The railway car made by the Germans makes a difference. How to buy train tickets in Germany on Deutsche Bahn. Discount cards and travel passes
Today I’ll tell you about the German railway Deutsche Bahn(Deutsche Bahn) is an important means of transport in Germany. After my story for tourists and guests, I also decided to make a small step-by-step instruction in Russian for tourists and guests of Germany on how to buy train tickets for this railway via the Internet.
The topic is quite relevant and interesting, if only because the official website of the Deutsche Bahn (as the name of Deutsche Bahn is read) does not have a Russian interface. In addition to German, you can choose English and several other European languages (traditionally, the language selection button on the site is at the top right), but Russian is not among them.
But the Deutsche Bahn website has a lot of other undoubted advantages, for example, such as:
- on this site you can look and see almost all connections in Europe. The Germans managed to integrate search not only according to their schedule, but also according to the schedule of almost all railways. Even to search for messages in Russia you can often use Deutsche Bahn!
- Almost all Deutsche Bahn tickets can be purchased online! For many European railways, only the cheapest fares are available online and cannot be exchanged. And at Deutsche Bahn - you need to try to find tickets that you cannot pay for and print out immediately.
Step 1: Choosing a route
So, go to the official website www.bahn.de. On the main page we are immediately asked to select the main initial conditions of the route. As an example, I chose the trip of 1 adult from Hamburg Airport to a city in northwestern Germany.
In the route selection area you need to enter the following data:
Where And Where: two main fields for selecting the starting point and destination of the route.
Einfache Fahrt or Hin- und Rückfahrt- mark the circle for one-way or round-trip travel.
Next is a field for the date of the trip and next to it is a calendar.
Below you indicate the approximate time of day when you want to travel and mark the circle Abfahrt(departure) or Ankunft(arrival). This means that at the specified time of day you want to leave or already arrive at the place.
If at the beginning you chose Hin- und Rückfahrt, then you will see a second field for selecting the date of your return trip and a calendar in which you can navigate, as well as a field for the time of day.
Below you see several checkboxes that you can check as desired:
Schnelle Verbindung bevorzugen- prefer a faster message or
Nur Nahverkehr– regional transport only.
By default, the first option is checked. If you select "prefer fast connections", the Deutsche Bahn booking system will show you the fastest connections between your arrival and departure cities with high-speed national and international train travel.
But if you have a short distance to travel (for example, 2-3 hours away) and you want to save a lot, then feel free to choose “only regional transport”. The system will select connections for you only with electric trains and regional trains. At the same time, you will not suffer much in comfort, you will make more frequent stops along the way, you will spend a little longer on the road, but in the end the trip will be much cheaper for you.
You can also select the option Nur Sitzplatzreservierung- with reserved seating only. The option is relevant during rush hours, especially on Friday afternoons and Sunday evenings, when there is a large flow of passengers rushing to rest or on their way back. The ticket price increases slightly, by about 2.5-3 euros.
Next comes the section Reisende(travelers) to select the composition and number of passengers:
Erwachsene- adults
Kinder 6-14 J.- children 6-14 years old
Kinder 0-5 J.– children under 5 years old
Two more checkboxes for selecting a travel class:
If we want to save money, choose 2. Class reisen,
if we want a 1st class trip - 1. Class reisen.
After entering and specifying the data, you can click on the button below Suchen(Search) and go to the next page.
Step 2: Select the appropriate message
On the next page, Deutsche Bahn gives us the best travel options.
At the top of the page, the system once again prompts us to check the original trip data and, if necessary, update them (1).
Below are several message options.
Since I indicated in the initial data the start time of the trip no earlier than 11.00, the system offered me three options to choose from with departure from the Hamburg airport railway platform at 11.34, 12.34 and 13.34.
I choose the first option offered (2) at 11.34. What are you waiting for?!
The red arrow on the left allows you to “expand” this message and see the details, how the trains go and where my transfers are.
In my version, these are three sections of the trip (2.1, 2.2, 2.3): Hamburg Airport - Hamburg Main Station, Hamburg - Bremen and Bremen - Leer. On all segments we see the time of departure and arrival, the track/platform number ( Gleis) departure/arrival at each point of the route, as well as the type and number of the train ( Product) on each segment.
The system, as additional information, tells me that in Hamburg it will take me 8 minutes to move from the commuter train platforms to the platform in the main station building. And in Bremen I will have as much as 29 minutes between trains.
For information: what kind of trains are there in Germany?
ICE(read as I-Tse-E) - InterCity Express(intercity express) - from the name it is already clear that these trains run between large cities and run quickly and with a small number of stops, because this is express.
IC(read ka I-Tse) - InterCity(intercity) - this train runs between smaller and non-express cities, that is, there are significantly more stops.
RE/RB(read as Er-E, Er-Be) – Regional Bahn Express/Regional Bahn are regional trains that either run fast or stop frequently. It can be compared with our commuter trains, only more comfortable.
CityNight - night train, which usually has both recumbent compartments and seated carriages.
You can follow approximately the following rule: if a train travels from the starting point to the final point for 3-4 hours, then it is usually IC. If less, then RE/RB, if longer, then usually ICE.
There are several other types of trains, but there is not much difference. For example, you may come across the abbreviations IR, RBN, ME, etc.
In Germany, some sections are served by “private” railway companies, which are separate from Deutsche Bahn. Usually they have a common tariff policy, it’s just that jobs for drivers are provided by another company. These are internal German problems; for us, as tourists, there is practically no difference. The only thing that can be kept in mind is that such sections usually lead to a dead end, that is, there is no through railway connection and trains (popularly called “cuckoos”) run rarely - once an hour at best.
For information: prices
Like any carrier, German Railways wants to carry as many passengers as it can attract. Therefore, Deutsche Bahn often offers tickets at very low prices. In this case, various special offers are possible, both general, valid throughout Germany, and individual ones in different states.
Therefore, you should always keep this in mind and be interested when searching and purchasing tickets.
Such proposals, for example, could be:
Weekend ticket
Schönes Wochenende Ticket- far from the only, but definitely the most famous invention of Deutsche Bahn to attract customers. Unfortunately, the price of this wonderful ticket has been growing over the years; currently the cost of a ticket is 40 euros.
With the Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket you can travel throughout Germany on Saturday and Sunday (from 00.00 to 03.00 the next day) countless times, leaving one train and boarding another.
One joint ticket can be used by a group of up to 5 passengers, as well as a group of 2 adults and any number of their own children (grandchildren) under 15 years of age.
This ticket is valid only on local trains with the letters RE, RB, IRE, S-Bahn in II class carriages.
Special offers, different in different states
An example is Lower Saxony ticket (Niedersachsen-Ticket)— a regional ticket that allows you to travel profitably throughout Lower Saxony, Bremen and Hamburg alone or with a group.
The ticket is valid from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 3 am the next day, and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 0 am to 3 am the next day.
The ticket is also valid on commuter trains of the Deutsche Bahn company (categories RE, RB and S-Bahn) and in 2nd class trains of the companies EVB, eurobahn, metronom, NordWestBahn, arriva, cantus, as well as on public transport of the VBN associations (Bremen) , GVH (Hannover), HVV (Hamburg, tariff zone HVV-Grossbereich Hamburg), VRB (Brunschweig) and VSN (South of Lower Saxony, Göttingen).
This ticket can be used by travelers alone, groups of up to 5 people inclusive, as well as one or both parents or grandparents with an unlimited number of children or grandchildren under 14 years of age inclusive.
In my case, there is just such a sentence (3) - Niedersachsen-Ticket for 23 euros per train with a standard fare of 38.20 euros.
After selecting a message (depending on the time and number of transfers), click on the Zur Buchung (Buy) button (3) and proceed to selecting a tariff.
Step 3. Select a Deutsche Bahn fare
Everything is clear here. Choose Niedersachsen-Ticket for 23 euros and click Weiter- further.
Step 4. Purchase with registration or not
Here the system offers us three options:
1. Login as a registered user and purchase from your account.
2. Register as a new user and then make a purchase from your account.
3. Purchase without registration.
I am registered in the system, this gives small advantages to users (for example, purchasing tickets from your card to third parties, etc.), but you may not need this, so select the item Ohne Anmeldung buchen(without registering).
Step 5: Ticket Format
Since we buy a ticket without registering in the system, only one option is available to us - Online-Ticket, which we can download and print on paper.
It is indicated that only you (the one who buys) should use this ticket. A third party cannot use such a ticket.
When purchasing without registration, the options for an electronic ticket (for example, in an application on a smartphone) and sending a ticket to your email address are also not available (but we don’t need this anyway).
Step 6. Additional services
Here Deutsche Bahn is trying to earn extra money and offers us a discount when booking a hotel. Other times it could be something else.
You can order, but I refuse and press Weiter- further.
Step 7. Specify identifying information
On this page we choose which document we will use to present our ticket on the train:
BahnCard, bahn.bonus Card— prepaid or bonus card of Deutsche Bahn. It’s unlikely that you have it, but what if?!
Credit card— a regular credit or debit bank card of at least VISA Classic or MasterCard Mass level.
ec-Karte (Maestro) is one of the brands of MasterCard debit card; for example, clients often have it. The card is similar to VISA Electron and does not require electronic authorization. That is why there is a risk that you will not be able to make payments via the Internet using it.
Personalausweis— identity document (Germany).
Therefore, it is best to choose Kreditkarte. We indicate its data in the appropriate fields:
Vorname- Name, Nachname— Last name (as on the map)
Credit card number- card number
Monat- Month, Jahr- Year
Diese Kreditkarte auch zur Zahlung verwenden— we note that we will pay for the ticket with the same card.
We indicate personal data.
Required fields:
Anrede- appeal (Herr, Frau)
Vorname- Name, Nachname- Surname
Email- so it’s clear
Strasse, Hausnumber— Street, house number
PLZ- Postcode
Ort- Locality
Land- A country
Next, check the checkbox that you agree (accept) with the Rules of Service and undertake the obligation to personally use the purchased ticket and, if necessary, to present a printed ticket and your credit card for verification on the train as a document identifying your identity.
You also check the box so that the Online-Ticket will be sent to you by E-mail in the form of a PDF file, which you will need to print.
Note: If you register with the service, you will be able, if necessary and desired, to purchase a ticket for another person. To do this, you will need to agree with the traveler which document they will use as identification so that you note it on the order form.
Click Weiter and proceed to payment.
Step 8. Payment
The most important step is purchasing the ticket itself.
On the next page you will find a standard payment form with a description of everything you are going to book (schedule, number of tickets, all additional options, price, billing address) and if everything is correct, at the bottom there will be another button “Zur Zahlung” - “Pay” " After you click it, the system will book your ticket and send it by email. Be sure to download the pdf file directly online and write down your reservation number!
The result will be something like this:
Note 2: This is my already outdated Niedersachsen-Ticket. As you can see, it has neither a place of departure nor a place of arrival, it was valid for one day for train travel through Lower Saxony, Hamburg, Bremen. My personal data on it is also no longer relevant.
I hope you can do it too. Maybe not the first time, but still you will book and save the ticket on your computer. All you have to do is print it out and don’t forget to take your bank card with you to present on the train.
Note 3: Information is current as of October 2015.
Many people, when they write or talk about their trips and travels, very vividly and colorfully describe monuments, beautiful landscapes, etc. The topic of moving from one attraction to another is often hushed up. In general, this is understandable, many go on excursions, by bus, and there is nothing to describe.
We traveled independently, mainly by rail. Here I will try to describe the German railways and how to use them. In the first part we will talk mainly about regional (local) trains, analogues of our commuter trains.
1. Munich Main Station (Hauptbahnhof)
Munich Main Railway Station (Münchener Hauptbahnhof) traces its history back to a rather modest structure made from disused fencing panels of a shooting range, which was located east of Karlsplatz Square.
Then in 1839 the first railway line from Munich to Augsburg opened. The first wooden building, 100 meters from the current station of the Bavarian capital, burned down within a few years.
The modern building, the third in a row, appeared after the 2nd World War, and was significantly expanded for the 1972 Summer Olympic Games.
2. Cash desk.
The station's daily passenger traffic is more than 350 thousand people, making it the second largest (after Hamburg) station in Germany.
3. And in terms of the number of paths (36 above-ground and 2 underground), it can even be considered the first.
4. At the main station of Nuremberg there is such a stand. You throw coins and you can control the trains.
5. And these are the tracks of the Nuremberg station.
We traveled around Bavaria on local trains (RB) and regional express trains (RE). The Deutschebahn website (bahn.de) makes it very convenient to plan your trip, showing all possible options with a map, transfers and ticket prices.
If necessary, you can find out the detailed train route with all stops.
Why was the option of traveling on such trains chosen? The fact is that you can use a special “land” ticket for them (in the case of Bavaria, it is called the Bavarian Ticket - Bayern Ticket). Its cost is 28 euros from the machine; up to 5 people can travel on it from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. on weekdays (and from 0 a.m. on weekends) on any RB and RE trains throughout Bavaria. It is also valid on all Bavarian city trains (U- and S-Bahn), trams and most buses.
6. Two Bavarian tickets below.
The top ticket, the Tages Ticket, is valid all day for 2 adults (plus up to 4 children) in the Nuremberg region. We used it for a trip to Bamberg, because... it was cheaper than a Bavarian ticket.
7. A conductor checking tickets on trains.
Generally speaking, upon boarding, no one controls the availability of tickets; the check is carried out already on the move. In principle, you can buy a ticket on the train, but it will be a full fare, quite significant, and the conductor will not sell any Bavarian ticket.
8. Quite a large number of commuter trains are made up of double-decker cars.
9. On lines with low passenger traffic, smaller trains are used.
10. In general, trains in Germany are quite short. Local ones, for example, rarely have more than 5 cars.
Regional express trains (RE) travel to the most popular destinations. They can be compared, perhaps, with our luxury electric trains, although only in terms of speed and number of stops. Double-decker local trains will probably be even more interesting in terms of comfort.
11. This is the Munich-Nuremberg regional express at Munich train station.
The carriages can be of 1st and 2nd classes. One carriage can have lounges of different classes. In particular, in photo 11 there is a white carriage of the first class, and a red carriage of the second. The class is always indicated at the entrance to the carriage, salon and compartment. Naturally, a second class ticket cannot be used in first class.
12. Inside, the 2nd class carriage resembles our already retired Youth.
The tariff policy for local trains and regional express trains is no different. In express trains you can also use various types of profitable tickets, such as the Bavarian one. Generally speaking, tickets on local lines are not valid for a specific train, but for a direction. Those. you can buy a ticket and travel on any local train going in the desired direction. In the case of a Bavarian ticket, the destination is any within Bavaria.
A similar system works here too - a ticket for a commuter train for the required number of zones - however, you cannot board a local express train, such as St. Petersburg-Vyborg, with such a ticket. And here there are no problems.
13. There are also quite old trains.
We drove this one to Salzburg. The city is located in Austria, five kilometers from the border, so you can get to the main station on a German train using a Bavarian ticket.
14. And this is an Austrian train at the main station of Salzburg.
15. The station looks very beautiful against the backdrop of the mountains.
16. Train from Vienna
17. Austrian electric locomotives are prettier than German ones.
As I already said, German local trains are very comfortable inside, as long as there are tables, trash cans, toilets, and working sockets.
19. This is what a double-decker 2nd class carriage looks like inside.
20. On the ground floor there is a special area for passengers with bicycles, strollers and bulky luggage. It is marked with a yellow line and is equipped with reclining seats.
21. Second floor. The information board shows the time, destination, next stop, and whether the toilet is occupied.
22. Below, at the end of the carriage, there is a good toilet.
23. And this is the driver’s cabin.
24. Closer
Traveling on German railways is a pleasure. Of course, this is not very cheap, but if you are traveling with a group, purchasing a land ticket significantly reduces the cost of the trip. It turns out to be approximately the same amount as in Russia for the same distance, if you honestly pay for all the tickets.
In addition, you can always join someone on such a land (Bavarian) ticket, because... Rarely does anyone have 5 people. The standard fee is 5.50 euros per person (you can negotiate), and it turns out to be significantly cheaper if you need to get from point A to point B in one direction.
When traveling around Germany, you often need to buy train tickets. Some people buy them just before leaving at the station. But it is much cheaper to buy train tickets in Germany in advance, and this can be done with the help of the great and powerful Internet.
If you are wondering how to buy train tickets in Germany, then you have come to the right place. I present detailed step-by-step instructions for purchasing train tickets through the official Deutsche Bahn website bahn.de and on the Russian-language search engine for travel options between cities (look below for a promotional code for 10 euros).
Train tickets in Germany - purchase on the official website of the German railways
In order to buy a train ticket, you must first find a suitable option. To do this, go to the English version of the site in the ticket search section. Into the fields from and to We begin to enter the cities we are interested in and select the desired option from the drop-down list.
Just below select date and time, starting from which we want to go (switch in position DEP) OR enter the date and time by which we must be at our destination (switch in position ARR).
I warn you right away: if you don’t like filling out a lot of data and delving into all sorts of checkboxes, it’s better to scroll down and go to the section “How to buy train tickets in Germany on the GoEuro website” (without unnecessary red tape).
Train tickets in Germany - Search
Let's say I want to arrive from Munich main station to Berlin by November 15 at 16:00 (switch in Arr position) to catch a meeting with friends. I leave the rest of the parameters as they are and click Search.
There is an even more advanced search using stopovers. If you are going to visit a city for up to 48 hours, you can buy just one ticket with a stopover and pay 2-3 times less!
Next come out travel options. The option at 9:18 suits me, especially since it works attractive tariff - only 29.9 euros for a 6-hour journey. Click on the option you like, click the To offer selection button.
Train tickets in Germany - Tariffs
In the next window choose a tariff.
Sparpreis and Sparpreis 1st class— economical fare, valid for a specific date, time and selected train and only for it. Exchanges and returns are possible 1 day before the start of the trip with a fine of 19 euros.
Flexpreis— flexible fare, with this ticket you can travel on any train on the specified date. Exchanges and returns are possible 1 day before the start of the trip free of charge, later - with a fine of 19 euros.
It is possible that you bought a discount ticket, but the train indicated on it left because the previous one was late and you did not have time for the transfer. In this case, you can safely board the next train in the same direction - most often the conductor will be aware of the situation and will not ask anything at all.
If the train you need is late, you can also board another train, provided that the delay exceeds 20 minutes.
If you decide over time (and for a difference of 105 euros, I think it would be better to decide :)), choose the tariff 29.9, by clicking on Continue under this price.
The feasibility of purchasing these cards needs to be calculated, especially since there are problems with their purchase and annual subscription. The BahnCard topic is not trivial and deserves a separate post.
That's why select Don’t buy a BahnCard and click Continue.
Oops! Now they ask us log in to your account (Log in and book) or register (Register as new customer and book). But There is also an option to continue without registering (Book without registering).
I still advise you register on the site, because you will always have access to your ticket(what if it gets lost in your email inbox, where to look then?) and it will be easier manage your booking.
If you already have an account on the Bahn.de website, simply enter your username and password and click the Log in and book button. If you are not afraid and/or do not want to register, click Proceed in the Book without registering window.
Train tickets in Germany - Registration on Bahn.de
In the window Register as new customer and book click Proceed.
In the new window, fill in all fields marked *.
- Username— come up with a username, also known as login (at least 8 characters).
- Password, repeat password— password and password repetition (minimum 6 characters, of which at least 1 digit or special character, such as underscore _).
- First name and Last name- first and last name, as in a foreign passport!
- Email- E-mail address.
If you want to receive news and information about promotions- put check the Subscribe to the bahn.com newsletter.
After filling click Register and continue.
If you did everything correctly, the system will return you to purchasing tickets.
Train tickets in Germany - Buying
Let's continue shopping. In a new window select the method in which we wish to receive the purchased tickets.
There are three ways:
- Online-ticket— electronic ticket in pdf format. Here you also need to indicate for whom you are buying a ticket - for yourself (For myself) or for another person (For someone else, I am not traveling).
- Mobile phone ticket— get a ticket in the DB Navigator app mobile application.
- Order and receive— receive a ticket by mail for an additional fee of 4.9 euros.
Personally for me the most acceptable way is an electronic ticket, which I will print out and take with me. And you don’t have to worry if your phone suddenly dies or stops turning on altogether (anything can happen). And I don’t see any point in paying for the delivery of a ticket by mail.
Also at this stage they offer reserve a place for 4.5 euros. I don’t see any point in doing this for myself, but if you want, put it check the box next to Reservation of...and then select the number of seats.
- Any - any option.
- Open salon - general salon.
- Open salon with table - common salon, places with tables.
- Compartment - compartment.
- Window - at the window.
- Aisle - at the aisle.
- Phone zone - zone for conversations.
- Quite zone - quiet zone.
In general, choose the method you like, if necessary, reserve seats and click Proceed.
In the next section you are asked to fill out our personal information and choose a payment method. Fill in the fields marked *.
- Street, number- street, house number.
- Postcode/ZIP— index.
- Town/city- city.
- Country- a country.
We put checkbox Send online ticket to my e-mail address(as an unencrypted attachment) so that the electronic ticket is sent by email.
Below we select payment method. I think the standard methods are payment by credit card(you need to enter card details) and PayPal- no need to explain. Click Continue and proceed to the payment process.
Train tickets in Germany - purchase on the Omio website (GoEuro)
Another way to buy tickets is use the search engine for bus and train tickets in Europe Omio (GoEuro).
Now they have a promotion: you can get it from them bonus 10 euros for your first booking. To do this, you need to register on the website, enter the promotional code in your personal account in the “Referral Bonus” section tatiag5q5f3w
And don’t forget to fill out insurance every time you go on a trip! I always take out a policy directly via the Internet, and I recommend choosing profitable options
Germany has perhaps the most powerful and efficient railway system in the world. Rail accounts for the vast majority of intercity and suburban public transport trips, as well as a significant portion of intracity trips. A dense network of lines is available in most regions of the country, and train stations are usually the main transport hubs in cities.
Train types
Germany has a rather complex system of train types. They are divided into main lines (Fernzuge or Fernverkehr) and regional and suburban ones (Nahverkehr). Mainline trains are white, regional trains are usually red.
The main ones include:
- ICE (InterCityExpress) - high-speed (in some sections up to 300 kilometers per hour) express trains with the fewest number of stops. However, on many routes they are no faster than other ambulances.
- IC (InterCity) - ambulances traveling between major cities in Germany.
- EC (EuroCity) - similar to InterCity, but follow abroad.
- CNL (CityNightLine) - sleeper night trains, most of them international. These are the only places where you can sleep.
Regional and suburban include:
- RE (RegioExpress) - regional train with stops in large and medium-sized cities.
- IRE (InterRegioExpress) - a relatively rare type of train, found on certain long routes. Otherwise similar to RE.
- RB (RegionalBahn) - regional train with frequent stops.
- S (S-Bahn, Stadtbahn) - commuter train. The route always starts or passes through a major city and is part of a network of such lines. Often used for intracity travel, complementing or replacing the metro.
Features of movement
Traffic on most lines is very heavy. All trains, except night ones, run at regular intervals. In the vast majority of cases it will be hourly, half-hourly, 20-, 15-, or 10-minute. Between nearby cities there is often a choice of 5-10 different train services per hour. Traffic usually starts at 5-6 o'clock in the morning and ends around midnight, on a number of routes - an hour or two later. In addition to sleeper trains, regular daytime trains occasionally operate on some popular lines at night.
Rates
At first glance, the tariff system is also very confusing. However, if you figure it out, you can get around Germany relatively inexpensively.
Basic fares (tickets that allow you to board any train along the desired route and make stops of your choice) are very high. For example, a 3.5-hour journey between Berlin and Dortmund costs 86 euros in IC/EC and 98 euros in ICE. A standard ticket from Cologne to Munich (4.5-6 hours) will cost 108 euros in IC/EC and 112-142 euros in ICE. The road from Berlin to Leipzig or Dresden (1.5-2 hours) costs 40 euros in IC/EC and 47 euros in ICE. Tickets for regional trains are also slightly cheaper. First class is about one and a half times more expensive.
However, if purchased in advance (at least a day in advance, but the earlier, the cheaper), discounted Sparpreis tickets are available. They are on pre-sale for all domestic and most international routes from Germany at prices of 19, 25, 29, 35, 39, 45, 49, 55, 59, 65, 69, 75, 79 euros and so on up to 119 euros (for long routes). At the same time, the number of seats for each price level in each train is limited, and tickets for 19 and 25 euros are available only for journeys with a range of no more than 250 kilometers.
Thus, if you plan in advance, the price can be reduced several times, and with some luck you can cross the entire country for 29 euros. But you should keep in mind that such a ticket is only valid for the selected train. Returns and exchanges of these tickets are subject to a fee of 15 euros.
In first class, Sparpreis fares start from 29 euros (on routes over 250 kilometers - from 39 euros). The reservation must include at least one mainline train (IC, EC or ICE).
A similar system operates on night trains. For example, the standard fare on the Berlin - Munich train is 152 euros in a seated carriage, 162 in a six-seater couchette compartment, 172 in a four-seater compartment, 207-335 euros in various versions of a sleeping car. If you purchase in advance, the price may be reduced by 2-3 times.
When buying Sparpreis tickets, you should pay attention to the numerous possibilities of the booking system of the website www.bahn.de - the most advanced in Europe. In particular, there you can choose the type of trains - say, refuse the most expensive - ICE, or completely limit yourself to only the cheapest - regional.
In addition, the passenger can indicate at which station he wants to make a transfer and how long he wants to spend there. For example, if you are traveling from Frankfurt to Hamburg, but would like to see the Cologne Cathedral on the way, indicate the need for an hour or two hour stop in Cologne. In this case, the ticket will be single and will cost much less than two separate ones from Frankfurt to Cologne and from Cologne to Hamburg.
There are discount offers for regional trains as well. In particular, on any weekend you can buy Wochenende-Ticket. It allows unlimited travel all day throughout Germany for 44 euros for up to five people, but only on regional trains - RE, IRE, RB and S-Bahn, as well as on public transport.
On weekdays, a similar Quer-durchs-Land-Ticket is valid only from 9:00, and for 44 euros only one passenger can travel, and the surcharge for each subsequent one is 8 euros. In addition, the same but cheaper offers (Länder-Ticket) are valid for trips within the federal states on any given day.
For a number of areas, it makes sense to consider proposals from local urban and suburban tariff systems. For example, a day of travel in the VRR tariff system between Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Bochum, Wuppertal, Mönchengladbach, Krewe (plus the Dutch Venlo and Nijmingen) costs 26 euros for the first passenger and 4.5 euros for each subsequent one.
For most tickets there is a €5 surcharge when purchased at the box office (rather than online or from a ticket machine). You cannot board regional trains without a ticket; you can board mainline trains, but you will have to buy a ticket at full fare. In the event of a serious flight delay or cancellation, passengers are entitled to compensation, including reimbursement of the cost of travel on alternative transport, including taxi or hotel fees if the last evening flight was cancelled.
From time to time there are other great offers on German railways. For example, relatively cheap monthly passes are sometimes sold in the summer. In other cases, for intensive travel or regular visits to Germany, it makes sense to consider purchasing a BahnCard 25 or BahnCard 50 discount card.
Another option is the InterRail All-European Pass (www.interrailnet.com). Its Germany-only version is not cheap, but can pay for itself over a large number of trips. Unlike many other European countries, in Germany InterRail passengers do not have to pay extra to use high-speed trains or have to reserve seats on them. Theoretically, reserving a specific seat on mainline trains is possible for all passengers, but it only makes sense on peak routes, where there is a risk of being left without a seat.
Stations
Large stations in Germany, as a rule, operate around the clock, while medium and small ones may close at night. The main city station is almost always called Hauptbahnhof (abbreviated as Hbf.). At large stations there are always many food outlets, mini-markets, etc. Luggage storage can be expensive, but automatic ones are always cheaper than manual ones.
When planning an independent holiday, sometimes you have to buy train tickets.
Here I will briefly tell you how I do this on the German Railways website.
I try to buy tickets 90 days in advance. Then they are much cheaper.
1. Enter the departure station, and the site itself suggests possible options, then the destination station, date, departure time (approximately from...), how many passengers and click Search.
2. In response, we are given several travel options with the number of transfers (column Chg.) and most importantly with prices! All that remains is to choose a convenient train with a convenient number of transfers. You can view the earlier, earlier or later, later departure time.
3. If you need a one-way ticket, then click buy - Purchase or select a return trip - Choose return trip.
After clicking Purchase, we will most likely be asked to enter our age! Because for some reason they don’t remember him at first. Enter the age, number of travelers (their age is also indicated) and click Refresh.
4. Repeat the search. Offers with prices appear again and click Purchase again. Opposite the ticket you like. You can view the earlier, earlier or later, later departure time.
5. This time the system is completely satisfied and offers to log in under your name, register or continue without registering. I chose to continue without registering Book without registering and continue purchasing the ticket Continue booking.
6. There is a lot of important information on the next page. First, you should select the ticket type Online-Ticket. It will be sent to you by email and you can print it out. I do not recommend choosing regular mail. There were precedents. The post office didn’t have time to send tickets!
7. Next, choose where we want to sit. The service is paid. In the picture we see the cost - 4 euros. On the left, any - wherever necessary, Open saloon - an open saloon (like an electric train), Open saloon with table - the same, only with a table, Compartment - in a compartment (I traveled in a seated compartment for 6 people). On the right is any - wherever necessary, Window - near the window, Aisle (if possible) - near the passage. Click Proceed.
8. Check all the details. Attentively. Click Proceed.
9. Here they offer to immediately choose a hotel. I didn’t do this, if necessary, it’s probably not difficult to figure it out. Click Proceed.
10. Here again the page will have to be broken. At the top, select the identification method. I recommend using a credit card. Just check to see if it expires!
Now let's return to the moment, if you want to go not one way, but also return... Then you can return to step 4 with the selected age and click Choose return trip.
Now you need to select the return date, approximate time, intermediate stops - optional and click Add.
Now we see the selected train there and select the train back. Everything is the same as in point 4. Click Purchase. Opposite the return ticket you like.
