Germany’s 9 euro ticket has created ‘momentum’ for cheap public transport

I never meant to go to Brühl. I hadn’t even meant to do any sightseeing in Germany. I had an overnight connecting flight through Düsseldorf and planned to get some work done at my hotel, and then walk around the city.

But then, on the advice of a member of staff at Düsseldorf airport, I changed my mind. I was about to buy a train ticket into the city — 3 euros — when he suggested I get the 9 euro (about $9) option. “You could go somewhere,” he said.

So I bought it, dropped my belongings at my hotel, and went straight back to the train station. The plan was to go to Cologne, just to see its cathedral — because why not, when it’s free? But then I remembered that almost 100 years ago, my family had lived nearby, in Brühl. So after half an hour on the train, instead walking out of the station at Cologne, I changed platforms and got on another. About 15 minutes later, I was in Brühl. It was a completely spontaneous trip that allowed me to see my family’s old home.

A Düsseldorf to Brühl trip would have cost 9 euros one way — for that price I got a return trip and two airport runs, instead of the “real” total of 24 euros. But this wasn’t just about saving 15 euros — for me, the 9 euro ticket gave me an idea of what Germany had to offer. Even in less than a day. I’m now looking forward to going back. One Rococo palace isn’t enough.

I’m not the only one. Germany’s decision this summer to offer unlimited regional travel for 9 euros per month — which comes to an end a week from today, on August 31 — has been a barnstorming success.

Nearly 60 million tickets had been sold by the beginning of August, according to VDV, the Association of German Transporters — in other words, covering June and July.

That includes 10 million subscribers per month, who automatically received the ticket, 21 million tickets for June and 17 million for July.