Difference between revisions of "Germany/Travel"

From Expat Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(→‎Trains: Add Bahncard.)
Line 18: Line 18:
 
* Get the best price with their {{AffLink|Best price finder|bahn.best-price-finder}}.
 
* Get the best price with their {{AffLink|Best price finder|bahn.best-price-finder}}.
 
** Ticket prices start from €17.90, even for very long connections.
 
** Ticket prices start from €17.90, even for very long connections.
 +
* With a {{AffLink|Bahncard|bahn.bahncard}}, you can get a 25% or 50% discount on nearly any ticket.
 +
** A Bahncard 25 costs €56,90, a Bahncard 50 €234 per year (2nd class).
 +
** There is a 3-month trial version for €17.90 / €72,90.
  
 
=== Flixtrain ===
 
=== Flixtrain ===

Revision as of 00:40, 25 May 2022

The most popular travel means of travel between cities in Germany are:

  • trains: fastest on mid-distance, cheap if bought early
  • on roads:
    • car rental: expensive but most flexible
    • carpools: cheap but reliability varies
    • long-distance buses: cheapest but slowest
  • plane: expensive but fastest for distances over ~400km

Trains

  • The vast majority of trains is operated by Deutsche Bahn, Germany's national railway company.
  • Their biggest private competitor is Flixtrain.

Fast trains (ICE, IC, EC)

  • These long-distance trains by Deutsche Bahn connect all larger Germany cities with frequent connections.
  • Find a connection with their Connection search[1].
  • Get the best price with their Best price finder[1].
    • Ticket prices start from €17.90, even for very long connections.
  • With a Bahncard[1], you can get a 25% or 50% discount on nearly any ticket.
    • A Bahncard 25 costs €56,90, a Bahncard 50 €234 per year (2nd class).
    • There is a 3-month trial version for €17.90 / €72,90.

Flixtrain

  • Flixtrain is a brand of Flixbus, Germany's biggest operator of long-distance buses.
  • Their network connects many cities, but trains run only 1 to 4 times a day
  • Prices are very cheap, starting from €3.
  • Trips can be booked together with Flixbus busses, so you can get one ticket for the whole trip (bus & train).
  • The Flixtrain connection search[1] shows both Flixtrain and Flixbus connections.

Regional trains (IRE, RE, RB)

  • Regional / local trains are mostly operated by Deutsche Bahn.
  • They connect close cities or cross / go around big cities.
    • It is possible (but slow) to travel long-distances by using many regional trains in a row.
  • In June, July and August 2022, a special ticket will be offered: the 9-Euro-Ticket:
    • a flatrate pass for €9 / month for unlimited travel in all regional trains.

Notes

  1. Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 This is an affiliate link. If you click on it and then buy something or sign up for a service, we may earn a commission which covers our expenses. This does not change the price for you.