You've probably heard the term in the last few days, as it's been buzzing around in the media and in many personal conversations: the 9-euro ticket is coming! And maybe your heart has leapt a little: summer in Germany, and the tempting idea of discovering the city and the country at this low price? So it almost goes without saying that we at Entdecke-Deutschland.de have tracked down the most important facts and tips about the ticket for you.
The action period for the 9-Euro-Ticket runs from June 1 to August 31, 2022. It is a monthly ticket for public transportation that is valid nationwide on buses, trains and all regional trains (2nd class). This also includes subways, commuter trains, and regional trains operated by private rail companies. In Berlin and Hamburg, for example, there are even ferry routes that are part of the public transport system - you can of course also use them with the ticket.
Attention, Long-distance trains of Deutsche Bahn such as ICE, IC or EC or private providers such as Flixtrain are not included in the validity of the ticket. The same applies to special tourist railroads with their own tariffs such as the Zugspitzbahn, the Brockenbahnen or the Rasende Roland on Rügen.
But don't worry, there still remain countless opportunities for inexpensive trips and excursions!
The ticket is personal, so it is valid only for you or for the person specified at the time of purchase. You can purchase it in different ways:
The ticket is valid until the end of the calendar month in which it was purchased. As a subscription customer of your regional public transport provider, you will automatically be refunded the difference to your monthly fee!
Good to know: There is no separate fare for children - all children under the age of 6 travel free of charge, for children over 6 you buy a normal 9 euro ticket. If you want to take your bike with you, you have to buy an extra bike ticket from the respective transport association.
You want from the Berlin area Head for the Baltic Sea? Or from Hamburg to Sylt? From Munich to the Alps? You guessed it: it can get very crowded on the trains on the popular routes! The campaign period covers a large part of the summer vacations in Germany. In addition, there is the long Whitsun weekend and, in some German states, Corpus Christi as a public holiday.
When planning, consider So make sure you know which routes you want to take and when - especially if you also want to take your bicycles with you. At many train stations you can also rent bikes after arrival. This can be a good alternative to save space on the way and to spare your nerves in possibly fully booked trains.
Granted, the fastest form of travel is, of course, not traveling on regional trains. But isn't that what traveling is all about? Switch off the stress, switch on the pleasure. Many ways lead to the destination, it doesn't always have to be the most direct and fastest. We have collected a few ideas for you here and would like to encourage you to go in search of your dream destination yourself. Maybe you'll discover Germany all over again this summer?
Smell the coastal air in the north
It doesn't always have to be Sylt! The Baltic Sea also offers enchanting destinations such as Usedom and Rügen. From Berlin, you can reach Heringsdorf on Usedom in less than four hours with just one change. The same applies to the route from Hamburg to Stralsund, and it takes only a little longer to continue to the island of Rügen. Or how about a visit to the Hanseatic city of Rostock? You can even get there from Elsterwerda in the south of Brandenburg on the longest regional rail route without changing trains - you should allow about five hours for this.
Germany's diverse center
From Hannover, take the private train erixx to Goslar and then the DB regional train to Wernigerode in the northern Harz foothills: a worthwhile excursion! You'll find an abundance of colorful half-timbered houses in this pretty town, and in addition it's a popular starting point for further explorations in the Harz Mountains.
Who likes it more urbanIf you're in the mood for a trip of a lifetime, you might choose Dresden as your destination, where you can enjoy the world-famous range of first-class cultural sites and museums. The train ride between Dresden and Bad Schandau is particularly impressive: here you travel along the Elbe River, with the fascinating field landscapes of Saxon Switzerland in view.
Off to the south!
As diverse as southern Germany is as a vacation destination, so are its (regional) rail routes. From Munich, for example, there are numerous spectacular, but also very busy regional rail routes to the Alpine region. If you're looking for more suggestions for worthwhile routes, you could use the 9-Euro-Ticket...
...enjoy the alpine panorama between Berchtesgaden and Freilassing.
...drive along Lake Constance to Lindau and marvel at the castles and (wine) mountains. Radolfzell is a good starting point - then the trip takes about two hours.
...ride the Höllentalbahn in the Black Forest between Villingen and Freiburg, the steepest railroad line in Germany. Unique views from dizzying bridges included!
...get from Nuremberg to Marktdrewitz in the Bavarian Forest in about an hour and start there on a hike along the excellent Goldsteig quality hiking trail.
A tip for trip planning for the 9-Euro-Ticket we still have: If you already have a desired destination in mind, then enter your starting point and the destination in the travel information at www.bahn.de in the menu. If you now check the "Local transport only" box, you will automatically be shown the regional connections that you can use with the 9-euro ticket.
Do we have your wanderlust and aroused curiosity about the many very near and somewhat more distant dream destinations in Germany? Very good! Then you're probably like us - and we're looking forward to an eventful summer with new destinations and lots of impressions.
Cover photo: Toward the sun: The 9-euro ticket offers countless opportunities to explore Germany - on spontaneous excursions or planned trips © Ronald Rampsch - stock.adobe.com
