Buy the Deutschlandticket Without Long Term Subscription: E.g. 10 Days of (Almost) All Public Transport in Germany for €20

If you travel to Germany, you can book the Deutschlandticket, and for just €58 per month, you will have unlimited travel on buses and trains within Germany’s local public transport network: it is valid in all regional trains, subways, trams and city buses in the entire country. The ticket is typically valid from the first to the last day of the month and can only be cancelled until the tenth of each month, because it works like a subscription.

However, through the Hamburger Verkehrs Verbund (HVV) and its HVV Switch App, it is possible to purchase the ticket proportionally. For example, you can book 10 days towards the end of the month for only €20. However, you have to book and cancel by the tenth of the month. Otherwise, the following month must also be paid for.

Advantages of the HVV Switch App

Under the current subscription model, you need to know at the beginning of the month whether you will need a ticket later or not. You usually have to pay an entire month in advance (or even two months, if you don’t cancel in time).

The HVV Switch app, however, allows you to purchase a ticket – for example – from February 19 to 28 for €19.33. Whether this is extended or not depends on the cancellation date:

• Purchase + cancellation until February 10, 2025:
  • Immediate cancellation possible
  • Only €19.33 will be charged
• Purchase + cancellation after February 11, 2025:
  • The entire consecutive month ahas to be paid for
  • The charges will be: €19.33 for February + €58.00 for March (= €77.33)

How to Buy the Ticket

You can download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play if you don’t already have it. You can find further information about the Deutschlandticket here on the HVV website.

In the app, you first need to create an account. Then, you can switch to the Deutschlandticket tab in the sidebar and select the desired starting date. The start date can be chosen up to 2 months in advance.

While the price above remains the same, the slider should now directly display the correct price for the selected period:

After that, you need to add a credit card, PayPal, or direct debit for payment (if you haven’t already). The ticket will then be valid from the specified period:

Whether the ticket is automatically renewed or not depends on the order time (see above). In any case, we recommend cancelling the ticket immediately so that you don’t forget it later. If you need a ticket again next month, you can always purchase it later.

How to Cancel The Ticket

To cancel the ticket, you need to select the Deutschlandticket tab in the sidebar again. There, you can cancel the ticket by two clicks at the bottom of the page.

Shall I Purchase a Deutschlandticket?

Now that we have explained what it is, how to get it and – most importantly – how to get rid of it, let’s have a look at how to use most effectively:

You are Travelling Around Germany for Four Weeks or More

If you have planned an extended trip to Germany and want to visit multiple cities, this tickets makes sense. Public transport in Germany (even in regional networks) is more expensive than in most of its neighbouring countries, and you will save a lot with the ticket. Even if you are travelling across two different months, you will get a decent deal out of it, as long as you are using the ticket to travel from city to city.

Since high-speed and long-distance trains are not included, travelling between cities will cost more time and come with less comfort. Especially long distances get really unattractive:

• Frankfurt-Munich: ~5:20 hours instead of ~3:40
• Frankfurt-Düsseldorf: ~4:00 hours instead of ~1:50
• Hamburg-Stuttgart: ~11:00 hours instead of ~5:50
• Düsseldorf-Munich: ~10:00 hours instead of ~4:50

There are however several options which allow you to spend only little extra time in trains:

• Munich-Stuttgart: ~3:00 hours instead of ~2:20
• Berlin-Hamburg ~4:00 hours instead of ~2:00
• Hamburg-Bremen: ~1:10 hours instead of ~0:50

Breaking up longer journeys in shorter pieces makes sense. Instead of trying to get from Hamburg to Düsseldorf in one go, you can split your journey up into Hamburg – Bremen – Münster – Düsseldorf. This way, you can visit some of Germany’s most attractive cities and never spend more than two hours in a train. Not having to buy a ticket for local transport in each city you visit comes as an additional benefit.

You are Travelling Around Germany for Two to Four Weeks

Only our second example and we are already in the maybe section. Only if you are visiting multiple cities and most of your travel period lies within the same month, a Deutschland-Ticket will save you money. If your time in Germany is spread almost evenly across two months (say 6 days in July, 8 days in August) you’d have to pay two monthly subscriptions for €98. Buying individual tickets will almost always be cheaper and less hassle.

You are Visiting One or Two German Cities for a Week or Less

Let’s have a look at Germany’s largest cities to determine if a Deutschlandticket makes sense:

Berlin: In almost any case, it does not make sense to purchase a Deutschlandticket. Getting from the city to the airport and back by train costs €8.00. The city offers a bevy of multi-day tickets that also include discounts to its most popular tourist attractions. The most expensive costs €56, is valid for six days and includes the trip from/to the airport. Other options are even cheaper. While the Baltic Sea (two and a half hour direct trains) might be an option, other places of interest like Dresden are usually more than 3 hours and at least one change of trains away.

Hamburg: Also mostly nope. Getting from the city to the airport and back by train costs €6.60. A weekly ticket to travel within Hamburg costs €29.00 and includes the trips to the airport. Getting a Deutschland-Ticket just for the city is way too expensive. Things look different if you want to visit nearby towns like Bremen or Lübeck. But even then, a Deutschland-Ticket only makes sense if you visit all of these cities within the same month.

Munich: And we’re back to maybe territory. Getting to the airport and back costs a whopping €26.00. Even if you take a bus, that is also included in the Deutschlandticket, you’d be paying €18.50. However, what makes the Deutschland-Ticket interesting in this case is the opportunity to visit nearby tourist attractions like Schloss Neuschwanstein, Starnberger See or the Zugspitze by train.

Düsseldorf/Cologne: It’s most likely worth it. Both cities are located on the banks of the Rhine river and part of the largest urbanized area in Central Europe. From Dortmund’s football museum to Aachen’s historic old-town and Wuppertal’s Schwebebahn, there are many sights to be reached in less than 90 minutes. Since public transport in the region is fairly pricey (the longest possible ticket is a 2-day-pass, costing €51.10, but serves up to five people), a Deutschland-Ticket makes sense, especially for single travellers.

Since public transport in Munich is more expensive and the city is surrounded by more places of interest than Berlin or Hamburg, the Deutschland-Ticket is worth a closer look. If you visit both Berlin and Hamburg during the same trip (and probably even journey between the two with regional trains), the Deutschland-Ticket is back to being your friend. Having many sights accessible by train or bus nearby makes purchasing the ticket more attractive, as well. Once again, all this is only true if your visit takes place within the same month.

Finding Train Schedules and Prices

As we stated above, the value of a Deutschland-Ticket is very dependent on your personal itinerary. To research train prices and possible connections, you can use the website of Deutsche Bahn. By checking the “local trains only” box, your selection is limited to trains included in the ticket.

This will help to both see what trains would cost regularly and if the extended travel times are worth it to you or not. If you are not keen on changing trains, this tool will come in handy (as soon as it is back online).

Cover Picture: CC0/Pixabay-Nutzer Didgeman