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TRAVEL NEWS

5 things to know about public transport in Germany after the €9 ticket

The €9 monthly public transport ticket has expired. Here are a few things to know about public transport in Germany and what to expect in future.

Published: 23 August 2022 17:17 CEST
Updated: 1 September 2022 09:43 CEST
People wait on a platform at Duisburg station.
People wait on a platform at Duisburg station. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Roberto Pfeil

1. You won’t be able to travel throughout Germany with one ticket

People in Germany enjoyed a very cheap transport offer this summer. For the months of June, July and August, public transport cost just €9 per month – or €27 for the whole period – for everyone, including tourists (although children under six generally travel for free). 

One of the nicest things about the €9 ticket was that it was available to use on all the different local public transport networks across Germany. 

That means you didn’t have to buy a new ticket when you travelled to another region. The ticket could also be used on regional trains (as well as buses, the U-Bahn, S-Bahn and trams). You could travel long distances – and even into foreign countries in some cases. 

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From September 1st, things get a little more complicated again. You’ll have to buy a ticket in the area you want to travel in. So if you visit Hamburg from Cologne, your monthly card will no longer be valid there (and the €9 ticket will be no more). 

Readers of The Local told us recently that the affordability and simplicity of the €9 offer is what makes it such a draw.

2. Tickets vary in price across Germany

The cost of public transport varies hugely depending on where you are.

According to a study by German Automobile Club ADAC in November 2021 (although prices are mostly the same this year), weekly tickets – at €36 – were most expensive in Berlin, while in Munich they cost just €17.80.

The difference in monthly tickets was similarly striking. In Munich, these can be purchased for as little as €57, while in Hamburg they cost almost twice that amount at €112.80.

A person holds the €9 ticket in front of a regional train in Frankfurt.

A person holds the €9 ticket in front of a regional train in Frankfurt. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Arne Dedert

Day tickets for adults were most expensive in Berlin, Bonn and Cologne at €8.80 and cost around 60 percent more than in Frankfurt, where the price is about €5.50.

For a single journey adults in Munich paid €3.40, while in Hamburg a single ticket cost €2.40. 

These general prices, which are available on the websites of the local public transport operators across the country or by asking a member of staff at a ticket office, will return from September 1st so be aware of the ticket you need and the zone you are travelling in. 

And remember to validate your ticket before travel if it is required in your area to avoid having an unpleasant experience with a ticket checker. 

3. … But public transport will likely go up in price soon

Transport associations  across Germany have been saying that customers will have to reckon with price increases as they try to expand the infrastructure and deal with the rising costs of energy. 

Passengers wait for a regional train in Stralsund.

Passengers wait for a regional train in Stralsund. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Stefan Sauer

German press group DPA surveyed operators – and they said they were planning to increase the cost of their tariffs in the near future.

READ ALSO: Will German transport companies hike fares after €9 ticket?

In and around Stuttgart, for instance, fares are set to rise by an average of 4.9 percent at the start of the new year, while in the greater Nuremberg area they will go up by three percent.

In the region covered by the Rhein-Main transport association, which includes Frankfurt and the surrounding area, a 3.9 percent increase was put in place in July.

Several of Germany’s regional transport operators are due to meet in September and October to decide on future tariffs.

The travel association Verkehrs und Tarifverbund Stuttgart explained: “Currently, transport companies are facing major financial problems in view of rocketing energy prices.”

They said that more funding was needed from the government simply to keep public transport running as normal. 

4. There may be another reduced transport offer soon 

The €9 ticket has been an overwhelming success, at least in the eyes of public transport users in Germany. Even when trains were packed and there were reports people had to be turfed off platforms on busy services – nothing could dampen the spirit of the €9 ticket. That’s why #9Euroticketbleibt (€9 ticket stays) has been trending on Twitter. 

But Germany’s coalition government – made up of the Social Democrats, Greens and Free Democrats – have had a lot of discussions on the future of low-cost travel tickets. 

The climate-friendly Greens, and other groups, have been pushing for a follow-up to come into force as soon as possible after the €9 offer ends. 

There have been lots of proposals put forward, including a €29 monthly ticket, a €69 offer – and a €365 annual ticket.

Transport Minister Volker Wissing, of the FDP said he had convinced his colleague, Finance Minister Christian Lindner, who pulls the purse strings, to consider a follow-up ticket after Lindner had initially ruled out.

The sticking point is where the money would come from. The government has ploughed €2.5 billion into the €9 summer offer, but with a difficult winter coming up amid the energy crisis, politicians won’t be keen to offer out more than necessary for public transport. 

READ ALSO: German transport operators float plans for €69 ‘Klimaticket’

5. Germany’s public transport is popular – at least in cities

Regardless of whether there’s a new cheap transport ticket on the way, it’s fair to say that people really use the train, bus and U-Bahn network. 

In 2021, around 7.88 billion passengers were transported on Germany buses and trains alone. Cities are packed with bus stops, train stations and trams. 

But it’s not great for everyone. According to a 2021 study by Deutsche Bahn subsidiary and mobility startup ioki, access to public transport is significantly reduced and often not up to scratch for about 55 million people living in the suburbs or rural areas.

Vocabulary

Public transport – öffentlicher Personennahverkehr (ÖPNV)

Ticket – (die) Fahrkarte

Costs – (die) Kosten

Cheap – billig 

We’re aiming to help our readers improve their German by translating vocabulary from some of our news stories. Did you find this article useful? Let us know.

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For members

EES PASSPORT CHECKS

How Europe’s new EES border checks will impact flight passengers

When the EU’s Entry / Exit System (EES) is introduced it will end the stamping of passports for non-EU travellers. Passengers arriving at Europe's airports should be aware of the changes.

Published: 28 May 2024 17:02 CEST
How Europe's new EES border checks will impact flight passengers

The EU’s biometric EES checks has been designed to record the details of all third-country nationals entering and exiting the European Union – that is, all non-EU or Schengen Area citizens – although non-EU residents living in EU / Schengen countries and those travelling on visas are exempt.

For air passengers, alongside flight and baggage data, the checks will contain biometric information such as fingerprints, facial photographs, and passport details from the RFID chips included in the document. 

It has been designed primarily to provide a better picture of the number of travellers overstaying the Schengen area’s 90-day rule, a perennial issue for EU states. It will also help to combat terrorism and organised crime by flagging individuals with criminal or terrorist convictions and notifying authorities. 

The current system of rubber stamps on a page in your passport will be replaced by an automated scan.

Ireland and Cyprus are the only EU countries who won’t apply EES but their citizens will nevertheless be exempt. Switzerland and Norway are among the 29 countries who will be part of the EES system.

Pre-flight

It’s already the case that airline passengers have to provide certain information to their airline before they fly such as their name, date of birth and passport number – this is known as Advanced Passenger Information (API).

Although border force officers conduct in-person passport checks on arrival, airlines also have a responsibility not to allow ineligible passengers to board the plane – for example people who don’t have a valid passport. Airlines can be fined if their allow ineligible passengers on board, which is why gate checks are strict.

Because EES requires extra information, it seems likely that the pre-flight API required by your airline will become more detailed – and could also include your residency status (ie if you have a residency card or long-stay visa for an EU country).

Airlines will be required to get verification from the EES system before they allow each passenger to board – something that airlines are worried about (see below).

How will the EES work at the airport?

Remember EES checks are only when you are crossing an external Schengen border – so if you fly in from the US to Germany and when you leave the Schengen area. If during the trip you take another flight within the Schengen area – Germany to Sweden for example – you won’t need to do the EES checks.

As outlined above, it’s likely that passengers will be required to provide extra data for EES checks prior to travel – such as basic personal information, reason for travel etc. An EU app is being created and currently being tested at Stockholm airport that will allow for EES registration.

However the biometric data – fingerprints and facial scans – must be provided in person in the presence of a border guard, so will have to be done on arrival.

Once arriving in an EU member state or Schengen Area country from the outside, travellers must pass through checks at the airport, before they cross the border into their destination country. 

This will be done at electronic gates or ‘e-gates’.

The first time a traveller enters an EU country after the EES is established, they must be fingerprinted, have their photograph taken, and have their passport details read. 

This registration process will take place at several purpose-built kiosks in the airport arrival area. Passengers will scan their own documents and share their biometric data, plus answer a few necessary questions, under the supervision of border security officers. 

The process is expected to take between ninety seconds and two minutes per person.

Once travellers have had their fingerprints and photographs taken, they will be valid for three years, and the full process will not need to be repeated. 

However, if a traveller receives a new passport during that time, they will need to have new fingerprints and photographs taken. 

Will it affect travel plans and airport queues?

While the EU has stated that there shouldn’t be any significant delays at airports, others have expressed concerns that travellers could face long queues.

The British travel association ABTA warned that travellers could be held up at kiosks for several minutes. 

Concerns have also been voiced that efforts to communicate what the new system means have not reached the public—a study carried out in April found that two-thirds of adults across the UK are unaware of the system. 

Airlines are also concerned about the system for people who are exempt from EES registration – such as people who have a residence permit or long-stay visa for an EU country.

According to the International Air Transport Association, these groups will have to indicate on their Advance Passenger Information that they are exempt, and then have their visa or residency card checked at the boarding gate, which could add significant time to boarding.

No more last minute flights?

As well as added complexity and time for the boarding process, airlines say that this, could spell the end of last-minute flights.

Airlines will be required to verify before departure the travel eligibility of passengers by sending verification queries to the EES system. This will respond whether they are “OK” or “NOT OK” for boarding. Airlines will be liable if they allow non-compliant passengers on board.

The IATA has raised the alarm about the reliability of the system, as well as the time required to get advance verification.

The deadline – which has been reported as being up to 48 hours before take-off “is too long” and “will preclude late ticket sales,” according to a document submitted by Ryanair Holdings plc, the parent company of Ryanair, Buzz, Lauda and Malta Air, to the UK’s House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee.

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