Deutsche Bahn has announced a specially priced family holiday flat rate for the upcoming summer break. For a fixed price of €99.99, a family can travel round-trip on long-distance trains, and this cost includes seat reservations.
According to reporting by “Stern” the railway launched this offer specifically for this challenging summer, responding to high fossil fuel and kerosene prices amidst the serious energy crisis.
Bahn CEO Evelyn Palla emphasized the importance of the trip, telling the publication, “Everyone must continue having the opportunity to go on holiday in Germany-the summer break, especially for children, cannot be ruined”. This new family offer is available for up to five people, becomes bookable from mid-June, and is valid across all of Germany until the end of the Bavarian school holidays in mid-September.
The flat rate is part of a broader set of initiatives designed to ease the cost of living for consumers in Germany. Calling the company a “stability anchor” during the crisis, Palla added that the DB has “deliberately chosen” not to increase ticket prices over the next twelve months, a move meant to provide predictability for many people. Furthermore, the DB launched last-minute tickets starting at €6.99 on May 9th, allowing them to sell remaining seats on their long-distance trains.
However, the railway is also appealing for patience from its passengers. Despite these promotional efforts, the reliability of train travel is not improving. Currently, punctuality on long-distance services is below 60 percent, a significant drop compared to 2020, when eight out of ten ICE trains arrived on time. Palla acknowledged the difficulty, stating, “There isn’t a single lever I can pull, and instantly we will be more punctual and everything will run smoothly”. She noted that punctuality in long-distance services has been declining year after year for the past five years. “We must stop this downward slide. Only then will it get better. This is part of the new honesty”.
