The €9 Ticket Report

[@ft4709]

I really enjoyed this mini-series on the 9 Euro ticket. Hope we get to see you taking regional trains all the way to Sylt in the epic season finale.

[@IFCGaming]

That HAS to happen

[@fireskorpion396]

That would probably take a whole day 😬 I can't imagine he would be traveling for less than 15 hours

[@ft4709]

@@fireskorpion396 If everything runs smoothly it’ll take 13 hours and 8 interchanges. Which, surprisingly, isn’t quite as bad as I imagined.

[@fireskorpion396]

@@ft4709 mhm, IF everything runs smoothly... Lol Das ist Wunschdenken !

[@RunawayTrain2502]

From Oberstdorf (in Baden Würrtemberg) to Westerland (Sylt) obviously.

[@UnMirloBlanco]

You took the 11:01 S-Bahn and expected it to be 'packed with urban commuters'? That's even a little late for students 😄

[@soundscape26]

Got myself thinking the same... he travelled outside the rush hour so packed trains and subways would always be very unlikely.

[@val-schaeffer1117]

He is a hard Labour supporter, and wanted an "evidence" that subsidies and freebies "worked". Effectively German Rot Rot Grün Government *good* , Tory Britain *bad*

[@drsnova7313]

You pretty much sum up my feeling about public transport in Germany: It's certainly good enough if you casually want to get from A to B, but I've been burned so many times with cancelled or very late trains when I really depended on them that I simply cannot trust them for most purposes. Like, it may not matter (much) being an hour late to a shopping trip in some city, but it certainly does if you just missed your flight because of it. And planning to arrive 5 hours early to an airport because some ICE could break down for 3 - that's also not exactly a great solution.

[@alexanderkupke920]

It almost seems to be a national sport to complain about public transport and especially Deutsche Bahn. And while, mainly due to cost saving measure they took when privatization was a goal, a lot of things in a way deteriorated over quite some time and they still have to catch up, in general we are complaining about undeniable issues on the level of a, despite those issues, still pretty good public transport system. Just compare it with what public transport is for example the united states outside a few metropolitan areas, especially finding a way to get in and out of more rural areas (within some limits as some of the distances of course simply don´t compare) using public transport.

[@Talashaoriginal]

There is even the statement of a Lufthansa-manager in wich he stated, that they would stop flights within germany if the just could trust the trains to deliver their passengers.

[@Talashaoriginal]

@Elias HeronBons This happens when you let lobbyists of car- and aviationindustries run the Bahn.

[@Talashaoriginal]

@Elias HeronBons Don't know, Mehdorn the first of this series seemed to just hate trains.

[@jelenab6289]

I traveled by trains 1000 times in different European countries. If you exclude Swiss and Dutch trains, all are pretty much horrible and much worse then German. 😂 Polish, Swedish, French, Italian (O God) Czeck, Serbian, Spanish, Portugese, Albanian, Turkish, Greek (Basically no trains in Balkan should be taken 😅)

[@HerrGausF]

I used to commute to Frankfurt for 15 years using the S-Bahn and yes, that was a perfectly normal day. On less normal days (about once per month) entire lines are closed for a variety of amusing reasons and you'll find yourself exploring the countryside jam-packed in a bus or train going roughly the same direction you need to take.

[@trainman2615]

"While this isn't a bad idea on principle, we really need a lot more investment in the network to really get it up to scratch." As someone working for the deutsche bahn who has had way too many sometimes ludicrous arguments with bureaucracy to get those investments, thank you.

[@Wandgrab]

Der Deutsche jammert rum, bisher muss man aber sagen: 9€-Ticket? Läuft. Und macht Spaß.

[@cebillon]

Mit 3 einfachen Fahrten in der Stadt einfach hab ich schon einen guten Schnitt gemacht, weil die würden bereist 10,80 € kosten ;)

[@heinzk023]

Läuft? Halt so gut, wie die Deutsche Bahn funktioniert.

[@generichumanname2420]

Versuch mal mit dem RB nach Berlin oder aus Berlin raus zu kommen. Komplett überfüllt und ständige Verspätungen weil der Zug warum auch immer nicht weiter kann.

[@cebillon]

@@generichumanname2420 Das Problem an Berlin ist, dass da halt mehr Menschen leben, als bei Ihm im Ort. Ich war gestern in Würzburg mit dem RE es war gut gefüllt und wieder zurück war es auch erträglich.

[@ArfurFaulkesHake]

Just a minor nitpick. In the Subtitles for Hanau Hauptbahnhof is a typo. It says "Haputbahnhof". Shouldn't there be a K instead of an H at the beginning of the word? :p

[@kanalkanna]

And another t

[@ArfurFaulkesHake]

@@kanalkanna stimmt

[@digitaleswerken]

Isn't it time for a Rewboss groupie meeting in Summer? With entry only for people with a valid 9€ ticket?

[@Bluscream]

I would attend ^^

[@sisuguillam5109]

Yes, please!

[@ThamiorSilberdrache]

My experience in Stuttgart throughout the last two days was that there was some crowding at certain points of Stuttgart. For example on Wednesday when I drove to work, the S-Bahn I took got fairly overcrowded on Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof but at Stadtmitte, which is only one station away and, in my opinion, in walking distance, most people got out again so that it was just a little more than normal. On my ride back home the S-Bahn got a little crowded again at Hauptbahnhof but most people were gone five stations later. Today I drove to Ludwigsburg and I entered the S-Bahn at Hauptbahnhof on the very last door. There was absolutely no crwoding at all. In fact I had a group of four seats for me alone. But obviously that wasn't the case for the whole train. The driver was complaining "Look, especially for you today we are running a 200 meters long train with 36 doors. Maybe some of you may like cuddling or don't mind delays, but I highly recommend not all of you trying to enter through the same door. I have time, but I'm sure some of you have to get to work, so please don't repeat that and start using the other doors in the future." So it seems there has been quite a bunch of people who were using the S-Bahn for the first time... I think I'm going to establish the phrase "9-Euro-Anfänger" (9-Euro-beginners) for those people. ^^

[@vornamenachname5589]

Das Video ist besser als alle Reportagen über das 9€-Ticket im Fernsehen.

[@holidayknife]

I can confirm your experience, Rewboss. I had 5 bus trips and 2 RE trips in the Mainz-Wiesbaden area since Wednesday and it was not more crowded than usually.

[@jimmyincredible3141]

Came back from holiday to Munich airport on tuesday - the first time my tendency to help non-germans buy a ticket to get into Munich didn't cost me an hour at the ticket machine :D Press here, pay 9€, write your name on the line, only use red trains ... I love the ticket, just hope our car will still work after not being moved for 3 months

[@Marenthyu]

Having been to some places outside germany recently, i must admit: I appreciate Berlin's tight ÖPNV-Network a whole lot more now.

[@xaverlustig3581]

The network is good, the service is bad.

[@Marenthyu]

@@xaverlustig3581 i politely disagree, partially: 1) I don't remember when I last had a delay on my daily commute (S-Bahn+U-Bahn) 2) Ticket checks happen somewhat regularly and the personnel is friendly 3) Trains go regularly enough that it doesn't matter if i miss a train or two (because i can't get my lazy ass out of bed) 4) There are a lot of stations all around the place, so you usually are not more than a 5-minute walk away from the next station 5) customer support (via Twitter) is always friendly and responds quickly 6) Bus drivers have in the past helped me with questions as well as recovering lost items and they assist wheelchair-bound people get on and off Where i will agree that "service is bad" is with buses: They regularly run 15 Minutes late/early whilst on a 20-Minute cycle, which in itself feels too rarely, but having lived in other places where the only public transport goes every 2 hours, complaining about a 20-minute schedule feels very snobby. These Bus delays is why i switched my commute to S/U-Bahn - but the fact that I am able to choose my transport vehicle already is a sign of a good network/service, in my opinion.

[@Marenthyu]

(Your mileage may vary, this is just my experience after having lived in Berlin for about 2 years)

[@IGMD80]

@@xaverlustig3581 Berlin public transport is definitely top-tier in Europe (but low-tier compared to several asian capitals), in particular in the last few years I saw a huge drop in service quality, S-Bahn has become more and more unreliable and U-Bahn is... Disgusting at best.

[@xaverlustig3581]

@@Marenthyu 1. I can't remember my last ride without delay. 3. Welcome to the Regionalbahn which runs every 60 minutes or less on some services. 4. That is true for the inner city, but not in area B, much less C or even beyond 6. While there are some nice drivers, a lot of them are incompetent, indifferent or both - especially in the case of delays, which they are not trained to handle, and quite often cause.

[@andreabartels3176]

I used my 9€-Ticket on Saturday, 4th of June, for a daytrip from Holzminden to Hannover. Startet at 7:58 in the morning, changed trains in Kreiensen and arrived at ca. 9:40 in Hannover. Pretty early, trains were not overcrowded. Started my return around 16:00, now the Metronom from Hannover to Göttingen via Kreiensen was incredibly full. The bus from Kreiensen to Holzminden was almost empty.

[@torstenw4072]

My first comment here: I live in the northern german countryside and I never knew that Germany has such a brillant public transport system....here the bus to next town is in morning and evening!

[@Andreas-du7eg]

I agree with your bottom line. At the latest when my planned train is canceled at short notice, I would have had enough. Not everyone lives in a town with a train station, I live in a village with a bus stop. There is a bus in the morning and also in the evening (unless there are school holidays; by the way, it is assumed that you know the school holiday schedule by heart). Here you are in a fix without your own vehicle. I will not buy a €9 ticket because it is of no use to me. My friend lives in a small town with a train station. To get to the next middle center you have to go down the stairs to the underpass in the train station, through the ugly, smelly tunnel and up again on the other side. Impossible for wheelchair users, my friend finds it very difficult to heave the pram with her baby down the stairs and up the stairs. There is no elevator.

[@fireskorpion396]

Usually there would be another underpass or rail crossing for cars relatively close by, that should be the best option with a pram. Because you don't have to switch platforms quickly if there's only one train running in two directions.

[@konstantinoselec1491]

You should come to Luxembourg at some point! Public transport has been free for 2 years, and that includes ALL trains as well. The rail tracks along the Moselle river also give a very nice view when exiting Germany from the west.

[@JacanaProductions]

Can’t wait to get my ticket - will be there tomorrow!

[@Arcturus367]

Ich bin 5 Jahre von Kahl in die Frankfurter Innenstadt gependelt mit RE, S und U-Bahn. Was du zeigst, ist völlig normal für diese Strecken. Deswegen immer mit der App die aktuellen Verspätungen aller alternativen Routen im Blick halten und bei Bedarf spontan umplanen.

[@EppelheimTV]

Sehr gutes Video! Ich stimme dir vollkommen zu, dass einige Leute eher abgeschreckt als angelockt werden, insbesondere da die Leute, welche bisher immer ihr Auto genutzt haben, die Bahn kritischer sehen und somit empfindlicher auf Ausfälle und Verspätungen reagieren. Mein Neffe und seine Familie sind mal mit dem Zug nach Hamburg und zurück gefahren. Auf der Rückreise saßen sie stundenlang in Frankfurt fest, weil die DB keine Infos herausgab, und am Ende fuhren keine Züge mehr, da es sehr spät abends war. Sie mussten somit zum Flughafen fahren, um sich dort ein Mietauto zu leihen. Und bei jedem Familientreffen erzählen sie immer: "Mit der Bahn fahren? Niemals! Nie mehr im Leben!"

[@muellerhans]

Würden die also auch kein Auto mehr fahren, wenn die mal mehrere Stunden im Stau stehen würden? Das ist eigentlich noch schlimmer als Bahnen, die nicht fahren: Man ist irgendwo auf ner Straße und kann wegen des Autos sich nicht mal eben wegbewegen. Wenn Bahnen ausfallen ist man schlimmstenfalls nur in nem fremden Ort, hat dort jedoch volle Bewegungsfreiheit.

[@PatrikKron]

@@muellerhans Sometimes you get completely stuck in traffic, but most of the time you can take another road instead and you have the AC of the car (instead of a sometimes way to hot or way to cold train). The other benefit with he car is when the traffic starts moving again, you can drive the car to the destination, instead of being stuck changing mode of transport, missing a connecting train/buss. That being said, commuting between two cities where I'm able to walk from the train station to the final destination, I don't find it much of a problem, most of the time, so long that I'm continuosly informed on how long we expect to wait, and whenever the estimate is changed. And as long as the AC is still working.

[@SvenMolhuijsen1]

As someone from the Netherlands, I really like this deal, it gives me the opportunity to visit all my friends in NRW. But damn, you Germans really need to invest to get that punctuality up to scratch. Had way to much delays while traveling through Germany. And your train might run faster. But that doesn't mean much if every train is 15-30 mins late.

[@TheSandkastenverbot]

I'm German and you're absolutely right

[@awesomo9262]

Yes agreed the deutsche Bahn is a shitshow its a shame

[@realhawaii5o]

I'm really enjoying it. I flew in recently to Luxemburg and used it to go to Trier and then Saarbrücken. Been using it a lot for local transport (bus, tram) and regional trains. It's perfect. So affordable!

[@chckzchck]

Just got back from Germany trip in week ago. Thanks for your previous videos that introduce to the Germany transportation. I learned a lot before I started my trip. Thanks!

[@NikolausUndRupprecht]

I commute from Cologne to Düsseldorf and I can confirm that the local trains weren’t overcrowded on the first two days either.

[@lonestarr1490]

That's hardly a surprise, I'd say. People from Cologne won't go anywhere near Düsseldorf if they're offered the choice to cut off a limb instead.

[@bahnspotterEU]

@@lonestarr1490 If you rode the trains between the two cities, you'd know that that's false.

[@lonestarr1490]

@@bahnspotterEU And I don't know what you have to do in order to learn how to identify jokes.

[@ppd3bw]

@@lonestarr1490 LOL :-)

[@alihorda]

I commute from Düsseldorf to Duisburg and I can confirm, trains still get delayed or don't even show up. at least I pay 9 and not 100+ € to get fucked over lol

[@goebelmasse]

I used public transport yesterday in Hannover, and yes, it was like public transport in Hannover with slightly more crowded U-bahns (we have Hannover Fair at the moment und some 70.000ish more passengers on the line I had to use), but far away from any chaos. I had to change at Hannover Hauptbahnhof, and it was as busy as every day at 6 o'clock in the evening. It's a big transfer station in northern Germany, and we have Hannover Fair. Ik ben overgestapt op de tram… oh sorry, that's Dutch… I changed to the tram in the direction of Linden/Limmer/Ahlem. The rear exit of the main station was ugly as ever. But there was no chaos. Later that evening, so around 9 o'clock, I missed my tram and took a bus to the main station. Later that evening, I missed my tram and took a bus to the main station. It was full, but not overcrowded. Still no signs of chaos. The most unusual event was me explaining in English to a guest at the fair where to eat well and reasonably cheaply in the city centre, which somewhat overtaxed my vocabulary. (Max Walloschke at the Steintor, good, very hearty German cuisine, huge portions.) Next time, however, I will take the bicycle again for this route, it is faster and also more pleasant when it is not raining.

[@nuvaboy]

The recommendation will come in very handy

[@Bearleena]

I christened my 9 euro ticket yesterday with a few journeys in Berlin that involved the bus, tram, U-Bahn and S-Bahn. Everything was utterly normal. The big transport hubs like Hauptbahnhof were obviously busy, but that’s always the case in the daytime (apart from during a lockdown). Most delays in the Berlin transport network are due to either scheduled repair work (generally evenings and weekends) or what is euphemistically called a Notarzteinsatz. Apart from that it works pretty well. DB is a totally different kettle of fish, of course. It’s capable of an astonishing level of screw-up.

[@lik7953]

My thought is that people who normally use the trains just use it, thus no substantial increase in crowds. People who drive likely have a reason they don’t use the trains (whether be they don’t like it or they can’t use it for a reason). And foreigners aren’t intentionally booking flights to Germany just to experience the 9 euro ticket.

[@toranshaw4029]

In my experience trains in Germany were pretty good, on the whole, though there were a few occasions they weren't. I wouldn't mind seeing more of this type of video, where you explore the public transport network in various parts of Germany. 🙂

[@simsandsurgery1]

I always tell people who ask about German trains, the system works like magic until something goes wrong. Then it doesn’t matter what went wrong or where, whatever it was, the whole thing is f’ed for 12-24 hours. 😂

[@toranshaw4029]

@@simsandsurgery1 yes, like the time I missed a flight, from the old Tegel, due to the train I was on having to take a major diversion... even though I left with plenty of time!

[@danroro1722]

@@toranshaw4029, it is also possible to miss a flight because of delays and congestion on the road on your way to the airport with your own car. It happened to me 🚕🚗🚜🚛 🏗🚜... 😱

[@waggawagga3541]

Very Informative ! Thx

[@klobiforpresident2254]

I currently am on the 07:30 RE from Frankfurt to Würzburg which halls in Aschaffenburg at 08:17. That reminded me of this video. The train is definitely filled. Every seat is taken and one or two stand. It's not overflowing. Not being from here I don't know what it otherwise is like.

[@knownothing5518]

Yesterday, (Thursday the 2nd of June, for anybody reading this much later) I took the IRE1 from Stuttgart to Karlsruhe and back. The to service was quite in demand, but it was fine, really. Besides two smokers in the other car, prompting a 13 minute delay at Pforzheim Hauptbahnhof since the federal police had to remove them. Then on the way back, (departure at Karlsruhe planned at maybe 16:33, delayed quite a bit due to people stuffing themselved in constantly and doors not being closed all at once, meaning no departure) more and more people tried to get on an already full train. Eventually, the driver told people not to embark and several times he had to tell people who did embark to disembark because the overweight signal in the controller's cabin was chiming and the train wouldn't move until the excess weight was removed. You could feel it every time the vehicle had stopped at a station: it was a struggle to accelerate. Naturally, we arrived late. And then we also learned that the train on the return trip had one car less than usual. Well, not really a car, two coupled multiple units. Normally it's three or something. I know somebody that takes trains every weekend and trains arriving with reduced capacity compared to normal levels when demand is especially high (peak hours, for example) seems to be a pattern irrespective of which operator runs the trains.

[@HyperDaveUK]

Thanks for creating this. It was great to see your personal experience.

[@alexbutler9343]

I would definitely watch more of you taking public transit!

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

I doubt there was much traffic at 10 am on a workday (guessing the time from the departure screen) I suppose there is more either on the weekend or during commuter hours.

[@vincentstuer]

DB had a bad day but they seem to have those often, DB is kinda known for having massive delays on their trains here in the Netherlands (so the ic Berlin-Amsterdam and the ice services) sometimes even upto 3 hours

[@renefras2874]

Can you make a video explaining the difference between u-bahn, S-bahn and regular (regional) trains?

[@Frankfurtdabezzzt]

Yesterday was quite a mess. I just wanted to get to Darmstadt from Frankfurt, which takes 17 minutes with the quickest train from the Hauptbahnhof. It actually took me 1 hour and 20 minutes. Same story on the way back. But to be fair, it was a Friday before a long weekend, so a lot oft people were traveling.

[@FoxyVulpes]

Now that you've the 9€ ticket, you can try to get to Trier, and come over to Luxembourg to try the 0€ ticket, valid everywhere, no exceptions who runs the service (the only exception: first class in trains costs something: 6€ for the whole day, everywhere)

[@PlittHD]

Well if you walk from one end of the train to the other you are already out of the country anyways

[@noobster4779]

The Luxembourg ticket of 0€ * paid for by stealing everybody elses tax money to allow corporations to hide their european taxable income in Luxembourg for a small fee to Luxembourg. Its like Pablo Escobar boosting how many homes for the poor he build in Columbia....with drug money...or Belgium boosting how luxurios their royal palace is...paid for by slave labout and mass muder in the congo.... Nothing to be proud about how Luxembourg "pays" for its nice things eather

[@alparslanesmer4251]

It looks to be an efficient network. Just come to Washington DC and wait for your subway train for close to 30 minutes. You may have to leave your home some 30 minutes to an hour earlier to make it to your destination on time.

[@DanMAD]

As someone who soon will be relocating to Germany, this video helped alleviate some of my fear. I've visited Germany before and I always found the complaints about public transport a bit weird, coming from a country where the system is crap. Still I can understand why some feel like if it can go better, it should try do to so.

[@nmpls]

I've been in Berlin, bremen/hannover, and now NRW, and I can say the REs have been jam packed. The S-bahns and u/trams have been pretty ok though.

[@sonnenscheinspottingdeutsc5934]

I have a normal ticket from the 'Verkehrsverbund' in my area and the amazing thing about it:Because of the 9-Euro Ticket,it costs poer Month from 40€ only 9€ to the last 9€ ticket month and i can drive in all of Germany and not only a region in a 'Bundesland'.Just one downside:No bikes are allowed and all trains are fuller than full.Also greetings from Germany

[@val-schaeffer1117]

I have lived in Frankfurt for long 11 years. Initially studied in Goethe Uni, then worked in Banking sector. Frankfurt has over time declined into a massive hellhole. Trains are packed like sardines, housing prices skyrocketed, neighborhoods ghettoized and segregated along ethnic lines (migrant dominated West, upper-middle class German dominated centre and East). Entirely Western half of the city served by barely 4 suburban stations, and NO U-Bahn (light rail) at all.

[@adaadena7291]

For me it seems like the commuter trains get crowded at rush hour (as they where befor the ticket too) I used the ticket to my full advantage and visited a friend on the other side of Germany. And yes on my way there I missed one train cause it was overcrowded but that one was due to the train that was derailed during morning shunting. On the way back I had an 8hour train ride with 3 transfers and I had a seat partner for only 2 of the 8 hours. I just plan my train rides with the rush hour times in mind and have my train ride survival pack with me: Over ear headphones against noisy people, water and food in case of being stuck somewhere, a power bank in case I dont get one of the conveted seats with an outlet, my phone and for really long rides a book. The most important thing is though to be relaxed and be ready for delays or cancelled trains it happens. Sometimes it really is the fault of the operating company (like the shunting accident). Sometimes its accidents, bad weather conditions , rowdy passengers or sadly people having taking their own life on the rails. People sometimes seem to have higher expectations of trains than cars but sometimes it just like being stuck in a traffic jam. I always tell the people I am visiting Ill be there at that time + any delays that might exists so I will call you when there is a change. I am an avid train traveler though and back in the days when the "Schöner Wochendend-ticket" only cost 29 euro for a single person I used it once month to visit my brother a six hour train ride away. SO I know how to handle the stuff and I DONT have kids with me.

[@Sporadic_Si]

It may not encourage more people to travel but it is in theory an amazing initiative by the government. I would in fact suggest a brave move. I could not imagine the UK government ever suggesting such thing. Like you state though, the DB is pretty good. The trains are taller, many double decker and have better capacity. Overall a much better experience at least for the tourist. I have travelled quite a bit in and around Frankfurt, Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony and more. I have nothing but praise for the networks ( Most of the time ) - There was this one time when catching a train from Koblenz...

[@schwarzalben88]

were having the same problem with our trains here. Most train operators have introduced special reduced timetables ( blaming Covid 19 and staff sicknedss) Where I live is supposed to have an hourly service and this has been cut to basically 2 hourfy and the last eastbound train has been replaced by a bus which takes 3 hours to complete a journey which the train does in 1 hour 40 minutes.

[@fedde7232]

I’d suggest you try this in the weekends because more people have time then

[@ppd3bw]

Heavily frequented commuter routes will handle a few extra tourists easily, but routes to typical holiday destinations might be more crucial. On the Whitsunday holiday weekend crowded trains are reported, but still far from "chaos" it seems.

[@ajfrostx]

I travelled on my local line today (2nd of June) which is usually very tourist-y (Schwarzwaldbahn) and can't say I saw many more people than usual. Next time I'm travelling is this weekend - so I guess this will be a true test (and I'm myself only travelling because of 9€ ticket). Then again, this is the line that had reduced services for most of 2022 so far (only 50% of trains) due to a succession of excuses from DB (first it was Omicron wave, despite having no train cancellations at all before the introduction of the reduced timetable; and then unspecified "train issues") - and they only restored normal services this week. Perhaps this scared people away.

[@gabbyn978]

When I was studying in (West) Berlin in the 1980ies, I chose to use the bike in the summer season, because the bus that would take me to the Free university was horrible. First, it went every 12 Minutes which was decent. than they elongated the intervals to 15 minutes, and finally 20. Also, it was a rather old series they used for that line. The result was that in the end it was crammed, and on one really bad winter evening, I waited for the bus and waited, and waited, and then all three came along, with two passing because they were overcrowded, and actually the third one was it, too. This was the time when Thatcher politics were all the rage in West Germany, and this was the result. My small home town also nearly lost its tiny line, until somehow they managed to obtain the (darn, what is the proper term?) - well they bid for running the country flower and gardening show, and got it. This meant a refurbishment for the line, and electrification (actually, a few years later), and now this line is in a much better condition. Before, it was all old wagons with diesel locomotives, now it is nearly urban. Actually, it *is* urban. You should do a video on the network that started down in Karlsruhe and initially just was meant to unify city trams and rural trains, yet turned into something that is by now reaching across a good part of northern Baden-Württemberg. The most interesting part of it is, that the vehicles can easily switch from being a train to being a tram, and you barely notice it. It is an amazing feature made possible by modern technology.

[@immerunterwegs4054]

I will go to Frankfurt today. I do not live that far away but we like to go to Mainz as it is nearer and the ticket is already expensive enough. But today I finally will be able to test my hessische roots on a Kneipentour!

[@sisuguillam5109]

Hoffe Du hattest Spaß!

[@hubi0079]

Ich mache dann auch mal meinen Report. Ich fahre zur Arbeit und zurück über 2 Zonen seit mehreren Jahren. Das Monatsticket kostet dieses Jahr 82€ und ich spare durch diese Aktion 73€ im Monat zur gesamt Ersparnis von 219€. Soviel zum Guten und nun der interressante Part. Ich wohne wo andere Urlaub machen und habe in den 2 Tagen bisher keinen Unterschied am Personenverkehr gesehen. Es wird saisongbedingt schnell mehr werden, aber ich erwarte keine übertriebenen Anstürme selbst in der Urlaubszeit. Aus meiner Sicht ist vieles nur Panikmache um entweder als politische Opposition Stunk zu machen, oder irgendeine mir nicht bekannte politische Agenda voranzubringen. Gab es nicht schon immer alle paar Jahre eine Debatte darüber das arme Leute nicht auf bestimmte Nord und Ostseeinseln dürfen sollen was ja scheinbar auch ein Hauptthema in dieser "hilfe, hilfe Personen mit Busticket überrennen unsere Inseln" Debatte ist. Musste ich einmal alles mal gesagt haben. Bleib gesund und froh rewboss.

[@SomePotato]

Ich finde es schon ziemlich witzig, wie 10 Punks in einer Fußgängerzone es in jede Zeitung und ins Fernsehen schaffen.

[@docugraf]

6:55 school holidays are not nation wide, they depend on the 16 federal states. but there are some german wide holidays for all people

[@mix3k818]

6:16 Seems like a usual day on the polish rail as well.

[@bananenmusli2769]

Really interesting video. I am motivated now to explore some cities with the 9€ Ticket

[@kevinniehaus5618]

Direkt am 2. Tag bin ich von Oldenburg via Bremen und Hamburg nach Berlin und weiter nach Frankfurt Oder gefahren und zurück zwei Tage später via Magdeburg und Hannover. Das Ticket ist echt super. 🙂 Aktuell plane ich eine 2 Wochen Rundreise durch Deutschland + Ausland, denn das Ticket bringt ja auch den Vorteil, dass z.B. Fernbus Tickets ab Grenzregionen günstiger sind. So würde ich von Oldenburg nach Paris im FlixBus 45 Euro zahlen, ab Köln gibts Tickets ab 18 Euro. Hotels werde ich aber nur spontan buchen, denn bei der Bahn weiß man ja nie ob sie fährt oder nicht. 😂🙈

[@joostbuitenhuis714]

I got a delay of 3 hours travelling from Cologne to Mainz, (my full journey was from The Netherlands to Offenburg) my RE5 train to Koblenz was 50 minutes delayed and randomly ended at Sinzig. The next RE5 was also 25 minutes late but was completely full. The RB26 from 5 minutes later didn't go any further than Urmitz, from where we had to hitchhike to Koblenz. Now on 2,5 hours delay. The next RB26 ended at Bacharach, and the next RE2 to Mainz was 30 minutes late....had to buy a 22€ ticket for the ICE from Mannheim to Karlsruhe to be somewhat in time in Offenburg. Ended up being 2 hours and 15 minutes late, just in time to check in at my hotel

[@Danny30011980]

MY granny said she was not gonna use any trains then as she was afraid the trains would be overly crowded, but looks normal traffic wise on your video. The Hauptbahnhof is always buzzing and so is the S9.

[@karlwiklund2108]

I'll wait for the long weekend, and see what happens.

[@liamtahaney713]

We scheduled a visit to Cologne/Bonn/Dusseldorf this month, definitely in part since we knew how cheap the transit was. But yeah, were just some tourists from Belgium

[@MikeGill87]

Never really travelled throughout Germany by train before August 2022 (with the 8 eur ticket, of course) and I've seen quite a few cancelled trains, especially in Bavaria. Sight unseen in my country (Czech Rep.). Over here trains always get to their destination, even with a delay in hundreds of minutes.

[@YPOC]

All I can say about the state of DB is that in 2022 there will be a total of 1.9 bn € invested into new rail construction and expansion, in comparison to 3.2 bn € for only 3 months of fuel discount.

[@fionafiona1146]

Disappointing

[@xaverlustig3581]

It's not a discount, just a temporary relief from the ridiculous green taxes. And it's not just drivers who benefit, but everyone. Part of the reason why prices for food and other consumer goods are going up is rising fuel prices for the lorries that get them to you, which again is due to green taxes and "embargo".

[@SomePotato]

@@xaverlustig3581 It's a Putinsoli.

[@elsanti9706]

You have to try it on a saturday at 10am

[@holygooff]

Whoops I used the ticket already in the last week of May. It was sold in ticket distributors in the Berlin U Bahn. I used it on U- and S-bahn and a local train. I was never controlled, so I could have driven without paying anyway.

[@evilrslade]

I think the real test will come when the Schools are done for the summer and the Holiday season begins. I'm not sure it will affect commuters too much. The DB isn't perfect but compared to the UK it's amazing. That branch line you were first on would have been closed years ago in the UK as "Not cost effective"

[@rewboss]

The "Beeching Axe" -- always my answer to Germans complaining that so many branch lines in Germany have closed down.

[@amtorraziert]

I take the mainline train on the same route into Aschaffenburg every day and I have to say the Aschaffenburg bound mainline trains, especially HLB trains, are usually still pretty empty in the morning. The Frankfurt bound trains, more so the ones terminating in Bamberg, are the ones that got flooded as a result of the 9 euro ticket.

[@TekindusT]

Watching this on Pfingstmontag evening and according to my own reporting, the situation in the Aachen-Cologne axis has been absolute pandemonium during the whole long weekend. 9€ ticket + holidays + with construction works on the tracks at Cologne Hbf = disaster. Saturday early evening I even had to pay for an ICE ticket to make it back to Aachen Hbf because the regionals would be just too packed and we were carrying plenty of Ikea stuff.

[@sarielle85]

So it isn't very different now to what it was like before. Could have been worse, the air conditioning/ventilation could have been out of order.

[@PlittHD]

I am just disappointed that a popular tourist attraction near Emskirchen (Das schreiende Haus) has closed at the beginning of this year. Would have been a perfect destionation for many.

[@BlueSkyEntertaiment]

Really sad. Maybe i will go there to see the ruins

[@wookie2222]

Deutsche Bahn has only bad days on days that end with an y. And yes, public transport in Germany is OK-ish but needs some more investment. The only problem is, that theese bottlenecks like the tunnel in FFM exist nearly everywhere and that more investment just will end in new painted tunnels, instead of new ones, since the whole system has been underfundet now for decades.

[@pottingsoil]

Loved the video and sorry to hear about the problems you had. On a different topic when will we get a face reveal?

[@solongsofa]

I love watching your videos. We are going to Berlin in August and hope to use the €9 ticket, so I hope it's not too chaotic! :) We are also visiting Sankt Goarshausen next year. Haven't been in about 30 years. Do you think it's worth us taking the trip to Mainz or Heidelberg while we are there?

[@bennythegoldie]

I come from Strötzbach and I have to say that it was so quiet bothered me too😀👍

[@geogecko137]

So, I totally agree with you that this whole 9€ madness might backfire way more than previously anticipated. I took the RB82 from Kassel to Göttingen and it was insanely full compared to usual times, same with the RE30 to Frankfurt, I never had any problems finding a seat. The Hbf is absolutely overcrowded in Göttingen and Hannover as well. The Metronom lines are also very full. A lot of crazy people arguing in the trains about people not wearing masks or eating etc. The Schaffner seemed also a bit überfordert mit der Situation xD 10 minutes delay on RB82, 49 minutes delay for 2 REs. I mean...maybe the 1st of June probably wasn't the most representable day lol. But thank you very much for your video! I love this series :)

[@carstenmoller2248]

They should have called the Bundespolizei in order to remove the not masked passengers. Its still the law.

[@lw7108]

Glaube das ist ein Sturm im Wasserglas. Bei uns ist alles normal. Eine Fernreise mit Fahrrad ist vermutlich ein riskantes Unverfangen, aber das war in "normalen" Zeiten nicht anders. Jedenfalls habe ich mich schon einmal mit Fahrrad in den Eingangsbereich eines Uralt-REs gequetscht (Zwei-Stunden-Takt und Gruppenticket), unter ausdrücklicher Untersagung des Zugbegleiter*in. Dass ich nicht rausgeworfen wurde, war vermutlich ausschließlich dem Umstand geschuldet, dass sie/er/divers fertig war mit den Nerven.

[@jamesharrison2374]

Looked like a fun outing. Does not look as crowded as when I lived there in to 80’s-90’s. Saw the ticket offer and wish I could visit again sometime soon, but with the crazy world it will be a year or more before seeing friends and family again. Food in Frankfurt for me would be a street vendor curry wurst and Pommes, Dönner, or something from a bakery, all things I can’t eat in the USA sadly.

[@mtrmotrio3963]

When i travelled at Pfingsten Weekend, there were dealys up to 90 minutes on RE trains in the Berlin area and a lot of confused tourists, which had trouble going to the airport because of the delays.

[@bbpetrov]

Yes, there is overcrowded trains everytime of the year, they cancel trains without notice, there is delays almost always caused by constructions and I am happy that I found an apartment close enough to work so I travel with a bicycle. To the 9 Euro ticket I can say only 'Greetings to Deutche Bahn for their best decision ever to make the price equal to the quality of the service'! Greetings from Hamburg!

[@Peaceful_Rayne]

It was completely necessary!

[@gridvid]

You should repeat this now. It's packed full everywhere

[@champy5095]

ut us probably just the reporters that are crowding the trains

[@JanMichalSzulew]

A receptionist in Cologne told me her commute to work from Düsseldorf took 3 hours on Saturday. Her RE train was delayed by 1 hour and when it finally came it was so full she was not allowed to board. Could have something to do with Pfingstwochenende. I'll be traveling from Dü to Cuxhaven on Wednesday, we'll see how that goes.

[@christopherx7428]

I used the 9 euro ticket both in June, July and August (1 week/month) as a tourist to Germany and only on the odd occasion found the train packed. I did normally travel around 2-3 in the afternoon, so I avoided any commuter traffic.

[@13Luk6iul]

I think the crowds on this weekend also tell us, that a main reason, Germans often don‘t take public transport, is the price. Which is quite sad i think

[@natanlieds4468]

RE Saarbrücken to Mannheim, last Friday (03.06) around 10:00 was overly crowded. People even gave up trying to board the train on intermediate stations like KL. I daily commute between SB and KL, I always have a seat to sit down and work, not this time, and this is directly correlated with the 9€ ticket. I still think this ticket is a great thing.

[@fireskorpion396]

Was in Frankfurt today (Saturday afternoon) and it was unusually busy in my opinion.

[@MrDainemudda]

In central Europe, German public transport is only better than Polands, maybe equal to Belgium. Every other neighbor state has better pricing, punctuality, comfort, employees, etc.. The DB also pretty much systematically breaks every perceived German value - no wonder Intercity buses took off so spectacularly, that they now pretty much dominate the whole European market.

[@simonsinaga6078]

Hi Can I use 9-Euro ticket on RE train from Arnhem Centraal (netherlands border) to Dusseldorf ?

[@Alexx120493]

During the long whitsun weekend it was terrible in Hamburg. Police had to clear trains and platforms because they were absolutely overcrowded and there was the real danger of people being pushed onto the tracks.

[@shipstuffandwhatnot]

6:50 due soon? im already in the school holidays!

[@timowagner1329]

You, my brother, are the perfect person to tell _this story_ regarding the passing cargo train at the S-Bahn-Station: I live in the Rhein-Main-Region as well. I use the S6 frequently. I was at one of the most used stations on the line outside of Frankfurt. It was 7.30 in the morning, peak for commuters. My train was delayed as it always is for 5-10mins. Sometimes more, sometimes cancellations for a whole day. It uses the only rail connection from Frankfurt to the north, so much shit uses it. Anyways, my train was delayed further 10mins, and an overtaking train was announced. The overtaking train was a long ass loud rusty pile of shit _fluid cargo_ train driven by the most disgusting locomotives in stock. It overtook at a passenger station driving comperatively slow (40km/h). Some cargo trains do that at 80.... And I look at it and it burns. Literally, the train burnt. Not the full train but one coach(?) of the chemical tanks destined to a chemical industry part in Frankfurt, Chemiepark Höchst. The wheelcage and lower part of the tank was burning (maybe from braking and causing sparks that lit grease/grime on the transmission rod or hydraulic braking fluid?) and it smelled awful. I looked at the warning signs on the train and searched for the numbers, it was some highly toxic and highly flammable shit, some primary chemical ingredient... A burning chemical train passed a crowded commuter station at peak usage. I wanted to call the firebrigade (i know some of them could have helped them deal with it quite fast) but i guestimated that the line would be closed for 2 days... Also, the trained stop shortly behind the station and the driver was walking to the coach. Standing still, it still smoked quite black and strong. Idk what the driver did/ the wind / the burning mass etc., But when my train finally passed through, I saw the fire was extinguished and the driver was walking back to his seat. So yea, thats new... Did you notice an increase in cargo trains during the day on commuter routes in the last 5-10 years? Either they deregulated something or the usage increased extensively or I am just getting old.

[@Gerrie_de_B.]

We used the ticket that same weekend in Berlin, nothing overcrowded. Perfect solution of the German government.

[@pathfinderproject9381]

I really like your content. thanks!

[@xerlmx]

the most used transportation routs are the RE, IRE and RB trains that are connecting different Bundesländer... Many people including me switched from ICE, EC, IC or TGV trains to the includet Redio Trains...

[@IGMD80]

German trains are nice and clean and stations are reasonally safe, problem is that infrastructure they run on is quite old and overcrowded. And it's not exactly a piece of cake to build new railways in Germany. Only land purchase may take decades. I think this is the most important thing it should be worked on.

[@蜜蜂-p4h]

I had a terrible time this weekend. Wasn't able to get on a train due to overcrowding after it had already been delayed by over 30 minutes. And two 4 hour trips turned into two 7 hour trips.

[@sirenity8839]

Just came back from the uk. First time i used the train. London-york. Went to see the railway museum. Uk is a train country thru and thru 🎉

[@Dave_Sisson]

Thanks for an interesting video, but it would have been nice if you included a map for those of us who don't know the area well, so we can understand the route you took and the different transport options available.

[@redakteur3613]

come to Cologne/Bonn. You’ll see what is 9€ Ticket. There are so much people that some trains and busses brake during commute, while the roads are absolutely empty

[@SomePotato]

Looks pretty normal in Cologne, I must say.

[@philalex4811]

In Hamburgs outskirts the S2 and S21 mainly drives every ten minutes in conjunktion it would be even less minutes at least in the main travel times its a blast to me that you had to wait 28 minutes for an S-bahn

[@seneca983]

Shouldn't you have gone to Sylt?

[@Wouter_Grtsn]

Can you make a video to explain where which Face Mask has to be ware per state, please? At least in June. Because in this video I see you not wearing one on the stations.

[@rewboss]

At the moment, masks are required in buses and trains, but not in stations.

[@silentwilly2983]

I imagine the issues will arise during the weekend. On weekdays people tend to be busy with work etc.