This guide explains how the Deutschland Ticket works in Berlin.
Summary:
- It costs 49€ per month
- It lets you use local public transit everywhere in Germany
- It’s only sold as a monthly subscription that renews automatically
- Tourists should buy it from mo.pla or Hamburg’s hvv Switch app
How to buy the Deutschland Ticket
You can buy a Deutschland Ticket from many different apps. You can’t buy it from a ticket machine. It’s only sold as a monthly subscription. The subscription renews automatically until you cancel it.
The Deutschland Ticket always starts on the first day of the month.4 This means that if you need a ticket from January 10 to February 5, you must pay for two full months.
| mo.pla | hvv Switch | BVG | Deutsche Bahn | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buy a ticket for the current month | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cancellation deadline | Anytime | 10th of the month | 25th of the month | 10th of the month |
| Pay with foreign credit card | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Pay with German credit card | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Pay with PayPal | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Book ticket in English | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| App is in English | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| App store availability | Germany | Global | Global | Global |
| Ticket in Apple Wallet | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ticket in Google Wallet | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
I recommend mo.pla, because it accepts more payment options, and it’s the easiest to cancel. They also support Apple Wallet and Google Wallet.
You can’t use hvv Switch with foreign credit cards, even if you use PayPal.3
For tourists
Tourists should get a Deutschland Ticket from deutschland-ticket.store. It’s the easiest option because it cancels automatically.5 Your ticket is a printable QR code. It takes a few days to process, so buy it in advance.2
The other option is mo.pla, because it accepts credit cards and it’s easy to cancel. Their app is only on the German app store, but you can use their web app instead. You can get a digital ticket in the app, or a printable ticket.
Other options require a European bank account or a German credit card, and their Deutschland Ticket subscription is harder to cancel.
It can be easier to buy a regular daily, weekly or monthly ticket. You can buy them from a ticket machine at the train station. You can pay with cash or credit cards.
How to use public transit in Berlin
When you leave Germany, remember to cancel your subscription. The Deutschland Ticket renews automatically every month until you cancel it.
What can you do with a Deutschland Ticket?
You can…1
- Use local public transit in all of Germany: the S-Bahn, the U-Bahn, trams, buses, ferries and regional trains (RE)
- Bring a dog for free in Berlin zones A, B and C
You can’t…
- Use intercity trains (IC, EC and ICE) or private buses and trains
- Bring other people with you for free
- Bring a bicycle with you for free
- Let someone else use your ticket
How to cancel a Deutschland Ticket
You can cancel your ticket where you bought it.
If you got your ticket from the BVG, you can cancel it on the BVG website or at a BVG service centre. If you cancel online, you must do it before the 25th day of the month. If you cancel in person, you can cancel at any time. Your ticket will stop working at the end of the month.
If you got your ticket from the Deutsche Bahn, you can cancel it on the S-Bahn Berlin website or at a Deutsche Bahn service centre. Your ticket will stop working at the end of the month.
Sources and footnotes
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Reader feedback (June 2024) ⤴
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seat61.com (June 2024) ⤴