BFederal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) recently promoted the Deutschlandticket again with pathos: It is the major reform of local public transport, the start of its digitization. So the expectations of the Deutschlandticket are high. The 49-euro, nationwide valid ticket for local public transport has been available since Monday.
What consumers need to know to get started:
Where and how can I buy the 49 euro ticket?
The ticket is also sold by most regional transport companies like the Deutsche Bahn. At Deutsche Bahn, the purchase page was “overloaded” on Monday – nothing worked anymore.
Various companies also offer apps through which the subscription can be taken out, such as the transport service providers Hansecom and Mobility Inside. During checks, the subscription can then be canceled by chip card or by mobile ticket be shown. With a transitional period until the end of the year, paper tickets issued with QR code.
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.
How can I buy the 49 euro ticket if I don’t have a smartphone?
If you don’t have a smartphone, you can in principle also personally send the subscription to the stationary outlets of the respective transport company. However, this could significantly increase waiting times. 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 purchase the ticket online in this way.
Which means of transport can I use with the ticket?
Like the 9-euro ticket in summer 2022, the Deutschlandticket is valid on all local and regional buses and trains. ICE, IC and EC trains are excluded and 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. For example, if you only decide to buy a ticket on May 18th, you have to pay for the period up to May 31st pay the full 49 euros.
Basically, the Deutschlandticket 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 Deutschlandtickets have been sold so far?
According to the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), well over three million people have opted for a Germany ticket. According to the VDV, these include 750,000 customers who previously did not 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 ultimately get the Deutschlandticket and around 11 million people who already had a local transport subscription would switch to the 49-euro ticket.
So the high sales figures for the 9-euro ticket cannot be repeated?
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 Deutschlandticket 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 5 percent on top. The ticket then costs the consumer around 34.30 euros per month, but the subsidies vary depending on the company.
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 or seniors. The additional costs are usually financed from the state budget. In addition, some transport associations have 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.
For whom is it worth switching subscriptions?
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.
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 more expensive there than the Deutschlandticket. However, they often include additional offers like this Taking another person with you at the weekend, a dog or your own bike.
Example Berlin: The so-called environmental card is transferrable. In the evenings and on weekends are allowed two adults and up to three children (up to and including 14 years of age) travel together on one ticket. The Deutschlandticket generally does not provide for such options.
On behalf of the German Press Agency, the opinion research institute Yougov interviewed people in Germany from April 18 to 20, 2033 about the Deutschlandticket. According to Yougov, the sample is representative of the population by age (from 18 years), gender and region. The survey is based on online interviews with members of the Yougov Panel Germany.