9 Euro Flatrate for Public Transport in Germany

[AnhaltER1960]

They have really done it: The Nine-Euro-Ticket. First aimed as a cost-relief for commuters, it has now become a special offer for everyone. During three months (June, July, August) you pay nine Euro for ALL local public transport throughout Germany for one calendar month. Included are buses, trams, tube, regional trains anywhere in the country.

 

So if you want to travel by train from Munich airport to the Danube cruise at Passau or crisscross the city during your Berlin pre- or post-cruise-stay or want to do some evening-diy along the Rhine, it wont cost you more than 9 Euro.

 

Not included are long-distance-trains (ICE, EC, IC of Deutsche Bahn or the private Flixtrain). Also be careful, when crossing international borders like in Basel (for example, the ticket is valid on trains from Germany into Basel Bad.Bf, but not into Basel SBB; also not valid on the tram from Kehl into Strasburg). But otherwise, it really is a special offer.

 

Will trains be full then ? Good question, it is a big field experiment and noone really knows the outcome yet. Some trains certainly will be, others wont. 

[rcaruso]

48 minutes ago, AnhaltER1960 said:

They have really done it: The Nine-Euro-Ticket. First aimed as a cost-relief for commuters, it has now become a special offer for everyone. During three months (June, July, August) you pay nine Euro for ALL local public transport throughout Germany for one calendar month. Included are buses, trams, tube, regional trains anywhere in the country.

 

So if you want to travel by train from Munich airport to the Danube cruise at Passau or crisscross the city during your Berlin pre- or post-cruise-stay or want to do some evening-diy along the Rhine, it wont cost you more than 9 Euro.

 

Not included are long-distance-trains (ICE, EC, IC of Deutsche Bahn or the private Flixtrain). Also be careful, when crossing international borders like in Basel (for example, the ticket is valid on trains from Germany into Basel Bad.Bf, but not into Basel SBB; also not valid on the tram from Kehl into Strasburg). But otherwise, it really is a special offer.

 

Will trains be full then ? Good question, it is a big field experiment and noone really knows the outcome yet. Some trains certainly will be, others wont. 

I just booked the ticket for June.  We are leaving on the 31st for a wedding, perfect timing.

[NanciEA]

How do you purchase the ticket? In advance online, or on the ground when you arrive? We fly to Munich in less than two weeks. We will be there a few days before a Rhine rive cruise which also includes several stops in Germany.

[AnhaltER1960]

6 minutes ago, NanciEA said:

How do you purchase the ticket? In advance online, or on the ground when you arrive? We fly to Munich in less than two weeks. We will be there a few days before a Rhine rive cruise which also includes several stops in Germany.

Anywhere, where you buy tickets: Online, smartphone, ticket machines, manned stations, bus drivers..... No need to buy early in advance, the tickets dont sell out. So the ticket machine at the airport station after arrival is fine.

[vada_9]

Thank you for this information, was just able to buy 2 tickets for my husband and I for our July stay. Was originally buying 3 x  Bavarian Regional tickets for our travel days.

[steamboats]

There are some things to consider...

 

1. You need to fill in your name on the ticket - otherwise it´s not valid!!

 

2. Not all regional trains (RE) are covered by the ticket! Only those operated by DB Regio but not those operated by DB Fernverkehr. You can only see this when you download the DB app (or on the DB website) and check the details of each train. There it shows up when the 9 Euro ticket is not valid on the train.

 

RE trains are not that frequent on long distances. You might travel to odd times (early in the morning) and you might have to change the trains several times (including the risk to miss your connection). So from Regensburg to Hamburg you need more than 10 hours on 5 different trains starting prior to 7 am. Using the ICE trains it takes you only 5 hours (either direct connection or just one change of trains).

 

As I do have a yearly ticket for public transportation in Munich I will save some money for the next three months. Not sure whether I will try out the regional trains...

 

It´s a bad idea that they started the ticket during the main school summer break months. I expect the trains to be pretty crowded.

 

steamboats

[Canal archive]

Way to go Germany what cou shows things can be done it will go a long way towards helping all not just tourists.

[loriva]

17 hours ago, AnhaltER1960 said:

They have really done it: The Nine-Euro-Ticket. First aimed as a cost-relief for commuters, it has now become a special offer for everyone. During three months (June, July, August) you pay nine Euro for ALL local public transport throughout Germany for one calendar month. Included are buses, trams, tube, regional trains anywhere in the country. 

 

Is there a name for this ticket?  Is it just the normal one-month pass but with a 9-Euro price?  Trying to figure out how to recognize it to select when purchasing at a ticket machine.  Or is downloading the DB app and purchasing it that way better?

[notamermaid]

Deutsche Bahn website: https://www.bahn.com/en/offers/regional/9-euro-ticket-en

 

notamermaid

 

[AnhaltER1960]

1 hour ago, loriva said:

 

Is there a name for this ticket?  Is it just the normal one-month pass but with a 9-Euro price?  Trying to figure out how to recognize it to select when purchasing at a ticket machine.  Or is downloading the DB app and purchasing it that way better?

Deutsche Bahn vending machines call it "9-Euro-Ticket" and have it on the front page, one click, then choose the month and here you are. Other transport companies or local tariff cooperatives, and there is a big variety of them across Germany, may handle it differently. But in general the name "9-Euro-Ticket" is the standard term.

[notamermaid]

News says seven million tickets have already been sold. There is already confusion and criticism of the the fact that the difference between DB Fernverkehr and DB Regio is not clear or rather cannot be clear to the general passenger. The problem: DB Fernverkehr runs the long-distance trains on which the ticket is not valid, DB Regio - as the name implies - the regional trains on which the ticket is valid, but DB Fernverkehr also runs regional trains. Those regional trains are the exception and when you choose your train you cannot see this immediately, not even on a machine or online, a German article says. As this has now been acknowledged as a problem for passengers it should be sorted out, at least the Länder have been given instructions to sort it out. Will have to see how they handle this.

 

So if you encounter problems on the ground or on the train, politely point this out to whoever needs pointing out that you are an ignorant tourist who cannot know the intricacies of Deutsche Bahn.

 

This ticket makes travelling along the Rhine corridor with its frequent trains quite attractive for tourists. I have already been given information at work about it and have received inquiries. The offer is definitely getting a lot of interest and attention (even in foreign media).

 

notamermaid

 

 

[notamermaid]

36 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

This ticket makes travelling along the Rhine corridor with its frequent trains quite attractive for tourists.

Not only I think so but also Deutsche Welle. Here are their suggestions for 9 euro ticket train rides in Germany:https://www.dw.com/en/most-beautiful-train-routes-to-travel-with-germanys-9-ticket/g-61847301

 

notamermaid

 

[rcaruso]

47 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

News says seven million tickets have already been sold. There is already confusion and criticism of the the fact that the difference between DB Fernverkehr and DB Regio is not clear or rather cannot be clear to the general passenger. The problem: DB Fernverkehr runs the long-distance trains on which the ticket is not valid, DB Regio - as the name implies - the regional trains on which the ticket is valid, but DB Fernverkehr also runs regional trains. Those regional trains are the exception and when you choose your train you cannot see this immediately, not even on a machine or online, a German article says. As this has now been acknowledged as a problem for passengers it should be sorted out, at least the Länder have been given instructions to sort it out. Will have to see how they handle this.

 

So if you encounter problems on the ground or on the train, politely point this out to whoever needs pointing out that you are an ignorant tourist who cannot know the intricacies of Deutsche Bahn.

 

This ticket makes travelling along the Rhine corridor with its frequent trains quite attractive for tourists. I have already been given information at work about it and have received inquiries. The offer is definitely getting a lot of interest and attention (even in foreign media).

 

notamermaid

 

 

Thanks for the information as we intend to use it very shortly. And yes I can be an ignorant tourist.  We plan to use it from Karlstadt am Main to Frankfurt on Regional 2nd class.

[notamermaid]

10 minutes ago, rcaruso said:

And yes I can be an ignorant tourist.

With this ticket I would be as well, got really a bit annoyed when I read about those train exceptions. I can imagine the discussions with the ticket checking people...

 

Anyway, you will be back on the Main shortly! Have lots of fun and I wish the couple a beautiful, splendid special day.

 

notamermaid

 

[steamboats]

Just received a letter from DB telling me that my yearly ticket is now a 9 Euro ticket by tomorrow.

 

Just for fun I checked a train connection from Munich to Bremerhaven. I have to take the train leaving at 6:44 am at Munich central station. Lunch break of an hour is in Gera (so I would go East first instead of straight North). After changing trains 4 times I would arrive in Bremerhaven at 8:31 pm.

 

steamboats

[notamermaid]

Interesting. So it could potentially be possible to traverse much of Germany leaving around 5am and arriving at around 10pm. Passau to Kiel is given as between 13 and 14 hours, so doable. But the caveat is the problem with a couple of trains in between that may fall under those exceptions.

 

I am surprised the DB website has not crashed yet, with all those people figuring out how to get from A to B on regional trains .

 

notamermaid

 

[vada_9]

Well these are the routes I am hoping to use the ticket on. (As a dumb international tourist) - Munich to Dachau (S bahn ?). Then Rothenberg on d' Tauber to Berchesgarten - (looks like all Regional trains). Then Berchesgarten to Garmisch Partenkirchen. Then Garmisch to Munich airport.

[steamboats]

Munich to Dachau is S-Bahn - so you´re fine.

 

Berchtesgaden to Garmisch... I think you have to go via Munich. There should be regional trains but also excluded trains.

 

Garmisch to Munich airport. The last part Munich Central Station to the airport is S-Bahn. Garmisch to Munich Central should be a lot of regional trains to chose from.

 

steamboats

[steamboats]

14 hours ago, notamermaid said:

But the caveat is the problem with a couple of trains in between that may fall under those exceptions.

 

For my search it showed up with a starting price of 9 Euro. And when you click on the specific train for further details there would be a disclaimer "9 Euro ticket not valid on this train".

 

steamboats

[notamermaid]

Ah, so it can show online when there are exempt trains. Article I read claimed one cannot see it. I think I will roam around a bit more, also because I want to see what use it may be in my neck of the woods for tourists.

 

notamermaid

 

[AnhaltER1960]

On 5/30/2022 at 8:01 AM, steamboats said:

2. Not all regional trains (RE) are covered by the ticket! Only those operated by DB Regio but not those operated by DB Fernverkehr.

99.8 % of all RE trains in the timetables are operated by DB Region and can be used with the 9-Euro-ticket. This confusion has bees grossly exaggerated in the media. It applies only to a few trains on a few lines (https://www.bahn.de/service/individuelle-reise/bahn_und_fahrrad/nahverkehrsfreigabe):.

* Bremen to Norddeich Mole via Emden

* Potsdam - Berlin - Cottbus

* Berlin - Prenzlau as part of the Stralsund line

* Berlin - Elsterwerda on the Dresden line

* Dresden - Chemnitz

* Iserlohn - Dillenburg

* Rostock - Stralsund

and:

* Stuttgart - Konstanz- 9-Euro ticket valid

* Erfurt - Gera - 9-Euro ticket valid

 

 

When on the platform, it is quite simple, as a rule of thumb: Long distance trains are white with a horizontal red or green stripe (or green, the private Flixtrain). They are not to be used with 9-Euro-Ticket. Regional trains of DB Regio are red or have different colours, if operated by private operators.

 

Yes, the ticket was a political action and "knitted with hot needles" as we say here, and: German railway tariff starts, where logics ends.

 

Background is, because German railways run, as notamermaid had pointed out, long-distance trains and regional trains. Long-distance trains (ICE, EC and IC) are a profit center with their own tariff and are not subsidised. Regional trains (IRE, RE, RB and S) are subsidised and therefore have a different tariff and access condition for special groups like school children or handicapped people.  Only on a few lines, by arrangement with the local authorities, long-distance trains can be used with regional tickets and are therefore labelled both as RE and IC in the timetables.

 

Hope that helps to clarify.

[AnhaltER1960]

4 hours ago, vada_9 said:

Well these are the routes I am hoping to use the ticket on. (As a dumb international tourist) - Munich to Dachau (S bahn ?). Then Rothenberg on d' Tauber to Berchesgarten - (looks like all Regional trains). Then Berchesgarten to Garmisch Partenkirchen. Then Garmisch to Munich airport.

You are fine on all routes (if you use RE/RB orS-Bahn trains, of course). No confusion, as long-distance trains cannot be used anyway.

[notamermaid]

1 hour ago, AnhaltER1960 said:

This confusion has bees grossly exaggerated in the media

Again... I sometimes think life would be better without much of it.

 

Better not talk about our government , but tourists and families travelling on a budget I am sure will benefit from this ticket. Even CNN thinks it it worth an article.

 

Here is one info sheet from a regional public transporter provider, called RMV. They serve the Frankfurt extended area, i.e. Rhine and Main around there: https://www.rmv.de/c/fileadmin/documents/PDFs/_RMV_DE/Fahrkarten/9-Euro/186_22_004_9-Euro-Ticket_Baukasten_OnePager_ENG.pdf

 

notamermaid

 

 

[notamermaid]

I have just read that the ferry on Lake Constance for example does not accept the ticket. But while the ticket is restricted to transport in Germany, you can on one specific train line go from Bavaria to Salzburg, i.e. cross into Austria, says Deutsche Welle. That could be worth checking if you are in the area on a pre or post cruise trip.

 

It also mentions crossing the border into Belgium from Aachen. Perhaps Luxembourg? Will check that at some point. As I could also go from the Rhine valley up the Moselle and beyond Trier.

 

notamermaid

 

[AnhaltER1960]

4 hours ago, notamermaid said:

I have just read that the ferry on Lake Constance for example does not accept the ticket. But while the ticket is restricted to transport in Germany, you can on one specific train line go from Bavaria to Salzburg, i.e. cross into Austria, says Deutsche Welle. That could be worth checking if you are in the area on a pre or post cruise trip.

 

It also mentions crossing the border into Belgium from Aachen. Perhaps Luxembourg? Will check that at some point. As I could also go from the Rhine valley up the Moselle and beyond Trier.

 

notamermaid

 

Yes, it is valid on trains from Bavaria (Freilassing) into Salzburg Hbf (Central Station). Also Switzerland to Basel Bad. Bf (not Basel SBB) and Schaffhausen.

 

The ticket is not valid in Belgium and also not in Luxemburg. But all public transport in Luxemburg is free anyway, you dont need a ticket there. So just stay on the train into Luxemburg....