Travel · Deutschlandticket · My Experience
From Germany to Salzburg With the Deutschlandticket (and the Border Cities Where It Works)
I went to Salzburg in Austria without buying a single extra train ticket. I only used my normal Deutschlandticket, the same one I use to go to work.
When the regional train stopped in Freilassing, the last German station before the border, I wasn't sure. Do I need a new ticket for the last few minutes into Austria? So I asked a Deutsche Bahn employee on the platform. His answer: "No. Your Deutschlandticket is valid until the first city across the border." Ten minutes later I was walking along the Salzach river, coffee in hand, looking up at the fortress.
Most people in Germany have no idea this works. In this guide you'll find my day in Salzburg, how the Deutschlandticket works (also for tourists visiting Germany), the official list of foreign cities you can reach with it, and the places where you can't, because that's where people get fined.
How it worked for me
The trick is simple: you take regional trains only (RE, RB, S-Bahn) to Freilassing and stay on to Salzburg Hauptbahnhof. The section Freilassing to Salzburg Hbf is officially part of the Deutschlandticket area. It's written in the ticket's official tariff conditions, and Salzburg's own tourist office confirms it on its website.
My day in Salzburg
It was a sunny summer day, and Salzburg was full of life. From the station I walked down to the Salzach, the turquoise river that runs through the city. People were lying on the grass on the riverbank, cycling along the water, and the white fortress (Festung Hohensalzburg) sat on the hill above everything.
The Salzach from one of the footbridges, and my coffee break on the bridge railing.
I crossed the river into the old town, with narrow lanes full of shops, tall pastel buildings, and big open squares with fountains and churches. It's busy with tourists in summer, so go early if you want quieter photos.
The old town: narrow lanes and wide squares, all walkable.
My favourite moment was the simplest one: sitting by the river, watching people relax in the sun, and realising that I had come to another country for the price of my monthly ticket.
Living in Germany means you're close to a lot of Europe. Sometimes the best trips are the ones you don't need to plan for weeks.
How the Deutschlandticket works (the short version)
If you live in Germany you probably know the basics, but many newcomers and visitors don't. Here's what you actually need to know (official details on the Deutsche Bahn Deutschlandticket page):
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Price | €63 per month in 2026. From 1 January 2027 it goes up to €66.80. |
| What it covers | All local and regional public transport in Germany: regional trains (RE, RB), S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams and buses, in every city, in 2nd class. |
| What it doesn't cover | Long-distance trains: ICE, IC, EC, FlixTrain, plus most tourist and historic trains. |
| Type of ticket | A monthly subscription, valid for the calendar month. It's a digital ticket on your phone (in some regions a chip card) and it's personal: carry an ID. |
| Cancelling | Online (DB Navigator or the subscription portal), by the 10th of the month, to stop at the end of that month. Buy or cancel it on bahn.de. |
Visiting Germany? How tourists can use the Deutschlandticket
The Deutschlandticket isn't only for people who live here. If you're visiting Germany, it can make a trip much cheaper, as long as you understand three things.
1. It's a subscription, so cancel it right away
You can only buy it as a monthly subscription (on the Deutsche Bahn website or in the DB Navigator app), but you can cancel it straight after buying. Visitors usually buy it, cancel it the same day, and use it until the end of that calendar month.
2. Watch the calendar: it's per month, not per 30 days
The ticket is valid for a calendar month, not for 30 days from the day you buy it. If your trip is from 25 May to 5 June, you need May and June. And there's a trap: if you buy after the 10th of a month, the earliest you can cancel is the end of the following month, so you pay for two months. Plan your trip inside one calendar month if you can, and buy it before the 10th.
3. Check how you'll pay
Deutsche Bahn sells the subscription by SEPA direct debit (an EU bank account). If you're coming from outside the EU, check the payment options of the seller before your trip. At a DB travel centre you can pay the first month in cash or by card.
- From Munich: Salzburg or Kufstein in Austria, and Füssen for Neuschwanstein Castle.
- From Freiburg: Basel in Switzerland.
- From Cologne or Düsseldorf: Venlo or Arnhem in the Netherlands.
- From Nuremberg: almost all of Franconia, like Bamberg and Würzburg, plus Regensburg.
Which other foreign cities can you reach with the Deutschlandticket?
Salzburg isn't the only one. The official tariff conditions of the Deutschlandticket (version of 15 May 2026) list a small number of cross-border sections where the ticket is valid in 2nd class. These are the ones you can actually use:
| Country | Where you can go | Route |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | Salzburg Hbf | Freilassing – Salzburg Hbf |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | Kufstein (Tyrol) | Kiefersfelden – Kufstein |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | Reutte, Ehrwald (Außerfern line) | Pfronten-Steinach – Reutte – Ehrwald – Griesen, only to/from Germany |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | Basel (Badischer Bahnhof and the Wiesental line) | Weil am Rhein / Lörrach / Grenzach – Basel |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | Schaffhausen | Erzingen – Schaffhausen – Bietingen, Jestetten – Schaffhausen |
| 🇫🇷 France | Wissembourg, Lauterbourg (Alsace) | Schweighofen – Wissembourg, Berg (Pfalz) – Lauterbourg |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | Venlo, Enschede, Hengelo, Arnhem | Kaldenkirchen – Venlo, Gronau – Enschede, Bad Bentheim – Hengelo, Emmerich – Arnhem |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | Świnoujście, Zgorzelec | Ahlbeck – Świnoujście Centrum, Görlitz – Zgorzelec |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | Hrádek nad Nisou, Varnsdorf, Vejprty | Zittau – Hrádek, Seifhennersdorf – Varnsdorf, Bärenstein – Vejprty |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | Cheb (only to the border, see below) | Marktredwitz / Schirnding – border point, then a Czech ticket for the last kilometres |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | Tønder | Süderlügdum – Tønder (from Niebüll) |
In every case, the ticket ends at that station or line. Local buses and trams in the foreign city (for example in Basel) are not included.
Where the Deutschlandticket does NOT work (careful!)
- Cheb / Eger (Czech Republic): the Deutschlandticket is only valid up to the border point, not to Cheb station (see our Cheb story below).
- Strasbourg (France): the Deutschlandticket only takes you to Kehl. The train or tram across the Rhine to Strasbourg needs a separate ticket.
- Prague, Vienna, Zurich, Amsterdam: not included. Only the short border sections in the table above are.
- Long-distance trains: ICE, IC, EC, Railjet are never included, not even on the border sections.
Our Cheb story: Nuremberg to Prague, almost for free
When we first lived in Nuremberg, we went to Prague many times. Our route was always the same: the regional train from Nuremberg to Cheb, the first station in the Czech Republic and the end of the German train line, and then a Czech train from Cheb to Prague. Sometimes we bought a German one-way ticket to Cheb; later we simply used the Deutschlandticket, which cost under €60 a month back then.
So I was surprised when I checked the official rules for this post. Cheb isn't in the Deutschlandticket's list of foreign routes. The Bavarian railway company (BEG) explained it in June 2026: the Deutschlandticket is valid up to the border point, and for the few kilometres from the border to Cheb station you need a separate Czech ticket. It costs about €1 in the ČD (Czech Railways) app, and you must buy both tickets before the trip starts. Without it, travellers have been fined by ticket inspectors.
Before you go: quick checklist
- Valid Deutschlandticket on your phone (or chip card), plus your ID or passport. Border checks happen.
- Only regional trains: RE, RB, S-Bahn. No ICE/IC/EC/Railjet.
- Your destination is on the official list (table above). For Cheb you need an extra Czech ticket; Strasbourg is not covered.
- Plan to walk, or buy a local ticket for buses and trams abroad.
- Switzerland is outside the EU, so mobile data there may cost extra. Check your tariff.
Quick answers
Can I use the Deutschlandticket in Austria?
Only on a few border sections: Freilassing to Salzburg Hbf, Kiefersfelden to Kufstein, and the Außerfern line to Reutte and Ehrwald. Not on Austrian city buses, and not to Innsbruck or Vienna.
Is the Deutschlandticket valid to Prague?
No. In the Czech Republic it only covers a few border sections near Zittau and Bärenstein. To Cheb it's valid up to the border point, with a Czech ticket for the rest.
Can tourists buy the Deutschlandticket?
Yes. It's a monthly subscription for the calendar month. Buy it before the 10th and cancel it right away if you only need one month.
Does it work on the ICE to Salzburg?
No. Only regional trains (RE, RB, S-Bahn) are included. The EC and Railjet need a normal ticket.
Your turn
Have you used your Deutschlandticket to cross a border? Which city did you visit? Tell us on our Find Around Facebook Page, and I'll add the best tips to this post.
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