The launch date for the eagerly-awaited Deutschlandticket – the €49 Germany-wide monthly travel card is now, hopefully, just around the corner: according to the current schedule, the €49 ticket offer will start on May 1st.
Ahead of the launch, a brand new smartphone app called "Dein Deutschlandticket" has been developed specifically for selling the €49 monthly travel card. It is due to be available in app stores this week. Tickets will be available to buy in advance from April 3rd.
What does the "Dein Deutschlandticket" app offer?
According to the developer Mobility Inside, the app will allow subscriptions for the €49 ticket to be taken out and cancelled in just a few steps. As the reduced travel offer will only be available as a monthly subscription, but will be cancellable on a monthly basis, the ease of ending subscriptions are likely to become an important feature.
The new Mobility Inside app will also be linked to e-scooter and bike-sharing services, and rental bikes and scooters will be available directly in the app. These will not be included in the €49 ticket price, however.
Passengers will also be able to view a timetable for the whole of Germany with real-time data in the app, the developer announced.
Will the ticket only be available in the new app?
While the "Dein-Deutschlandticket" ticket is the official app developed for selling the €49 ticket, backed by shareholders ranging from Aktiv Bus Flensburg to Deutsche Bahn, there will be other ways to buy the ticket. Â
There will also be a chip card - and it will also be possible to use a printed version of the ticket, at least to start with.
Other regional transport companies - such as BVG in Berlin and the Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe (KVB) in Cologne - will also offer the ticket on their apps.
READ ALSO: How people in Berlin can pre-order the €49 ticket
What will happen to existing subscriptions?
Many transport companies and associations have already announced that existing subscription contracts which continue after May 1st can be automatically converted to the €49. In other cases, however, passengers will have to take action themselves to switch their subscription to the new ticket.
In contrast to many existing subscription rates, the Deutschlandticket does not have any provisions for taking along other passengers, not even family members, in the evenings or at weekends. Only children up to the age of six can be taken along free of charge, which is already the case with the train and other means of transport.
Will there be any additional offers?
There are plans to establish a link between the €49 ticket and reduced price job tickets. The federal and state governments agreed that companies would pay five percent less for the ticket when purchasing it if they pass it on to their employees at a discount of at least 25 percent.
READ ALSO: How employees in Germany could get a discount on the €49 ticket
Some regions are discussing offering discounts for schoolchildren, students and people receiving social benefits in addition to or as an alternative to the €49 ticket. Baden-Württemberg has already launched a cheaper ticket for young people, although it only covers travel within the state. Additional monthly bicycle passes are also being considered. There are also calls for special arrangements for families - since under current plans each family member over the age of six would have to buy their own ticket.
READ ALSO: Baden-Württemberg launches new budget transport ticket for young people
Who will benefit most from the new ticket?
The savings from the €49 ticket depend on the individual use of public transport as well as the previous ticket offers in the respective region.
In most metropolitan areas, current monthly ticket prices are usually significantly higher than €49, while in rural regions they are often even in the three-digit range. Therefore, commuters on the outskirts of large cities and anyone who regularly covers longer distances by public transport or often travels to different places will benefit a lot from the offer.
READ ALSO: Reader question: Will tourists or visitors in Germany be able to use the €49 ticket?
The €49 ticket is, however, less attractive for public transport users who already benefit from discounted offers such as social tickets, frequently use special arrangements such as carpooling, share a ticket or live in a region with poor transport connections.
So now there's an app, will the €49 ticket definitely start on May 1st?
Despite the fact that there is now an app, and tickets are due to go on sale, there is still nothing absolutely set in stone.
The bill was first discussed by the Bundesrat at the beginning of March and Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) aims to complete the legislative process before the end of March. To do this, the Bundesrat would have to approve the bill at its next meeting on March 31st, and it can still be amended in the Bundestag in the meantime.
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