Germany’s federal government agreed on a summer public transport sale of the century. File photograph: Getty ImagesGermans love complaining about their trains almost as much as they love their trains, but not as much as they love a bargain.
But the €9 promotion, agreed in Berlin shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, has left DB and local German transport companies little time to secure additional vehicles or staff. And some already fear the daring move may prove a victim of its own success, particularly given its launch ahead of the June bank holiday weekend.
Some popular destinations had a rude €9 awakening: Sylt, the North Sea island favoured by the luxury-loving German jet-set was overrun at the weekend by a wave of bargain-seeking punks and their dogs. A week into the three-month promotion, which is set to end on September 1st, German politicians remain hopeful that — despite early hiccups — enough people will embrace the opportunity.
Rail companies and passenger lobby groups are united in demanding more money for the publicly owned German rail operator and network. After nearly two decades of underspending, punctuality of long-distance German trains has dropped to below 80 per cent. Anyone wondering where Germany’s rail experiment is headed could look over the border to Austria. Last autumn state rail company ÖBB introduced a “climate ticket”, allowing people to travel across the entire public transport network — from city tram to inter-regional train — for €1,095 annually. Those who secured an early-booker discount pay just €80 a month. For an additional one-off payment of €110, up to four children can be added to the annual ticket.
thats the price from dublin city to dublin airport