How travelers from Czechia can buy Germany's €9 summer train fare

With summer around the corner, train travel should become cheap in June, July, and August in neighboring Germany. This may provide an affordable option for people put off by the high price of traveling by air or by personal car, both of which have been hit by high fuel costs.

Transport companies in Germany have started selling a newly introduced ticket that will allow unlimited travel by mostly public transport throughout the country for a symbolic EUR 9 per month. The government introduced the plan to help people cope with high energy costs.

The plan is still awaiting final approval in the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament. Some companies such as Stuttgart-based SSB have already started selling tickets at the low price, and people in the Czech Republic can buy the tickets online.

The EUR 9 tickets can be used in one calendar month. So it is a better deal to buy it at the start of the month than near the end, as all tickets bought in June would expire on June 30, for example.

The ticket will be valid on public transport and on regional trains such as Regionalbahn, Regionalexpress, and InterRegioExpress. They are not yet valid on long-distance trains, but talks to involve them are underway.

Children under the age of 6 years old continue to travel for free, older people must also get the same ticket. The ticket is not transferable, as it is linked to a specific name. Bicycle transport is not automatically free, and each carrier has its own rules for bikes.

The cheap tickets are part of a package of government assistance to help citizens and companies cope with rising energy prices. The move will cost the German government about EUR 2.5 billion.

There is a chance the German states will block the plan in parliament, but that would be unpopular with voters. The states want more money for transportation than the federal government is offering. Even though some companies have launched sales and pre-sales, one should check the final progress before making too many plans.