How to Buy the Deutschlandticket by Day (and Cancel Before You Get Charged Twice)

The Deutschlandticket (€58/month as of January 2025) lets you ride all local public transport in Germany — buses, metro, trams, regional trains — for one flat monthly fee. It's excellent value if you use it regularly. But if you only need it for part of a month, paying €58 for two weeks of use is wasteful.

The fix: you can buy the Deutschlandticket starting from a specific date in the month, paying only for the days you actually need. Here's exactly how to do it.

What the Deutschlandticket Covers

• ✅ All city buses, metro (U-Bahn), trams (Straßenbahn), and urban rail (S-Bahn)
• ✅ Regional trains: RE (RegionalExpress) and RB (RegionalBahn)
• ❌ Long-distance trains: ICE, IC, EC — these require a separate ticket

The ticket is valid across all of Germany, not just in the city or state where you bought it.

The App You Need: HVV Switch

The easiest way to buy a pro-rated Deutschlandticket is through the HVV Switch app (available on iOS and Android). Despite the HVV name (Hamburg's transit authority), this app works nationwide and is one of the most user-friendly ways to manage the Deutschlandticket.

Other options include the Deutsche Bahn app and your local transit authority's app, but HVV Switch has a particularly clear interface for the pro-rated purchase.

Step-by-Step: Buying a Pro-Rated Deutschlandticket

1. Download HVV Switch and create an account. You'll need an email address and a payment method (credit/debit card or PayPal).
2. Tap "Deutschland Ticket" on the home screen. Scroll down slightly if you don't see it immediately.
3. Tap "Here we go" on the product page.
4. Select your start date on the calendar. The ticket will be valid from that date through the end of the current month — you can't pick a custom end date, only a start date.
5. Check the price. The displayed price is calculated based on the days remaining in the month. The earlier in the month you start, the higher the price (closer to the full €58).
6. Enter your full name and date of birth. Inspectors check these during ticket controls — make sure they match your ID exactly.
7. Pay and confirm. The ticket appears on the app's home screen immediately.
8. Add to Apple Wallet (optional, iOS): Tap the ticket, then save it to Wallet for faster access during inspections.

The Most Important Step: Cancel Before the 10th

The Deutschlandticket auto-renews every month. If you don't cancel before the 10th of the month, you'll be charged for the following month.

Here's how to cancel auto-renewal in HVV Switch:

1. Tap your active ticket.
2. Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner.
3. Tap "Manage subscription".
4. Tap the blue "Cancel ticket" button.
5. You'll receive a confirmation email. The ticket remains valid until the end of the current month.

After cancellation, your ticket will show an end date (the last day of the current month). This confirms it won't renew.

How to Plan Your Purchase

The system works best when you plan ahead at the start of the month. Example:

You arrive in Germany on June 18th and need public transport until June 30th. Open HVV Switch at the start of June (or as soon as you know your dates), select June 18 as your start date, purchase, then immediately cancel the subscription so it doesn't renew in July.

⚠️ If you buy on June 11th and then cancel — even immediately — the cancellation takes effect for August, not July. You'll still be charged for July. The 10th-of-the-month cutoff is firm.

Is It Worth It? The Math

For anyone arriving mid-month, doing a short trip across Germany, or only needing transport for the tail end of a month, the pro-rated option is a genuine money-saver. Compare the daily rate against buying single tickets for your specific routes to decide which makes more sense.

University Semester Tickets

If you're a student at a German university, check whether your semester fee (Semesterbeitrag) already includes a transit pass — many universities include a semester ticket valid for an entire region. If it does, you may not need the Deutschlandticket for your daily commute at all. The Deutschlandticket is mainly useful for travel outside your home region or during semester breaks.

Summary

• Buy via HVV Switch app — select your start date, pay pro-rated
• Cancel subscription before the 10th of the month to avoid renewal charges
• Valid on all buses, trams, metro, and regional trains (RE/RB) — not ICE/IC
• Plan the purchase at the beginning of the month even if your start date is later