Inspired by the 9-Euro Ticket

Following a December 2022 summit meeting between Germany’s federal government and the heads of the 16 Bundesländer (federal states) over how to finance it, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was happy finally to announce that the “Deutschlandticket” would indeed be coming in 2023. (See the latest details for 2023 below.)

Berlin’s Main Rail Station offers local, regional, and long-distance transportation. The Deutschlandticket is valid only for local and regional public transport. But will tourists and other non-residents in Germany be able to use the special 49-euro ticket? Learn more below. PHOTO: Hyde Flippo

The Deutschlandticket became valid all across Germany on 1 May 2023. Learn more below.

But the original plan to introduce the special monthly ticket for local rail and bus commuters all across Germany by January 2023 was derailed by the states’ displeasure over the how the costs would be shared. At the summit the states and the federal government agreed to a 50/50 split of the costs. But during his December 8th announcement, Scholz still couldn’t give a firm date for the new ticket’s arrival. He could only promise it was coming “sehr zügig” (very quickly), a bit of a pun on the German word for “train” (der Zug). The politicians could only dangle the prospect of the Deutschlandticket arriving by the end of the first quarter of 2023, saying that with the cost question now settled, it was up to the states to finalize their plans.

The head of Hamburg’s HVV public transport agency, Anna-Theresa Korbutt, was furious about the delay in setting a firm date for the new 49-euro ticket. She said that the special ticket was already available in the city-state of Hamburg. The only problem was that no one knew when the discounted fare would actually go into effect and be usable. That was despite the fact that in Hamburg the infrastructure for selling and using the tickets was already in place. Frau Korbutt saw no reason for the delay. But it took until late January 2023 before the German federal government finally announced a firm date for the Deutschland ticket.

This view of the Museuminsel (Museum Island) U-Bahn station, one of Berlin’s newest metro stations, shows a train stopped below the station’s deep blue “starry night” ceiling. The striking new station opened in July 2021 to serve Berlin’s vast museum complex. Designed by Swiss architect Max Dudler, the station’s starlight look was inspired by a theater set built for the opera The Magic Flute in 1816 by German architect/designer Karl Friedrich Schinkel. The station was the final stage of a €500 million BVG (Berlin public transport) project to extend the U5 line, following years of delays. PHOTO: Chris Hinz McGinnis

What is the Deutschlandticket?
Following the success of the 9-euro monthly ticket in summer 2022, many Germans were hoping a similar low-cost public transport (Personennahverkehr) ticket would follow in 2023. Although people realized it couldn’t remain at the super-bargain price of nine euros per month, soon a 49-euro monthly digital ticket was being discussed. It would be valid nationwide for a month of travel on any of Germany’s local public transport systems (bus, tram, S-Bahn, U-Bahn, regional trains: RE, RB). On 27 January 2023, Stuttgart became the first German city to approve providing the 49-euro ticket to all city employees free of cost.

Dubbed the Deutschlandticket or D-Ticket, the new 49-euro commuter ticket offers a much lower rate than the normal one for a month of using a city’s commuter transport system. But then the usual tug-of-war between the Länder and the federal lawmakers began. But finally a date was announced.

The Deutschlandticket Became Valid on 1 May 2023
Germany’s special €49 regional transportation ticket went into effect on 1 May, with ticket sales starting in April. As an example, compared to the normal monthly rate for Hamburg’s HVV, it only takes 14 trips for the Deutschlandticket to pay off and save commuters money. The Abo (subscription) savings vary from city to city and region to region.

The digital or card Deutschlandticket (aka D-Ticket) can be purchased (almost) just like any other public transport ticket, at a ticket counter, online, or with a mobile phone app. As with the previous 9-euro ticket, the 49-euro ticket is valid Germany-wide for one calendar month for travel on regional trains (RB, RE, S-Bahn), metros, and buses. It is NOT valid for long-distance travel on EC, IC, or ICE trains. However, unlike the 9-euro ticket, the D-Ticket is an annual subscription ticket. If you already have an annual subscription, it will automatically be converted to the Deutschlandticket. Bikes are not included. And there are forms to fill out, along with an ID photo.

Complications for Non-Residents
The subscription aspect of the new €49 ticket presents some complications for tourists or business people without a German bank account. Although there are currently no restrictions concerning non-residents purchasing the Deutschlandticket, in some German cities it may be difficult for them to do so. The D-Ticket can be cancelled on a monthly basis, making it theoretically possible to buy the annual subscription and cancel it after a month or two of use. But not all transport agencies across Germany currently offer the same ticket application and payment options.

Berlin/Brandenburg’s VBB transport agency, for example, won’t let you pay for the D-Ticket using a credit card. You have to pay via a bank debit card, and it has to be a German or European bank account. (Please verify this online for current sales policies.) Non-EU visitors and tourists are generally not able to open a German bank account. And not all transport authorities will allow you to buy subscription tickets from ticket machines. Berlin only allows you to subscribe to its current €29 ticket online or at a service center after you fill out the necessary forms. If that policy also applies to the new D-Ticket, it’s another hindrance for tourists and non-residents in Germany. However, since the D-Ticket is valid anywhere in Germany, it does not matter where you buy it. You can use it anywhere for local or regional transport. But the D-TICKET is a personal ticket, only valid for the purchaser! It is not transferable, and it can’t be used by more than one person.

The RMV transport authority in Frankfurt am Main may offer an easier purchase option. The D-Ticket can be purchased within the RMV mobile app, using direct debit or a credit card. Depending on which cards the RMV accepts, it may be possible for visitors to buy a D-Ticket in Frankfurt and use it in Berlin or any other city in Germany.

Part of the problem right now is that, despite advance sales in April, buying the Deutschlandticket online in many parts of Germany was a problem in early May 2023. Also, various cities/regions have different sales conditions regarding credit cards and/or bank debit. For details in your city or region, check your local transport system’s website or mobile app. Below are some sample links:

NOTE: In most locations the €49 monthly subscription ticket became available for purchase in April 2023. It became valid for transport on 1 May 2023.
Berlin/Potsdam: BVG/VBB 49-Euro Ticket (German)
Berlin/Potsdam: BVG/VBB 49-euro Ticket (English)
Berlin Ticket App: BVG Ticket-App (Apple/Android)

Bremen/Niedersachsen: VBN: Deutschlandticket (German)

Düsseldorf/Rhein-Ruhr: VRR: Deutschlandticket (German)

Frankfurt am Main: RMV: Das Deutschlandticket (German)

Hamburg: HVV Deutschlandticket (German)

Hannover: GVH: Deutschlandticket (German)

Köln (Cologne): KVB: Das Deutschlandticket kommt (German)

Leipzig: LVB: Deutschlandticket (German)

Mannheim (Rhein-Neckar): RNV: Deutschlandticket (German)

München: Mein Deutschlandticket von der MVG (German)
Munich: My Germany Ticket from MVG (English)

Nürnberg: VGN: Das Deutschlandticket kommt (German)

Stuttgart: VVS: Deutschlandticket für 49 Euro (German)

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