Buy train tickets cheap online - the best tricks

Train tickets don't always have to be expensive. We give you some tips on how you can buy cheap tickets online.

Early booking discount at Deutsche Bahn

If your travel dates are set early, you can benefit from the rail's savings prices. However, you have to book about three months in advance. But even a few days before departure there are bargains on some routes:

• Example 1st class: Up to 250 kilometers for 29 euros / person. From 250 kilometers for 39 euros / person.
• Example 2nd class: Up to 250 kilometers for 19 euros / person. From 250 kilometers, the ticket costs 25 euros / person.
• However, your ticket is then linked to a specific train. So you cannot spontaneously decide to leave a few hours later.
• Tip: If you have a Bahncard, you also get a discount on the saver price.

Last minute discount: Dust off remaining stock tickets

• On "bahn.ltur.com" you can get residual tickets for ICE and IC routes from seven days before departure.
• Here you can get tickets from 26 euros. But: Tickets at this price are usually only available for trips at 5 a.m.
• The only means of payment is the credit card, and train binding also applies here.
• You can also book destinations in other European countries with l'tur. Tickets are available from 36 euros.

More tips and tricks when buying tickets

• When booking the train, remove the checkmark from "Prefer fast connections". This not only shows you ICE connections, but also the cheaper IC routes.
• Bahncard: The Bahncard 25 costs 59 euros per year and can be combined with other discounts such as the saver price. For teenagers up to the age of 17, only a one-off payment of 10 euros

Find cheap train tickets in long-distance bus search engines

Deutsche Bahn also wants to attack the long-distance bus market and has an additional contingent of train tickets for long-distance bus search engines:

• The tickets are additional "saver price offers" (see above), which are offered exclusively as a long-distance bus alternative one to seven days before departure. Only long-distance buses are usually cheaper.
• You can search for and buy train tickets on the websites of www.fernbusse.de and www.busliniensuche.de.
• Tip: Even if the long-distance buses do not travel to small cities, you can buy train tickets for small towns from the long-distance bus search engines. You can find more information on the train contingent at bahn.vergleich.org.

If train travel is still too expensive for you, you can alternatively switch to cheap long-distance buses.