, senior citizens or for recipients of citizen benefit, housing benefit and social assistance. The additional costs are usually financed from the state budget. However, there is no nationwide valid social ticket.
Some transport associations have also decided on different carriage rules or introduced additional tickets that can be combined with the Deutschlandticket. It is worth taking a look at the website of the respective transport association.
Will the buses and trains be crowded now?
So far, the transport companies are certain that there will be noticeably more passengers on certain routes, but no acute bottlenecks. There is still enough capacity for a little more passengers, the industry says again and again. It remains to be seen what it will actually look like during typical commuter times or in popular holiday regions in the north and south.
So far it is still quite unclear for what purpose the new subscription customers in particular bought the Deutschlandticket. In a Yougov survey commissioned by the German Press Agency, 66 percent of those questioned who had already bought a Germany ticket said that they wanted to use it for trips in their free time. 54 percent want to use it to get to work, university or school. Multiple answers could be ticked for the question.
For whom is it worth switching?
According to Deutsche Bahn, around three quarters of all previous subscription customers can save money if they switch to the Deutschlandticket. The ticket is particularly worthwhile for commuters in regional transport between different cities. In many cases, the Germany ticket then costs a fraction of what was previously due for a subscription.
If you mainly travel by bus and train in your own city, you should do the math again. Many other public transport subscriptions are 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 at 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.
(Source: dpa)