Save with 9-Euro Tickets on Train and Bus Travel in Germany in Summer 2022

The 9-Euro tickets are the cheapest fares for traveling on local trains and city buses in Germany in June, July, and August 2022.

The 9-Euro tickets are the cheapest fares for traveling on local trains and city buses in Germany in June, July, and August 2022.

NOTE: The €9 ticket is no longer available but the €49 Deutschland Ticket is still a good savings deal from May 2023.

In June, July, and August 2022 only, travelers in Germany may buy 9-Euro monthly tickets for unlimited transportation on all local trains, as well as city transportation networks (buses, trams, metros, and trains) throughout the whole country. The €9 tickets are a huge saving over regular discount tickets and regional trains are expected to be very full during the summer of 2022. Buy the 9-Euro ticket online at Germany Railways, or from any site or ticket vending machine selling train and bus tickets in Germany.

Buy 9-Euro Train and Bus Tickets in Germany

The 9-Euro ticket is a special transportation initiative of the German government: in June, July, and August 2022, anyone may travel on any local train and city transportation networks (trains, buses, metro, trams) for €9 for the full calendar month. The number of tickets on sale is unlimited and tickets are available online from Deutsche Bahn, or from any site or ticket vending machine selling train and bus tickets in Germany.

Tickets are valid for a calendar month and expire on the final day of the specific calendar month. Tickets are not transferable and the full name must be entered on the ticket, which may be used as a mobile ticket or a paper ticket.

For most travelers, the 9-Euro tickets will be cheaper than any regional train tickets or city travel passes even if used for only a day or two rather than a full month.

Travel on €9 Train and Bus Tickets in Germany

Save with 9-Euro tickets on trains in Germany and Berlin in summer 2022

Travel on the 9-Euro tickets is possible all day and on any regional train (e.g. U, S, RB, RE), as well as on local transportation networks including U-Bahn (Metro), buses, and trams throughout Germany.

Restrictions on travel on 9-Euro tickets are surprisingly few: most private railways and intercity buses are not included nor are high-speed trains (e.g. ICE, EC, IC). When checking timetables at German Railways, select the “Local transportation only” option to find only trains and buses on which the €9 tickets are valid. (Occasionally a regional express may masquerade as an InterCity on some stretches or other agreements may exclude the cheapest tickets. Such exclusions are fairly rare and usually easily avoided.)

A few further changes from standard German railways tickets worth noting include:

  • The 9-Euro tickets are €9 for everyone, no other discounts may be applied.
  • Children under 6 travel for free but all children 6 years or older need their own 9-Euro tickets.
  • The 9-Euro tickets are only valid in second class — no First Class options or upgrades are available.
  • The 9-Euro tickets do not alter the need for a dog or bicycle ticket where applicable, and those are not specially discounted either.

Are the 9-Euro Tickets in Germany Value for Money?

9-Euro tickets are valid on all local transportation in Germany including trams in Berlin

The 9-Euro tickets are excellent value for money for travelers to Germany in June, July, and August 2022. In comparison, the popular Bavaria Ticket is €26 per day — it remains on sale but offers no advantage over the 9-Euro ticket. A Berlin ABC day ticket is €10 per day — previously considered fair value.

Traveling the full length of Germany from Flensburg on the Danish border to Basel Bad on the Swiss border by train is possible on long-distance trains (2 or 3 transfers) with a traveling time of around 9 hours for a full-fare price of €145 to €172. The same journey on local trains for €9 takes around 17 hours with 7 or 8 train transfers.

Most travelers will not go that far. It is expected that many will use the €9-tickets for day trips from cities, or simply regular bus trips in cities. The only downside is that trains may be very full — Berlin announced increased services on popular tourist routes but for most of Germany no extra trains are planned.

For many visits to smaller provincial towns, only local transportation is used anyway. For example, Munich to the popular Neuschwanstein only use local trains but the €9-ticket gives the added advantage of being valid before 9 am and on the final bus from Füssen station to Schwangau. The same goes for Frankfurt to the Rhine Valley, traveling along the Romantic Road, or seeing the cultural treasures of Saxony-Anhalt.

If buying the 9-Euro ticket online at Germany Railways, it is worth registering an account to make future purchases easier. The ticket does not renew automatically but it is possible to buy tickets for all three months in advance. Names must be entered on the mobile ticket or in ink on paper tickets before traveling.

Henk Bekker in armor

About the author:

Henk Bekker

Henk Bekker is a freelance travel writer with over 20 years of experience writing online. He is particularly interested in history, art, and culture. He has lived most of his adult life in Germany, Switzerland, and Denmark. In addition to European-Traveler.com, he also owns a travel website on the Lake Geneva region of Switzerland and maintains statistical websites on car sales and classic car auction prices. Henk holds an MBA from Edinburgh Business School and an MSc in Development Finance from the University of London.