The nine-euro ticket is intended to relieve citizens in the face of increased inflation. Above all, the coalition faction of the Greens hopes that people will be enthusiastic about local public transport who have not, hardly or not for a long time got on a train or bus.

Sometimes, however, there can be disappointment. For example, the Pentecost excursion became a test of patience for many travelers in the congested train compartments of regional trains.

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There is also a problem that is not obvious at first glance: in addition to local public transport (bus, tram, underground, S-Bahn), regional transport by Deutsche Bahn is also part of the nine-euro ticket – but not completely, but only to a large extent. Those who inform themselves in advance have an advantage.

The 9-euro ticket is an offer specifically for local and regional transport. However, it has not yet applied to all regional trains. Background: Deutsche Bahn is a group consisting of many individual companies. One of these companies, DB Fernverkehr, operates express trains, some of which are designated as regional trains on some routes.

It is up to the federal states to negotiate with the railways for the relevant connections whether the nine-euro ticket is also valid on these special regional connections or not. As of June 8, talks are still ongoing. The nine-euro ticket is already recognized on these two sections, in which long-distance trains are used for regional transport:

However, the nine-euro ticket cannot be used on the following routes:

It is therefore advisable to look closely at the Deutsche Bahn website in the booking portal or in the DB Navigator app to see whether the nine-euro ticket is valid or not. If you want to be absolutely sure, take two steps:

First, all long-distance connections are filtered out, leaving only local and regional connections. This is done in the app by selecting the search options.

If you then go to options and means of transport, you will find the button “Only local/regional transport”.

Now only connections that affect cities or regional traffic are displayed – the nine-euro ticket is not valid for long-distance traffic anyway.

In step two, pay attention to whether the following message appears on the respective connection: “9 EUR ticket not valid”. Unfortunately, the hint is somewhat hidden in the app.

It appears when you go to “There is current information”:

Another tip: If the nine-euro ticket is valid, the price for the respective connection will say “from 9 euros”. This is the quickest way to see when the nine-euro ticket can be used.

For many Deutsche Bahn passengers, the holiday mood is regularly spoiled at Pentecost, which, by the way, was the case even before the introduction of the nine-euro ticket. So you should have known: The railways warned of full trains at Pentecost and also provides individual connections with information on the expected capacity on all other days of the year.

If you don’t like full compartments, it’s better to switch to another connection if possible. Seat reservations are only offered on some regional trains.

It is important to board regional trains on the route as early as possible, as they are not as full then. In smaller towns there is often only one train station, but things are different in larger cities: In Berlin, for example, it can be worth not waiting to get on at the main station if the train is already starting at Südkreuz.

On the days Friday to Sunday it is crowded in many trains. This is because of the tourists and commuters. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are the most relaxed.

The best travel times are between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m., 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and after 8 p.m. At other times, many commuters sit in the compartments.

Bicycles are usually not included in the nine-euro ticket, but many day trippers still like to transport them by train. If the train is too full, however, the bicycles are not allowed in the compartment. Wheelchairs, walkers and prams always have priority. It can therefore make sense to rent a bike at your destination instead of taking your own.

The train portal has links to bike rental companies. Deutsche Bahn also offers its own bike rental service: Call a Bike. According to the company, the service can be used in 80 cities and municipalities.

If you use the DB Navigator app anyway, you should deposit the nine-euro ticket there. Then it doesn’t matter if you forget the ticket at home and are checked. To store it, the “My Tickets” area must be selected in the app. The order number and the surname of the person traveling are required. Anyone who has bought their nine-euro ticket online as a registered DB user will automatically find a digital copy in the app.

In the DB app, only the regional express is usually displayed for the fastest connection with the nine-euro ticket. Sometimes, however, it makes sense to use the regular bus, especially at the end of the route – it is also included in the ticket. Alternatively, the respective route can also be combined with an ICE journey. In the DB Navigator you can easily search for super savings prices, with which a ticket is available from 17.90 euros. On long journeys, you get to your destination faster and still save compared to the normal price.