Is the €29 ticket being cancelled?
On Monday November 19th, Berlin’s governing red-black coalition announced a number of harsh austerity measures. Tragically, this will mean a likely end to the popular €29 ticket. Since its introduction in July 2024, the ticket has been a relatively popular travel option for Berliners, with about about 210,000 commuters opting in.
Not everyone’s been in support of the €29, however. The Berliner Fahrgastverband (a public transport interest group), called the ticket a “dead end” that has been responsible for draining city funds. Environmental groups have argued that it undermines the Deutschlandticket, and puts a strain on the financing of local transport.
As of Wednesday, December 11th, no new €29 ticket subscriptions can be purchased. However, all existing ticket holders will automatically have their €29 tickets upgraded to the nationwide Deutschlandticket for the rest of their subscription length. The upgrade comes with no extra charge for the existing ticket holders, as the state of Berlin will pay the price difference until the subscription expires. Read more here.
What is the €29 ticket?
The €29 ticket is a monthly travel pass for Berlin only.
The ticket, which is also known as the “Berlin Subscription” can only be used for travel on regional trains, S-Bahns, U-Bahns, trams and buses in Berlin’s A and B-zones, meaning that you’d need an extension ticket to travel in the C-zone (which includes the BER airport). It’s technically a subscription, so once you’ve signed up, €29 will be debited from your account every month. One thing to bear in mind is that the €29 ticket has a one year minimum subscription, so you can only cancel it after 12 months. After the first year, you’ll be able to cancel or renew your subscription monthly.
How do I get the €29 ticket?
You can order your €29 ticket here on the BVG website, through one of the BVG apps (BVG Fahrinfo, BVG Ticket-App or BVG Jelbi) or in-person at a BVG ticket office, but not at ticket machines. You’ll need to order your €29 subscription before the 10th of the calendar month for it to be valid from the 1st of the following month. For example, if you want to start using the ticket from July 1st, you’ll need to have purchased it by June 10th.
What is the Deutschlandticket?
The Deutschlandticket covers all of Germany.
As of January 1st 2025, the Deutschlandticket will increase in price from €49 to €58.
This gives you access to all public transport across the country (excluding most ICE, IC or EC trains). Just like its €29 counterpart, the ticket works as a subscription, meaning that the c ostwill be debited from your account every month once you’re signed up. The Deutschlandticket ticket has been valid since May 1st 2023.
🚉 The best excursions from Berlin with the €49 ticket
How do I get the Deutschlandticket?
Like the €29 ticket, the Deutschlandticket is only available as a monthly subscription. You can buy your ticket subscription on the Deutsche Bahn website, Deutsche Bahn Navigator App, or at Deutsche Bahn travel centres around the country. You’re also able to choose between a digital ticket on your phone, or a plastic microchip card which will be sent to you in the mail.
Breaking it down: the Deutschlandticket vs. the €29 ticket
| Berlin Subscription (€29) | Deutschlandticket | |
| Price | €29 | €49 (increasing to €58 as of Jan 1, 2025) |
| Validity period | 12 months | Can be terminated monthly |
| Validity area | Berlin A and B Zones | All over Germany |
| Guest passenger | ❌ | ❌ |
| Guest passenger (child under 6) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Bring along bike | ❌ | ❌ |
| Bring along a dog | ✅ | ✅ |
| Transferability | ❌ | ❌ |
Frequently asked questions
What if I already have the Deutschlandticket and want to switch to the €29 ticket?
If you have a BVG customer account, you can switch over to the €29 without needing to get a new plastic chip card. Once you’ve changed your ticket (which you can do on the BVG website here) your Deutschlandticket will remain active until June 30th, 2024.
What should I do if I eventually want to cancel my €29 ticket?
The €29 ticket is currently only available as an annual subscription, meaning you’re signing up for at least a 12-month contract. After those first 12 months, you’ll be able to cancel or renew your subscription on a monthly basis. To cancel your ticket, you’ll need to end your subscription before the 22nd day of the current month in order to avoid extra fees. For example, if you want to stop paying for your €29 ticket from the beginning of September 2025, you’ll need to cancel your subscription before August 22nd, 2025.
What if I want to cancel my Deutschlandticket?
You’ll need to cancel your Deutschlandticket before the 10th day of the month. The easiest way to do this is with a cancellation form available here, or on the Deutsche Bahn app.
Help! I’m still waiting for my physical Deutschlandticket or €29 plastic chip card to arrive in the mail!
If you’re still waiting on your plastic microchip card to arrive, you can show your ticket order confirmation and a valid photo-ID, along with your old ticket (if you had one) when you’re asked to show your ticket.
Can I get a ticket discount through my employer?
If you’re employed at a company with at least 5 staff members, you could all be eligible for a Firmenticket (or company ticket), for the Deutschlandticket, which is then discounted to €34.30 per month (find out more about the Firmenticket here). As for the €29 ticket, no Firmenticket discount is available.
Nice to know
The Deutschlandticket is valid for specific high-speed trains in Brandenburg
Until November 24th 2024, the Deutschlandticket only gave you access to regional trains, buses and trams (excluding any high-speed IC, ICE or EC trains), making travel across particularly slow and arduous. But now, you can use your Deutschlandticket on a number of specific IC connections between these stations:
- Berlin Hauptbahnhof and Elsterwerda
- Potsdam Hauptbahnhof and Cottbuss
- Berlin Südkreuz and Prenzlau
🛥 BVG ferries: Berlin public transport by water
New rules for high-speed train alternatives when regional trains are delayed/cancelled
Until now, if you took a regional train that was delayed so much that you missed a connection to your final destination, you could buy a ticket for an ICE, IC or EC speed train, and would retroactively get a refund for the ticket from Deutsche Bahn. Since August 15th 2023 however, the following changes have been in effect:
- If a cancellation or delay means you’ve reached your final destination between midnight and 5am, you’ll be eligible for a refund for the cost of your speed train ticket. The German Consumer Association is currently challenging this, but for now it looks like this will be the deal.
- If you’re using a regional train to travel to another station in order to catch a high-speed ICE train, you’ll no longer be able to claim a refund if your regional train is delayed, even if it caused you to miss the ICE.
- In the case of delays caused by extreme weather conditions, or other events beyond the rail operators’ control, Deutsche Bahn is no longer required to refund you for the cost of delayed trains.
For the past few months, Deutsche Bahn has certainly had a less than perfect track record when it comes to delayed trains, so it seems like these new rules are a convenient excuse to not refund passengers for delayed journeys. We’ll keep you updated if things change.
What is the VBB-Umweltkarte?
The VBB-Umweltkarte costs €66.90 per month and is only valid for specific zones, which you can choose yourself. Although it has some upsides, like being able to take guest passengers during the week, compared to the Deutschlandticket, the VBB-Umweltkarte is arguably not a great deal. You can see the comparisons below:
Although the VBB-Umweltkart is pricier than the Deutschlandticket or €29 ticket, it does offer some more flexible options.
Make sure you buy your subscription before the 20th of the month for it to be valid for the following month. So if you want to have a Deutschlandticket or €29 ticket from July 1st, you’ll need to order it before the 20th of June.
