How to Save Money on Regional Trains Using the Brandenburg-Berlin Ticket

I love using trains to get around in Germany. If you’re spending a few days in Berlin and you want to take a day trip or two, you can save money on regional trains using the Brandenburg-Berlin ticket. In this post, I’ll explain all the details of how to use this ticket, how much it costs, what the rules and exclusions are, and more.

Certainly there are situations where renting a car in Germany might be the way to go. But in many cases, getting around in Germany using the trains is a lot less stressful.

There are plenty of fun things to do in Berlin, but sometimes it’s great to get out of the city for the day. For shorter distances within the Brandenburg and Berlin regions, the Brandenburg-Berlin day pass can be a fantastic option.

What is the Brandenburg-Berlin ticket from Deutsche Bahn?

The Brandenburg-Berlin ticket is a regional train day pass that lets you travel throughout Berlin and Brandenburg, which is the state that surrounds Berlin. If you’re taking day trips from Berlin to someplace in Brandenburg, this ticket can save you money.

The Berlin Brandenburg train ticket gives you unlimited travel on regional and local transport (with a few minor exceptions) all day long. AND it’s good for a group of up to five adults.

For a family or friends traveling together, especially if you’re traveling to Berlin on a budget, this can really save you a lot of money.

Keep reading for all the details about how to save money on regional trains using the Brandenburg-Berlin ticket, when and where you can use the ticket, which trains it works for, and much more.

Which trains can you use with the Brandenburg-Berlin ticket?

The Brandenburg-Berlin ticket is valid on all regional trains and public transportation. So you can use Berlin public transport to get from your hotel to a train station, and then transfer to a regional train to your destination within Brandenburg, and use public transport in your destination city.

You can use the Berlin-Brandenburg ticket on the following:

• RE trains: regional trains with numbers starting with RE
• RB trains: regional trains with numbers starting with RB
• Ubahns
• Sbahns
• Trams
• Local buses

It’s important to note that you can NOT use this ticket for the fast trains. This means if the train number starts with ICE, IC, EC, NJ, RJX, or RJ, you can’t use the Brandenburg-Berlin ticket. You also can’t use the Brandenburg-Berlin ticket on FlixTrain or FlixBus since it is a different company.

This isn’t an all inclusive list, but most of what you’ll see that you need to avoid are ICE, IC, and EC trains.

In general, long distance trains are the fast trains that are excluded. Regional trains usually travel shorter distances in Germany since they don’t go as fast, and they are included on the Brandenburg-Berlin ticket.

Where can you use this train pass?

The Berlin-Brandenburg ticket works for the city of Berlin and the entire region of Brandenburg. Plus you can use it to get to Szczecin, Poland, which is just over the border.

The map pictured above shows Brandenburg within the dotted line and Berlin in the middle of it. It includes the Spreewald and lots of other nature areas, and lots of quaint small German towns.

Potsdam is located in Brandenburg, but it’s usually cheaper to use a Berlin Zones ABC ticket to get there. I have more details further down in the article about when the pass is not the best value and examples of when it is the better deal.

And don’t forget to read my article about how to get from Berlin to Potsdam by train.

How many people can use one ticket?

The benefit of the Brandenburg-Berlin train ticket is that it’s a reduced rate for a group of people traveling together. It covers up to 5 adults on one ticket.

Your group can’t change though. When you get your ticket, you have to write everyone’s name on it, and it’s only valid for those people.

You can also have up to 3 children aged 6-14 on your ticket for free. Here’s the exact wording from Deutsche Bahn:

“Up to three children aged 6-14 travel free of charge when accompanying adults. Children travelling for free do not need to be named on the ticket.”

Kids under age 6 normally ride for free anyway, so they don’t count against your limit.

Ticket example

If you look at the picture above, that is a Berlin Brandenburg ticket I used with a friend. I cropped out the QR code because it’s not important for you to see, and I blacked out my friend’s name.

You can also see I’ve pointed out a few important details. My friend bought the ticket, so her name is listed first, and then she added mine. It shows the date the ticket is valid for, and that it’s a 2nd class ticket.

Towards the bottom where I pointed out the date and time, you can also see a line that says “An Sa, So und Feiertagen…” That’s your reminder that on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, you can use the ticket as early as midnight.

More details about time validity further down in the article.

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Group example:
Let’s say two families are traveling together. There are two sets of adults, for a total of 4 adults, plus two 8 year olds and two 3 year olds. That’s 4 adults and 4 kids.

This group can all travel together on ONE Brandenburg-Berlin ticket! All 4 adult names must be written on the ticket. The two 8 year olds count towards the 6-14 year old child limit, and the two 3 year olds are complete freebies.

When can you use the Brandenburg-Berlin ticket?

Keep in mind there are some restriction on days and times for using the Brandenburg-Berlin ticket.

Monday through Friday, the ticket is valid from 9am to 3am the following day. On Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, it’s valid starting at midnight through 3am the following day.

So if you have a ticket valid for a Tuesday, you can start using it at 9am, but not earlier. If you have a ticket valid for a Sunday, you can start using it at midnight or 1am if you felt like it.

More importantly this means you can’t start your day trip too early on a weekday, but you can start as early as you’d like on a Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday.

And if you’re staying out late, you have until 3am the day after the date of your ticket.

Night ticket info

There’s also a version of the Brandenburg Berlin ticket for night travel. The night version is valid Monday to Friday from 6pm until 6am the following day, and on Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays from 6pm until 7am the following day.

This is probably less useful for most people, but if you find yourself in a situation where you want to use regional trains overnight, this could be helpful.

How much does the Berlin-Brandenburg ticket cost?

The daytime 2nd class Brandenburg-Berlin ticket costs 33 euros. If you want the 1st class ticket, it costs 56 euros.

The Brandenburg-Berlin night ticket costs 25 euros for 2nd class, or 48 euros for 1st class.

Keep in mind these prices stay the same whether you have 2 people or 5 people on your ticket. In quite a few other states in Germany, their version of the regional pass has a base price that increases for each person you add on, so the Berlin-Brandenburg one is actually pretty cheap.

>>Buy the Brandenburg Berlin ticket here.

Can you cancel/change/refund the Berlin Brandenburg ticket?

No, this train pass is nonrefundable and can’t be changed. Since it is valid for a specific day, make sure you know what day you’re traveling before you hit that purchase button.

2nd class vs 1st class?

Public transport does not have different class sections, but most regional trains do actually have a first class cabins. Sometimes it’s only half of one train car.

Honestly, there’s not much difference between 1st class and 2nd class on regional trains. I don’t think I’d ever buy the 1st class ticket.

The only time it might help you out is if you’re on a particularly busy route and the train is very crowded. Then 1st class might give you a better chance of getting a seat, but you won’t often know this ahead of time.

Where can you buy the Berlin Brandenburg train ticket?

You can buy the Brandenburg Berlin ticket online here, or in the Deutsche Bahn app, or in the VBB app, or in ticket machines run by Deutsche Bahn. Machines run by DB include the Sbahn ticket machines, and they’ll also say VBB on them.

You can NOT buy the ticket from Ubahn ticket machines (which will say BVG on them), or from the BVG app, or from machines on buses or trams. I know, annoying, but the Sbhan is run by Deutsche Bahn, while the Ubahn is run by the local Berlin transport system.

Check the picture above to see the difference between the two machines. To be clear, you can buy normal Berlin transport tickets from either machine, but the machine shown on the right can’t sell you a Brandenburg Berlin ticket.

If you buy a paper ticket from a machine, be sure to hold onto the ticket for the entire day. You could be stopped by ticket checkers at any time on any form of transport, and someone in your group must have the ticket.

How to buy the Brandenburg Berlin train ticket

The best way to start is to go to the website (or the app if you prefer) and simply put in your starting point and end destination, number of passengers, and travel date. Since you won’t necessarily know if the train pass is your cheapest option, this is a good way to compare prices.

Spreewald example

Here’s the Deutsche Bahn homepage below. I’ve put in Berlin as a starting point and Lübbenau in the Spreewald as a destination for this example.

You’ll see two check marks, one for “fastest connections” and one for “local transport only”. The local transport one is not checked by default when you come to the homepage, but you need to make sure you check that box if you want to see regional trains.

(Note: There won’t be fast trains on this route, but you won’t always know that. Best to check that box to eliminate the possibility of seeing ICEs or ICs in your search results.)

I arbitrarily picked a date a few days from when I’m writing this post. I also put in 9am as a start time since I know the Brandenburg Berlin ticket is only good from 9am on weekdays.

The other thing I did was select 2 people, but make sure you choose the right number for your group. I left the ages as 27 and up, but if you’re traveling with someone aged 15-26, that is the other option in the drop down. And I left the class selection as 2nd class.

After hitting the search button, I see several options.

Note that the price shown is for one person one way. If you’re going to Spreewald as a day trip, you know that you will need round trip tickets, and we had 2 people in our search.

So when I see that price of 12.50 euros, I know that is one person one way. So for two people round trip on the same day, that’s going to be 50 euros.

Now you can choose a route. I picked the earliest one since you probably want to get an early start to your day. Then it takes you to the offers page with a variety of ticket options.

Offers page

I’ve numbered each option in blue in the photo above. Here’s what they mean:

1) This is the normal one way price for one person. It will only get you from Berlin to Lübbenau. Note that is says “…use the usual route…” meaning this can’t be used for unlimited travel.

2) This is the same as #1 but a reduced far for children ages 6-14.

3) This one is a 24 hour ticket for one adult. It’s a little better than option #1 since it does include unlimited travel on local and regional transport within a 24 hour period.

4) This is the same as #3 but a reduced far for children ages 6-14.

5) This is a 24 hour ticket valid for up to 5 adults. It includes unlimited travel on local and regional transport, so it looks like a nice option, but it’s 62.50 euros.

6) This is the Brandenburg Berlin ticket. It’s 33 euros, which is so much better than option #5. The only catch is that #5 is a 24 hour ticket, and #6 is valid from 9am that day until 3am the following day.

If your plan is to go to Spreewald for the day and return to Berlin, option #6 is your best choice. It will also cover you for transport within Berlin until 3am the next day.

You’ll also see that options 1-5 can’t be purchased through Deutsche Bahn. You would have to buy these from the VBB app or a VBB ticket machine. The Brandenburg Berlin ticket is the only one you can buy through Deutsche Bahn.

(Note: At the bottom of the screenshot, you’ll see “Meaning of symbols: You can buy this ticket in the DB navigator” with a little shopping cart crossed off next to it. This is a bad translation. Clearly you can NOT buy those particular tickets on DB.)

Once you click to purchase this ticket, you’ll get to a stage where it asks for passenger names. You must type in every passenger in your group, and your group must remain the same throughout the day.

When is the ticket not a good option?

Even though there are times when you can save money on regional trains using the Brandenburg-Berlin ticket, there are a few situations where it’s not the most economical option for you.

If you’re only traveling within Berlin, there are cheaper tickets. I wouldn’t use the Berlin Brandenburg ticket in this case.

For solo travelers, this usually isn’t a great option since single tickets are often cheaper than the Brandenburg Berlin ticket.

Taking a day trip from Berlin to Potsdam, visiting Sachsenhausen, or going somewhere else within Zone C is usually cheaper with a different type of ticket, not the Brandenburg Berlin ticket.

>>Read: How to Get to Potsdam From Berlin by Train

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Why should you use this train ticket?

The Berlin Brandenburg ticket can save you a lot of money when you’re traveling from Berlin to the surrounding region of Brandenburg. It’s great for groups, and usually with even just two people, it can save you money.

I’ve listed a few situations above where the ticket isn’t the best value, but here are a few examples of trips where the Berlin Brandenburg ticket is a money saver.

Spreewald

If you want to take a day trip to the Spreewald, and you have at least two people, the Berlin Brandenburg ticket is most likely your best option. A normal one way ticket is currently 12.50 euros, so for two people round trip that’s 50 euros.

But the Brandenburg Berlin ticket is only 33 euros, so you would save 17 euros using this train pass.

Tropical Islands

Tropical Islands is a fun indoor water park and spa in an old Zeppelin hangar. It’s great for kids, but there’s enough for adults to enjoy too. They keep the temperatures warm, so it can be a nice relief from a cold winter day in Berlin.

If you’re traveling alone, there is a single VBB ticket for 9.50 euros one way, so it would cost 19 euros round trip. In this case, the Brandenburg Berlin ticket isn’t worth it.

But with a second person, or with kids, it is more cost efficient to buy the Brandenburg Berlin ticket for 33 euros to do a day trip to Tropical Islands.

Cottbus

For a day trip from Berlin to Cottbus with at least two people, it’s also a cheaper option to use the Brandenburg-Berlin ticket. A normal one way ticket is currently 15.50 euros, so for two people round trip that’s 62 euros.

But the Brandenburg Berlin ticket is only 33 euros, so you would save 29 euros using this train pass.

Szczecin

You might be interested in taking a day trip to Szczecin, just over the border into Poland. Despite being outside of Brandenburg, and even outside of Germany, the Brandenburg-Berlin ticket will get you there.

Basically if you want to go anywhere in Brandenburg that’s outside of Zone C, and if you have at least two people, the Berlin Brandenburg ticket will probably save you money. Always run your route first to check.

Since it can seem a bit confusing to figure out whether you better off buying a normal ticket or the Brandenburg Berlin ticket, I recommend going to Deutsche Bahn and entering your start and end cities. Remember to choose round trip and the appropriate number of passengers.

Then when you go to the “offer selection” it will give you the Brandenburg Berlin ticket if it’s possible. That way you can compare the prices.

>>Search your train route on Deutsche Bahn here.

FAQs about using the Brandenburg Berlin ticket

In case you have more questions about train travel in Germany, here are some frequently asked questions about using the ticket, along with some helpful tips.

Is there food on the regional trains?

On some regional trains, someone with a cart will come by selling coffee and a few other drinks. They might also have a few small snacks, but don’t expect much. Shorter distance regional trains won’t even have this.

Regional trains do not have a restaurant or bar car. But you are allowed to bring your own food and drinks, even alcohol, onto the train to eat and drink while on your journey.

Are there bathrooms on the train?

Almost every regional train has bathrooms on it. Local public transportation does not have bathrooms.

Which forms of transport are included with the Brandenburg Berlin ticket?

The regional pass is good for travel on regional trains (train numbers often starting with RE or RB) as well as local transport, such as Ubahns, Sbahns, trams, and buses.

It does NOT work for travel on fast trains, like ICE, IC, or EC trains. Always check the train number before boarding.

Do you need to buy the ticket ahead of time?

If you know when you’re going to travel, you certainly can book your ticket ahead of time. This is easy to do on the Deutsche Bahn website since you have to put in a date to search for routes and prices anyway.

But if you don’t know your date of travel yet, you can wait. Just make sure you buy it before getting on the train.

Do you have to validate your ticket?

Brandenburg-Berlin train tickets require a date when purchasing, so it is already validated for that date. Whether you purchase it through the DB website, the DB app, the VBB app, or a ticket machine, it will already be validated.

If your group is larger than 5 people and you buy an additional normal ticket, you will have to validate it if it’s a ticket purchased from a machine. If you buy it from one of the apps, it will be validated as soon as you buy it.

Are kids included on the Brandenburg-Berlin ticket?

Children under age 6 are always free, so they don’t count towards your total. You can have three kids aged 6-14 traveling with adults on one Brandenburg-Berlin ticket, and you don’t have to include their names on the ticket.

Can you travel with a dog?

Dogs are allowed on trains and public transport, so if you’re bringing your dog to Berlin, this ticket is still an option for you. Here’s what you need to know:

Dogs that are, according to Deutsche Bahn, “larger than a domestic cat” are required to have a ticket. This means the dog will count as one of the people on your Brandenburg-Berlin ticket, and you will need to write the dog’s name on the ticket.

If your dog is smaller than a domestic cat, they do not need a ticket. Dogs of this size won’t count towards your group total and don’t need to be written on the ticket.

Keep in mind that small dogs are required to be in a carrier, and large dogs that aren’t in a carrier are required to wear a muzzle. Almost no one follows the muzzle rule, but it is still the rule.

And as you can see from the picture above, they’re pretty flexible about the dog being in the carrier. The ticket checker asked if we had one, we pointed to our carrier, and all was fine.

Can you bring a bike?

Bicycles are allowed on most trains, but you must purchase a separate bike ticket. This is also true for public transport.

Can you use the Brandenburg-Berlin ticket to go to Dresden, Leipzig, or Hamburg?

No, Dresden, Leipzig, and Hamburg are located outside of Brandenburg, so you can’t use this ticket to get there. You’ll need to buy a normal train ticket to reach any of these cities.

There is another option called the Quer-durchs-Land-Ticket, which is like the Berlin Brandenburg ticket but works across all regions in Germany. It is still limited to local public transport and regional trains, so you can’t use it on the fast trains.

The time limit on the Quer-durchs-Land-Ticket is still 9am to 3am the following day, and it’s still for a group up to 5 people. It could save you money, but you have to compare how long the journey is on regional trains vs taking fast trains and spending a little more money.

And if you’re spending time in another part of Germany, you’ll be happy to know that each state has their own version of this regional ticket.

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