From 26 October Deutsche Bahn sells its family ticket again, and this time it is here to stay. The first travel day is 1 November. If you regularly cross the country with children, the conditions are tighter than the price suggests.
The ticket costs €99.99 for a return trip and €59.99 one way. It covers up to five people on long-distance (Fernverkehr) trains in second class, with seat reservations included. At least one child must travel, and children count up to and including age 14. No more than two travellers may be 15 or older. They need not be parents: an aunt, uncle, grandparents or a host family travelling with children can use it too.
The offer was first meant for the summer holidays only. According to Touristik aktuell, Bahn chief executive Evelyn Palla said it would become permanent because of its success, with 100,000 more families carried than a year earlier.
What it means in practice
- Long-distance only. Getting to the station and travel within cities cost extra. Deutschlandticket holders usually need nothing more, but should check the route.
- Limited quota. Each connection has a set number of tickets, so book early for the Christmas holidays.
- No BahnCard discount on the ticket, according to netzwelt.
Our assessment: under Bahn’s usual rules, children up to 14 already travel free with parents or grandparents. The saving therefore goes mainly to the adults, who would otherwise pay two full fares, and to families with companions the free-child rule does not cover. A single parent with one child is better off comparing the Super-Sparpreis, which Bahn says starts at €6.99.
Two other changes affect commuters. From 21 October, monthly and student monthly passes on long-distance trains are 25 per cent cheaper. Subscriptions for these passes are ending, and route passes will be sold only without a subscription. Weekly passes stay.
For longer-term plans: tickets for the timetable starting 13 December have been on sale since 14 October. New are three Sprinter trains a day from Hamburg to Munich (5 hours 20 minutes) and, from 2027, Frecciarossa services from Munich to Milan and Rome. Because of engineering works between Rosenheim and Salzburg, three pairs of Eurocity trains a day run via Mühldorf. Bahn says prices stay stable.
Whether the quota will cover the holidays is not yet known; the summer experience suggests checking on the first day of sales.
Sources: Deutsche Bahn, t-online, netzwelt, Touristik aktuell
