Why German Public Transport Is "Special" | Germany In A Nutshell

[@dweuromaxx]

What is public transport like in your country? 🚋

[@themanwnoname3454]

2022(Gregorian) “Respect and dignity.” Furthermore:

[@themanwnoname3454]

🇲🇨✌️

[@hendrikdependrik1891]

It used to be somewhat okay in the Netherlands, but it is deteriorating fast. Especially the train network.

[@vladmarcu6197]

Amazing public transport in Denmark 🇩🇰 In time and good interconected. Makes you not use the car. One travelling card that can be used in all the country.

[@arungmeda5940]

Shitty one in here in Indonesia. It seems we have to buy car/motorcycle to travel far (and we usually travel far)

[@gingersnap265]

Coming from Ohio, USA my life was totally CHANGED when I moved to Berlin and suddenly had access to well-connected public transportation. As much as I can complain about it being late or construction works, I am so thankful just to have the possibility to easily navigate without having to own and drive a car (especially in a big city 😅). I really think it is a great equalizer, when we all have equal chance to get to a job interview or to the doctor we need. I would truly miss public transportation if I ever left.

[@dweuromaxx]

We love to hear it, Hallie! :)

[@gareginasatryan6761]

major US cities also have subways. Major issue is the South and California. Which don't have an extensive metro.

[@pkorobase]

It's now decided we get a 49€ flatrate for public transport in germany, after the huge success of the 9€-Ticket. Sounds like an end to the ticket jungle.

[@danielcarroll3358]

That is 49€ per month for everything except intercity express trains. You can still get everywhere in the country but you have to take local or regional trains. And of course it is good on local buses, trams and such. In the San Francisco area we have a single touch card for 26 of the 27 transport companies. That takes care of payment but determining the cost requires a degree in transitology. The state of California has finally been putting on pressure to rationalize the system. Yes, at last we will have our very own Verkehrsverbund.

[@chrissmith7669]

German Ticket machines require an advanced degree to operate and get the correct ticket for the correct combination of times, zones, and fare type (child, adult, senior, family, group, …).

[@davinnicode]

When was the 9 Euro ticket a huge process?

[@andya6461]

They really need to include hookers as part of that package deal transport only allows you to get to and from them.

[@Tobias-xl1xn]

Many people were able to move cheaper to their destination

[@m.m.2341]

Quick reminder: Berlin is not representative of Germany. In most cities it's ok-ish, but the buses and trains don't run nearly as frequent, the network is not as dense, the operating hours are shorter...

[@jackmclane1826]

We don't get subsidized because we are the craptastic capital...

[@lazrseagull54]

Public transport in the average German city is still better than in British cities. Even if the trains only run every 10 minutes instead of every 2.5 minutes, it's crazy that cities with only 300K residents like Bielefeld and Karlsruhe even have underground stations on their tram networks. Birmingham has a million people and only 1 tram line. Most of the time, you have to use buses. The density of local rail in many cities in NRW is better than in Berlin. Over 60 German cities have a tram network and over 20 have an U Bahn or a Stadtbahn with underground stations and they usually serve most of town, while the UK has only 7 cities with trams and only 4 cities with an underground and they only serve a few parts of town, leaving most neighbourhoods only accessible by bus.

[@andrewlong6438]

I was in Dresden in September and though it has an extensive tram, train and bus network - a single tram journey was about €3.20 which is not cheap. Yes you can get daily tickets and family versions but compared with Poland it’s more expensive.

[@Aikman94]

I loved my time in Germany. I'll never hesitate to settle down there.

[@michaelz.7140]

s-bahn in berlin is not the same as s-bahn somewhere else. s-bahn in berlin is another metro-style railway like the u-bahn which stops very often like every 500m whereas in other parts of germany the s-bahn connects the suburbs to the city center and the distance between stops is every 2-5 km. When I visited cities in Germany i didn`t often use the s-bahn but moreoften the u-bahn except in berlin where it works like another u-bahn.

[@jamesrichardson7619]

Berlin's S-Bahn is both. Sure, Savignyplatz and Zoo are 700m apart, Alex and Hackescher Markt are 600m apart. But further out there's 4km between Tegel and Schulzendorf, or Neuhagen and Fredersdorf. It brings people in from the suburbs, but they also might not all want to go to the same place in the centre, and the distance from the Ringbahn to the "centre" at least 3km anyway.

[@rajeebbarma]

I cannot thank enough to the German public transport. I used to own motorcycles, cars, jeeps, tractors in India but after using public transport, I have discovered the best mode of transport that is walking. It is the most underrated mode of transport and is honestly the best feel of freedom.

[@mardiffv.8775]

Indeed Sir, walking is the mode of transport that takes up the least space. So city planners love pedestrians.

[@noellewest4347]

I could not agree with you more! Thank you for saying this.

[@OutragedPufferfish]

But walking is slow.

[@rajeebbarma]

@@OutragedPufferfish But it can be intense

[@Eduardot12345556]

Try walking in my town, with temperatures of 40° Celsius and everything being way too far.

[@h.b.7104]

As a Canadian living in Germany, I always smile when Germans complain about their rail network and inter-city trains. It is one of the most extensive, reliable networks in the world, with clean, efficient trains reaching almost every small town in the country. I find it spectacular! It's a model for the world to replicate if we are serious about climate action.

[@brexistentialism7628]

And you're totally right! But we wouldn't be Germans if we didn't complain about it 😁

[@Iikkxx35567]

​@@brexistentialism7628 fr tho

[@leonard.pw0792]

all of this is true, but the reliability is insanely bad. (65%)

[@F-aber]

​@@leonard.pw0792kinda, but that's also because we define a train as late after 5 or more minutes while in other countries they might only be considered late after 10 or even 15. Doesn't mean it's great here, I think if we just get 80% as good as they are in Japan it would be great, but it's also not as bad as we Germans might think if we look at how bad most of the world has it

[@leonard.pw0792]

@@F-aber yes you're right, but compared with our neighbours, our trains are very late. But I still think the service is great. Modern, frequent trains everywhere for good prices if you book early.

[@lazrseagull54]

Nice video, although I have to say that it's to be expected for a big city like Berlin to have a good public transport network. What a lot of people probably don't know, is that even places like Karlsruhe and Bielefeld (both similar in size to Brighton) have a dense tram network with a few subway stations under the town centre and most parts town are a short walk from a tram stop. Over 20 German cities have some kind of subway or subway/tram hybrid network and more than 30 further cities have street-level trams, often with their own lanes and off-road segments. Wuppertal has a hanging monorail that's about 120 years old.

[@fredii2025]

🤣I thought Bielefeld did not exist (joke)

[@Iikkxx35567]

​@@fredii2025 same lol 😂😂😂

[@johnraggett7147]

I live in Leipzig and have an annual pass. I can travel on the trams, busses and local trains - even to the airport. It means that for about six months a year, I travel for free. Don't need a car - yippeee.

[@laktho]

But when you wanna go nightswimming at 3 am to Cosbudener See it won't wörk ;p

[@thekejofglory]

Public transportation in the Philippines sucks! We currently only have three train lines for a 20-million people metropolis. Connecting stations from one line to another can take a 20-minute walk. Our government prioritizes highways which only worsens traffic in the long-run and makes Manila ugly. It's an American imprint on the Philippines. I was blessed that while I was in Germany I was able to experience the €9 ticket. I had meetings from 9am to 6pm in Berlin, but I was able to explore Berlin 5am onwards into far areas such as Köpenick, Spandau, and Marzahn and still get to my 9am meetings on time. I had a free day where I was even able to travel to Poland because the guys at Deutsche Bahn told me that the train to Frankfurt (Oder) was covered by the €9 ticket. I was even able to criss-cross Berlin and even went to Potsdam. Berlin was so walkable that at one point, my pedometer recorded more than 36,000 steps for one day. I heard Germans tend to complain about the infamous Deutsche Bahn delays (I experienced a two-hour delay on my ride from Berlin to Amsterdam, and I hope improvements would come soon), but compared to our country, what I experienced in Germany was really a blessing. Hoping for better public transportation for Germany and for all countries! I miss Germany A LOT. Hope I could come back soon!

[@jessied4210]

Yea, if you book through TrianPal, you'll find many discounts and train card sales. Make the trip even better!

[@fr2ncm9]

Oh Yes. We love our cars in the U.S. New York City has pretty good public transportation, but subway crime has gone up a lot over the last two years.

[@i86ij99]

I once travelled by train from Budapest to Hamburg (for €17!), and got my jacket and wallet stolen inside the train at Budapest Keleti just seconds before the train departed. The train passed through 3 countries and each had its own ticket conductor. I managed to scramble some money from neighbouring passengers who witnessed the incident, and paid the conductors for the small fares in Slovakia and Czech republic. Once in Germany, the conductor simply kicked me out at Dresden Hbf for not having a ticket. I went straight to the police station and they allowed me to board the next available train, while the bills would be sent to me by post later. Lucky for me, I was new to Germany and remembered the post code (Postleitzahl) of my accommodation wrongly, so the bill was never sent to me ;)

[@Iikkxx35567]

Oh I am so sorry that happened to you 😢😭

[@F-aber]

Yeah even after opening the borders cross country train rides are pretty bad in Europe which is a shame but might change soonish with new laws and regulations from the EU

[@jensschroder8214]

On March 18, 1895, the first motor-driven bus drove in our town. Siegen - Netphen - Deuz (Germany) (not Cologne Deutz, I meen Netphen Deuz ) A motor carriage from the Benz company in Mannheim for 5,000 marks. Up to 10 people and a driver sat in and on it. The 15 km route was completed in 1.5 hours. The performance was 5hp. On the inclines, the passengers were asked to get out and help push. On July 1st, 1895, a second motor carriage/bus was put into operation. But as early as December 20, 1895, the two vulnerable motor buses were replaced by horse-drawn carriages. In 1906, a rail connection was started in parallel, replacing the horse-drawn carriages. But at some point it became a bus again. The railway line has been dismantled, only an industrial railway without connection to the main network remained at one point.

[@jdmagicmusic]

we have great transit in Hamburg, there is virtually nowhere in the city and suburbs you can't reach by public transit

[@8tonystark8]

Mega nice Digga

[@Iikkxx35567]

But unfortunately Hamburg doesn't have a tram. If it did it would have been way better and it would ease stress in my opinion.

[@falcon.heavy.]

I have not seen anyone say it in the comments, but the videography in this is absolutely breathtaking!

[@aepfelchenapfelbaum9536]

Min. 6:00 ... Bridge in the background ... You actualle see a subway crossing the river Spree. ... Due to the fact that Berlin is build on sand, it´s less expensive to build a bridge, then a tunnel.

[@DarkRuins]

love the background music and filming style of this video. hannah, as always, is a ray of sunshine!

[@banji5362]

Amazing production; from the sound, to the BGM & of course, the presentation! Keep up the awesome job guys!

[@henningbartels6245]

Well presented and edited, though a bit weak when it comes to real information.

[@dweuromaxx]

thank you very much! 🥰

[@patrickfitzgerald2861]

That was fun Hannah . . . thanks! Public transport here in Arizona is not so great, which is pretty much the norm for most of the car crazy western US.

[@alanw2036]

New Zealand has shitty public transport too. There are problems with the trains and people end up waiting 2 hours in the cold and then get fired by their boss for being late. And criminals hang around the train car parking lot to break into the cars after everyone has gotten on the trains to go to work. They steal the number plates off the cars too, so they can use the plates when they're ram raiding convenience stores (smashing a car through the windows of a shop and stealing everything). I had my plates stolen and then I wasn't allowed to drive for a week while the government issued new plates.

[@laktho]

Same thing in rural Germany. You need a car. But for bigger cities it's easier, cheaper and faster to travel by public transport.

[@laktho]

@@alanw2036 In Germany you got Park & Ride parking spots. Sometimes similar problems but the amount of criminal activities are way lower than NZ. Around bigger cities you got parking garages with their own security personnel there you won't have these problems.

[@richardschulz95]

The history part is a bit wrong: the first organized public transport was 1662 in Paris with horse-driven "Omnibusses" for up to 10 People..

[@evaillier]

Well researched. An invention from genius Blaise Pascal. Thank you.

[@andrzejek6136]

Thank you. Public transport in Brelin is mega geil. You can travel at 2 a.m. without any problems. Especially sbahn is cool.

[@dweuromaxx]

what do you like about the Berlin S-Bahn? 😄

[@andrzejek6136]

@@dweuromaxx l can see the city. I compare East and West. I 52. I was in each part in Berlin before 1989. It was two world for example kudamm and Alex. At The end I can see the Sun in S Bahn.

[@dcmaia]

"the city is about sitting in cafes and restaurants, and talk to each other, and debates, and greatest courses of our times" - LOVED THAT

[@m.m.2341]

It's ridiculous, typical "Berlin guy" :D

[@aston-s]

Yup special is one way to describe it... I'm in Germany this week and I really have no idea if I've been using valid tickets correctly, have I moved into different areas despite them still being under the same Tariff Authority The entire world could learn from the Netherlands and the chipkaart - one card to rule them all

[@houseplant1016]

Belgium has also a chipkaart.

[@sehabel]

There will soon be a ticket for all public transportation in Germany, the 49€ ticket. It will be cheaper, easier and more convenient than the old system

[@aston-s]

@@sehabel I am looking forward to that, I'm not sure it'll work for me as a tourist but if they do say 7 days for €10 it would be awesome

[@MellonVegan]

@@aston-s It's 49€ per month for all slow trains all across Germany. Anyone can buy one. Now we're just left wondering if it'll be a permanent offer and if they'll actually build more rail, so the trains we're trying to catch won't be cancelled (it's worse than it's ever been rn).

[@xaverlustig3581]

@@aston-s Don't hold your breath, it's only for residents on a monthly subscription basis.

[@Xsh755]

Very nice video! I live in Copenhagen where we don’t have trams anymore, but other than that public transport is pretty similar, just smaller - we have even got an S-bahn inspired by Germany. Even though we are a tiny country you will need a car if you live outside a city or big town, but maybe that will change over time as the weather gets hotter and hotter😉Oh, and the fine for riding without the correct ticket is DKK 750 i.e €100. ❤️ DW🤠

[@theodorbutters141]

maybe that will change over time as the weather gets hotter and hotter = pushing rural communities with no congestion to ban cars and take a rural bus that probably comes by only once per hour

[@Xsh755]

@@theodorbutters141 That’s the present in the countryside here and I hope it will change in the future so that we get more collective and less individual transport. Maybe I am naive🙂

[@laktho]

@@Xsh755 We will need driverless shuttles for more flexibility or better working hours so it fits easier for ppl living in rural areas

[@laktho]

No worries outside German cities the public transport is as bad as in Denmark. Simply because you really can't provide a 10 minute interval in less dense populated areas. Sadly

[@bastifantasti82]

@SørenH Good news for you, Coppenhagen will get new trams from Siemens in 2024.

[@yagi3925]

Yes, the Germans are a car-loving nation but public transport too is good, especially within cities (when it comes to the DB, it's another matter...). In particular the S-Bahn systems are usually insanely well designed. On the whole, German cities have excellent public transport - and it's popular so it's a mystery to me how or why the car is also very popular at the same time.

[@nazarissa9494]

Because they are very expensive, even compared to the countries with the same quality of live (France). Fortunately, it's about to change with the introduction of Klimaticket

[@dweuromaxx]

Towns and villages don't have extensive public transport networks, so one often still needs a car :)

[@MsLarrythegreat]

the sad thing is prior to the mid 1990s DB was reliable. But then the powers that be reformed the people transportation parts of the DB to be intentionally undesirable when in competition with a personal cars. Sounds a bit nutty I know but it really isn't a conspiracy theory. The transportation minster in charge during the majority of big DA reformx later even had to resign because of buisness scandal too

[@SamujjalMajumder]

Loved the last part most.. nice to see our everyday heroes behind the wheels

[@SoCalFreelance]

Hannah's back! 🎉🥳

[@desmbergg]

because they are always delayed due to some repair or strikes or people on rails or bad weather or signal disturbaces

[@alexlangel9419]

exactly!!!

[@JohnNe-fy2cz]

Some 7-8 years ago, German trains used to punctual. Now it is just history

[@akshayganesh4144]

Its so cool and greeny. Moment it rains everyone would aspire for a car

[@JakobFischer60]

What me still confuses as a German, you have to invalidate (entwerten) your ticket to make it valid.

[@martinstock]

It's indeed confusing. As this differs on the local public transport association, the type of ticket and where/how you buy the ticket. If you buy from a bus driver or via app the tickets are already validated for immediate use (mostly*). Sometimes you can also choose at ticket machines, e.g. when buying a 24 hours ticket, if it should be for immediate use or not. Simple rule: you have to validate tickets which shows the words "bitte entwerten" or "hier entwerten". In some places like Berlin this is also printed in English on the ticket (please validate"). And if a ticket does not fit into a ticket validator it can't be and don't have to be validated. Validation means a device stamps the date and time plus its location onto a ticket. This requires also a certain thickness of the paper. Thermal print paper like normally used for tickets issued by bus drivers is too soft to be stamped.

[@NetITGeeks]

While public transit is not great in most parts of Canada, we also do not have any gates or barriers when entering train stations either.

[@dweuromaxx]

Are there also ticket inspectors checking if people have valid tickets? 👀

[@peterpanimg]

Good going Deutschland. Thanks DW & Hannah.

[@klaushohmann1101]

In my opinion, we in Germany should follow much more the Dutch bicycle culture. At the same time, to make cities less attractive to cars.This means, among other things, a large 'road network' which is only intended for bicycles and connects the most important points of a city directly on the shortest route,while cars have to take detours and thus progress much slower.

[@mardiffv.8775]

I agree with you, because I am cycling Dutchman.

[@DJDoena]

Isn't "underground" just the British word for "subway"? Did you try to distinguish between the U-Bahn (underground/subway) and the S-Bahn (city train), the latter of which not being a Tram, which Berlin also has?

[@spdfatomicstructure]

And even then it's only used in London and various cities in German-speaking Europe. Glasgow uses "subway" while Newcastle uses "metro"

[@tramcerik]

Unlike what a lot of Germans say, public transportation in Germany is actually very good. Atleast compared to Sweden where I live... At least my region has a good transportation network, being the third most used one in the country as well (the third largest city of Sweden, Malmö, is here so no big suprise) and it also has a very good local train system. And from where I live, there runs direct inter-regional trains to Copenhagen in Denmark 24/7 as well. Long distance trains (as well as regional express trains in the Stockholm area) sucks here though and there is always cancellations due to driver shortages. So I do prefer German transportation over Swedish transportation.

[@kisselev]

The omnibus, the first organized public transit system within a city, appears to have originated in Paris in 1662

[@pigoff123]

We were stationed in Germany and then my father retired there. Lived in Hanau area from 72 to 96. I was riding public transportation from the age of 15 alone. Even went to Frankfurt on the train. Easy and fun. Got lost a few times but always made it home.

[@neverdity]

did not know U Bahn Berlin can be that clean? Unmöglich!

[@rajivmoraes1969]

It's been 1 and half year in Berlin, the public transport is sooo good the connections (I really don't think it's necessary to have a car , yess sometimes it's good for a big purchase for Edika, Lidl 😋) but also you never find parking and makes me so sad to see the big SUV in the city 😂 they are like mini bus , where are the getting parking in this big city 😂!! Love my S Bhan and U Bhan ☘️

[@dweuromaxx]

Totally agree!

[@asantaraliner]

In most Transport systems, they use a smart card, such as Oyster in London, SUICA in Tokyo, T-Money in Seoul, Octopus in Hong Kong, Touch n Pay in Kuala Lumpur and COMMET in Jakarta. I wonder if there some kind of smart card in German Transport Systems?

[@dweuromaxx]

Our Main Public Transport Company offers the so called "Berlin Welcome Card" here. However, it is not particularly "smart" technically spoken.. 🤓

[@dweuromaxx]

At the moment, no. If you have a yearly subscription for the Berlin network, for example, you receive a plastic card that can be scanned. However, you can't top it up like an Oyster or Octopus card.🐙

[@martinstock]

There was such a system called "Touch & Travel" introduced in 2008. It was possible to use it with DB (German Rail) plus some local public transport associations (like the VBB (Berlin+Brandenburg). The project was stopped in 2016 as after eight years it still had only 100.000 users. Similar projects still exist, e.g. the eTarif of the VRN (Heidelberg - Mannheim region). You just pay monthly for your rides. And the system uses automatically the cheapest ticket options. E.g. with 3 rides a day a day ticket instead of 3 single trip tickets. For frequent travelers, it is however soon cheaper and more comfortable to buy monthly or yearly tickets. Then you don't have to take care about when starting or ending your trip. Sure it would be nowadays also possible to make this contactless but this would be a complete surveillance of the movements of a person. That's not desired. And also a reason why "Touch & Travel" failed.

[@julianosvonskingrad7009]

I have a car and I love my car, but I also love public transport. What I don't love are (especially green) politicians who promote anti-car policies. Problem: In rural areas (like my village), you have to have a car. And you are completely lost without one. Some of those politician seem to have never left a larger city.

[@TalwinderDhillonTravels]

having a car in rural areas is fine, problem is when people drive it into NYC for eg. People need to leave cars as far as possible from the city and take public transit. There is just not enough space, its not even about ideologies

[@julianosvonskingrad7009]

@@TalwinderDhillonTravels: I am with you. When I drive to larger cities, I prefer to put my car in a P+R - and then take the subway. But when you say something like "fuel should be 100% more expensive so it gets unattractive to drive your car", people living in villages are often looking confused. Not only because they need the car desperately, but also because people living in the countryside tend to earn less money than some fancy bank clerk in Frankfurt a.M.

[@prnzssLuna]

@@julianosvonskingrad7009 Sadly true. I'm living in a village in Germany (15km to the next train station, and the next bus stop is also 3km away), so a car is a must. Couldn't even go shopping without one, as the next supermarket is also 3,5km away. And then they talk about making gas too expensive, etc.

[@TalwinderDhillonTravels]

@@julianosvonskingrad7009 100% agreed.

[@Rukhage]

The biggest issue is that it becomes an "all or nothing" debate and nuance is thrown out the window. It makes a lot of sense to heavily invest in public transport in cities, but at the same time realize that other parts of a country rely on cars for day-to-day activities. I live in Vienna and don't own a car, but I do understand the need for one.

[@reginaldhenry3688]

I live in New York, and you can't get anywhere over the weekend because they are always working on the subway tracks.

[@jenl2530]

That’s just not true. If there is substantial track work being done, which doesn’t happen often, there are always shuttle busses to replace it. Subway is available in NYC 24 hours a day, every day.

[@harshitpurohit2416]

Berlin topped the public transport connectivity. Great job guys for this video. Very well made. Its so nice to see this, hopefully will be visiting soon to experience it. :)

[@princessowusu2297]

Germany is my dream country .

[@LunarPenguin42]

Where are you from?

[@trancemadmaz]

I love the way her head moves from side to side when she talks. Highly engaging character

[@luisyanez5943]

If I am right that Germany is the best public transport in the world, it had made a lot of progress, ordering and cleaning there are many stations, lines and railways such as trains, trams, subway trains, railway trains, buses, etc.

[@adalbertschwarz6415]

Haha yeah. Deutsche Bahn in particular. Try Austria with its Klimaticket and Transport that actually works. Or nowadays, even the Czech Republic.

[@amirulhakim9898]

Japan is better

[@enan1468]

Japan and S. Korea are so much better

[@HippasosofMetapontum]

Love Hannah, her English is so cute. And thanks for explaining to foreigners :3

[@jenl2530]

This good, but I would also like to see more about inner city options these days and what the differences mean. Maybe she should have explained what S-Bahn and U-Bahn actually mean too, since many visitors are confused by that. I live in New York, and before that, San Francisco, and so public transportation is familiar and easy to me. In the US now, especially in the big cities, bicycle transportation is becoming much more important. I would also like to know more about that in Germany, especially Berlin. Thanks!

[@jaikumar4270]

what happened to Rachel? I miss her

[@dweuromaxx]

@Jai Kumar She'll be back, stay tuned!

[@pigoff123]

My first German car was a VWPassat then what followed was a BMW and Opel. Loved my Opel.😊

[@MAKgargos]

The public transportation in my country... This is my Öffi here. And you should mention, that most people hate these rentable e-scooters. You don't need a license and they are too fast. If not used, they are in the way. Most times it's used by youth who often just racing around sometimes with 2 people. The personal ones are also too fast, but a little more responsibility.

[@victormeister1869]

Where is Rachel Stewart? Did she end her wonderful work with you guys...?

[@dweuromaxx]

Certainly not - stay tuned and make sure to subscribe! 😀

[@theexcaliburone5933]

I think its safe to say that public transport is better for the environment than biking and walking because trains and (troley)busses can be run on fully green energy, whereas you exhale more CO2 if you move more. The difference isn't really worth mentioning though

[@serra9941]

Perhaps this is an unpopular opinion, but I'm not a huge fan of Berlin public transport (especially since it took me 2 hours to come back home yesterday, which was supposed to be 1 hour). Of course, the transport system is developed and mostly well-connected. If only the trains and buses were on time. The apps (vbb & bvg) 50% of the time doesn't show the actual information. Trains and buses are occasionally canceled; sometimes for an unknown reason. And the constant construction in many areas. I'm glad that we're at least getting a solution to the ticket ordeal, as it's way too expensive & complicated. 49 Euro ticket will give some relief. I've lived and visited other German cities, and I rarely experienced constant train/bus delays or cancellations. It seems to be more of a Berlin problem.

[@dweuromaxx]

Interesting you haven't experienced late trains in the rest of Germany - it's a bit of a national stereotype ;)

[@neiladlington950]

I'm rather suspicious of city road work by contractors. I live in Toronto so the roads have to endure freeze thaw according to the seasons. My suspicions are in regard to what truly are the goals of Canadian governments in general to maintaining road infrastructure. Is it building and repairing roads to the best of our technology or is it about maintaining an industry that does that work? I remember a few decades ago reading about someone coming up with a better alternative to asphalt that resists the Canadian freeze thaw much better and considering the chief ingredient to that alternative was the plentiful amount of used tires, it seemed like a can't miss idea. Seemed like an idea worth exploring but so far.... nothing. Except your typical construction chaos, like clockwork, every spring and summer. It is maddening especially come winter when we have that to contend with.

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

For half the population, the public transit system in Toronto is superb: for the homeless.

[@thatguyswavomeer]

Fact check: public transport definitely was NOT invented in US in 1800s. There were coaches on regular routes hundreds of years before that. Venice had gondoliers in middle ages. Heck, even Romans probably had some sort of public transit. 🤷‍♂

[@grandrapids57]

indeed they did and postal system.

[@jimgeiser487]

I live in Evansville, Indiana U.S.A and I would consider it a medium size city in US (3rd largest population in Indiana). It Has a small size bus for public transportation that does not go outside of city boundaries. I have been to Berlin at least 9 times. I thought I knew the transportation system pretty well, but in 2022 I was there and I was travelling on Sbahn and forgot to check for the end station and ended up an hour away from where I intended to go to.

[@TalwinderDhillonTravels]

Expansion in public transport needs to come with shrinking the space offered to cars.

[@pedrito77]

Love DW. No reliable or convenient public transit where I live. Sacramento County, CA.

[@izzylightwood3090]

Another tip that I have is to use the ticket booth on the train and stamp it on the train, this way you may save money

[@Rein-in-die-Maas]

Special in terms of beeing expensive and inconsitent? YES! we use cars if we can get our hands on one.

[@nicolasblume1046]

0:58 weird calling the S-Bahn an "underground System", it's mostly above ground 1:32 only true for some tickets

[@IncidentManagement]

Love Euromaxx! Best 5 to 6 minutes of my life watching these features :) Thanks!

[@PhilippZ]

What a nice Scottish-German accent on Hannah.

[@neeha9449]

Finally found a comment saying she sounds Scottish! Pretty amazing when she has that German mix too!

[@F-aber]

As good as we have it here in many part of germany, it could always be better, so we should really push for more better public transport. The great thing about better public transport is that its not just great for those who vhoose to use it but also evryone else. The better the transport the more people will use it, the less cars on the road, meaning better experience for people who still need or want to use the car. Also the cities will become a lot quieter which is always nice.

[@reverendbStaard]

The most amazing public transport system i've seen was in Budapest.

[@gloofisearch]

What public transport are you talking about? In my city, Las Vegas, it is pretty much NON existent. But hey, we will get Tecla's in a tunnel. That will fix it. Ah, wait, they will only go Downtown to the Strip. So, still no public transport from where I live. I guess that is why Las Vegas has about 4 times more traffic related death then Berlin, a city with 3-4 times more people but we are working on it.

[@tobiwan001]

Sitting in cafes is not really an exciting vision for the future.

[@dweuromaxx]

@Tobias Unknown Didn"t Albert Einstein love to sit in coffee houses.... 😉

[@edimarribeirodossantosjuni9829]

Very good video, congrats!

[@Whoo711]

Wait... Did she say they have an 'underground' system *and* a subway?? Huh.

[@moover123]

public transport was invented in the US? I don't think so.

[@EpicThe112]

Oddly one can actually get a Combined VBB VVO Ticket from Berlin Hbf by taking RE5 Berlin Hbf to Elsterwerda then a VVO Ticket Elsterwerda Großenhain Coswig Dresden Hbf RB31

[@enthusiastisch1922]

Yes! I remember learning about that in my ticket research, it reminds me of Czech.

[@GeneRauXxX]

We dont have public transport in my city. Thank you.

[@TicklerDude]

I lived in Germany for 3 years and I NEVER bought a ticket for the Regional Train, and I was NEVER asked by anyone to show my ticket. The ICE train conductors almost always asked for a ticket.

[@dweuromaxx]

Is it possible that you have NEVER been on a regional train? Because there are definitely regular ticket checks. 😉

[@brexistentialism7628]

You got lucky. The inspectors often are on the same routes. Many years ago I used the regional train regularly (2hrs journey) and they checked pretty much on every journey😉

[@mrnoobgamerhd]

4:25 This may also be called "SEV".

[@cmartin_ok]

Lovely accent but it doesn't sound very German! Just got back from a week's vacation in Berlin and the public transport is excellent. The lack of ticket barriers and turnstiles makes it safer and easier to enter and leave stations. I have a cousin who lives there and he has a bicycle, not a car

[@dweuromaxx]

Owning a bike over a car is absolutely normal here :) and yes - Hannah is half German but grew up completely in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@kessas.489]

Well nothing is for free in Germany! 🙄

[@baptistedupertuis479]

I live in Switzerland, and here the public transport system is very well developed, I only use that to travel across ALL the country. I have a yearly ticket that allows me to use every kind of public transport at anytime. No more need for a car, even If I want to go to skiing in the mountain, there is train or bus that goes there🏔️

[@인형바보]

Public transportation is fine as long as it works but knowing BVG and the random things that happen often, I don't think personal means of transportation will be completely replaced.

[@dweuromaxx]

What kinds of personal transportation do you use? :)

[@인형바보]

@@dweuromaxx None, cause I'm too poor to afford them...

[@joseph40ninjas88]

Nice coat too!

[@Iliketrains-kj4qr]

Poland is just trams and buses. We only have 1 metro in the entire country which is in Warszawa (Warsaw)

[@8tonystark8]

first of all, we ARE famous for our public transportation and secondly, you showed Berlin where you HAVE to stamp the tickets, but that's outdated and not the standard throughout the country

[@jamesneilsongrahamloveinth1301]

Yes, I associate ticket validation with France rather than Germany. Where I live near Stuttgart I am not aware of any tickets needing to be validated, but I live outside the metropolitan area . . .

[@westernHypocricy]

Why did skip Volkswagen and Audi 😐?

[@sleepysam2015]

The public transport in the UK is expensive to say the least.

[@mo_o3723]

The special of the DB (German Train) is, he comes always on times. *cough cough* The DB comes always 5 minutes or more Minutes later. Or not LOL

[@matthewperez9962]

Yes

[@reverendbStaard]

AWESOME!💚

[@matkilau1320]

First time visit Europe in 1989, second time in 2020. One thing good about Europe , once you step it Europe it pull you back to 80's. Europe really good at maintaining the retro, keep it up. The only thing different between 1989 2020, people back then don't hold smartphone.

[@carbrained]

In reality, it's more the other way around. European cities have become noticeably cleaner and more liveable, with many streets in major cities completely redesigned, the most obvious example is Paris but there's been a bigger push for change everywhere. Compare this to the same old car-centric mindset in 99% of North America, still celebrating the demolition of neighborhoods to make way for highways, while the already-built infrastructure just sits and crumbles.

[@Zeptus1488]

The only thing different is that back then the cities were filled with native Europeans. Now that is not much of the case anymore.

[@ansonchanhahaha]

@@carbrained Agree, I am from HK (Public transport is popular in Asia probably becoz our cities are more recently built) and have never been to Europe but Europe is famous for good public transport, why is it held at 1980s? In my opinion, they have great public transport and are at the future, together with Japan. While the car-centric side of the world is traveling back from civilization, look at the nasty columns and rows of 1-man private cars at city centre🥲 that's 0 efficiency and disgusting

[@chrissmith7669]

LOL. If you take public transportation in Germany and Miss the 60€ fine stickers plastered everywhere you are pretty special

[@hellatras.h]

Not all tickets have to be stamped tho

[@Thiesi]

So what's the difference between the _subway system_ and the _underground system_ ? 😄

[@aepfelchenapfelbaum9536]

I presume, she only translated it wrong. ... In Berlin, you´ve got the subway, the trams and the S-Bahn (german: "Stadtbahn") ... The S-Bahn is a city-wide railway, which is mainly on bridge, above the streets. ... I presume, she translated S-Bahn as "subway", while it simply means "city-railway".

[@Thiesi]

@@aepfelchenapfelbaum9536 Exactly.

[@erik_griswold]

@@aepfelchenapfelbaum9536 Yup, the S-Bahn is a through running train to the suburbs using the Railways’ lines. Which is why it is run by DB in Berlin and was run by DR in the Western sectors before 1984.

[@marcomobson]

It gets even more confusing in Cologne where the U-Bahn (Sub) is going on the streets in big parts. So there are lines totally using the underground and others coming up and going down at certain places or in some city regions...! 🤪🤪

[@gareginasatryan6761]

so subways in germany are more like rail?

[@NWer-c5u]

Play at 1/4 speed at 1:37 to better understand what she is saying fast.

[@SJ-bl3uw]

the worst things in germany are bureaucracy and public transportation, especially deutsche bahn

[@iamhappypoorpeoplehappy7056]

Good job 👍👍

[@dweuromaxx]

Thanks 👍

[@alisonrandall3039]

Can you not use contactless. Tickets seems very old fashioned.

[@dweuromaxx]

You can buy Tickets via App!

[@kris856]

3:01 it is really astonishing for me that in Germany there is such branch of science as "futurology". I wonder what data they base on to study the future. Or do they preidct the future. Or create it. Komisch das ganze.

[@jimmyryan5880]

Public transport is like a big car right?

[@battakedhareeswar7999]

I like the anchor