What is a Bahncard?
As the name suggests, a Bahncard is a card issued by German state rail company Deutsche Bahn. It entitles its bearer to a discount on trips they book on Deutsche Bahn over a defined period of time – typically one year – for a flat fee.
Ultimately, the buyer needs to decide if the amount they’ll end up saving on the Deutsche Bahn trips they intend to take during that time will outweigh the flat cost of getting the Bahncard. That’s why the Bahncard is particularly good for people who travel Germany by train a lot – like businesspeople who regularly commute.
How much can I save?
Again, that depends on how much you travel.
You can typically get either a Bahncard 25 – which saves you 25 percent off the regular purchase price of a ticket – or a Bahncard 50. As the name suggests, that would save you 50 percent.
The most basic Bahncard 25 costs about €62 and is valid for one year, so it might not take you very many train trips in Germany to break even.
By contrast, a basic Bahncard 50 costs €244 for a year. So it might be worth thinking a bit more about how much you intend to travel on Deutsche Bahn before committing to purchasing one.
Finally, the most seasoned of train travellers can get the Bahncard 100 – which allows you to board and travel on any train in Germany, and even night trains operated by Austrian national rail ÖBB, for a flat yearly rate. But at an annual rate that starts at €4,550 for most people – you would need to take a fair few trips on a Bahncard 100 to make buying one worth your while.
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Is a Bahncard valid for first class travel?
Yes. If you buy the right one.
You can get a Bahncard that’s good for either first class or second class tickets. But you need to decide which one you’re going to get when you purchase it.
A Bahncard 50 for second class is €244. A first class Bahncard 50 is basically double that at €492. Want to go all-in on a Bahncard 100 for first class? That’ll set you back €7,714 for a year – making it a viable option for probably only the busiest and most mobile of business travellers.
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Are there any discounts?
Yes. These are typically determined by age.
Standard prices apply to people between the ages of 27 and 64. Anyone older or younger than this can get their Bahncards for a reduced price.
People 18 and under can get a Youth Bahncard 25 for only about €8 – making it a worthwhile purchase even for a single trip.
For people between 19 and 26, a Bahncard 25 is available for just under €40, compared to a regularly priced €62 Bahncard 25.
The Bahncard for 19 to 26 year-olds though is rather confusingly named. It’s called a “My Bahncard 25” or a “My Bahncard 50”, for example – with very little else to distinguish it from a regular Bahncard. So be careful when you buy one to make sure you’ve selected the right one – so that you don’t pay more than you need to.
Finally, people 65 and older can get Senior Bahncards. In most cases, Senior Bahncards are about half the price of the full-price ones that people aged 27-64 have to pay. People with disabilities can also typically apply for reduced price Bahncards, which offer roughly the same savings as Senior Bahncards.
If you’re not ready to commit to paying for a full year, you can also opt for a trial or “Probe” Bahncard for most of the cards on offer. These are valid for three months and cost proportionately less. The most basic ones may even pay for themselves in only one or two trips.
Be careful though, a trial Bahncard will automatically convert into an annual one if you don’t give notice at least four weeks before the end of the third month.
How do I find the right one for me?
The easiest thing to do is to go to the Deutsche Bahn website and apply the correct filters based on age, which class you want to travel in, whether you want the Bahncard to be valid for three months or a full year, and whether you want a Bahncard 25, 50, or 100.
Doing that will help you filter out the cards that are inappropriate for you – leaving you just with the ones that are interesting for you and that you’re eligible for – to avoid confusion.
Can I cancel my Bahncard or stop it from renewing?
Yes. You can cancel your Bahncard online up to four weeks before it’s set to renew.
If you do that, you can use it until it expires. But if you miss the deadline, it’ll renew automatically and bill you again, so be careful to cancel in time if you aren’t looking to use your Bahncard anymore.
You can also cancel a Bahncard prematurely if you are leaving the country. In this case, you’ll need to call Deutsche Bahn’s customer service office, and present proof that you’re leaving Germany for good, like de-registration documents and a one-way plane ticket.
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