The Schönes Wochenende Ticket ('Happy Weekend Ticket') is a Deutsche Bahn rail ticket which is valid for unlimited rail travel throughout Germany on Saturdays or Sundays for up to five people.
Validity
The ticket is valid on all regional services ('Nahverkehr') in Germany; in other words, on S-Bahn, RB, RE and IRE services but not on intercity trains (IC, ICE, EC). It costs €33 for up to five people when purchased online or from ticket machines (€35 from ticket desks).
The Schönes Wochenende Ticket is valid from midnight until 3am the following morning. Note that it is only valid on Saturday or Sunday, and not on both days as in the past. Up to five people can travel on the ticket; children under the age of 15 can additionally travel for free.
The ticket is a cheaper but slower method for travelling across Germany. For example, Frankfurt to Munich takes 5 hours 20 minutes on regional trains, compared to three hours (and €81 per person) by ICE. For shorter stretches, the relevant Länder Ticket (for example the Bayern ticket) may prove better value and are additionally valid during the week after 9am.
The ticket is also valid on the U-Bahn, trams and buses of many city transport systems, including the MVV in Munich.
Train times can be found on the Deutsche Bahn website. Select "Only local transport" ("Nur Nahverkehr") to limit your search to trains on which the Bayern Ticket is valid.
The Schönes Wochenende Ticket is no longer valid in parts of the Czech Republic. A new ticket, the Bayern-Böhmen-Ticket, covers the Czech Republic as far as Pilzen, Karlovy Vary, Marianske Lazne and Ceske Budejovice.
In Austria, the "Einfach Raus Ticket" is a similar offer, costing €28 for up to five people, for use on regional trains after 9am Monday-Friday or all day at weekends.
See also
- Schönes Wochenende Ticket - Comprehensive information in German
- Schönes Wochenende Ticket - Information in English
- Länder Tickets - Information in English on Länder Tickets
- Schoenes Wochenende Ticket sharing, How does one do it?
- Forum search results for Schönes Wochenende Ticket
- Einfach Raus Ticket (Austria)