Deutschland-Ticket DTV

There are no reservations for German regional trains. It is mass transit and you just board and show your DT when asked by a ticket inspector. There are no turnstiles or gates. Everything works on the honor system. If you get caught without a ticket, you get fined.

Not sure where you are traveling to get the appropriate train designations to you for regional trains... The RE, RB, S, BRB, VIA, IRE (if any of those are still around) and numerous other labels that identify trains in the regional category are all treated the same - just like municipal transport is back home - you don't book or reserve anything.

(For those who don't have D-Tickets but instead day passes or normal tickets for regional trains: Buying in advance is worthless as tickets are always available and always cost the same on the day of travel as they do if bought in advance.)

The only job you need to do in advance is go online and plan your journeys. You can use the D-Ticket on regional trains for short trips or for very long trips - Cologne to Munich, for example. There is no destination with a train station that you cannot get to by regional train. Most people would purchase a separate ticket on the ICE to travel such a distance as Cologne > Munich. But to find D-Ticket options, the DB search page has designated button you can select - Deutschland-Ticket connections only - to see what such a trip would look like by regional train (usually, but not always, you end up with more changes of train and longer total travel times.)

Thank you Sam. If a planned journey includes a ICE or IC component as part of it, example from Rothenburg to Stuttgart which is by regional trains, but includes an IC route section, can I book it in advance, say early November, to get a better fare even though I will not have my Deutschland Ticket until December? In other words, when making a reservation and I do not yet have a D Ticket but will have it by the travel date, may I indicate in the booking that I have a DT?

And thank-you Russ.

On the DB site, if you click on "Mode of transport", then click on "Local Transport only" and deselect buses, you will see that you can get to Stuttgart from Rothenburg with the same number of changes and only 12 minutes more total travel time. Instead of an IC train, you take a Regional Express train from Ansbach to Stuttgart.

You can of course book any IC/ICE/EC etc journey you wish in advance to get a SAVER FARE. DB doesn't care about your other travel legs that day - the D'Ticket covers those.

The only issue you might come across is this - if the trains you ride with a D-Ticket PRIOR to your IC/ICE/EC journey are LATE, you will get no consideration for your train-specific IC/ICE/EC saver fare ticket if you miss that scheduled train. For this reason, you may want to book the IC/ICE/EC train trip from ROTHENBURG rather than from Würzburg or Nuremberg or whatever the boarding point is for the IC/ICE/EC train - this allows you to use a later IC/EC/ICE train to continue your journey on the original ticket if you should miss the scheduled train.

But with the D-Ticket in view, you should definitely do as Sam has suggested - check the alternative regional train option first before you purchase a saver fare journey in advance. Sometimes the trips are just as good or almost by regional train. AND with regional trains, your travel schedule remains totally flexible.

Just noticed now that for my planned December 4th journey between Rothenburg and Stuttgart we can take all regional trains on a 12:05-15:05 journey. Problem solved.

Sometimes the DB website isn't the best at calculating long distances. In those cases just look at a map and see what towns have a station. Then link them together; all stations have service via regional transport. I find this handy as i have been stranded when a connection is missed.

We bought a D ticket for this month for our 5 days in Germany. This is my third year in a row to buy one and it always saves us money. We had come from Switzerland and I will say that during our time in Germany our tickets were checked more frequently than they were in Switzerland. When I was doing a Christmas market trip two years ago they were only checked a couple of times. Last year was the same, tickets were rarely checked. Maybe it depends on what part of Germany you’re in because all three trips were in different areas. Enjoy your trip!

Even with a D-Ticket I will often book an ICE train separately for longer legs or too many connections. I find that just a couple at regional trains and a week of metro day tickets covers the cost. Even if its just break even I relish the convenience of one ticket to rule them all on my phone.. On a train to Stuttgart right now with 2 weeks on a D-Ticket starting in October.

Besides regional trains and only needing to have your DT on your person to show an inspector if asked, is the method the same on city buses? In other words, no need to ever tap on or off with the mobile DT??

Correct. Just board the bus. Maybe the driver will want to see it, maybe not.

We’re doing the same for our Christmas market trip. We’re staying 4 nights in Munich, plus a day trip to Regensburg. The D ticket will pay for itself with metro use and the regional train for day trips. I booked long distance travel separately so I could reserve seats. Just a preference with luggage.

When using any ticket purchased online, you just show it when/if asked. Have your passport ready when crossing borders. Sometimes the app even gives you the option to check in for your seat once on board, so the conductor skips asking for your tickets, if he/she comes around.

On the DB Navigator app, there is now a button that says “D ticket services only”. It’s in Options. Toggle this on and only eligible routes will appear.