Editor in chief at IamExpat Media
With financing disputes finally settled, the German federal government has cleared the way for the 9-euro ticket scheme to kick off as planned on June 1, 2022. Here’s what expats in Germany need to know.
As part of a package of measures designed to cushion consumers from the rising price of energy in Germany, the federal government announced last month that it would be discounting the price of monthly public transport passes for three months over the summer. Between the beginning of June and the end of August, it will be possible to buy the special passes, valid for one calendar month each, for just 9 euros (i.e. 27 euros for the three months).
According to Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing, “In view of the sharp increase in energy costs, we want to immediately relieve the burden on citizens with a significantly cheaper public transport ticket, thereby saving energy and making public transport seem more attractive in the long term.”
The ticket will be valid on all forms of public transport across Germany, including buses, U-Bahns, S-Bahns, trams, and local and regional trains. With the 9-euro ticket you can use these forms of transport nationwide, but long-distance transportation services, such as ICE, IC and EC trains run by Deutsche Bahn, and FlixTrains and FlixBuses, are not covered.
Note that the ticket will always be issued for the respective calendar month. So for instance if you buy a ticket in mid-June, it will only be valid until the end of June, and you will be required to buy a fresh ticket for July. To make the best use of the offer, therefore, it’s a good idea to get your ticket sorted as soon as possible.
To ensure everyone gets their ticket in time, transport associations in some of Germany’s major cities are planning to start a presale as soon as May. Keep an eye out for information at your local station.
The federal government is putting together a joint online platform to allow people to buy the tickets via the internet. They will also most probably be sold via traditional sales channels, including ticket machines, sales counters, from station workers, and via mobile phone apps.
Season ticket holders will not be left out: the Federal Transport Ministry has confirmed that individual transport operators will automatically reduce the cost of your subscription to 9 euros for the months in question, or pay back the difference in the following month.
Transport operators are also working on different forms of reimbursement for the holders of semester tickets, job tickets and 9am subscriptions.
Unless your existing season ticket allows you to take a bike with you, the 9-euro ticket will not cover this part of your fare. If you plan to bring your bike with you, you will need to pay for this separately.