The Deutschlandticket is coming

I assume this comes to you as an electronic ticket for your phone?

Correct, actually it's just a bar code. Availability as paper ticket is still being debated.

Wouldn't it require a German (or EU) bank account with IBAN for payment? Most US visitors won't have this.

Wouldn't it require a German (or EU) bank account with IBAN for payment? Most US visitors won't have this.

No, the previous €9 ticket did not require that. You could buy it with a credit card on the Deutsche Bahn website. See https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket for more details.

However that was not subscription based. From I have read, transportation subscriptions in Germany are bank debit payment, unless they make an exception for this one. I understand things are not all set yet, so far there is no indication it will be an exception.

You will get one just like you can buy a yearly Bahn card, which lots of people do to get 25 or 50% off their trains if they were going to travel around Germany a lot. You pay for it online with your credit card or even PayPal. You just need to cancel it ahead of time or it will automatically renew.
I paid for my last Bahn card with PayPal. They were running a special, so I got one.

Wouldn't it require a German (or EU) bank account with IBAN for payment?

This appears to be true for Deutsche Bahn, which once again cannot get rid of its bureaucratic legacy. But there are various workarounds, because the Deutschland Ticket can be sold by any transport association. I just tested a few, and the easiest to handle seems to be one of the apps of the Hamburger Verkehrsverbund, hvv switch (not to be confused with the other apps of this carrier). They accept PayPal as well as credit cards.

thanks for the hvv switch idea. That's really easy and straightforward.

I read the Q&A and want to verify two things:

It’s subscription-based and not just a €49 pass you can buy for one month, am I correct?

Besides ICE trains, it also doesn’t include RE or IC trains, is that correct?

sla019: I've read that paying for the Deutschlandticket with a credit card is not possible - that only an account debit (Lastschrift) will work. So my question is whether DB is able to debit non-German / non-EU bank accounts for this purchase.

1) "It’s subscription-based and not just a €49
pass you can buy for one month, am I correct?
2) Besides ICE trains, it also doesn’t include
RE or IC trains, is that correct?"

@Continental:
1) True, but you can cancel it any time.
2) No, it is valid on RE's too - it doesn't exclude any type of regional / local train and bus,
only ICE, IC and EC are excluded

"I've read that paying for the Deutschlandticket with a credit card is not possible - that only an account debit (Lastschrift) will work. So my question is whether DB is able to debit non-German / non-EU bank accounts for this purchase."

@Russ: Every carrier is free in selecting methods of payment.
Apparently, the DB is, as always, unwilling to pay commissions for the
sale of low cost tickets. I think they are obligated to debit
accounts in SEPA countries (EU + several other European countries, including Switzerland and the UK) but cannot access accounts in other countries. Please try the HVV Switch approach mentioned above, I think it's the most convenient workaround for the time being.

Thank you, sla019.

I did see on the Deutsche Bahn website the PayPal logo.
https://fahrkarten.bahn.de/privatkunde/start/start.post?lang=en&redirected=1

Well, but if I try out that, the system says:
Zahlung nur per Lastschrift möglich (payment possible by direct debit only)

It might be easier to buy from one of the local transportation companies?
Take a look and see. It is all in English:
https://www.rmv.de/c/en/informationen-zum-rmv/der-rmv/rmv-aktuell/deutschlandticket

Hamburg's local transport company HVV seems to be really the best choice to sign up. They accept PayPal and Credit Cards.

Checked other companies like Munich's MVG and not possible there.

I checked a half dozen or so VV apps last night (no luck) too and agree about hvv.

Just to make it clear, you can use PayPal or credit cards on the hvv-switch app, but NOT online, or at a ticket center. Some of you probably realized this but I just wanted to make it clear since I was a little confused about it.

The hvv Deutschlandticket can be bought in the hvv switch-App, online at www.hvv-deutschlandticket.de and in all our service centres. Payment in the hvv switch-App can be via credit card, debit card and PayPal. If you buy the hvv Deutschlandticket online or at a service centre (on a chipcard/hvv Card), payment will be via direct debit from your bank account. For this, you need to authorize a separate SEPA direct debit mandate.

https://www.hvv-deutschlandticket.de/en/faq/

I am trying to use the hvv switch app, and although it will accept PayPal, in the hvv switch profile it will not accept the US as my country (from a dropdown list that does include Japan, as an example of a non-European country) or an American phone number (with the +1 beginning). Has anyone in the forum actually been able to buy the Deutschland ticket using hvv switch? If so, can you give me a clue as to what I'm doing wrong? Thanks!

maybe Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika or die USA?

"I am trying to use the hvv switch app, and although it will accept PayPal, in the hvv switch profile it will not accept the US as my country"

Amazing, but that seems to be a bug since you can select even West Sahara or the Vatican State . I will notify the app maintainers. But what happens if you don't indicate a phone number? I haven't and still was able to book the ticket.

Traveling with a party of three arriving on 29 July. Leaving 11 August.

With my arrival and departure dates, is it worth getting the 49 Euro ticket for three people? I cannot tell how long it is valid for. Does it expire on the 31 July and then I need to buy another on 1 August? Or will I be able to use it from 29 July through 11 August?

Will this 49 Euro ticket be available to purchase coming out of the Munich Airport? I wanted to know if it is valid to take the S1/S8 from the airport into the city. A group all day ticket was roughly 26 Euro.

Read through the website link on MVV…

From the FAQ for the Deutschland Ticket,
https://www.bahn.com/en/offers/regional/deutschlandticket?dbkanal_007=teaserSlider_1-1_link_DeutschlandTicketishere

The Deutschland-Ticket can be used throughout Germany in all regional and local trains. It is also valid for any number of journeys in all means of public transport of the participating regional ticketing systems, transport associations and transport companies according to their area of validity and conditions. This is true regardless of which transport company, association or regional ticketing system is indicated on the ticket. A Deutschland-Ticket purchased in Munich, for example, can therefore also be used for journeys in Frankfurt and the surrounding area.

In other words, yes.

The D-Ticket is valid on all means of local public transport, including, of course, the Munich S-Bahn. Whether it's worth it for you, however, depends on how many more journeys you make within the current month. The D-Ticket for three persons (children up to 6 years free) = €147. A Bayern-Ticket per day for three persons = €45 (children up to 15 (!) years free); similar prices in other federal states. So you have to make at least four trips to save money. However, the DT is also valid before nine o'clock.

@sam @sla019. Thank you for answering. I made edits to my question with the travel dates.

it will not accept the US as my country (from a dropdown list that does include Japan, as an example of a non-European country) or an American phone number (with the +1 beginning).

Alternatively, you might try the Jelbi App of the Berlin transport authority. It accepts credit cards and Paypal.

I don't see any references to an end date for this offer. Should I assume it will be available for the month of September 2023? It's possible I'll be in Germany then.

Yes, you should. It's an open end offer.

There is no automatic end date. You are subscribing and pay per month. When you do not need it anymore you must cancel your subscription.

My husband and I will be traveling to Germany in May. We've appreciated the information shared on this post and in the replies. Thank you for the advice! Will you please help us with three questions?

1. I downloaded the hvv app to purchase the 49 euro ticket using my credit card. Should we purchase both tickets on the app on one phone, or should we each download the app and do it separately? Does it matter?

2. After clicking "buy now" on the Deutschland ticket, i am directed to click the calendar to choose a "runtime". The default is "30.04.2023 extended until 01.05.2023." Will you please clarify whether this is the date we should choose to be able to use the tickets in May? (Or should we click on "01.05.2023 extended at 01.06.2023"?) My understanding is that we have to purchase the subscription prior to April 20th to be able to use it in May.

3. By what date should we cancel the subscription on the app so that we are not charged for the month of June?

Thank you for your advice!

1) I would load the app on two phones, then you can make separate trips if necessary.

2) The hvv switch app is meant for buying different types of tickets, not only the D-ticket; hence the different date suggestions. For the DT, only the respective first of the month makes sense, so in your case "01.05.2023 extended at 01.06.2023".

3) The cancellation deadline is the 10th of the respective month.

Yes I agree with this member;

This forum is very helpful and information is much appreciated.

We too will be travelling through Germany in May from Aus. and this ticket would be very useful, so this post is helpful....just adding a few more questions:
- If we can purchase the ticket soon for the month of May, does that mean we need to cancel it by 9th May at latest? If so, will we still be allowed to use this ticket until May 31st even though if we cancel by 9th May?

• Also, do we need to purchase this ticket now before a certain date for it to start in May?

• As we are travelling all over Germany, do we just arrive at a train station on the day, show the ticket master our ticket and get on the train we want to catch, (say either RB or RE trains for example from .....Freital-Deuben to Chemnitz Hbf to Leipzig)?.....Or do we need to pre book these trains?

Thank you so much in advance for any help provided.

If we can purchase the ticket soon for the month of May, does that mean we need to cancel it by 9th May at latest? If so, will we still be allowed to use this ticket until May 31st even though if we cancel by 9th May?

The ticket must be canceled no later than May 10. And yes, of course, it is valid for the whole month.

Also, do we need to purchase this ticket now before a certain date for it to start in May?

If you buy it through the hvv switch app or the Jelbi app or a similar one that accepts payment by credit card or PayPal, there is no advance booking deadline. That's an advantage over the order form of DB, which is just too slow.

As we are travelling all over Germany, do we just arrive at a train station on the day, show the ticket master our ticket and get on the train we want to catch, (say either RB or RE trains for example from .....Freital-Deuben to Chemnitz Hbf to Leipzig)?.....Or do we need to pre book these trains?

Honestly, I don't have an idea what a "ticket master" could be. In any case, you will not meet any kind of inspector before boarding the train, but simply get on it (even in Freital-Deuben, if a train really stops there;)). And in regional trains, for which the ticket is made, there is also no reservation. Please note that the D-ticket is not valid for long-distance trains (train type ICE, IC, EC). For an overview of the terms and conditions cf. the HVV info page. Have a good trip!

Honestly, I don't have an idea what a "ticket master" could be.

They said they were coming from Australia (I think that's what they meant) so maybe ticket master is a term there? I've never heard the expression either.

"do we just arrive at a train station on the day, show the ticket master our ticket and get on the train we want to catch,"

(Even if they'd used some nonsense word... say, "grooviesnarkotuber" - in place of "ticket master" - the OP is likely referring to a railway employee who checks tickets just before passengers board a train.)

In Germany there is no such person. Instead, passengers are randomly asked to show a valid ticket during the train trip by train personnel.

Certain trains on certain routes which are normally accessible by RE ticket holders are NOT accessible with the Deutschlandticket - get an explanation and a list from this video in English between 5:00 and 6:10.

So except for the ticket master scenario and the train exceptions, I think you have it right.

You do not / cannot book seats on regional or S-bahn train rides, though I've heard there are a couple of rare exceptions where booking is possible.

Certain trains on certain routes which are normally accessible by RE ticket holders are NOT accessible with the Deutschlandticket

These trains are all IC trains that are opened for local traffic on short stretches of their route (e.g. Berchtesgaden-Freilassing on the Berchtesgaden-Hamburg IC) but legally remain IC trains nonetheless. A complete list here:
https://www.bahn.de/service/individuelle-reise/bahn_und_fahrrad/nahverkehrsfreigabe

So it is enough to stick with the simple rule of not getting on an IC with a DT.

I personally spoke with Bahn Customer Service (English) Phone: +49 30 311682904 a couple of days ago. They confirmed that it must be a direct debit for payment and that to cancel you should send an email to ABO@Bahn.de before the 10th of the month. They also confirmed that your existing ticket would be good until the end of the month.

They also suggested that I could "probably"go to a D-Bahn travel office at the FRA airport upon arrival and begin a subscription using a credit card. That could be a solution assuming that the agent with-whom I spoke provided me with accurate information. [no guarantee]

That said, if the hvv app is an effective solution for purchase, does anyone know for sure how to cancel a Deutschlander ticket bought through the hvv app?

I personally spoke with Bahn Customer Service (English) Phone: +49 30 311682904 a couple of days ago. They confirmed that it must be a direct debit for payment and that to cancel you should send an email to ABO@Bahn.de before the 10th of the month

Yes, but that only applies to the DB. The D-Ticket, however, is not an offer of the DB but of the different Bundeslaender and there are many other resellers, mostly local carriers, with way better conditions than those offered by the DB (which, btw, even openly admits that it will not be able to cope with the flood of direct debits until the start of the ticket). Personally, I don't see the slightest reason to buy my ticket from a company that is as bureaucratic and customer-unfriendly as the DB. At the moment, many local carriers are soliciting buyers with free additional offers, such as free bike transport or flexible cancelling (like the VRS). The background is that revenue sharing among carriers is not yet clear, and carriers can keep everything they take in for the time being. Also, the number of those accepting credit card and/or Paypal is growing. I have tested those mentioned in my first posting above.

That said, if the hvv app is an effective solution for purchase, does anyone know for sure how to cancel a Deutschlander ticket bought through the hvv app?

There is a Cancel button at the bottom of the screen where the D-Ticket is shown. Very simple.

Do you think I could use this from Lauterbrunnen to Stuttgart since the journey begins in Switzerland?

If you did that, you would have to buy the tickets for the portion to the Swiss from SBB. Then you would have to proceed on regional trains, which will be slower and probably have more changes (with those big suitcases). You already have the option of buying tickets for the whole family from Muerren to Stuttgart for a total of about 160 EUR.

Hello Everyone who contributed to helping out with my questions.
Thank you all so much for your feedback and information
It is very much appreciated and sorry for the confusion created with my terminology - "ticket master"......

You were correct, I was referring to a person who collects tickets. I thought maybe we have to show someone a ticket before getting on the trains when travelling regionally. So now I know we can just get on and show the ticket whilst travelling when asked. That is good.

We have subscribed to a pre- order with deutschlandticket.de and they sent us a contract as we have the SEPA bank info that is required. We did enter our Aust. address, but they still gave us a contract number. However, we have not yet received any ticket by email, nor have they debited our bank account yet. We hope this happens soon as we maybe best to cancel this subscription now and re-apply through an app as suggested on one of the above apps.....Any thoughts on this??
We are very much looking forward to travelling and seeing as much of Germany as possible whilst there in May. Once again. Thank you All so much for your help. :)

Deutschlandticket.de is a website of the carrier Transdev, who are not known for being less bureaucratic and less old-fashioned than DB.

But the crucial question is whether the account you gave them has an IBAN number (as far as I know, Australian accounts don't). If no, you won't get a ticket ( nor will you get a notification). If yes, I would wait a bit, because they do say on their website that it will be "in time" for the ticket to start (provided they have received the money from your bank), so that could be April 30. By the way, I wouldn't worry, because you can cancel the ticket before start in your account at deutschlandticket.de; moreove, you can cancel a direct debit for eight weeks. So you still could book the ticket at the last minute via one of the apps mentioned above.

Thank you.
I did provide an IBAN as the account I use has an IBAN. I think that is why it accepted.
I'm not quite sure how you mean I can cancel my Direct Debit for Deutschland.de if I do not receive my ticket by April 30 . I thought if I wait until April 30 or after to cancel my subscription; I will still have to pay for May as it would only cancel the following month. ie. June so long as I cancel before May 10? Sorry I am not understanding your meaning here. :)

From the deutschlandticket.de website (original in German):

You can cancel your order at any time. You can cancel your Deutschland-Ticket on your own quickly and easily in your customer account on Deutschlandticket.de. Cancellation is not possible if the first day of use of your subscription has already occurred.

Can someone answer what the ticket actually is? Is it an email with a code that can be screen-captured, or something on a smart phone that requires cellular service to show?

It's a QR code, which you get either via a smarthone app oder via email or as a chip card. But smaller carriers that are not yet technically equipped can also sell a paper ticket for a transitional period. For example, in the network of the town of Greiz, a small place in Thuringia that does not belong to any transport association, you can even buy the ticket from the bus driver.

Sadly, I can't access the website currently on my login.
I have had this issue quite a bit. I think maybe there is too much traffic trying to use the website.
Maybe I will leave it until about April 29 to see if we receive our tickets and if not then try to cancel them via an email link I have before we arrive May 2.
Perhaps then I will try to purchase through an app and Credit Card.
Which app would you recommend for us to use as the best one and the one that will work best for foreigners?
Thank you again

Maybe I am missing something but I can use a credit card without signing up for a subscription at https://bw-ticket.de/

I can also purchase a certain month (July) now.

If I follow this link, I can buy there only a 1st class supplement to an already existing DT.

Which app would you recommend for us to use as the best one and the one that will work best for foreigners?

I'd try hvv switch, Jelbi or VBN. (cf. first post in this thread), which can be set to English.

Excellent.
Thank you so much for your help. I will cancel my subscription through Deutschlandticket.de if I haven't received it by the 30th May. I will then try to book and pay for our DTickets on one of those apps you suggested with my credit card as we don't arrive until 2nd May. You have been most helpful, thank you :)

Hi Again.
I just managed to look into the jelbi app and it looks as though I can use my Aus address and use a credit card for payment to set up a Deutschlandticket.
Just wondering as I will need to set up one each for both my husband and I separately on our mobiles:

1. We have a Debit Card we would prefer to use - do you know if this will be accepted?
2. If so, can we set up, pay for and download the Deutschlandticket now and have it on our mobile phones ready for when we arrive at beginning May?
3. Has anyone outside of Germany done this successfully already?

If we could do this and have it on our phones for when we arrive, I could do this now and cancel my pre bookings (with contract numbers)which have been approved but no tickets received or payment deducted as yet on the deutschlandticket.de site before May 1 so I don’t pay twice. I managed to login last night and it still says pre booking in green for us both.

Thanks again for all the help. Getting excited, only 10 days to go🛬😊😊

1) We have a Debit Card we would prefer to use - do you know if this will be accepted?
2) If so, can we set up, pay for and download the Deutschlandticket now and have it on our mobile phones ready for when we arrive at beginning May?

1) If that card is issued by a bank in a SEPA country (EU, UK, Switzerland and a few others) - yes, of course. Otherwise - no. Then the easiest way is payment via paypal, since it circumvents the hassle of two factor authentification of the credit card, which is mandatory within the EU.

2) You can download and set up the app right now and order your DT. It will show up in the app shortly before 1th of may and your bank account will be charged a couple of days later. However, there is no need to order the DT right now, you can do that last minute.

Thank you
Yes I’m fairly sure it’s issued in a SEPA country as it is what I used and appears to have been accepted with the contracts we were given through deutschlandticket.de

If we can still purchase through the app for all of May, I think I will wait until we arrive in Berlin beginning May and purchase it then through the app if we haven’t received it through the pre booking contract with deutschlandticket.de
I didn’t realise we could still purchase it after the 20th April for May use. I was a little confused about this. Worst case scenario would be we both end up purchasing twice….Still very good value for our travels all over Germany. 😁. Will just have to remember to cancel both😂😂
Thanks once again for all your help.

The hvv switch app even only charges you proportionally for the first month. That is, if you set the start date to, e.g., May 15, you pay only about 50% of the price.

This is amazing, so if needing the card for just the 27-31 of a month, can start it the 25th and just pay a little bit for unlimited riding those 4 days?

Good grief. What a deal.

If I'm reading it correctly, this applies for the starting month (May) only.

this applies for the starting month (May) only.

Hard to say, the exact language in English (I appear to have downloaded an English app) is "Start flexibly, the first month is charged pro rata"

I am in Canada. Thanks for all the advice on this forum. I tried to buy the D-ticket from DB and got to the final step and it wouldn't proceed. Based on the advice on this thread I downloaded the hvv switch and tried to make a purchase starting June 1 for when my wife and i will be in Germany for the full month of June. When I got to the Payment page details and I put in my address the default country was Germany. When i looked at the dropdown of countries, Canada wasn't on it, neither was USA. Any suggestions?

I forgot to mention that prior to trying to buy the ticket on DB, I got a WISE Bank account which provides me with an IBAN

What happens if you simply ignore the country entry? According to the hvv switch
FAQ no specification is needed (and neither is the phone number - both are needed if you book car sharing via the app):

If you want to buy a hvv ticket you will need to enter your first and last name. We also need details of a PayPal account, a debit- or credit card, which we can then debit as payment for the ticket.

Otherwise, try another app. I personally found VBN (see first posting above) easy to use.

I think it's the Paypal part that wants the country as a required input before they will process.

Thanks for the tip about VBN. I'll try that later. In case non of these apps work for me, I will be in Würzburg from June 1-3. Hopefully, I would be able to buy a pass there in person for the month of June.

Thanks for the tip about VBN. I'll try that later.

And if you don't find Canada in the country list again, please look under "Kanada", there it is.

BTW, you can of course get an application for the DT in Würzburg at the DB travel center, but as it stands now, they will require an account for direct debit, i.e. at a bank that is part of the SEPA system. But maybe by then they will rethink their silly payment policy.

No Kanada for me, only Kiribati under K. wherever that is. UK and Australia are there, but not Canada or USA

Sorry, was speaking of the VBN app (have notified the maintainers of the hvv switch of that glitch).

A weird thing happened on Switch app when I tried to enter Canada. When I had my town in, it auto-filled country as Canada even though it wasn't on the list. I got to page where it said purchase after I had given all my credit card info and it stalled there. I think I'll wait until May when some people are already travelling to make my purchase, maybe some of the glitches will be worked out by then.

after I had given all my credit card info and it stalled there

This might be a problem with the credit card: blocked for purchases abroad (this is sometimes reported here) or a problem with two-factor authentication, which is mandatory in the EU. Maybe you could try PayPal? And as said above: the problem with entering the country does not exist in the other apps like Jelbi or VBN (see first post above).

sla 019, Thanks for all your input and advice. I have another question about the hvv switch app. I'm not sure if the date is the end of or the beginning of the time required for the pass. I think in one of the tests I tried I put May 5 as the date and got a prorated price for a few Euros suggesting to me that it was pro-rating the price from May 1 to May 5. So if I wanted to have the pass for the month of June should my input date be June 1 or July 1

On the hvv switch app (and afaik only on this) you pay pro rata from the first booking day to the end of the month (so in the case you mentioned from May 5 to 31). In any case, you must specify the start day, so for the June ticket a day between the first and 10th day of June (after that date it will be not possible to cancel the ticket for the month of June).

I'm still not clear on how a foreigner (specifically one from Canada or the USA) can effectively buy a Deutschlander ticket. If the app (Hvv, as an example), doesn't have Canada or the USA as a drop down for completing the information it makes it hard to go forward and complete the transaction. Further, roberttoma79 (above) had the app freeze when getting to the credit card portion.

I only will need the ticket from June 25 through June 30 (still a great deal at EUR 49). Maybe my only option is to buy in person at the Frankfurt airport. Even if I find that I can buy it in person, starting the subscription on the 25th means that the subscription will automatically roll over to July since the subscription needs to be canceled by the 10th of the month prior (that's my understanding)

If I could find an app that works for the USA, I could start the subscription on June 2, as an example, and cancel it on June 5 so that the ticket was good through June 30 and wouldn't renew. Has anyone found such an app that works for the USA and Canada?

Sla019 has reported that Jelbi and VBN do not suffer from the missing-country issue. I don't know whether they have the same payment procedures as hvv-switch.

I just fiddled around with hvv-switch myself and found that most of the major countries of Central and South America are missing along with the US and Canada. Venezuela is listed, but Argentina, Brazil and Mexico are not.

Adding to acraven above there are 2 lists, a bigger list somewhere like the payment method, then a smaller list of only European countries for the required govt ID registration, so look there first.

I sent an inquiry to the hvv-switch folks, pointing out the missing-country problem. This is their response:

"The Deutschlandticket can be bought without adding the address in the hvv switch app. The billing address will be taken over from the PayPal account or from the credit card.

"The registration with the address is only necessary for the validation of divers [sic] license."

If I need the Deutschland Ticket this year, it will not be until September, so I'm not going to test this out right now.

Sla019 has reported that Jelbi and VBN do not suffer from the missing-country issue. I don't know whether they have the same payment procedures as hvv-switch.

The have, cf. the first posting of this thread.

I had an idea last night. Since my problem with booking a ticket seems to be my Canadian address, what if I used my AirBnb host's address for purchasing a ticket. With her approval of course. I will be staying at the AirBnb for two weeks of my trip in June, so technically it would be my address. I wonder if a train conductor would challenge me having a German address and a Canadian passport. There must be ex-pats in Germany or students who have German addresses and Canadian or other foreign passports.

I wonder if a train conductor would challenge me having a German address and a Canadian passport.

S/he is not interested in that. The DT is explicitly for sale to everyone. S/he will scan your ticket, and only in the rarest cases s/he will want to see your passport. And s/he may only do that to see that your name matches the one on the DT; everything else is none of his business.

"The registration with the address is only necessary for the validation of divers [sic] license."

I believe this is the real hurdle: you must register a govt ID and cannot do so from a country outside of Europe, unless you say you are uploading a German ID and substitute a North American one in the process? Does this mean that a person needs cellular service in-country?

you must register a govt ID

But only if you want to participate in car sharing in the greater Hamburg area, which you can do via hvv switch. I wonder how many visitors would want to do that?

Even in English this is complicated, someone will have to post step by step directions.

The first month seems to be pro-rated, but if only interested in one partial month must order to start that month before the cutoff happens for canceling the next month. For example now the fare is just a 1.60 euro for April 30 but there is a commitment for May that cannot be canceled. When is the cutoff day to get a partial month and still cancel the following month?

I can't repeat showing the 1.60 euro for April 30.

I'm really interested in seeing a post where someone from outside of Germany has successfully purchased the Deuschland Ticket

I can't repeat showing the 1.60 euro for April 30.

The DT starts on the first of May, so it cannot be booked for April 30. Maybe you got a different ticket by mistake (remember: all other HVV tickets can also be bought via the app).

The DT starts on the first of May, so it cannot be booked for April 30

April 30 is not grayed out but an active date that can be selected.

I've just successfully bought the Deutschland Ticket from the UK using the MVV App.

It was incredibly simple:

• download the App

• Register your details

• Verify and activate your account via an email link sent to you

• Add a payment method (mine was a debit card linked to an online bank which offers near perfect currency exchange eg. Chase, Monzo, Starling etc.)

• Verify your payment method in your banking app

• Pay for the ticket

The ticket then appears in your MVV App under My Tickets - no idea if you can download it anywhere else.

MVV have subsequently sent two emails - one to confirm purchase and one with a link to cancel the subscription.

Plan to use it the last couple of weeks in May, so will cancel it before 10th May to ensure I'm not charged for June.

If anyone knows how to download the ticket into anywhere other than the App please let me know.

Hoping this helps.

It seems to be popular.
https://apnews.com/article/germany-public-transit-cheap-ticket-trains-metro-3d83f1a35ab8e3945b8034b9bd511c29

Well, that depends on the calculation method. All commuter tickets that were more expensive than €49 were automatically converted to the DT. The number of really new tickets so far is only around 750,000 - 1 million. But in view of the price, no figures like those for the €9 ticket are to be expected, and the annual subsidy of ca. €3 billion does not allow for a lower price.

I went through the process of buying the ticket online via MVG website. I used my AirBnb hosts's German address (with her permission) The process went through and i got a confirmation email from MVG. When I went to my MVV app which I had previously put on my phone, it said my password was incorrect. It was the same as my online MVG account. I reset the password but no ticket shows up. I put the start date as June 1. Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong.

I also want to buy a ticket for my wife, but want to make sure mine goes through first.

I noticed on the app under my My tickets it says "Your currently valid tickets are displayed here. Perhaps the ticket will show up on June 1, the effective date.

Have you read the FAQ?

https://www.mvg.de/tickets-tarife/abonnement/deutschlandticket.html#

When will my ticket be made available?
What do I do if my HandyTicket is not displayed?

I'm trying to find info about my subscription on MVG website. It says no ticket linked to account. Trying to link ticket. It asked for customer number. I can't find my customer number so can't access link to account.

I noticed on the app under my My tickets it says "Your currently valid tickets are displayed here. Perhaps the ticket will show up on June 1, the effective date.

This appears to be similar to the process in the hvv switch app where I bought my DT. One week before the start date the message "DT valid in one week" appeared and three days before May 1 the ticket itself appeared with the note "valid from May 1".

sla019,
I think you may be correct, but I sent an email to MVG for confirmation on the ticket purchase. I'm glad there's lots of time before my trip. this would be stressful to do last minute.

A few days DW Travel just put out a solid 5 minute English language video explaining the Deutschlandticket.

Germany's 49-Euro Ticket, or 'D-Ticket' – All You Need to Know

EDIT link fixed thanks Sam.

@ Hank Link is flawed. Here is a good one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzuAohOSLi4
Still does not explain the bank issues for us North Americans that do not use IBAN.

That problem doesn't exist if you use PayPal or your credit card (after you have made sure that it is not blocked for online purchases abroad). My daughter, who lives in the US, bought her DT for June without any problems.

BTW the Man in Seat 61 has a step by step guide for overseas users based on the Bremen VBN app (cf. first post in this thread).

sla019,

Which app did your daughter use?

VBN (aka "Fahrplaner"), following the instructions by the Man in Seat 61.

I managed to get a DT through the MVV app. Initially, the problem was it only had Germany as a country and didn't allow an other input. I got around this by using my AirBnb host's address. I think one could probably use any German address, a hotel or just a random address, as they are not likely to verify. I payed using an IBAN which I got by getting a Wise Bank account, which is based in Belgium. You can load any currency you want into the account. I put in enough Euros to cover the monthly DT subscription, plus additional cash that I'll be able to withdraw when I'm in Germany.
BTW I'm in Canada.

Well, honk my hooter.
My wife and I are departing for Germany this Wednesday. We used the hvv switch app and bought our Deutschlandtickets and we did it before April 20th in order to qualify for May. I woke up this morning to an email from hvv telling us that our PayPal method of payment was denied. I then tried to add our VISA to the account and it, too, was denied. I don't know why they waited so long before notifying us.
This is so disappointing.

I would try again with the VBN app aka "Fahrplaner" according to the instructions of the Man in seat 61[1] (see above). You can buy it still for the currentmonth, but must cancel on May 10 (ie next Wednesday). If your credit card is not accepted by this app either, it is probably because it is blocked for online purchases abroad.

Thanks. The VISA is specifically a travel card, though. I'll try, though.

sla019, thanks. It looks like it worked. Now I'm translating the legalese and terms & conditions into English so I can see what I just signed up for.

I bought my DT from the MVG website. I have the MVV app, but am wondering if that is the wrong app for this ticket. Does MVG have a different app for the DT?

Could you provide a link, please?

I realize now, I was using the wrong app the correct app for the MVG ticket is MVGO. I got confused because MVV is also based out of Munich. Adding to the confusion is that a June starting date doesn't show up until late May on the app.

23 June 2023: Update of the intro posting regarding the use of the VBN app, which is recommended by the "Man in Seat 61".

People may enjoy this video of how to exploit the Deutschland ticket to its max.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09WfBd-muFw&t=961s

This is the kind of trip I enjoy- planning as much as doing it.

I must admit I thought Bavaria was pronounced with a soft 'a' not a hard 'a' as here, but that's a very, very minor point.

I must admit I thought Bavaria was pronounced with a soft 'a' not a hard 'a' as here, but that's a very, very minor point.

That is so cool. The way he says Bavaria is really unique and funny :-)

I watched it completely and when the train arrived in Hamburg I was wistful, in Kiel my heart bled and on the island of Sylt the desire to go there immediately was huge.

By the way, Germany's most expensive real estates you find on the island of Sylt .... oh yes what an amazing place.

Surprisingly, I enjoyed watching this! If you liked Bill Bryson's Neither Here nor There, you might enjoy this guy's Sylt-bound train journey, which whiffs strongly of Bryson's frivolous trip to Hammerfest Norway. Interesting and witty commentary here and there, though he lacks Bill's intense sense of humor.

For anyone unfamiliar with Germany's regional trains, this is a good introduction.

Sylt is indeed perpetually windy. I've got a 50-year-old photo of Russ on a Sylt sand dune with his hippie-hair flying horizontally behind him.

I must admit I thought Bavaria was pronounced with a soft 'a' not a hard 'a' as here,

At least he pronounces it better than most northern Germans.

Update of the intro posting

New update re the more liberal cancellation policy of the "Mainzer Mobilität" app.

I note that there is now a July 12 update at the top with two important items

I have a couple of questions on the Deutschland-Ticket:

1. If I buy the D-Ticket in one app/network (i.e., MVV), do I use that app as my ticket in other regions around the country, or do I/can I link my ticket with other networks' apps?
2. As long as I cancel my D-Ticket before a given cutoff date, does the pass expire right then, or not until the end of the month?
3. Is the D-Ticket valid to Basel Bad Bahnhof (in Switzerland, but still part of DB's network)?

1) The first. It does not matter where you bought the DT. I travel around Bavaria with a DT from Hamburg all the time.

2) No, the DT is always valid until the end of the month.

3) Yes.

Is the D-Ticket valid to Basel Bad Bahnhof (in Switzerland, but still part of DB's network)?

Yes, but still not with ICE or ECE or EC trains which are many of the trains from the north. Only valid on regional trains.

I know this topic has been beaten to death but understanding the "fine print" matters.

I just came home from Germany two weeks ago and used the Deutschland ticket. It worked perfectly! What a bargain!

I'm now planning for a trip for next year and several situations have surfaced in my planning that raised questions in my mind.

Sorry if these have already been answered but I didn't see them the answers in the above thread.

1) Does the Deutschland ticket cover regional trains to/from Salzburg similarly to the regional day tickets?

2) What's BRB RE5? I don't recognize the BRB.

3) I plan on taking a train from Plzen, CZ to Salzburg. It starts in Prague as EX (362) and changes to ALXRE25 (362) once it reaches Furth im Wald (only an hour and 9 minutes after leaving Plzen). I assume the EX (362) train is not covered by the Deutschland ticket, correct? But would the ALXRE 25 be covered? If so, I might be able to buy a ticket from Plzen to Furth im Wald (3 stops) and use the Deutschland ticket to cover the rest. Does anyone know for sure?

Thanks again for your help.

Tom

1) Yes. technically, Salzburg is the border station between Austria and Germany (due to an treaty dating from 1851!).

2) BRB is "Bayerische Regiobahn", the carrier of the regional trains between Munich and Salzburg. "RE 5" is the regional line between Munich and Salzburg (cf. the list of regional train lines within Bavaria: https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_SPNV-Linien_in_Bayern ).

3) The ALEX is covered by the DT, the leg within Czechia is of course not. Yes, buying a
(cheap) additional ticket in Plzen would cover your entire trip. Try do get a ticket to the Czech/Bavarian border point, since a ticket to Furth im Wald would be subject to the international tariff, which is more expensive (I think the CD staff are familiar with the situation where someone wants a connection ticket to a Deutschlandticket or Bayernticket).

Sorry, everyone, but I'm looking at exceptions to D ticket coverage. Can someone tell me if it covers Metronom, specifically ME RE4 82016 between Bremen and Cologne? Also, does it cover erx RE 83 between Lubeck and Luneburg? Finally, Bus 800 from Idar-Oberstein to Trier HBF?

Thanks in advance for your help.

It is valid on every regional train and bus, regardless of the carrier, i.e. also on the Metronom and the Erixx (exceptions: purely touristic trains and a handful of IC's that run as regional trains on some sections of their route).

BTW, train ME 82016 runs from Bremen to Hamburg, not to Cologne. Please check your connection again at www.bahn.com and specify "local traffic only" under options.

Is it likely that the ticket will be permanent?. If so an amazing product. There are definitely some nice RE trains for tourists in Germany, often without being that much extra slow than IC, like Munich to Lindau or Munich Nuremberg or Dresden to Leipzig. OTOH, difference between Bamberg to Erfurt by IC vs the regionals is massive.

Yes, the ticket will be there in the long run. However, the price will rise next year, probably to €69. This was actually the planned price from the beginning, but after the government had made itself unpopular through all sorts of expensive actions, they wanted to demonstrate their deep philanthropy.

A 69 euro price is understandable. Could still be a good deal for certain travelers, but less so for short term visitors.

I bought D-ticket for my boyfriend who is coming from India next month via the hvv switch. It accepted my paypal payment option but unlike the previous tickets I bought for myself, his just shows valid in __ days and not the QR. I saw two replies above, one saying that in hvv switch the ticket appears later and one saying that they denied paypal very late. Any suggestions on what I should do? We don't want to use his credit card because it has a huge markup on foreign currency transactions.

The code appears in the HVV switch app two to three days before the first day of validity.