The Deutschlandticket — price, rules and what it really covers

One ticket, one fixed price, every local and regional service in Germany. That is the idea, and it is a good one. But most of the questions we get are not about the idea — they are about the details. Does it cover the fast trains? When exactly do I cancel? Can I buy it without a German bank account?

This page answers those with figures taken from the official pages themselves, each one with its date.

What it costs now

63 euros a month, since 1 January 2026. Before that it was 58 euros until 31 December 2025, and it launched on 1 May 2023 at 49 euros.

The official tariff conditions say it in these words: Der Preis für das Deutschland-Ticket im Abonnement beträgt bis zum 31. Dezember 2025 58,00 EUR pro Monat und ab dem 01. Januar 2026 63,00 EUR pro Monat.

The 2027 price has not been published. What has been decided is the method, not the number: from 2027 the price is to be derived from a cost index covering wages, energy and general costs, instead of an annual political negotiation. The funding continues — the federal government and the states each contribute 1.5 billion euros a year through 2030. Any 2027 figure you read today is a press estimate, not a decision.

What is included and what is not

Included: all local and regional transport in second class, anywhere in Germany — RB and RE trains, S-Bahn, U-Bahn, tram and bus.

Not included:

• long-distance trains: ICE, IC, EC
• FlixTrain and long-distance coaches
• first class — an upgrade has to be bought under the local operator tariff
• services run mainly for touristic or historical purposes

Here is the mistake people make most often: they buy it expecting to cross the country with it. You can — but on slow regional trains with changes, not on the fast ones.

One exception worth knowing: a handful of IC routes

On a small number of corridors the ticket is accepted on an IC, because those corridors effectively do the job of regional transport — Rostock–Stralsund, Stuttgart–Singen/Konstanz and Bremen–Emden among them.

The important part: the two official lists — the one on the ticket site and the one at Deutsche Bahn — do not match exactly. So do not memorise a list. Check the route in the ticket app before you board. Board an IC on a route that is not on the list and you are travelling without a valid ticket, and you will be treated as such.

It is a subscription — and the deadline is the 10th

The ticket is a monthly subscription that renews automatically, and it is not sold as a single month. If you want one month only, you subscribe and cancel within that same month.

Cancel by the 10th of a month and it ends at the end of that same month. Cancel after the 10th and it ends at the end of the following month — you pay for one more. That is the trap most people pay for once.

The ticket is personal and non-transferable, and you have to carry photo ID with it.

The discounted versions

For employees — Deutschlandticket JobTicket: if your employer covers at least 25 per cent of the price, a further 5 per cent discount is applied on top. The result is 59.85 euros, of which the employee pays at most 44.10 euros a month. Ask your HR department — many companies offer it and never advertise it.

For students — Deutschland-Semesterticket: arranged through your university and student body under a solidarity model, priced at 60 per cent of the regular ticket. The final figure comes from the agreement between your university and the transport authority, so ask your AStA.

For people on benefits — there is no single nationwide offer. This is where many articles get it wrong. The official page states plainly that no federally uniform offer exists and that a discounted subscription can only be booked with your local provider. Real examples:

• VRR in North Rhine-Westphalia: 53 euros, for people receiving Bürgergeld, SGB XII, Wohngeld or AsylbLG benefits, with a certificate of entitlement from the local authority obtained before purchase
• hvv in Hamburg: a 35.50 euro subsidy brings it down to 27.50 euros, for Hamburg residents on benefits
• MVG in Bavaria: 43 euros for students, trainees and people in voluntary service — and it is a full, nationally valid Deutschlandticket

One warning: the Berlin-Ticket S is not a Deutschlandticket. It is valid inside Berlin only. The two are frequently confused.

There is no federal version for schoolchildren or trainees; what exists is a patchwork of regional offers that differ from state to state.

Who travels with you: a person, a child, a bike, a dog

• Another adult: no. The official wording is beinhaltet keine unentgeltliche Mitnahme von Personen über 6 Jahren
• Children under six: free. From six they need their own ticket
• A bicycle: not included — you need a Fahrradkarte wherever bike carriage is chargeable on that route
• A dog: depends on the local transport authority — free in some, chargeable in others. Assistance and guide dogs travel free everywhere in Germany

Do I need a German bank account?

This is the newcomer question, and the answer is no, not strictly — but it depends on where you buy it, and that is where the confusion comes from.

Through the official site deutschlandticket.de: SEPA direct debit is accepted from accounts in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and a credit card is an accepted alternative. A Deutsche Bahn subscription, by contrast, requires direct debit and nothing else.

So if you have no German bank account: buy from the official site with a credit card, not through a DB subscription.

Cancellation is done in your customer account under Abo verwalten, or through the termination form on the site — but that only works for tickets bought there. If you bought through your local transport authority, you cancel with them.

Questions and answers

How much does the Deutschlandticket cost in 2026?
63 euros a month, since 1 January 2026. It was 58 euros in 2025.

Does the Deutschlandticket cover the ICE?
No. It does not cover ICE, IC, EC or FlixTrain. Regional and local transport only, in second class.

When do I have to cancel the Deutschlandticket?
By the 10th of the month, and it ends at the end of that same month. After the 10th you pay for the following month as well.

Can I buy it for a single month?
It is only sold as a subscription. But you can subscribe and cancel before the 10th, which costs you one month.

Is my ticket valid in another city?
Yes, everywhere in Germany, with every participating operator — from Hamburg to Munich.

Can I take my wife along on the same ticket?
No. The ticket is personal and includes no free carriage of anyone over six.

Can I take a bicycle?
Not included. Buy a Fahrradkarte wherever bike carriage is chargeable.

How much is the JobTicket?
At most 44.10 euros a month for the employee, if the employer pays 25 per cent or more.

Is there a reduced ticket for people on benefits?
There is no uniform federal offer. It varies by state — 53 euros in the VRR area, 27.50 euros in Hamburg — and you apply through your local transport authority with a certificate of entitlement.

The figures above are correct as at 4 September 2026, taken from the official tariff conditions at deutschlandticket.de and from the transport authorities own pages. Prices and discount schemes change — check your local operator page before you buy.