Germany introduces unlimited train travel for under £1.50 a day

Unlimited travel by rail, tram and bus anywhere in Germany will cost €49 per month from the New Year – equivalent to just £1.42 per day.The German Embassy in London announced on Twitter: ‘The digital ‘Deutschlandticket’ will be available on a monthly basis from January.’It said the €49 ticket is intended ‘to cut CO2 emissions and help people with the cost of living’.The ticket is open to all, regardless of nationality, and there is no need to book in advance. While it does not cover intercity expresses, any journey across Germany is possible using slower regional express trains.The move follows a summer 2022 experiment of offering a €9 access-all-areas ticket for each of June, July and August.The deal worked out at 25p per day. The price was pitched so low that it paid for itself on a single short journey – and proved so popular that many trains became extremely crowded, especially at weekends.As news of the deal spread, German Railways warned passengers: ‘If you are returning home after a trip, do not wait until the last train as it is likely to be very busy.’The €9 ticket ended on 31 August, and travellers have been waiting to see what might replace it.The 2023 one-month ticket will cover all but the fastest trains, plus U-Bahn and S-Bahn networks in the cities. It also includes trams, most buses and even ferry services on the River Elbe in Hamburg. The deal is available only for whole calendar months; a trip which straddled January and February, for example, would require two tickets.Mark Smith, the international rail expert who runs the Seat61.com website, tweeted: ‘Affordable travel on regional trains in Germany, €49 per month, available from January 2023.’Just like in Britain, really… [ducks down and legs it, sharpish].’The next series of national rail strikes will halt most trains in the UK on 5, 7 and 9 November.