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Local Germany
27-05-2025
- Business
- Local Germany
Why booking international train tickets in Germany is set to get easier
Buying tickets for train journeys through Europe should get a bit easier for travellers coming from or go to Germany this year as Deutsche Bahn (DB) is set to connect to a new booking system for international fairs. By the end of 2026, DB will be able to "sell tickets from all major railways in our neighbouring countries directly via and the DB Navigator app," the company told DPA. This comes as the latest development in a broader European push to simplify cross-border train travel led by the EU Transport Commission. So far the Austrian and Swiss Federal Railways (ÖBB and SBB) have been the first to be connected to the new pan-European booking system. In the coming months, more partners are expected to join -- including DB from autumn of this year. The goal is that ticket booking on virtually all routes across Europe will be possible in one-step through the usual sales channels by the end of next year. Isn't DB already selling international tickets? Passengers can already buy tickets for trains that connect Germany to surrounding countries through the DB website or app. But for many international journeys tickets may need to be bought individually from different companies. In some cases, they also come at a heftier price. Mark Smith, founder of the European train travel website, The Man in Seat 61 , told The Local that "DB is one of the best operators when it comes to offering through tickets to from or across Germany, including connections from Amsterdam to Prague or Zurich to Copenhagen." Advertisement But he added that DB's current ticket selling portal falls short on a lot of trans-European routes. "Annoyingly it can't do cross-Germany tickets to/from Paris, at least not at sensible prices," Smith said. "Ask it for Paris-Vienna and you'll only see silly-money Flexpreis fares for a journey with a change at Frankfurt. But if you asked it for Paris-Frankfurt and then Frankfurt-Vienna on exactly the same trains it would happily sell affordable advance-purchase Sparpreis fares for both sectors." READ ALSO: 5 tips for surviving Deutsche Bahn's new Paris to Berlin 'direct' train link In other cases, you may find a possible international journey offered on the DB website that says "Determine Price." In these cases DB essentially sells a bundled ticket that includes fairs for multiple journeys, some of which are provided by other railway companies. Advertisement But Smith warned that the "determine price" button "is often a sign you should be booking on some other operator's site -- not DB's!" All in one ticket Assuming everything goes to plan -- and yes, with Deutsche Bahn that is quite the assumption -- all of the aforementioned issues will be dealt with by autumn, when passengers can expect to buy tickets across multiple countries at standard prices through the DB platform. Michael Peterson, long-distance transport board member at DB, told DPA that the goal is to offer everything on one ticket. He added that, "International long-distance transport is booming." DB reported it's strongest year for cross-border ticket sales in 2024, with a 22 percent increase compared to the pre-Covid year of 2019.
Local Germany
28-02-2025
- Local Germany
How train travellers in Germany can get cheap Deutsche Bahn tickets this March
If you're planning to travel by rail in Germany this year, you may be able to save quite a bit on your train tickets by buying them this March. For bookings made in March - for trips up until December - German rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) is offering discounts on 'saver price' (Sparpreis) tickets, which are DB's somewhat flexible budget price tickets that can be cancelled before the travel day for a fee. According to a report by SWR, DB is releasing one million discounted saver price tickets in March. What's on sale? Discounted tickets for short distance trips - for example from Munich to Ingolstadt, Hamburg to Bremen or Stuttgart to Heidelberg, will start at €9.99. Customers with a Bahncard could feasibly pay just €7.49 for comparable distance routes. Offers for medium-haul routes, such as from Frankfurt am Main to Stuttgart or Berlin to Leipzig, will go for €14.99. Bahncard holders could pay €11.24 for these connections. These cut-price tickets must be purchased in March, but can be for journeys up until December 13th, which marks the end of the current timetable. Young people can also take advantage of age-specific bargains in March: Deutsche Bahn is also offering 30,000 additional so-called 'Super saver' (Supersparpreis) youth tickets, which are also valid for longer distances and start at €12.99. Super saver tickets are not flexible, meaning they cannot be exchanged or refunded (except within the first three hours after purchasing them). And the youth tickets are only available to customers under the age of 27. All of these offers are available via DB's online booking portal and in the DB Navigator app. Why is DB offering cheap tickets? Deutsch Bahn has seen significantly fewer passengers on certain trains since the introduction of the Deutschlandticket local transport pass. "We have lost people, especially on the short distances," Stefanie Berk, head of long-distance rail marketing at DB told SWR. Whereas the Deutschlandticket allows customers to ride regional and municipal trains for free, it doesn't work on DB's faster long-distance trains i.e. ICE, IC and EC trains. Especially on some of the short and medium length connections listed above, customers tend to opt for regional trains, which may be slower or involve added transfers, but are free for passengers with the €58 monthly travel pass. DB hopes that the discounted saver fares will create a choice again for passengers who might be willing to spend a few euros more for a faster and somewhat more comfortable journey. If it works, DB may help reduce congestion on Germany's regional trains whilst also selling a few more tickets. To find the best deals on saver price tickets, you're advised to book your trips well in advanced and/or look for journeys at odd hours, such as early in the morning or late in the evening.
