Questions and answers Does it make sense for you to get the Deutschland ticket?
Bonn · The Deutschland ticket is coming on May 1. Is it worth switching from your existing SWB, RSVG and VRS passes? Has there been a big demand for the ticket? What are the terms and conditions? We answer the most important questions.
The Deutschland ticket is expected to be launched on May 1. It will cost 49 euros per month and will be available as a chip card or on your cell phone, with the possibility to cancel it on a monthly basis. It can be purchased from public transportation companies SWB (Stadtwerke Bonn) and the Rhein-Sieg Verkehrsgesellschaft (RSVG) on site as a chip card, via app on your mobile phone or in the online ticket shop of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg (VRS). It is valid nationwide for all buses, trams, and trains in the local transportation system.
The transport associations have already started sending letters to their existing customers informing them that their existing subscription will be replaced with the Deutschland ticket fare on May 1. SWB says it is because of "the Germany-wide validity and the favorable price" of the new ticket. Customers have the option of rejecting this and remaining with their existing subscription if they choose. What could be a reason for not switching to the Deutschland ticket? We took a look at the terms and conditions of the ticket.
What are the price advantages of the Deutschland ticket compared to the VRS season tickets?
At 49 euros, the Deutschland ticket is clearly the cheapest ticket comparable to the terms of the monthly, school and job tickets. The SWB monthly ticket, for example, costs 92.90 euros in price level 1b (Bonn City), and as of July, 2023 it will go up to 96.10 euros. Even a student ticket at the same price level currently costs 83.70 euros.
Will the Deutschland ticket have any stipulation about bringing along other riders?
All VRS tickets with a subscription entitle the holder to take one person over the age of 14 and one bicycle free of charge after 7 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays and all day on weekends. Three children under the age of 14 can also be taken along free of charge from 3 p.m. during the week. This type of arrangement "is not planned for the Deutschland ticket", says SWB press spokeswoman Stefanie Zießnitz in response to an inquiry. It’s the same with the RSVG.
Will there be a cooperation with Nextbike?
VRS subscription ticket customers ride the Nextbike rental bikes in Bonn for 30 minutes per day free of charge. It is not yet certain whether there will be such an arrangement in the SWB area for those who have a Deutschland ticket. "We are currently coordinating with Nextbike on this in order to be able to offer this and possiblly other benefits with the Deutschland ticket," says Zießnitz.
RSVG has already made a decision in this regard: If the Deutschland ticket is purchased on a chip card (this is possible for existing RSVG customers or also with a new application online via the RSVG portal), there will still be the 30 minutes of free Nextbike. When purchasing the Deutschland ticket via an app on a cell phone or at the VRS online ticket store, this additional benefit is not included.
Is the Deutschlandticket transferable?
No, the ticket is not transferable.
How does it work when one switches from the job ticket to the Deutschland ticket?
Instead of contacting existing customers privately, SWB contacts the employers who have a contract for the Job ticket and agrees how to proceed with this contract. Either the employer can continue the existing contract unchanged, cancel it, or offer the Deutschland ticket instead of the Job ticket at a price of 46.55 euros per month, provided that the employer contributes at least 12.25 euros per month to the costs in each case. Employees then find out the conditions from their employer. RSVG also first contacts the employers.
Germany ticket can already be pre-ordered
The 49-euro ticket can already be pre-ordered at www.swb-busundbahn.de/tickets/deutschlandticket/. This is also already possible with the "Deutschlandticket App". The transport companies also accept advance orders by mail - the relevant forms to fill in can be found in the VRS download center.
At the KVB, you can already pre-order the Deutschland ticket by mobile. It will then be available as a barcode in the app on April 3, when advance sales start. The chip cards will be sent as quickly as possible from this date.
SWB is still working on making the ticket available via BONNmobil. This should be possible from the beginning of April. In this case, customers will receive a barcode. Those who order the ticket online beforehand will receive a chip card.
How high of a demand has there been for the Deutschland ticket in advance sales?
The transport companies are still holding back on precise figures for advance orders for the Deutschland ticket. When asked, however, SWB said they have made a positive assessment so far. "We recently activated the order option for the Deutschland ticket and have already received inquiries in the triple-digit range," says SWB press spokeswoman Sefanie Zießnitz. In addition, the number of existing customers switching to Deutschland ticket from the more expensive subscriptions is increasing. According to Zießnitz, around 500 SWB customers have already applied to switch to the Deutschland ticket.
According to KVB press spokesman Stephan Anemüller, it is still too early to give numbers. "These would most likely be misinterpreted in one direction or another," he says. The VRS does not yet have concrete figures from the transport companies, says press spokesman Benjamin Jeschor. But he would classify the general demand so far rather as low.
(Orig. text: Johanna Lübke, Sarah Remsky / Translation: Carol Kloeppel)
