It is true that the 9-Euro-Ticket is mainly intended to encourage people to move away from using cars in their everyday lives and instead use public transport in these times with rising energy prices and the affects of climate change becoming more pronounced. But of course the 9-Euro-Ticket can also be used for tourist travel. But how easy is it to actually go on holiday with this special ticket? We have taken a closer look at various travel routes from Bonn to popular vacation destinations. The routes described here are valid for the first weekend in June and are the ones with the fewest transfers. Our assessment right from the start: For more distant destinations, you will need to have patience and also strong nerves for some very tight transfers. However, destinations closer to home can be reached almost as quickly by local transport as by long-distance transport- and for just nine euros a month.

1. With the 9-Euro-Ticket from Bonn to Sylt

The reports have recently caused a lot of ridicule on social networks: On Sylt, some fear that many more vacationers than usual could travel to the North Sea island because of the cheap journey allowed by the 9-Euro-Ticket. Numerous social media users used satirical memes that showed they wanted to storm the island and either organize a huge music festival or simply cause chaos.

If you want to be there and travel on the cheap to Sylt thanks to the 9-Euro-Ticket, however, you'll have to be prepared for a long journey and lots of transfers.

Summary: It takes eleven hours and 17 minutes to get from Bonn to Sylt - as long as you catch all five connecting trains, some of which have very tight transfer times.

2. From Bonn to Munich - with the 9-Euro-Ticket.

Why not take a spontaneous trip to Bavaria? The state capital Munich offers colorful big city life with plenty of nature in the immediate vicinity. Whether you want to go shopping on the noble Maximilanstrasse, surfing on the Eisbach wave in the English Garden or just enjoy a hearty Weißwurst breakfast - with the 9-Euro-Ticket you can get to Munich within about nine hours.

Summary: It takes 9 hours and 12 minutes to get from Bonn to Munich. The transfer times should be sufficient to reach all connecting trains despite possible (minor) delays. The arrival time early on Saturday morning may not be ideal, but you can have a typical Bavarian Weißwürste (special sausage popular in the area) for breakfast on the very first day of the weekend and toast with a Weißbier (a local beer).

3. From Bonn to Berlin with the 9-Euro-Ticket

From the old to the new German capital (Bonn was interim capital of Germany)- this is also possible with the 9-Euro-Ticket. The most convenient connection on the first weekend in June also involves arriving early Saturday morning. However, should you want to go to Berlin to party, this is the ideal arrival time. After all, Berghain and those kind of clubs don't really get going until well after midnight anyway.

Summary: For all party people who want to hit the Berlin club scene after an early evening on Saturday night, this is the ideal solution - as long as all connections are reached. You can reach the German capital within 10 hours and 26 minutes. All others who do not want to arrive in Berlin in the middle of the night should be prepared for longer travel times and more frequent changes.

4. Use the 9-Euro-Ticket to get from Bonn to Hamburg.

Among the major German cities, Hamburg is of course a must. If you want to visit the Elbphilharmonie, the Hamburg inner city area called the Inner Alster, with the elegant Jungfernstieg boasting lovely cafes and landings used by tour boats, the 9-Euro-Ticket should come in handy. Germany's second-largest city is comparatively easy to reach from Bonn using local transport.

Summary: It takes a total travel time of 6 hours and 22 minutes and only three transfers to reach Hamburg using local transport from Bonn. If you can finish work early on Friday, you can definitely consider this travel option for a weekend trip.

5. From Bonn to Heidelberg - with the 9-Euro-Ticket

Admittedly, this trip starts early on Saturday morning - but you will already be in Heidelberg for breakfast and can then spend the whole day in the university town, climb up to the world-famous Heidelberg Castle, enjoy the sun on the Neckar River or enjoy nature on an extended walk along the Philosophenweg.

06:27: First, you take the RB26 from Bonn central station to Mainz. Transfer time: 13 minutes.

09:13: The RE14 takes you from Mainz main station to Mannheim. Transfer time: 6 minutes.

10:07 a.m.: And you are already on the last leg of your journey. The S2 takes you from Mannheim central station to Heidelberg. Arrival: 10:23 a.m. on Saturday morning.

Summary: Yes, this journey begins on Saturday morning. Yes, it starts very early. But the anticipation of breakfast in Heidelberg hopefully makes up for being tired. This option is actually more than fair for nine euros. You can reach Heidelberg in 3 hours and 56 minutes with just two transfers and you're already in the beautiful city on the Neckar at prime breakfast time. That can be well worth it for a weekend.

6. 9-Euro-Ticket from Bonn to Münster

You want to go to a picturesque city for brunch, but the trip to Heidelberg leaves too early for you? No problem: how about Münster instead? This university town is actually even more convenient and quicker to reach by local transport from Bonn.

Summary: Just under three hours (2 hours and 59 minutes) and only one transfer with a reasonable transfer time - it doesn't get much more comfortable than this to travel by train for nine euros.

7. Hiking in Saxon Switzerland - with the 9-Euro-Ticket from Bonn

Enough of city trips, you'd rather go out into nature? That's also possible with the 9-Euro Ticket. In the areas of the medieval town of Pirna, you can explore the Elbe landscape and the Saxon Switzerland National Park. The only drawback is that the most convenient journey takes an entire Saturday.

Summary: 11 hours and 54 minutes travel time - provided you catch all five connections despite the sometimes tight transfer times. If you only want to go hiking for a weekend in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, this all-day journey is not worth it.

8. From Bonn to hiking in the Harz mountains - by local transport with the 9-Euro-Ticket

If the journey to Saxon Switzerland is too far for you, here is an alternative destination: Goslar on the edge of the Harz Mountains. Here, too, you'll find rugged cliffs, vast landscapes with meadows and dense fir forests, all of it great for hiking.

Summary: After 6 hours and 12 minutes of travel time and just three transfers, you arrive in Goslar on Friday evening. Now have some dinner and then quickly go to bed, then you can slip into your hiking boots early on Saturday morning and explore the Harz Mountains.

9. From Bonn to Neuschwanstein Castle

You always wanted to see the fairytale castle of King Ludwig II? No problem, with the 9-Euro Ticket you can get to Neuschwanstein Castle from Bonn for little money. The disadvantage is that you can't get there and visit the castle on the same day.

Summary: After 11 hours and 17 minutes of travel time and six transfers, some of which were very tight, you reach Neuschwanstein Castle on Saturday evening. A visit to the fairy-tale castle is not possible that evening as the Neuschwanstein Castle closes at 6 pm. But you can still enjoy the sunset behind the spectacular mountain scenery and look forward to your visit the next day.

10. From Bonn to Lake Constance with the 9-Euro-Ticket

We'll stay in the south: from Bonn, you can also travel to Lake Constance with the 9-Euro Ticket. It starts on Saturday morning, in the afternoon you can already jump into the water in Friedrichshafen.

07:27 a.m.: Admittedly, you'll have to get up early for the trip to Lake Constance. From Bonn's main station, you first take the RB26 to Mainz. Transfer time: 18 minutes.

10:13 a.m.: From Mainz Central Station, take the RE4 to Karlsruhe. Transfer time: 14 minutes.

12:07: The RE2 takes you from Karlsruhe main station to Singen (Hohentwiel). Transfer time: 26 minutes.

15:16: We are almost there. From Singen (Hohentwiel), the IRE 3 (3061) takes you to Friedrichshafen city. Arrival time: 4:12 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.

Summary: Admittedly, if you want to spend Saturday at the swimming lake, the 8 hour and 45 minute journey across Germany to Lake Constance is certainly not the most comfortable option. However, if you want to spend your vacation in the south and perhaps also fancy a side trip to Austria, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, this trip to Lake Constance is definitely an option. The nearly 400 kilometers as the crow flies can be easily covered with just three transfers and sufficiently long transfer times - and for only nine euros.

Orig. text: Sandra Liermann

Translation: ck