Germany is set to introduce a new monthly rail pass, known as the Deutschland-Ticket, on May 1.
The Deutschland-Ticket (D-Ticket for short) will provide unlimited nationwide travel by rail, tram and bus for €49 per month (£43).
The pass is a successor to the country’s temporary €9 monthly ticket, introduced for a three month period in the summer of 2022 in response to the cost-of-living crisis and growing environmental concerns.
The Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) reported that 52 million tickets were sold during the scheme, and the initiative is said to have saved approximately 1.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, with people swapping cars for public transport.
The former’s success inspired the new D-Ticket, which provides a flat rate for regional transport, encouraging environmentally friendly means of transport across different states and tariff zones. Note that the pass will not be valid on ICE, IC/EC trains.
Customers can register now on bahn.com, via the DB Navigator app or at DB Travel Centers throughout Germany, and will be notified as soon as the subscription is available. Pre-sales are set to take place on April 3.
Meanwhile, Spain has extended its free rail travel scheme until the end of 2023 and expanded it to include intercity bus services.
The UK also recently extended its £2 bus fare cap scheme on single tickets until June 30, 2023.
