Check fares before booking the Deutsche Bahn family ticket

The Deutsche Bahn’s new 99.99-euro family ticket can save money on some trips, but regular fares may be cheaper on others, BR reports. Families travelling during the autumn holidays should compare ticket prices and account for seat reservations and onward journeys.

The ticket covers a return trip on selected long-distance trains, including ICE services, for up to five people. Travellers must include one or two adults and at least one child aged 14 or younger. Seat reservations are included. The ticket can be booked from October 26 for journeys starting on or after November 1.

On longer routes, regular tickets for two adults can cost more than the family ticket. But on shorter journeys, discounted fares may be cheaper. From Munich to Stuttgart, for example, regular saver fares could cost less than the family ticket.

Children aged 14 or younger already travel free on Deutsche Bahn long-distance trains when accompanied by someone aged 15 or older. A family booking regular tickets would therefore generally pay for the adults, not for a child travelling with them. The family ticket’s value depends mainly on how the adults’ fares compare with its fixed price.

BR’s illustrative example compares a return trip from Munich to Berlin for two adults and one child. If the adults’ regular tickets cost 160 euros in total, the family ticket would save 60.01 euros. If saver fares cost 80 euros, booking those fares would be 19.99 euros cheaper. These figures are examples, not actual ticket prices.

Included seat reservations can also make the family ticket worthwhile, since families normally pay extra to reserve seats with regular saver tickets. Deutsche Bahn also offers family reservations for booking several seats together.

The ticket is available only on certain long-distance trains and is tied to the booked connections. Families who need regional trains for part of their journey may have to buy additional tickets. Children aged six and older need their own valid local transport ticket for those journeys.

Families should also check the Deutsche Bahn’s cancellation and exchange terms before booking. The best option depends on the route, fares available and any extra costs for reservations or regional travel.