If you’re planning a visit to Germany this summer, a new travel pass could help you shave your transit expenses.
After many months of negotiations, the German federal government approved a plan to encourage the use of public transportation to ease the effects of inflation, and skyrocketing energy and gas prices by offering a monthly public transit pass for a stunning price of just nine euro.
The 9-Euro ticket ($9.60 USD) is available for travel from 1 June 2022 to 31 August 2022. Anyone who purchases it can travel as many times as they want across all forms of public transport throughout Germany, including buses, U-Bahns, S-Bahns, trams, and local and regional trains for one calendar month.
It does not include long-distance trains like the IC or ICE trains. It is also not transferrable.
Children under six years travel for free though those aged six to 14 will need to purchase a ticket.
How to get your €9 pass
Don’t worry. You don’t have to be a travel hacker to be part of this one-time deal. Buying your 9-Euro ticket is extremely easy.
The quickest and most efficient option is to pre-book it through the DB Navigator App (Germany’s official railway company app) or online.
Also, you can buy it at the websites and apps of the different regional transport companies. For example, Berlin has BVG, the Ruhr Area has VRR, and the Munich area has SSB. All tickets are valid nationwide, so you can purchase them online at any of these platforms, and it won’t make any difference.
Additionally, there is a plan to sell 9-Euro Tickets at the DB ticket machines and all customer centers nationwide starting 1 June.
What the pass doesn’t cover
The ticket is not transferrable and you won’t be able to take long-distance trains like the ICE or the IC, buses, and trains from private companies like Flixbus/Flixtrain.
Unfortunately, regional trains are pretty slow, and traveling from one side of the country to the other can take almost a day.
For a first-timer, my recommendation would be to combine the benefits of the 9-Euro Ticket with the efficiency of long-distance trains. Traveling between Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Cologne, or Hamburg using high-speed trains takes just a few hours, and once you are there, you can explore these cities or plan day trips using the 9-Euro Ticket.
Also, unlike the traditional “Monatskarte,” each ticket will be valid per calendar month not from date of purchase. If you buy your 9-Euro Ticket at the end of the month, you can only use it for a few days – but something like this could still be worth it.
How the pass can help you see more of Germany
A ticket like this has never existed before, and already thousands have booked tickets. This is also a bargain for those wanting to save money, as train tickets in Germany are usually not cheap at all. Single trips in Munich cost 3,5€, 24-hour tickets in Berlin cost 8,80€, and a day-pass that lets you travel all across Germany under the same conditions as the 9-Euro Ticket has a value of 42€.
For locals and travelers who already know Germany very well, the 9-Euro Ticket is the perfect opportunity to get a bit off the beaten path and explore that side of Germany you have not seen before.
Deutsche Bahn said it is adding additional trains and staff to accommodate the summer travel demand.
Go on a hike at one of the 16 different national parks in Germany, enjoy the calm and beauty of the German coastline, or visit cities with great historical significance and lovely old towns, such as Göttingen, Bonn, or Weimar.
With such an incredible offer ahead of us, it would be crazy to not spend at least a few days in Germany this summer. Whether you are more of a city person, a nature lover, or a culture freak, Germany is the place to go.
The post Explore Germany for just nine euro with this special summer travel pass
appeared first on Lonely Planet Travel News.
This content was originally published here.
