Dutch families can save on summer train travel with Germany’s 99-euro ticket

Families in the Netherlands planning on doing some travelling this summer can benefit from the new family discount ticket being launched by Germany’s national rail operator Deutsche Bahn. 

Deutsche Bahn launches 99-euro family ticket

The summer holidays are fast approaching and Dutch families are looking forward to enjoying a little European getaway. While air travel becomes more and more expensive, not all hope is lost as Deutsche Bahn keeps long-distance train travel affordable. 

Germany’s national rail company recently froze ticket prices until May 2027 and announced a discount scheme for short-notice ICE and IC bookings. Families are set to benefit from their latest announcement.

Between late June and mid-September, groups of up to five people can book long-distance train tickets for 99,99 euros, seat reservations included. At least one member of the group must be a child to purchase the “family ticket” (Familienticket).

"We are making a special offer to all families who are looking ahead to the approaching summer holidays with uncertainty in the current crisis," CEO Evelyn Palla said, according to a Tagesschau report.

How to book a Deutsche Bahn Familienticket

From mid-June, travellers will be able to book a Familienticket on the Deutsche Bahn website, though an exact launch date has not yet been revealed. Travellers from the Netherlands can also benefit, as you do not need to be a German resident to book a ticket.

Because at least one child needs to be travelling in the group for passengers to be eligible for the ticket, the Familienticket option will only appear in the Deutsche Bahn journey search if passengers tick that they are travelling with children.

Remember, the ticket is valid for journeys across the German federal states and beyond, which means you can book your family discount ticket to depart from Amsterdam, for example. 

In recent years, Deutsche Bahn has been expanding its cross-border services, so now might be an excellent opportunity to explore Europe via Germany. The rail company has recently launched 17 new services to Poland, plus connections to Copenhagen and Paris.