One ticket for the whole country.

A single ticket was introduced in May 2023 which is valid for bus and rail travel in Germany. It known by some as the “€49 ticket” for its price, and by others as the “Deutschland-Ticket”. Passengers can use the same monthly ticket on local and regional public transport across the whole of Germany, whether they are travelling in Berlin, Hamburg or Munich.

Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing has described the ticket as “the greatest fares reform which has ever taken place in local passenger travel in Germany.” The deal is aimed at persuading people to use bus and rail transport more often and thereby make their travel more climate-friendly. Expanding Germany’s rail network is considered a key element in the Federal Government’s planned revolution in mobility.

Successor to the €9 ticket

The idea for the Deutschland-Ticket arose from the success of the €9 ticket which was aimed at easing the burden on members of the public who were facing increased costs for electricity, food, heating and mobility in 2022. Through a Federal Government initiative, people could use local public transport for a flat rate of €9 during the summer months of June, July and August.

The new ticket, which is also known as the “Flat Rate for Regional Transport”, is available on subscription for €49 a month. The subscription can be cancelled with a month’s notice. The Federal Ministry of Transport believes the deal will make local travel by rail and bus in German “easy and convenient”. Until now, the cost of local public transport has sometimes varied widely, and local fare systems are often complicated and structured in different ways. With the €49 ticket, all that is now a thing of the past.

Passenger numbers up thanks to Deutschland-Ticket

According to figures from the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), 10 million people have subscribed to the ticket in the first few months since the Deutschland-Ticket was introduced. That represents a 25% increase over passenger numbers last year.

New trains and tracks improve attractiveness

Faster and more modern trains operated by Deutsche Bahn are expected to make rail travel more attractive. According to the Federal Ministry of Transport, these will create space for almost 20,000 more passengers on long-distance trains. There are also plans to refurbish and extend the rail network. Improved infrastructure is hoped to deliver greater punctuality. Politicians are also promising better mobile networks on board trains.

Swap your driving licence for a Deutschland-Ticket

Some towns and cities are offering a deal targeted at older people, in which they are rewarded with a Deutschland-Ticket for a certain period of time in return for voluntarily giving up their driving licence. On the one hand, the plans aim to spare older people the stress of driving. On the other hand, it also promotes switching to an environmentally friendly alternative to driving a car. Lübeck, Dortmund, Leverkusen and the UN City Bonn are among the cities offering schemes like this.

Is the Deutschland-Ticket a model for Europe?

The Luxembourgian Transport Minister François Bausch has already suggested extending the validity of Deutschland-Tickets to cross-border bus lines. Bausch has said Luxembourg wants to share the costs of the plan, which was welcomed by all parties in the state parliament of Saarland.

France is considering the introduction of a ticket similar to the Deutschland-Ticket, which would also cost €49 a month. President Macron and Transport Minister Clement Beaune have both mooted the idea. The introduction of the ticket would make it possible to consider cross-border validity between Germany and France, Macron said in an interview.

The German Minister of Transport Volker Wissing has proposed extending the €49 ticket to the whole of Europe in the longer term.