Deutsche Bahn

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RegionalExpress

Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) is the German national railway company. Virtually all active train stations, all long-distance trains and and many regional trains and S-Bahn city trains are run by them.

Pricing

Most regions of Germany offer some kind of transportation network, local DB trains are usually included and tickets from both of them are valid, although the pricing might be very different.

The normal fares are very expensive and usually not used by locals. The DB is actualy the 2nd most expensive railroad in Europe after the Norwegian. There is a wide range of special offers and rebate systems, but they are rather difficult to use for single spontaneous trips. Some exceptions are the Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket (Happy-Weekend-Ticket), the Quer-durchs-Land Ticket and the regional day ticket Länderticket.

The Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket is valid for a whole Saturday or Sunday for up to 5 persons in all regional trains in all of Germany. It used to be possible to "hitchhike" this ticket because it was valid for up to 5 people for a flat cost of 40 Euro. Because it was so cheap, many people bought it even though they were alone or in groups smaller than 5, so it was possible to join a group for free. Now, the ticket costs 40€ for one person and 4 Euro more for each additional person. Since you have to select the number of passengers beforehand, joining existing groups isn't possible anymore, and you will likely have to pay a share of the price.

The Quer-durchs-Land Ticket does the same on weekdays, but is slightly more expensive at 42 Euro for the first person and 6 Euro more for each subsequent. On weekdays you can use the Länderticket, which is about 20 Euro for one person or 30 Euro for 5 persons in all regional trains from 9:00 unto 3:00 the next day in a certain Federal State (sometimes several count as one).

Train hitchhiking

The golden days of the weekend ticket are, sadly, over. The so-called Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket still exists, but you now have to select the number of passengers at the time of buying, and each additional person (up to 5), costs 4 Euro. This means that you might still be able to spontaneously find people to share a ticket with, but you will have to approach them before they buy the ticket (so no asking around when you're already in the train), and you will likely have to pay at least 11 Euro (per-person price in a group of 5). Theoretically, though, people might let you join their ticket for 4 Euro, or even pay the 4 Euro for you, but, arguably, neither of those possibilities could be called hitchhiking.

It is also possible to join Ländertickets, but they are not as common and there is a cheaper Single version which is not useful because you cannot join it.

In some regions like Dresden, Cologne and Aachen people are also allowed to take somebody on their student ticket, job ticket, monthly ticket or year ticket in afternoons and on weekends. This might be noted in the city articles.

In Berlin, you can hitchhike public transport with people who have monthly tickets, but only on weekdays from 8 pm - 3 am, and the whole day on Saturdays and Sundays. People might be confused if you ask them about it, since it's not very common, but finding someone with a monthly ticket shouldn't be a problem since they are very widespread. Ask people if they have a so-called "Umweltkarte", the most common ticket with the possibility to hitchhike, or see nomadwiki for more details.

Blackriding

On long distance trains (IC and ICE) you can buy a ticket from the conductor (the fare being 10% higher), which can make blackriding difficult. If you cannot pay on the spot (or at least say so), the conductor will print a fine if you present ID. Many conductors will issue a fine that serves as a valid ticket to your declared destination, and provided you're not a German citizen or resident, you can disregard this penalty. This is not a foolproof method, however, as certain conductors will only issue a fine valid as a ticket to the next station, and force you to get off the train there.

For example, I myself went on an ICE from Siegburg/Bonn to Basel ticket-less, getting caught before Frankfurt airport. Showed the conductor my ID, provided a fake German address (I live elsewhere) and was given a fine valid as a ticket all the way to Basel.

Another time I boarded a Hamburg-bound ICE in Freiburg wanting to go to Hamburg. Made the mistake of sitting in a compartment, where I was successfully identified as a new passenger. Despite insisting I could pay a fine all the way to Hamburg, the conductor only gave me a fine to the next stop, Baden-Baden, where I was then kicked off.

Boarding a train at an intermediate stop ticket-less works well in busy long-distance trains. If there are many passengers on the train, your appearance is normal and you don't stick out in the eyes of the staff, you're unlikely to be identified as a new passenger. They will walk through the train asking who is new ("Neu zugestiegene Fahrgäste?"), and if you don't react, they'll normally keep walking. For this purpose, however, always sit in the open salon, where you'll blend in much easier, and not in a compartment.

If you fall asleep (or pretend to), there is a chance that the conductor doesn't want to wake you up. Wearing headphones might help. Check the fares beforehand anyway, because they are pretty high.

The short-distance ticket trick works well on long-distance trains, at least busy ones. Even if sitting in a compartment, once the staff has seen your ticket and stamped it, they will rarely remember the stated destination of each passenger.

In some regional trains (S-Bahn, RegionalBahn or RegionalExpress), such as from Singen to Schaffhausen (Switzerland) ticket checks are fairly common, while on others they're the exception and thus a great way to blackride across the country. The same instructions apply regarding fines. Generally speaking with RE and RB there is usually (but not always) a conducter on train. With S-bahn it depends. There are some lines of S-bahn where there is nearly never a controler and some lines with conducter checking after each station.

On some regional trains, there is a ticket machine. This varies from region to region, so you should check it before. If there is, you could try checking if there actually is a conductor on the train before buying a ticket. Multi-wagon trains and conductors joining the train at a later stop make this somewhat risky though. You're obligated to posses a valid ticket as soon as you join the train so you can get fined even in the process of buying if you're considered a blackrider.

Getting caught

  • If you're a German citizen/resident and they get your ID, it means you'll be donating from 60 EUR to the full ticket price to the DB's shareholders (mostly the German state, if that makes you feel better) − if they don't, you might be tempted to give them a fake name and address, which, while, illegal, will work.
  • You don't have to pay instantly, but usually by bank transfer within 10 days
  • As a last line of defense, conductors can call the police and legally keep you from leaving to prevent you from "illegally obtaining a service". Most commonly, however, you can get a fine printed that is valid as a ticket to your declared destination, or you may simply be kicked out at the next stop.
  • For persons neither citizens nor residents of Germany, the penalty cannot and will not be enforced. (is that really sure?) As mentioned above, if given your ID, many conductors will print a fine valid as a ticket to your intended destination, making this a useful method for visitors to blackride. Beware, however, that not all conductors will agree to this, and they may insist that you get off at the next stop.
  • If you get fined and you don't pay your fine they might put you to court. Blackriding is a crime in Germany and you are likely to be sentenced certain amount of day penalties. That means you etither need to pay certain amount of money (depending on your income) or you go for this amount of days into prison. Usually they don't make the courtcase for first fine but if you collect more it is likely to be put to court. It is unclear how it is with foreigners. You might be tempted to give them wrong adress or to not give any adress but it is probably not a good idea. If they don't have your adress they will make the process with you anyway and instead of sending you the letters they hang them publicly in the courthouse (or city hall?) and then it is concidered as delivered. So if you give them your real identity it is actually better to give them adress where you can be reached. Otherwise it might happen that they make a courtcase against you, you don't know about it, they sentence you and eventually when getting caught by cops you will be put to prison. It is bit unclear how it works for foreigners who don't live in Germany and just sometimes pass by. But anyway in this moment when you read the article there are thousands of people sitting in German prisons for blackriding. It is very common to end up in jail for it. So keep blackriding but maybe try to avoid them getting your identity.
  • When they ask you for ticket you can speak English to them and honestly tell them that you have no ticket and no money. Sometimes they ask you for ID and if you say you have none they usually tell you to get of the next station. I was kicked mostly from ICEs,but also REs, RBs and S-bahn in total about 10 or 15 times and only one conducter called the cops. Usually if you are not unfriendly they have no reason to make it complicated so they just tell you to get off next stop and take care that you do. Easy job for them and an hour or two waiting for next train for you.

Action blackriding

In Germany if you blackride you make basicaly 2 thefts. One is that you don´t have a ticket for which you can get the 60 euros fine and if you don´ t pay couple of fines at some point debt collectors can knock on your door so in case you have no or nearly no propetty it doesn´ t need to worry you. Second theft you make is basicaly cheating. You pretend to have ticket but you don´ t have one. For this if you repeatedly don´ t pay the fine you might get to court and get day penalties which means that you need to pay certain amount of money ( depends on your income) and if you don´t pay it you go for certain amount of days to prison and German prisons are full with people who just blackride trains. To not go to prison there is a trick. When you go blackriding you enter the train with a visible sign saying that you have no ticket and you have to hold this sign visibly especialy when the controler come. IF you have a sign you are not cheating because you are openly saying that you have no ticket. In that case usually controler will write you a fine which works as valid ticket for your destination. If you do this more times at some point a debt collector will knock on your door so if you wanna do this you need to be sure to not have property which could be confiscated and be cool with having debt for next decades. As well they can put you to court and try to force you to pay the money or otherwise put you to jail but in that case you can defend at the court that you had the sign so you haven´ t been cheating. People did and do this courts with succes. It is very annoying to go to your courts and argue with judges but it can offer you free mean of transport all over Germany and if more people would do it we can break down the system of fines and tickets as the process of geting money from you and puting you to court is quite expensive for them. Blackriding with sign works but if you use it often you might need to go often to the court as well. You can be creative and write on your sign more then just I have no ticket. Sign can forexample say Ich habe kein ticket, Nulltarif fur alle, verkehrswende jetzt! ( I have no ticket, Free publick transport for all, Change of traffic concept now!). By having nice sign you can as well start conversation with other passengers and make them aware of how unfair the ticket system is. It´ s good if the controler remembers that you had the sign so that they can´ t deny it at the court then so you can explain them that your blackriding is a politicil action and you can disscus with them that trains should be free for everyone. In Germany you can defend yourself or you can be defended by your friend at court so you don´ t need to pay lawyers if you learn how to do it by your own. It is unknown how the sign blackriding works for people without german citizenship/residency.