Buying a train ticket in German is a common task for travelers in German-speaking countries.
For the public transport system in cities there are mostly vending machines, often thesedays also with menus in English, particularily in major tourist hubs. For long-distance travel it's best to approach the ticket counter or a travel agent, particularily if you're not sure which train is which and how the system works.
Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
Greeting: Approach the ticket counter with:
"Guten Tag" (Good day), "Guten Morgen - Guten Abend" (good moring, good evening) or a simple "Hallo."
Destination and Date:
State your destination by saying, "Ich möchte ein Ticket / eine Fahrkarte nach [Destination] bitte" (I would like a ticket to [Destination] please).
Specify the date and time of your travel: "Für [Date] um [Time]" (For [Date] at [Time]). E.g:
Für heute um 15.00 Uhr (fünfzehn Uhr) - for today 3pm
Für den 13. Sept (dreizehnten September), am Nachmittag (they will then tell you when exactly the train is leaving) - For the 13th Sept, in the afternoon
"wieviel kostet das?" "how much ist that?"
Type of Ticket: Choose the type of ticket you need based on your travel plans. Common options include:
"Hin- und Rückfahrt" (Round trip)
"Einzelfahrt" (One-way ticket)
"Tageskarte" (Day pass), for city public transport
"Fahrkarte nach .... (give destination stop)" = ticket to ....
ICE (Intercity Express) "ee tsay ay" (i.e. not pronounced like in English); stops only at big cities, usually for long distance
Regionalexpress - for trips within a state
Class of Travel:
Indicate your preference for the class of travel:
"Erste Klasse" (First class)
"Zweite Klasse" (Second class)
Number of Passengers: Specify the number of tickets needed: "Für [Number of Passengers]" (For [Number of Passengers]). Für fünf Personen, für zwei Personen - for 5, 2 persons
eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun, zehn - 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Additional Services:
If you have any special requests or need additional services such as bicycle transportation or seat reservations, you can inquire:
"Kann ich auch einen Platz reservieren?" (Can I also reserve a seat?)
"Kann ich mein Fahrrad mitnehmen?" (Can I take my bicycle with me?)
Reservierungsgebühren (reservation fees)
"Was kostet das" - how much is that
Discounts: Ask about any available discounts or special offers if applicable:
"Gibt es Ermäßigungen für Studenten/Senioren/Kinder?" (Are there discounts for students/seniors/children?)
Payment:
Inquire about the payment methods accepted: "Welche Zahlungsarten akzeptieren Sie?" (What payment methods do you accept?) - "Wie kann ich zahlen?" - "How can I pay"
If you're using cash, you can say, "Ich zahle bar" (I'm paying in cash).
If you are paying by card you can say: "ich zahle mit (Kredit)Karte"
Confirm and Pay:
The ticket agent is likely to present you the tickets, repeating again your details:
"von München nach Hamburg, am 15. September um 10.00, Ankunft in Hamburg um 23.00. - Rückfahrt am 20. September um 9 Uhr, Ankunft in München um 20.00. Paßt das so?"
"from Munich to Hamburg, on the 15th of Sept at 10am, arrival in Hamburg at 11pm. - Return trip on the 20th Sept at 9am, arrival in Munich at 8pm. Is that alright?"
Confirm the details of your ticket, including the price, and proceed with payment.
For instance, you can say, "Ja, das ist in Ordnung" (Yes, that's okay), and hand over your payment or use your credit card.
The clerk might say then: "ok, das macht dann .... Euro" "that's ... Euro altogether"
Receiving the Ticket:
Once the transaction is complete, you will receive your ticket.
You can say, "Danke" (Thank you) oder "Vielen Dank" (Many thanks) to express your gratitude.
I hope you found this German lesson on buying train tickets useful. - If you want to learn German for real, register on this site and I will be in touch shortly.
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