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9€ Ticket and pre-purchase IC/ICE tix

A few questions which I cannot find the answer to, and am hoping you awesome people can help.

1: We have set dates for Darmstadt to Cologne, then from Cologne to Brussels. Can we use the 9€ ticket on either of those routes? I'm thinking not, but figured I'd ask.
2: Is 9€ good on a trip from FRA to Darmstadt?
3. What site can I use to determine if a route qualifies for the 9€ tix?
4: If a trip is not eligible for the discounted tix, is it cheaper to buy tix in advance? If so, how much cheaper is it versus how far out your dates are?

Thanks for the info!

Posted by
2047 posts

You can use the 9Euro ticket for all public transport except the ICE Trains. Regional trains, ferries, S/U Bahn, trams, etc

For the ICE trains, it's always cheaper to buy tickets in advance, they operate more like airline tickets.

Posted by
93 posts

Thanks Heather!

So is FRA to Darmstadt considered regional?

I guess my overall question is how can I tell if a route is regional or requires an ICE train?

Posted by
4103 posts

When you are on the DB site and begin your search for tickets, notice the default box checked that says Show Fastest Connections and the unchecked box that says Local Transport Only. You want to check this box, Local Transport.

https://www.bahn.com/en

Posted by
293 posts

The last advice you got about settings on the DB website is good.

But, just to clarify: it has been said that the 9-Euro-Ticket is valid on everything except ICE, but this is not true. It is valid on nearly everything except ICE/IC/ECE/EC/FlixTrain/other international trains like NightJet that stop in Germany (there are a few other exceptions, but none relevant to you).

And, you know if you are on one of those types because, when you look up the train on the DB website, the train number starts with those letters.