Beyond the borders: Go abroad with the Deutschland-Ticket
Getting from A to B by train has a lot of advantages: It's environmentally friendly, relaxed and with the Deutschland-Ticket for 49 euros per month it's now also inexpensive. With said ticket you can not only travel easily in all means of public transport within Germany, but even beyond the national borders. Where exactly, we will show you in this article.
But let's start at the beginning: Why is the Germany ticket also valid abroad? This is because some federal states have trains and buses that go to the neighboring country because of their proximity to the border. The tariff limits are not at the national border itself, but at the nearest train station, which is then in the neighboring country in the following cases.
Grüzi from Switzerland: Across the border to Basel
Off to Switzerland! From Baden-Württemberg, you can take the 49-euro ticket on the SBB trains from Zell im Wiesenthal to Basel Bad. The Swiss city is really gorgeous and impresses with a medieval old town, market square, town hall and cathedral. Located directly on the Rhine, the city has a relaxed flair and is perfect for a day trip or a short one-night trip.
Once shortly after Luxembourg
If you want to travel from Rhineland-Palatinate to Luxembourg, you can do so with the Germany ticket at no extra charge. The Verkehrsverbund Region Trier (VRT) says the ticket is valid on cross-border bus routes 410, 455 and 460, as well as on the VRT train to Luxembourg. We would warmly recommend all Deutschland Ticket holders to take this free route, because Luxembourg has the beautiful old town of the capital Luxembourg, the Vianden Castle with its medieval charm or the cute little town of Clervaux, which is only on one waiting for a visit. Best of all, public transport is always free for everyone in Luxembourg - locals and travelers.
Take a trip to Salzburg in Austria
If you want to travel to neighboring Austria with the Deutschland-Ticket, you're in luck: Passengers on the Bavarian Regiobahn (BRB) can use the 49-euro ticket to cross the border to Salzburg, or to be more precise, use the BRB's RE5. A detour to the city of Mozart is always worthwhile, after all there is a lot to experience here: from the beautiful old town, the many great lakes in the surrounding area to adventurous hikes in the Salzburg mountains, everything is there.
A trip to Poland
Poland is also included in the Germany ticket. You can travel to the neighboring country to the east with the Usedomer Bäderbahn from Züssow to the terminus at Swinemünde Zentrum. The port city, which is spread over several dozen islands, impresses with its extensive beach, an exciting fishing museum with model ships and aquariums and the picture-book lighthouse from the 19th century, which offers a fabulous view of the harbor and the Baltic Sea.
Explore the Netherlands with the Germany ticket
The neighboring Netherlands should of course not be missing on the border trips of the Germany ticket. For example, you can take the RE 13 from Hamm in North Rhine-Westphalia to Venlo in the Netherlands. The historic city with its old houses and sweet alleyways invites you to stroll and have a coffee. Here delightful cafés line up with small shops and cool concept stores. So if you just want to stroll outside of Germany and have a good time, you can quickly hop across the border with the 49-euro ticket.
Bonjour France: Take the train for a baguette and café au lait
You can even get to France with the Germany ticket. From Mainz or Koblenz, the excursion trains Alsace and Weinstrassen-Express run by Vlexx GmbH take you to Wissembourg in France. What is there to explore in this historic town in Alsace? Great French cuisine, cute half-timbered houses, the impressive cathedral Église Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul and the idyllic Lauter Canal.
Next stop: Tønder in Denmark
Even the border to Denmark can be crossed free of charge with the Germany ticket. The regional train RB66 from Niebüll takes you to the village of Tønder. In the cute little Danish town you can visit Schackenborg Castle, go canoeing on the idyllic Vidå River or take a relaxing walk in the nearby Wadden Sea National Park.
© Photos: Unsplash / Linus Mimietz, Pexels / Veerasak Piyawatanakul, Unsplah / Abi Hinchley, Elias Maurer, Moein Foroutani, Pexels / Vlad Bagacian
Nadine Pinezits
Nadine is a freelance editor and copywriter. She lives in Austria and commutes between Salzburg, Styria and Vienna. She is therefore either in the mountains or in the urban jungle, but at the same time tries to spend as much time as possible in her heart country Portugal.
Krista Nyffenegger
Thank you for these interesting mini trips and border hops. I'm almost jealous that there isn't a 49E ticket like this in Switzerland (yet)!