Cheap train tickets to Germany

Cheap train tickets for train travel in Germany are not so easy to find. Actually train ticket fares can have really scary prices, especially if you use the modern high speed ICE (Inter City Expresss) trains. Off course for long distances and when you are short on time, this is a great way to travel, but there are much cheaper choices.

Here are some secret tips, almost nobody knows about. My Top 6 cheap train tickets around Munich, in order of preference:

Bayernticket / Bavaria Ticket

This is the ultimate solution in discount train tickets!
The Bayernticket is valid one day for all regional and local trains in Bavaria for up to five adults.

Schönes Wochenendticket / Happy Weekend Ticket

The happy weekend ticket is valid one day for all regional and local trains in Germany for up to five adults. It is only valid on Saturdays or Sundays and costs 40 Euro.

In contrast to the Bayernticket you can only use it on weekends, but it is valid in all of Germany.

Dauer Spezial /Special Promotion

Reduced one way tickets to any place within Germany, starting at 29 Euro per person. You have to pre-select date and time of your train and cannot change your schedule. (Just like with the cheap airline fares).

It's a great deal for long distances, because you can also use high-speed ICE trains, but the availability is very limited. You need to book well in advance. Find and book a Special Promotion by clicking on picture below.

German Rail Pass

There is a great variety of German rail passes, starting from 4 days during one month up to 10 days during one month. You can choose to travel first or second class and it's valid in all trains including high speed ICE trains. Apart form the "normal" pass, there are German Rail Twin Passes (for two persons), German Rail Youth Passes (up to 25 years of age) and children passes.

Prices vary depending on many factors.

BahnCard

BahnCard is valid for one year, personal and not transferable. It gives you a certain discount on ALL purchased tickets during this time (except the special tickets like Bayernticket). You can chose between 25%, 50% and 100% discount.

A costs 59 Euro per year, and is worth purchasing if you spend more than 200 Euro for rail travel.

Both the and BahnCard 100 are probably not worthwhile for visitors, because you need to travel a lot to start saving.

Sparpreis / Savings price

Sparpreis 25 and Sparpreis 50 give you 25% resp. 50% discount on the standard fare for a round trip. You have to pre-select date and time of your train and cannot change your schedule. Availability of these cheap train tickets is limited, and booking well in advance is recommended.

More savings can be reached when more persons travel, because everyone else will pay 50% of the standard train fare.

To find the best connection and check train ticket availability, enter your departure city (von), destination (nach), date (Datum) and time (Zeit) in the form below. You will then be given a choice of several connections and the price of each one. If you want you can book the train ticket online (which is about 2 Euros cheaper, than buying directly at the train station).