Travel Tip #5: If planning to travel extensively in Germany by train, invest in a BahnCard for discounted fares.

Words by:

Nyssa P. Chopra

If you’re visiting or moving to Germany and plan to travel frequently by the Deutsche Bahn (DB), Germany’s national railway system, look into getting a BahnCard, a discount subscription program.  There are three variants of the BahnCard: the BahnCard 25, the BahnCard 50, and the Mobility BahnCard 100, each providing a discount of 25%, 50%, and 100%, respectively, off fares. The BahnCard 100 is great for people who plan to travel by train daily; it’s a type of annual ticket that allows free unlimited travel on most of the German railway network for a fixed price. There’s even special prices for students. In addition to the fare perks, the BahnCard also functions as an ID card for the validation of online tickets, mobile phone tickets, and for purchasing tickets on vending machines. One thing to note: your annual subscription gets renewed automatically, so make sure to cancel in advance if you no longer want the card.DB BahnCard

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