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Nine of the best day trips from Berlin with the €49 ticket

As of May 1st, it's been possible to use the €49 monthly travel card around Germany. Now you can get ready to explore some new destinations on a day trip from the German capital.

A boy jumps from a tower at the lido in Buckow into the water of Schermützelsee.
A boy jumps from a tower at the lido in Buckow into the water of Schermützelsee. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Patrick Pleul

The €49 monthly travel card will enable travellers to explore Germany via its regional trains for a fraction of the usual price and you may be amazed how far you can go with a regional train.

Here are our top nine destinations which you can reach with the travel card on a day trip from Berlin (though there are many, many more!). Keep in mind that you can’t use long-distance services (like the ICE) with the ticket. 

READ ALSO: Reader Question: Can I still get Germany’s €49 travel ticket for May?

Wittenberg (Lutherstadt)

View of the town hall and the town church of Lutherstadt Wittenberg.

View of the town hall and the town church of Lutherstadt Wittenberg. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Peter Endig

Take the regional RE3 train from Berlin Central Station and, in less than an hour and a half, you’ll find yourself in the world-famous city of Wittenberg in Saxony-Anhalt.

The so-called Lutherstadt was the home of reformist priest Martin Luther for over 40 years and is home to the Stadtkirche where legend has it, he posted his 95 theses in 1517.

The city has many very well-preserved historical landmarks, including the Luther House and the Castle Church, which are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The city is also full of medieval alleyways and open streams, making it a perfect destination to explore on a summer’s day. 

Stralsund

An aerial view of the historic city of Stralsund.

An aerial view of the historic city of Stralsund. Photo: picture alliance / dpa | Stefan Sauer

Amazingly, the €49 monthly ticket will even get you all the way to Stralsund on Germany’s northern coast. If you take the RE3 from Berlin Central Station in the morning, you will get there in just over three hours and have time to explore the city in a day before hopping on the same train back in the evening.

The Hanseatic city on the Baltic coast is full of treasures, including its UNESCO World Heritage Old Town, the 17th century St. Mary’s Church, and its futuristic Ozeaneum Natural History Museum.

Cottbus

Branitz Palace in Cottbus.

Branitz Palace in Cottbus. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Patrick Pleul

From Berlin Ostkreuz you can take the RE2 and in just over an hour you’ll be in the eastern city of Cottbus.

With a historic old town, medieval city walls, towers, and gates, the second-largest city in Brandenburg is a perfect destination for a summer day trip.

A particular highlight is the Baroque Branitz Palace, built in the 18th century and nestled in the grounds of the English-style Branitzer park.

Beelitz-Heilstätten

View of the tree-top walk on the grounds of the Beelitz Heilstätten in Beelitz.

View of the tree-top walk on the grounds of the Beelitz Heilstätten in Beelitz. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Patrick Pleul

For an alternative kind of day trip, take the RE7 in the direction of Dessau and get off at the station Beelitz – Heilstätten. After a five-minute walk, you will reach the entrance to a unique tourist attraction.

The old sanatorium in Beelitz-Heilstätten consists of 60 listed buildings that were abandoned for years. Now, the area has been adapted for tourism and, as well as being able to wander around the spooky buildings, visitors can take a 320-meter-long treetop path 20 metres above the forest floor.

Amid the unusual architecture and decay of the sanatoriums, you may recognise some locations of famous films, including The Pianist and Operation Valkyrie.

READ ALSO: Weekend Wanderlust: How to travel the world without leaving Germany

Waren (Müritz)

The harbour of Waren an der Müritz in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

The harbour of Waren an der Müritz in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Photo: picture alliance / dpa | Bernd Wüstneck

Taking the RE5 from Berlin central station, you will arrive at the city of Waren (Müritz) in the heart of the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania lake district in an hour and forty-five minutes.

In the historic town centre, there are plenty of restaurants, cafes and bars, and several shopping streets, and the harbour offers lovely views over the water in the summer.

The city’s Müritzeum is also worth a visit, as it features the largest freshwater aquarium for native fish in Germany, as well as an interactive, multimedia exhibition on the nature of the Müritz region.

The city is on the doorstep of the Müritz National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), which, with its 1,117 interconnected lakes, is the largest water sports area in Europe.

READ ALSO: Germany’s favourite spots for a short staycation

Chorin Monastery

Aerial view of Chorin Monastery in Brandenburg.

Aerial view of Chorin Monastery in Brandenburg. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Patrick Pleul

In the middle of the Schorfheide-Chorin Reserve north of Eberswalde, lies the historic Chorin Monastery, an old Cistercian monastery. The architecture is amazing and the fantastic surroundings full of lakes and forests make it a popular destination for a day trip from Berlin. It also hosts regular cultural events, such as theatre performances or concerts.

You’ll need just under an hour and a half to get there, taking the RB24 from Berlin Lichtenberg, followed by the RB63 from Eberswalde Hauptbahnhof, and then the 912 bus from Britz.

Pfaueninsel (Peacock Island)

Peacock Island Palace on the eponymous Peacock Island in the Havel River.

Peacock Island Palace on the eponymous Peacock Island in the Havel River. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Bernd Settnik

From Berlin Central Station, take the RE1 and a short bus ride to Pfaueninsel and, in just over half an hour, you’ll find yourself on the fairytale Peacock Island.  The island, which is about 1.5 kilometres long and half a kilometre wide, gets its name from its free-ranging peacocks on the island.

The island’s castle was built from 1794 to 1797 and was the former summer residence of the German royal family.

Lübbenau Spreewald

A house in the Spreewald is reflected in the water of a stream.

A house in the Spreewald is reflected in the water of a stream. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Patrick Pleul

The Spreewald in southeastern Brandenburg is a classic destination for excursions from Berlin. The RE2 from Ostkreuz station will get you to the town of Lübbenau in just under an hour.

The dense green region is a cultural historic landscape and is full of forks of the Spree River which can be explored by canoe. Don’t forget to try the original Spreewald gherkins while you’re there!

Buckow

The Schermützelsee in Buckow.

The Schermützelsee in Buckow. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Patrick Pleul

Surrounded by deep valleys, gorges and turquoise lakes is the town of Buckow in the Märkische Schweiz Nature Park.

The lakes are very inviting, especially in the summer, but there are plenty of cultural and sporting activities on offer too. Also worth a visit is the summer house of playwright Bertolt Brecht.

You’ll need just over an hour to get there, taking the RB26 from Berlin Lichtenberg, followed by the 928 bus from Müncheberg.

Don’t forget: The €49 travel card is only valid on regional trains, so make sure you stick to those with an RE or RB prefix!

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TRAIN TRAVEL

What to know about Deutsche Bahn’s summer service changes

Deutsche Bahn is implementing a number of changes in Germany and abroad, including a timetable adjustment for summer and a few policy updates.

What to know about Deutsche Bahn's summer service changes

Germany’s national railway company Deutsche Bahn (DB) introduces a timetable change each year in June ahead of the summer vacation season, which is a popular time for rail travel.

This year’s timetable adjustment also comes with a couple key operational changes such as a price increase for seat reservation, as well as the end of physical BahnCards.

The summer timetable will remain in place until December 14th, when the winter timetable begins.

Train and scheduled service changes

New trains are being added to several of DB’s international routes. The state-owned railway operator says on its website that the new trains will provide “more comfort on cross-border connections”.

Specifically: new Swiss high-speed trains will be added to the Frankfurt – Zurich – Milan line from June, new ÖBB Railjet trains are being gradually added to the Munich – Bolzano – Verona line, and new CD Comfortjet trains are expected to be added to the Berlin – Dresden – Prague line from September.

On the other hand, DB’s ICE 3neo trains are to be phased out on connections between Frankfurt and Brussels and Amsterdam from mid-June.

interior train new

The interior of a new Railjet train presented by Deutsche Bahn. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/Deutsche Bahn AG | Thomas Kiewning

There are also some disruptions that are already scheduled due to construction.

Starting July 16th, passengers of the Riedbahn from Frankfurt to Mannheim can expect the journey to take an additional 30 minutes, with alterations to direct connections. 

From July 16th to August 12th there will be renovations carried out on the Cologne to Frankfurt Airport high-speed line. 

Finally, from August 17th, renovation of the Hamburg – Berlin connection is expected to delay journeys up to 45 minutes.

How DB is supporting Euro 2024

In anticipation of the Euro 2024 football championship, DB has planned for “around 10,000 additional seats per day” from June 14th to July 14th.

The extra seats are added by means of using longer trains in some cases and also adding journeys, especially in the evening and through the night, scheduled for departure following the matches.

READ ALSO: Euro 2024 – Six things to know about visiting Germany this summer

DB also has a couple of promotional ticket and Bahncard options available that will allow football fans to save a bit on train transport around the country.

Holders of a ticket for a Euro 2024 match will also receive a “DB Ticket Euro 2024”, allowing them to book long-distance train journeys to the match from €29.90. This is in addition to the local transportation ticket that Euro 2024 ticket holders receive.

Additionally, visitors coming from other European countries by train may want to take advantage of the Interrail EURO 2024 Pass, which is discounted by 25 percent.

Lastly, DB is offering a “Fan BahnCard 25” until June 16th, which gives one a 25 percent discount on all DB train tickets for a period of three months – to be extended for one year free of charge if Germany happens to win the Euro 2024 championship.

Price and BahnCard updates

The price for seat reservations is going up a bit this summer. 

As of June 9th, the price for a seat reservation in 2nd class has risen to €5.20, and in 1st class it’s up to €6.50. For family reservations, the price has changed to €10.40 in 2nd class and €13 in 1st class.

If you are a BahnCard holder you may have noticed that a physical BahnCard has not arrived in your mailbox for this season. BahnCards 25 and 50 are now completely digital. Your current BahnCard can be added to your account in the DB Navigator app and used immediately.

More information about BahnCards can be found on the DB website.

READ ALSO: Why a Deutsche Bahn job ad sparked laughs – and likely a few applicants

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