Cheap Family Travel in Germany: Deutsche Bahn’s Familienticket
With Deutsche Bahn’s Family Ticket, families and groups of up to five people can enjoy affordable long-distance train travel across Germany for just €59.99.
In this short guide, I’ll explain everything you need to know about this affordable family train ticket, including its terms and conditions and how to book one.
A German ICE high-speed train. ©AndyBTravels
Deutsche Bahn family ticket
Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s national railway operator, will continue offering its discounted long-distance ticket for groups of up to five people following strong demand during its initial summer trial.
This special group fare, called Familienticket (Family Ticket) in German, will be available to book again from 26 October 2026 for journeys from 1 November onwards.
Although this special fare is officially called the “family ticket”, it is not exclusive to families, as it can be used by any group that includes both adults and children.
This makes the ticket a great option for school outings and youth groups too.
Groups must include at least one child under 14 and one passenger aged 15 or over, but the passengers do not need to be related.
The maximum group size is five people per family ticket, consisting of either two adults and three children or one adult and four children.
For larger groups, you can always buy multiple family tickets.
ICE high-speed train at Frankfurt Hbf. ©AndyBTravels
Costs of the German family ticket
The Deutsche Bahn family ticket costs:
- One-way ticket: €59.99
- Return ticket: €99.99
The prices listed above are for the entire group, not per person, and include seat reservations on long-distance trains (IC, EC, ICE, RJ, etc.), so everyone can sit together.
Do note that the ticket can only be booked up to two days before departure, so it is not available for last-minute travel.
Although children aged 0–5 travel for free on Deutsche Bahn trains, they should still be included in the booking so that a free seat reservation can be made for them too.
How to book the Deutsche Bahn family ticket
You can book the family ticket online directly through the Deutsche Bahn website by searching for your desired route.
Note that the family ticket will only appear in the search results if you enter the required minimum number of passengers – at least one adult and one child – as specified above.
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