PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION in Germany [Explained] 🚍🚊

Public transportation in Germany is fantastic. There are, however, some things you should know before using it. We discuss how regional and national public transportation in Germany works and how to buy tickets and save money! Join us for the ride 🚍
🔥 Get tickets from Deutsche Bahn
👉 www.simplegermany.com/deutsch...
🔥 Get your Bahn Card and start saving
👉 www.simplegermany.com/bahncard/
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⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:36 - Local vs. National Public Transportation in Germany
02:00 - Local Public Transportation in Germany
03:46 - Tickets for Local Public Transportation in Germany
08:40 - How To Purchase Tickets for Public Transportation in Germany
12:00 - How To Validate Public Transportation Ticket in Germany
14:01 - What happens if you don't purchase a ticket?
16:24 - National Public Transportation in Germany
20:25 - Tips For Purchasing Deutsche Bahn Tickets
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We know how frustrating and painful it might be to move to a new country, especially if you don't fully speak the language. That's why we created Simple Germany.
Simple Germany provides tips & information in English about living in Germany as an expat. We talk about services that are friendly and easy to use to beat German bureaucracy. We also cover the cultural aspects of living in Germany. All of this brought to you from the eyes of an expat and a German duo. We want to help you settle in Germany more smoothly.🍻
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[@SakuraKuromi]

Just wanted to mention, that you sometimes have nice people looking for your ticket. (though it's not guaranteed!) I once was riding the train, when a woman was asked about her ticket. She had bought a ticket, but it was the wrong one. The man talked to her for a bit and it was really obvious, that she had no clue how to get the right ticket. So the man sat down next to her and explained in detail how she could be sure the get the right ticket next time. And one time a young man barely made it running into the Straßenbahn, but had obviously no time to buy a ticket (his bicycle went flat after riding over some glas shards). As the woman asking for his ticket wanted to fine him, another passenger stepped in and offered the young man to take him with his card as he was allowed to take 2 people with him. Not to tell you you shouldn't buy tickets! Just wanted to mention, that if it is really obvious that it's like your first time ever using this transportation or such, people often will offer to help you and sometimes even overlook your mistake that one single time. Though keep in mind: not everyone will be nice and understanding! For example: one time I couldn't find the validation machine. I thought it might be inside and entered while my ticket wasn't stamped (it was an added ticket for 2 stations, the other 28 stations were validated). I was unlucky and met a really grumpy person. He yelled at me and fined me. I went to the information center after I arrived and talked to them. They halved the price, as the man had a stamp on him and he could just had stamped it for me... He just didn't wanted to...

[@alanabelcon]

Literally this morning I was thinking that I need to find out how the public transportation works for when I move to Germany in January! Perfect timing for this video! ❤

[@nomirrors3552]

I have so much envy! Have a great time in Germany!

[@alanabelcon]

@@nomirrors3552 Thank you! I will try very hard to have a good time. Hahahhaa

[@karinland8533]

Germans will help you- if you ask for help!

[@alanabelcon]

@@karinland8533 Good to know. Everyone keeps telling me how cold Germans are. 🥶

[@patriciamillin1977]

Welcome to Germany, albeit a little too early. Hope you like it here!

[@gautamdhiman2770]

It's truly fantastic! Thank you for providing such crucial information about trains. I'll soon be visiting Germany, and your insights will undoubtedly be invaluable. I appreciate it!

[@m.farhana.rahman3372]

In Frankfurt, you don't need to validate the ticket. Makes it slight easier and you don't have to worry about validation. But there are still some types of tickets that are confusing like a day ticket with detour and without detour even though the price is the same. I still have no clue which one to choose. Lol. On the other hand, the DB app is really helpful; you can select the locations you wanna go and it will show all ticket options you can use for that journey. I usually use the app as reference and buy ticket from the machines. There are also some ticket centers with customer service that can help people figure out which tickets to get for your journey. Another thing I learned is that, in Frankfurt, all ticket machines can take international credit card which is great. I believe in Berlin is different. You can pre buy tickets earlier in a bulk and use them later which is why they need validation over there.

[@lazrseagull54]

Technically speaking, an U Bahn is a fully grade separated, off-road local rail network, usually powered by a 3rd rail. It might have some above ground stations but it won't have any level crossings or street running. Only 4 cities (Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Nuremberg) have an U Bahn. About 18 other cities (11 in NRW) have a "Stadtbahn", a tram/light rail network on street tramway tracks in the suburbs, but with underground stops in the inner city and city centre. Stadtbahns are often referred to colloquially as U Bahns.

[@IroAppe]

A few additional tips: Only buy a seat reservation, if the estimation says at least "High demand expected" (orange icon). If you plan long in advance, it might not have an estimation. So here's the tip: You can book seat reservations individually later. In the DB Navigator, you tap on the red-underlined "Single journey" and switch it to "Seat only (without ticket)". Then search for your connection as usual, and you can buy your seat reservation there. It's also a very good tip, if your train or stop gets cancelled and you are forced to take another IC or ICE. If you're quick and are lucky, while waiting at the platform you can quickly search for the connection and reserve a seat if it's very full, which it is usually, because a lot of travelers from your canceled train have to board the other train with you. 21:53: If the train is delayed - either you miss your connection due to the delay OR the delay is more than 20 minutes, OR it's canceled altogether, we have very good rights in Germany. Then it's not your fault, so your "Zugbindung" expires, and you can actually take EVERY train and connection to your destination. It basically converts your ticket into a flex ticket. However, the delayed train MUST be on your ticket. So if you want to be safe, you can't use your regional monthly subscription ticket to get to the main station, that would then not be covered. Only what is on the DB ticket, that is then covered by these rights. Small caveat: If you only have an IC ticket and then want to take the ICE, you quickly have to buy a ticket for that connection, and then you get the fee back later by contacting the service. So it's still free of charge in principle, but for some kind of organizational reasons, you have to buy that ticket in that moment.

[@Dahrenhorst]

You didn't mention one certain aspect of the train system: it is not only the Deutsche Bahn. Deutsche Bahn owns the rail system and operates the biggest train business in Germany. But there are many privately owned train businesses in Germany, which contracted with Deutsche Bahn to use their railway net, both for public transport and for freight traffic. The tickets Deutsche Bahn and those private train companies issue are mutually accepted, though, so you can use the private train with a Deutsche Bahn ticket and vice versa.

[@Ph34rNoB33r]

At least for most S-Bahn and regional trains, yes. For long distance, there are companies like FlixTrain and Thalys that have a separate system. (And sometimes there are chartered trains for example for festivals)

[@Dahrenhorst]

@@Ph34rNoB33r Yes, there are a few exceptions from the rule of mutual acknowledgement of tickets.

[@atikanatasoy]

So does that mean you can get cheaper tickets to the same destination from different companies? Then, is there a way to compare them?

[@Ph34rNoB33r]

@@atikanatasoy For some highly profitable long distance connections, yes, but they don't have that many trains per day. That kind of connection can be compared via third-party websites pulling data from the various companies (and often getting a percentage if you buy from there). There you usually can compare to long distance bus lines as well (slower, less comfortable, but more connections and cheaper). And even if you're within the regular network of Deutsche Bahn and the local linked transport systems, there might be cheaper tickets depending on where and how you want to go. Like it might be worth booking a connection over 50km or one for a faster train so you get a long distance ticket even if you want to leave the regional train a stop earlier (especially if you have a BahnCard 25 or 50 which usually don't apply to regional trains on shorter distances). Or one could book a cheap flight with Rail+Fly just for the Rail part. But such tricks are specific and change all the time. Easiest way to save on long distance train tickets is to book early with restriction to a specific train.

[@jessied4210]

Actually if you buy tickets on app or other platforms, you can avoid these physical problems. I use TrainPal a lot.

[@karinland8533]

Super informativ, like always!

[@samimullahsayafullah762]

Thank you for the wonderful video.

[@T0MT0Mmmmy]

Also to mention for full trains and reserved seats: if a train is too full and therefore not allowed to continue travel, all passengers that has no (reserved) seat has to leave the train (and wait for the next).

[@cappuccinogirl00]

So overwhelmed about it, I am not even worried about not passing my Anerkennung exam, I just want to survive public transportation. Two weeks aren't long enough for me to get comfortable with Germany. 🤣😭

[@simplegermany]

One step at a time 😉

[@indiansoul]

This video is super informative

[@peternolan6648]

Great video...as usual!!!

[@ivanhoe96]

Amazing! Thank you very much for information, really helpful!

[@naveedullahakhtar4548]

Thanks for the info buddies Really appreciate your help It's helps alot

[@jhessicalmoreira]

Excellent explanation as always! You girls rock! 😁

[@Ihwaz13]

On tickets, what kinds of tickets you can get and what the conditions are is different in every area. Also whether your ticket is already validated also depends on the area. Also if you have an Android phone there is an app that supports most areas in Germany and even some in other countries called Öffi. In that app you can select the traffic provider of the area you are in and it will provide you with route planning departure times from the nearest stations and overview plans of the systems. You cannot buy tickets through it though.

[@amral-hammadi7536]

I really needed this since I'm coming soon to germany. thanks a lot 🙌

[@johnmills9360]

I got a 49 Euro D Ticket and traveled every day around from Rheine in the north to Frankfurt . Great value for money and ease of use . I had a great holiday April 20 24 🙂

[@sanurahettiarachchi]

Just arrived here. Thanks for this video.

[@user-ft3gs8vr8l]

Omg I’ve been waiting for this! You guys are the best mind readers. Dankeschön!

[@stephanteuscher6583]

As always you did a lot of work there and it is great!

[@smorior709]

This is life saver ❤️ every time when i visit i always get confused 😂😅 Danke schön ❤️❤️

[@coffeeflush5313]

I love how the "smoothly" is perfectly smooth each time.

[@SENIORBALLENON]

Love you! I've checked more videos about transportation in Germany and both of you just make it so easy for me, Thanks a lot!!

[@debesray]

Thanks a lot for your videos which are extremely helpful. Please make a separate detailed video on Bahncard.

[@nkyibe1299]

Thank you so much! I always wondered what the red machine in the bus was and didn't know it was for ticket validation!

[@leDespicable]

Just one thing one should keep in mind when getting tickets at a DB ticket office is that they don't always tell you the cheapest option. It's always good to look the options up beforehand. It's happened to quite a few people that they ended up paying more because the person at the counter gave them more expensive tickets to choose from. Depends on how honest the person currently working is when you get your ticket, I guess. One should also mention that in cities where the U-Bahn is a completely seperate system and not just a tram that runs underground in certain sections, chances are that there aren't any validation machines on the trains itself. In Munich, when using the U-Bahn you have to validate your ticket using machines on the platforms and next to the ticket machines, there aren't any on the U-Bahn trains here. Also worth mentioning: There are areas in Germany that aren't part of any transport association's tariff system, and your tickets for regional trains in those areas therefore only count for that specific route you bougt them for, nothing else.

[@Carolf1213]

Had a great time navigating! Enjoyed the 9 Euro ticket!

[@anchouse94]

What can I say, I'm so so grateful I also live in D'dorf 😁 cause that system is extremely convoluted and hard to understand, thank you so much for explaining VRR vs Rheinbahn!

[@F_S3000]

I started to subscribe to your channel before my trip to Düsseldorf. Now that I’m here and planning to go to Cologne, might as well go to the station and ask about the tickets. Reading from multiple websites really is confusing 😅. Thank you Jen & Yvonne ❤

[@enimaroon4631]

For long distance, the time of travel is very important. If I want to travel from Munich to Hamburg via ICE, I can pay up to 180 € if I book short term and at a busy daytime. But let's say I book a Wednesday mid January. I could buy a ticket for under 20 € for a ride that's basically cross most of Germany. I always suggest to pick a weekday and also consider the very early trains (before 8 am). It's a little hard to get up that early but on the other hand I can rest a bit in the train and be in Hamburg before lunch.

[@BlueGamer335]

3:30 my 56.000 city has a DB train station, a great bus system and a Straßenbahn/Stadtbahn. It is connected with Düsseldorf. There are 3 lanes. U70, U74 and U76. The cool thing about that is that my district is more rural but despite this has this great connection to Düsseldorf (and Krefeld).

[@rickyn1135]

Lovely. I cycle almost everywhere too! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@simplegermany]

🚲

[@heinrichackermann4000]

Very Good! Greetings from Duisburg! My Hobby is travelling by train through Europe. My experience with travelsystems in different german regions helped me, to explore regions out of Germany by the same way... Usually I buy a dayticket (or more-day-ticket) for the town or region, where I want to stay, just when I arrive... Very wonderful is it in Venice: Boats instead of Busses....

[@waseemhaydar]

Very nice 👍 Beautiful 🥰🥰 Happy New year 💟🎉

[@tuc23son]

We need you two amazing individuals to provide videos for Costa Rica. You girls are Awesome!!!

[@gonfaraway]

Literally this morning i thought on how fast trams in Germany work and i thought this vid would also be interesting. :)

[@msRBPoo]

Ihre Videos sind immer interessant und natürlich nützlich, wenn man in Deutschland lebt. Vielen Dank.

[@LearnGermanOutside]

I use to take ICE very often and I like how fast it was. Danke schön für das Video!

[@Europeify]

Hey Jen & Yvonne! Great video, as usual. I also make videos about Germany and had done one about public transport. But when i saw your video, i realised there's so much information that i could have given or done better. Thanks for inspiring 🙂

[@hazelcameron3584]

Europeify

[@adebolaotunaike1619]

The synergy & harmony btw you two is contagious keep giving us great content! would be moving to Germany next week with my family and your contents have been a great help to prepare myself danke.

[@proflanky]

Would be moving with my family from Nigeria in January as well. This channel has been very helpful.

[@JensFrank]

Bikes don't always need an extra ticket. It depends - you guessed it - on the region. In the Frankfurt region for example, the bike is free - but: During rush hour bike transportation may be restricted and if the train is crowded, the train driver may decide not to allow bikes on the train.

[@vaishukarthik]

Hey guys, your videos are so informative and clear! Could you make a video about Dusseldorf? How it is as a city, what's the lifestyle like, what the people are like, compare it against other cities in Germany maybe, weather conditions around the area, things unique to Dusseldorf etc? It would be great as I'm planning to move there very soon!

[@chellastation]

This would be nice 🙂

[@mrrishiraj88]

Great thanks

[@WBTravels]

the tram that runs as a subway is known as a Stadtbhan not a strabbenbhan: Strassenbhan is a tram, but a statbhan is a tram that acts like a metro running as light rail in the suburbs then becoming a fully grade separated metro in the city center, also tram trains which run from a city's tram network onto a mainline railway to other cities, mainly in Karlsruhe but also places like Bochum and nordhausen.

[@kennetro]

You young women are so cute, so fun, and so informed! I loved watching this video, learned a LOT, and had a smile on my face the entire time!! Thank you so much!

[@yesidlopezs]

Hello there! we were so stuck about how to use it, we are from Colombia and it used to be so confusing, this video helped a lot. Greetings! By the way, a good idea about a new video is to get the QR for the non EU vaccines, we had to go to a different place in Alexanderplatz (Berlin) in an specific pharmacy to get the QR

[@hannialpha4150]

In the northern state of Germany Schleswig-Holstein has a lot of regional public transport association but all this public transportation companies are in the public transport association " nah - sh." It is possible to travel from Denmark to Hambourg with one ticket . The 24h ticket calls "Day Ticket( Tageskarte)and is valid from 0 am to next day 6 am. You can at buy it as day ticket with route commitment or as an entire network ticket without route commitment. From Denmark to Hambourg with all public transport except It can be used on all means of public transport [Bus, Tram/Straßenbahn, U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Regionalbahnen(RB) and Regionalexoress(RE) ] except long-distance services( like IC/EC and ICE)

[@yutubl]

The concept of mini-provider flooding is one implementation of classical "typische Kleinstaaterei" which has been developed in europe centuries ago with a huge successfully history long before modern communication technology.

[@jensschroder8214]

I was in the Frankfurt region. It was easy there. Register an app and start the journey on your mobile phone when you get in. The billing comes later to the account. In our region there is not even an app that reliably says when the next bus is coming, let alone pay with it. Only the search via DB App for the local bus is possible. But at least schoolchildren and students get free tickets. That's why my son knows the timetables and lines by heart.

[@ThePixel1983]

I love the TGV (French ICE) for having mandatory seat reservation with your ticket. No standing. I once had a trip in an ICE where I wasn't able to sit on the floor, I had to stand in the aisle, and not even comfortably because of other people's baggage.

[@randuru]

You can always buy a seat reservation - nobody prevents you from doing so.

[@raileon]

I rather stand in the aisle or sit near the door than to not get a ticket anymore. The mandatory reservation takes so much flexibility out of the train journey. And flexibility is one of its biggest strengths.

[@Amit.Pustake]

Excellent

[@arifulhaquebhuiyan]

I started watching your videos 6 months earlier, before I arrive in Germany. It felt really nice when I saw you (in video) guys walking right in my neighbourhood. If someday I spot you guys on street, I am definitely going to say Hallo. When I arrive in Düsseldorf, I didn't know any ticket can be used multiple time in same direction. For first few weeks, I continued to buy tickets on different vehicles in same direction until a colleague informed me about this.

[@simplegermany]

Hihi 😇 Glad your colleagues were able to help you out.

[@johnberryhill8106]

You gals are AMAZING! I plan on a trip next year and will get a DB Country pass. You gals should offer a tour of Dusseldorf (and get paid of course)......Howdy from Branson Missouri USA

[@foofourtyone]

You forgot the yearly pass. Which is, like the name implies, for the whole year. It's important to know, that those time based tickets can be used as much as you want. Means, if you need a ride 20 times a day during this time period, you can do that. Also, there are often contracts between the transportation companies. Which means, that sometime you can use as Deutsche Bahn ticket for using a bus. And the most important thing: there is almost no village in Germany you can't reach with public transportation. Most of the time you need to combine the systems, f.e. first taking the train to drive from city to city and a than taking one (sometimes more) bus/es or tram/s to reach your end destination.

[@basically_chris]

1. Danke schön fur zu Hilfen, I moved in Dusseldorf last week! 2. I just walk from Bilk to the Kö daily :P

[@Nominal_GDP]

What a nightmare to plan through

[@priyasrivastava9626]

Quite helpful video. My first week in Germany and I have no clue how to use tram. Have been paying to taxi a lot 😞

[@simplegermany]

Hopefully you feel empowered to use the tram now 😊

[@fannychristozova8158]

This now is for real soon to be much valuable to me, and for a good reason so. You are AMAZING with the importance of things to consider and how to be at peace while dealing with it! The ticket machines were just once a hurdle in Berlin and it was kind of a hilarious situation, but then me and a friend of mine found our way around. I love the various means of transportation, and I admit it's important to know the do-how's. I also got to enjoy the ICE from Hannover to Bremen.. right! The speed changes just like you explained and it's all normal. I loved that trip, and the train was moving so smooooothly! (I wrote a previous comment but I don't know what happened to it, it's not here... cause it contained something additional)

[@simplegermany]

Oh noo...sometimes KZbin deletes comments without us even knowing about it. It could be that's what happened to your previous one :(. "...the train was moving so smoooothly" lol! - J

[@fannychristozova8158]

@@simplegermany Yeah, I guess.. might be my net connection interrupting, or just because I was very quick to switch through things because of work, anyhow. ​😃 Now, I have a question about the Kurzstrecke tickets, do they also come in bundles as you call it? So for example let's say I'll have a daily path of 3 stops which is within the 20 min., and these tickets are cheaper than the Einzelticket. Do I have to buy each time a singular one, or in that case the card options apply? (But that's still not what my failed comment had in addition. 🙂)

[@karinland8533]

@@fannychristozova8158 yes the usually come in bundles sometimes 4 or ten. Those have to be validated (stamped) bevor taking a ride. Remember it might be different in different regions. But if you need it dayly a week or monthly tickets will be cheeper. Ask for help if you need it! Coworkers or fellow travelers or to bee save with some one from the DB office

[@fannychristozova8158]

@@karinland8533 Thank you very much, Karin! Yes, these bundles in 4 or 10, as very well explained in the video. I've taken a ticket of 2 h. time and validated it, but have never taken one of those smallest ones and just wondered what's best if that happens to be your most frequent suitable preference. :)

[@kateb.348]

We neither have an S-Bahn or a Straßenbahn where lived. We only have busses. It's very common here in the east. Have seen a lot of towns like that.

[@Crystalwolf256]

Planning a trip that will go from Frankfurt all the way down to Munich. There is a possibility I will need to take a train back up to Frankfurt to fly back home this has been helpful if I need to do this 😁

[@seanthiar]

Public long distance transport today is not only trains - you can fly and you can use a long distance bus like flixbus. And for local transport don't forget Taxi / cabs. And you forget ticket types. I live in the VRS area and used to drive to the VRR area and you buy a transient ticket (Übergangsticket) from one transportion area (Verkehrsverbund) to the other. That allows you to use your ticket without needing to buy an additional ticket from the other transportation company. And an interesting ticket is the interrail pass - a ticket that can be used to drive mainly by train for cheap. You buy it for a defined amount of days in one month and then you can use that ticket depending on the ticket between 3 and 8 different days. And if you are below 27yo the pass cost less. The only requirement is a permanent residence in Europe. It's an ideal ticket for a backpacker holiday. For example buy 4 day interrail pass for France and use 2 days for the journey there at the beginning of the month and use it at the end of the month for the journey back. Or buy a 8 day global interrail pass and make a round trip through Europe. The last is special tickets - for example some Park's, Museums or Zoo's like the Gelsenkirchen Zoom or Movie Park have arrangements with the DB and/or local transportation companies that the online bought admission ticket for the Park or Zoo etc. doubles as a transportation ticket. For example some musicals in Hamburg does that too with the Hamburger Verkehrsbetriebe. And most areas have holiday season tickets for children and/or their tickets for the zone they got for reaching school can be used in the whole area on the weekend. BTW Schwarzfahren is 'dodging the fare' in english

[@chellastation]

Thank you so much 😊

[@user-sm3xq5ob5d]

You cannot compare a discount flight with a non-discount long distance train ticket. If you buy in time you can have discounts on both. If you buy the same day you go you will pay mucho dinero.

[@YR620]

Wow I just want to get to Cologne airport from Munster. I was planning to use the monthly special for 49 euros but I see I need to buy a separate ticket in order to make my flight on time :) too much going on with train transportation. Very helpful information. Now I need to call my German friends for help.

[@kilsestoffel3690]

In our region er also have a family ticket. It"s valid for 24 hours for two adults and three kids

[@user-bv6il2nk4t]

could you show live as well in next series !!!!! like live what and how you do what you say !!! like making a event live how to use transport , bank etc

[@PalmyraSchwarz]

My God, that was really, really compact, and the closer you got to the end of the video, the more compact it got. You really tried hard to navigate the German public transportation jungle.

[@Andrew-jv7tc]

One other cool feature to mention with the ICE tickets is that they usually include a City Ticket, which allows for you to take local transit (Bus, S-Bahn, U-Bahn, Straßebahn, etc.) to your origin station, and then also to your final destination from your destination station. I think this is automatically included for IC and ICE fare for no extra charge for journeys of 100km or more. Super handy if you just want to get to your office, hotel, or home after getting off the train and want to figure out the local ticket options later on. It's also handy if you want to go to, let's say, Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, but the best train connection you can find for when you want to go is to Frankfurt Süd or the airport. You can just take the local transit from those stations and it's included! Something similar is also included with certain regional tickets as well, like when I went from Freiburg to the Europa-Park. I selected the option to go to "Europa-Park Rust" instead of just to the Ringsheim Bahnhof, which meant I had to take a bus from the train station to the park. This ticket included not only the bus to the park, but also the local transit in Freiburg to get to and from the Hauptbahnhof, and it was for a regional train.

[@bjorn6530]

*Be carefull, starting 10.12.2023 the "City Ticket" is only included when you buy a "normal" Flex-Ticket. City-Ticket have been dropped from discounted "Spar- and Super-Spar-Preis Tickets".*

[@turjo119]

I also got lost when I first got here...took the wrong bus to my new place and tbh I'm still hesitant on getting on trams and trains. Wathcing this now to be more informed!

[@karinland8533]

I use the train regularly but I‘m not used to riding the bus. I allways ask the bus driver if I‘m right🙃

[@turjo119]

@@karinland8533 it was my first time in Saarbrucken, Germany and I got on the right bus just that it was going in the wrong direction 🤣

[@karinland8533]

@@turjo119 oh yes, there are always two directions 🤪

[@littlerascle4]

Great video guys, thanks for the hard work in getting all the information to us. Could you please make a video on how we can start preparing for the German driver's license test before coming to Germany. Is there any way to do so, if so, how? Could you also make a video on how to look for homes in the suburbs of a certain area? For example, I don't want to live in Berlin city, I want to live 20 min outside the city. If I type german suburbs, I don't get any proper results. That makes it hard to look for a house in a residential area on the outskirts.

[@simplegermany]

Hey Karan, thanks a lot for your suggestions. You could try to already contact a driving school from abroad and ask them whether they can already provide you the theory software. Thats all you can start learning, as for everything else you need to be in the country. Here is our video on the topic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHaVk6GZibulpZI It's best you research first which neighborhoods (even in the suburbs) are interesting for you and then use the regular websites to find available houses in the area. We have written an in-depth guide on how to buy a house in Germany: www.simplegermany.com/buying-a-house-in-germany/ Hope this helps 😊

[@ni7784]

Hey.... *If* you get a chance to. . maybe a video on public transportation in Munich?

[@sarinsahil]

Thank you for sharing! It is a little bit confusing on how to board the right coach and not end up in a different city when the train splits. Please cover this? :)

[@IroAppe]

I still remember the mostly true line: "Red trains are for regional travel, white trains are for long-distance travel."

[@joanie1245]

In most cities that have subways and trams, these are different types of trains. The fact that the tram is becoming the subway is particularly common in North Rhine-Westphalia. I myself come from Berlin and live in Cologne. It was a change at first. Incidentally, in Cologne you can buy local tickets in the bus from the machines. Here these are not sold by the bus driver.

[@lazrseagull54]

Not most. Only Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Nuremberg have a true off-road U Bahn with no level crossings and trains powered by a 3rd rail. In Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Essen, Dortmund, Hannover, Bochum, Gelsenkirchen, Mülheim a. d. Ruhr, Duisburg, Bonn, Karlsruhe and Bielefeld, they have a Stadtbahn, which is a subway/tram hybrid, often colloquially referred to as the "U Bahn" by locals.

[@vermaankit2005]

Please make one video on popular cycle brands/models, recommending which one to buy for which kind of travel.

[@simplegermany]

Interesting suggestion! We will think about it 😉

[@karinland8533]

I‘m not aware of specific brads beeing popular🤔most people just bike to comute. People who consider them selfs as cyclists, like it is their hobby sure have preverences, (‚cube’ comes in mind)

[@simplegermany]

Haha, I (Yvonne) have a cube bike 😋

[@Al69BfR]

Sometimes for some rides for certain connections it‘s cheaper to buy a BahnCard 25 even for a single ticket. I once had that case. And I also forgot to cancel the BahnCard for the next year, which made my ticket actually more expensive. 😉

[@monalisahota]

Does the Bahn card 25 discount apply on day pass or single tickets?

[@Groffili]

How the times change. Apps! Having a little mobile computer that connects to the internet to buy and validate a train ticket. Amazing what automation can do. Then, on the other side... I can still remember when local trains had these nice, sharply dressed and very official people, called "Schaffner"... and if the weird machines they had installed at the station in place of a nice person who sold you a ticket did fail, once again, as they so often did... you could approach the uniformed official on the train and have _them_ sell you a ticket.

[@simplegermany]

Wow, times have changed indeed. Thanks for sharing :) - J

[@karinland8533]

Actually they expect you to buy the ticket bevor you take the ride. If you do not have a ticket when entering the vehicle you have to actively approach the the train conductors to help you buy a ticket

[@hans-jorgwinzen4389]

In Hessen you can get a 1 year ticket for pupil and trainee for € 1,- per Day for the whole country. The same for the Seniors from 9a.m. on weekdays.

[@simplegermany]

Oh, that is super interesting!

[@karinland8533]

In Bavaria as well you need a confirmation of being a pupil/ student/ retired + a foto. Then go to the DB office to fill out a form and pay the 365€ it is a comute ticket

[@JassSinghKPT]

Das 24h Ticket gilt auch 24 Stunden und nicht mehr bis 2/3 Uhr morgens

[@seanthiar]

Jein, hängt vom Verkehrsverbund ab.

[@yutubl]

I want to point to toll/customs for interchanging/switching between (public) transportation providers: e.g. if you take a bus and change to a train then arrive at the airport to take a flight and take a taxi from your destination airport to your hotel, you switched between several transportation providers. This is a historic opportunity for government taxes to increase the government budget and simultanuously reduce any traffic at all, not only private and business trips even cargo freight and the criminal smuggle. Well stone age did not need those taxes.

[@raileon]

Regarding the IC/EC trains: There are certain sections where you can take those with your normal public transport ticket, without having to buy an extra ticket. Like between Stuttgart and Singen, between Bremen and Norddeich or between Berlin and Prenzlau (there you can even take ICE trains in some cases), but these are very rare exceptions. Regarding ticket sales: DB sells tickets up to 180 days in advance, not 90 days ;) Exception is when timetable change is around the corner in December, then the ticket sales open in mid-october.

[@MrMastermind85]

I can't resist to pull your leg a bit... I as a severely disabled have got something called Schwerbehindertenausweis and a Wertmarke which works for me as a ticket for all local transportations so i could basically travel from Hamburg to Munich without being charged for anything. Allthough i have to use allways the local transport and have to change many trains, which will take several days I'm sure.

[@angel2901]

Yay for Düsseldorf

[@monalisahota]

Thanks for another concise informative video. Wow, I had not idea public transportation was so complicated even after traveling to Germany a couple of times. As a visitor who would be traveling between 8-9 cities by DB over a 2 month period, do you think Bahn card 25 would make sense? If it would, then is the actual card needed or a print out and digital copy would suffice. One last question, DB website says that the Bahn card 25 can be used on RB,re,s Bahn. I was wondering if it applies to the day pass or single tickets or those or always full price. That's a lot of questions and I'd really appreciate if you could help with these. Thanks a lot.

[@luckyqualmi]

15:00 You don't automatically end up in prison for multiple driving without a ticket ("Schwarzfahren). You end up in prison if you don't have the money to pay the fines ("Beugehaft").

[@stefanf7847]

Guten Morgen. @Simple Germany Ihr habt das Zusatzticket vergessen. Das solltet ihr euch noch anschauen. Damit kann man Monatstickets erweitern. Zb die Zone kann man erweitern. In eurem Fall zum Beispiel, ein Ticket was nur für Düsseldorf gültig ist, kann man mit dem Zusatzticket erweitern und kann dann im VVR bereich fahren. (eine fahrt) Oder du kannst damit dein reguläres Ticket (zb ein Monatsticket für den VVR bereich) für eine fahrt auf die 1. Klasse erweitern. zB das Ticket 2000, ist für VVR gültig. Wenn ihr , sagen wir mal, an einem Samstagmittag im Sommer, nach Dortmund fahren wollt, sind die Züge rammel voll, dann könntest du dir ein Zusatzticket kaufen und mit dem Ticket 2000 die 1. Klasse benutzen, für eine fahrt. Oder nach 19uhr dann wenn du jemand mitnehmen kannst 2. Zusatztickets für die 1. Klasse, eines für dich , eines für die Person die du mit nimmst (wissen viel nicht). Du kannst auch beides kombinieren. zB ein Monatsticket was nur für Düsseldorf gültig ist, (müsste Ticket1000 sein) kannst du mit einem Zusatzticket erweitern auf VVR (eine Fahrt) und mit einem weiteren Zusatzticket auf 1. Klasse. So könntest du mit zwei Zusatztickets zum Ticket 1000, von Düsseldorf nach Dortmund in der 1.Klasse fahren. Mit einem Zusatzticket hast du den Bereich erweitert und mit dem 2. Zusatzticket hast du die Klasse aufgewertet. Oder , bleiben wir beim Ticket 1000, kannst du mit einem Zusatzticket eine Person mitnehmen nach 19uhr. für eine fahrt. Auf der Seite vom VVR könnt ihr das nachlesen. Kommt gut in den Tag

[@garias1975]

Excellent video: some questions: a) maybe a video about the best apps for tickets, schedules here in NWR . I use DB, but it seems that Reinbahn or VRR apps have more functionalities. b) Is there an APP to trace on-live the buses, in which stops is the next bus ?? (I had that option in USA and it was very useful). c) if a bus is cancelled... and I have a monthly ticket, how can I claim for a refund if I had to take a taxi or uber ?

[@simplegermany]

Hey Gerardo, a) yes, VRR is the best app for most parts of NRW, but it doesn't cover all of NRW. And Rheinbahn is the best app for Düsseldorf. We always use the local apps or Google Maps when we are outside of Düsseldorf. b) no, we are not aware of live tracking of busses or trains. c) usually, if a bus or train is cancelled the transport associations recommends alternatives. If there are no alternatives you can claim money for a taxi, car sharing or more expensive train under certain conditions. You can find specific information on this website: www.mobil.nrw/service/mobigarantie.html. Use Chrome as a browser, do a right click and select translate to English to get the page in English. Hope this helps 😊

[@janam9536]

Even as a German, working for Deutsche Bahn, regional public transport and the different ticket types and fares confuse me…

[@simplegermany]

😲 that’s crazy!

[@ChrisS-cj6xh]

Semestertickets muss man an den meisten Unis kaufen, egal ob man will oder nicht. Die sind im Semesterbeitrag mit drin.

[@luckyqualmi]

Nicht überall. In Stuttgart vor einigen Jahren hat man den Semesterbeitrag gezahlt, aber musste für das Semesterticket nochmal extra zahlen. Das gab es auch nicht an der Uni, sondern man musste zu so nem blöden Servicepoint. Gab gerade zu Semesteranfang ewig lange Schlangen. Der Vorteil war, dass nicht jeder zahlen musste, ob er es nun auch nutzte oder nicht. Der Nachteil war, dass es unglaublich teuer war im Vergleich zu NRW z.B. wo meine Schwester studiert hat.

[@nomirrors3552]

You mentioned that seniors can get a discount. What is considered a "senior" in Germany (or specifically on the Berlin Public Transportation system.)

[@simplegermany]

A senior ticket starts at 65 years for Berlin and the Deutsche Bahn.

[@abalada]

There are however nearly only long term (mostly: yearly) offers for seniors. Thus only of interest for residents.

[@abidshahriar8079]

Hey can you please make a video on how the new Deutchlandsemester ticket will work? Because I am a student of University of Cologne and will soon be starting my classes there and from summer semester they have introduced the Deutchlandsemester ticket but I am not sure how it works. Love your videos btw, helped me a lot.

[@selosch19]

The fact that in germany is also the Schwebebahn in Wuppertal

[@SL-gb8qd]

Please be aware, that Google maps is not reliable for all regions. Some regions cooperate, so there is good data, but in some regions Google maps might show you bus lines that do not exist or wrong time tables. The db app is usually more reliable.

[@ozgeozgun3670]

Today I got in the wrong train( opposite direction of where ı should go) 3 times in Frankfurt😅. I have an university card so its free for me. I'm learning slowly.

[@simplegermany]

Oh nooo! That happened to me so many at the beginning. Was late for work a few times 😅. It’s all part of the process. You’ll get here! 💪🏽 -J

[@akshayanilkumar6253]

Thank you for the informative video and do the DB tickets need to be validated??

[@simplegermany]

The rule of thumb to follow is that if your ticket does not have a date or time printed on it, then you should validate it. If you buy a digital tickets from the DB website or app, they are usually already validated automatically.

[@akshayanilkumar6253]

@@simplegermany thank ypu so much

[@frankfan2763]

Thank you Yvonne and Jen for the comprehensive video! If one would be travelling throughout Germany for like 14 days would it be advisable to get a 14 day Eurail pass? Or single tickets would be more affordable?

[@simplegermany]

You really need to compare prices. It highly depends on how many rides you will be taking and how flexible you want to remain. Also how much time in advance you would book Deutsche Bahn tickets, if you have set travel dates in mind. Plan your itinerary and compare prices vs. convenience we would say 😉

[@abalada]

Depends on your planned itinerary. If you qualify for an Eurail Pass you qualify also for the cheaper German Rail Pass. Which is available as a consecutive pass (x days in a row) or as a flexible pass (x days in the time frame of 1 month). For traveling around in a city or region (local pubic transport association / federal state) the offers there covering all local public transport (regional trains, S-Bahn trains, U-Bahn (metro), trams and buses - but NOT long distance trains) are the cheaper and more flexible option. When traveling longer distance the rail passes are more flexible than discounted point-to-point tickets. The latter are only good for the connection bought for and have to be often bought long in advance to get the best deals. And are not refundable or you only get a voucher minus a handling fee for cancelling. While with a rail pass you can simply hop on and off (nearly) any train in Germany. And you even could change your destination on spot. While this has other issues (accommodation etc.), this enables you however to decide on stopovers or detours at will.

[@leopoldsvotwa5298]

Interesting

[@human_isomer]

The only system in Germany that is worse than tax declaration is public transportation. That's one of the reasons I stopped taking buses or other local transportation when going to another city - I take a taxi instead. Or I drive there myself. The saved PITA of trying to find the right ticket and lines is worth most traffic jams.

[@Earth098]

Brilliant video!! I have a question. In Germany, for regional traveling (for example, daily commute to work), is it more convenient to use a car or rely on public transportation?

[@simplegermany]

That highly depends on where you live and how well the public transport connections are, whether there is parking at your job etc. 😉