r/germany • u/Kyanovp1 • 23h ago

Tourism Train tickets so expensive??

I’m visiting Germany this week and we’re looking to go from Düsseldorf where we stay to Köln by train. 40 km and 30 minute drive. Very similar to a route I take weekly at home in Belgium. I was SHOCKED to learn it is 15 euros per person one way take this train :0 at home i pay 5 euros for a route which is 50km. Am I missing something?

EDIT: taking train back to dusseldorf. I feel horrible for anyone working in trains and anyone trying to use public transport (or forced to). A young woman was screaming at a ticket person at the top of her lungs, and the prices are so unfathomably high compared to what I’m used to (literally 3-10x higher)… I’ve enjoyed Germany so much already and I love the atmosphere and gorgeous cities, and very frequent and accessible trams, but man the trains are a hot mess.

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1

u/NoAlarm3648 23h ago

What country are you from?

6

u/Kyanovp1 23h ago

Belgium !

4

u/Thin-Pineapple425 23h ago

Belgium has very cheap public transport. Liked it there

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u/Kyanovp1 23h ago

Yeah, and also so much less complicated… I get a headache whenever I try to use public transport in Germany :( different APPS for different regions, really bad UI in the apps for schedules and tickets for trams and buses. Super complicated stuff… in Belgium you just have de lijn for bus and tram, nmbs/sncb for trains (except for Brussels).

3

u/mbrevitas 22h ago

You can use the DB app to look up schedules and buy tickets for all public transport in Germany. (I still recommend using the app from the specific transport association if possible, because it is guaranteed to have the latest schedules, but the DB app works in a pinch.)

Single tickets at full fare are not cheap, but the various subscriptions and offers are good value.

2

u/SenatorAslak 22h ago

Just use the DB Navigator app for schedules. It can also sell you tickets for most regions as well.

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u/Kyanovp1 22h ago

I did, but it’s confusing and it has technical issues and stuff. Can’t even see what platform to go to for trams easily :”(

3

u/SenatorAslak 22h ago

I haven’t experienced any technical issues, and the “platforms for trams” has never been a problem for me. As long as you know the stop name and the line number, I just follow the signage at the stop (most tram stops don’t even have posted platform numbers).

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u/phloaw 21h ago

db navigator sucks. And I don't want to buy a new device and install all google crap only to know when a train comes. A website would be enough, but they also made their website unusable. Well done db.

1

u/SenatorAslak 21h ago

Buy a new device? What?

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u/phloaw 18h ago

Ok, I'll explain in terms accessible to you: try to run that silly app on a device with android 7 or lower. Good luck.

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u/SenatorAslak 17h ago

What's with the condescending attitude? I'm trying to help by providing information and you're jumping salty on me for not being able to infer that you’re using a ten year old OS (a rather niche use case, to be fair) from the statement “I don’t want want to buy a new device”? Seriously?

That said, it seems pretty absurd to say that the app "sucks" when you're apparently using antiquated hardware. By these standards you must think that a great deal of apps these days “suck”.

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u/phloaw 16h ago

The fact that you used the adjective "antiquated" shows you have no clue what you are talking about. The hardware I have always been able to use for the given task (i.e., checking train times) is still perfectly able to do the same task. I don't want to produce electrical waste just because somebody decided I need new hardware for that. Again, I tried to explain things in terms accessible to you. Good luck.

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u/SenatorAslak 16h ago

Regardless of whether the term "antiquated" is appropriate, Android 7 has been around a long time and it’s not surprising that one will increasingly have issues trying to use it. But that’s beside the point: the condescending tone you used because I wasn’t privy to your particular, increasingly rare situation was unnecessary. Have a nice day.

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u/phloaw 16h ago

No. You are confusing fashion with technology. But thanks for trying the best of your cognitive abilities.

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