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Germany’s 9 Euro Ticket: Where to Get It and How to Benefit From It

The 9 Euro Ticket is a very attractive offer for anyone who uses public transport anywhere in Germany. Even traveling all over the country on Deutsche Bahn’s regional trains is included. For now, all we have to do is wait. So, how can we make use of the 9 Euro Ticket?

Berlin, May 5th, 2022. Update: May 7th, 2022, 9:28 a.m. (The Berlin Spectator) — It is time to leave the Jaguar in the garage and to get back into backpack tourism. The 9 Euro Ticket is the best deal ever. A monthly ticket for public transport in one of Germany’s big cities usually costs 60 to 100 Euro (64 to 106 U.S. Dollars or 51 to 84 Pounds Sterling). Now, we get monthly tickets all German cities at once for 9 Euro (9.50 Dollars or 7.60 Pounds).

Traveling Like Crazy

Those 9 Euro Tickets will be offered for June, July and August of 2022 and they are valid per calendar month. When I purchase one on or before June 1st, I will be able to use it anywhere in Germany all month long. If I wait until June 29th, I can use it for two days and still save, because it will still be cheaper than two regular day tickets.

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Traveling like crazy has not been cheaper in many decades. In theory, we could buy a 9 Euro Ticket at Hamburg’s Poppenbüttel train station and take the ‘S-Bahn’ to Central Station. At 11:57 a.m., we could hop on the regional train to Uelzen, where we change trains and go to Stendal. There, we change again, into the regional train to Rathenow. Here, we will have to change for the third time if we want to get to Berlin Central Station. Sure, the trip will take longer than 4 hours, but for 9 Euro we should not be complaining.

Crammed Regional Trains

It gets better. With the same ticket we purchased in Poppenbüttel, we can use Berlin’s and Brandenburg’s public transport. The next day, we can go continue on to Munich on regional trains, and use the very same ticket we already bought. It will take us almost 9 hours on four regional trains. But deceleration is a good thing. In Munich, we can take trams, trains and buses as much as we want to without paying for additional tickets.

And yes, with the 9 Euro Ticket we will have the right to take trips of this kind every day. If we want to continue doing this from July 1st, we will need a new 9 Euro ticket then, for the new month. The only problem is that those regional trains might be crammed because many travelers will want to benefit from this sensational offer which is a compensation for the extremely high fuel and energy prices. The Federal Republic of Germany will be paying the bills, by reimbursing transport operators with billions.

Easy as Pie

Later this month, the 9 Euro Ticket is supposed to be sold by public transport providers. In Berlin, the BVG will be selling it at its counters, ticket machines and through its apps, from May 20th. Deutsche Bahn will presumable offer it as well.

Finding the right regional train connections on Deutsche Bahn’s website is easy as pie:

  1. Go to bahn.com/en.
  2. Where it says “Timetable & Booking“, type in the origin of your trip and your destination.
  3. IMPORTANT: Check the box which says “Local transport only“.
  4. Click “Search“.
  5. Check out your options by clicking on the “Further information” link.

First Class Off Limits

Holders of monthly tickets or subscribers of state-owned public transport providers will be reimbursed in June, July and August, or 9 Euro will be deducted from subscribers’ accounts, instead of the usual amounts. This is supposed to happen automatically, but please check whether there is anything you have to do by visiting your transport provider’s website or contacting them.

We have to be careful, because the 9 Euro Ticket is not valid for Deutsche Bahn’s fast IC trains or its bullet train ICE. Privately owned transport providers on tracks or roads will not accept it either. First Class seats are generally off limits for 9 Euro Ticket holders. Those of us who make the mistake of hopping on the wrong means of transport will be charged a lot.

Policy for Kids

When we travel with Deutsche Bahn, we will have to make sure we are on a ‘Regionalbahn’ train (RB), a ‘Regionalexpress’ (RE) or the ‘Interregioexpress’ (IRE). And we will have to travel in Second Class. Because the ticket is such an attractive offer, we might have to stand on the train for hours and hours, meaning all seats might be occupied. One trick is to pick the station the train originates at whenever possible.

Children from 6 years of age need their own 9 Euro Ticket, while younger kids travel for free. Taking bicycles on trains is not included. The 9 Euro Ticket is your monthly public transport and regional train ticket (Deutsche Bahn only). It is valid for one calendar month and will be available for June, July and August of 2022. Bon voyage.

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