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Digital ticket

You can book almost all of our rail offers as a digital ticket for easy use. Your digital ticket can provide you with the latest travel information, either as notifications in DB Navigator or by e-mail. It also allows you to use the Komfort Check-in function for validating your ticket when you take your seat on a long-distance journey.

You can choose the format of your digital ticket - use it either as an online ticket (PDF) or as a mobile phone ticket. Some products, such as the Deutschland-Ticket, can only be used as a mobile phone ticket. A printout of a mobile phone ticket, e.g. in the form of a screenshot, is not valid.

How to book a digital ticket

Booking tickets in DB Navigator and on bahn.de

You can book a digital ticket in the DB Navigator app or on bahn.de. You can log into your DB customer account first if you wish, but you do not have to.

  • You can book tickets for local and regional services until shortly before the train departs.
  • You can book tickets for long-distance services up to 10 minutes after the train has departed - even in the event of delays. The only condition is that the train must travel for more than 10 minutes between the station where you board and the following stop.

How to use your ticket in the DB Navigator app

Would you like to use your ticket on your smartphone? Once you have logged in to the DB Navigator app, you can access all tickets purchased via your DB customer account in the "Journeys" section.

If you cannot see your ticket there or if you purchased it at a DB Travel Centre or DB agency, you can load it manually into DB Navigator.

Frequently asked questions about the digital ticket

For most destinations in Europe, you can book your ticket on bahn.de or in the DB Navigator app. If it is not possible to book a ticket for the route you have selected, you will be given this information when you are booking.

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No, digital tickets are not transferable. The person whose name is displayed on the ticket must therefore be the person who travels.

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Digital tickets cannot be exchanged. However, you can cancel the tickets you have purchased and book a new journey. If you cancel a ticket within the first 3 hours after you purchased it (provided this was before the first day of validity), we allow you to carry out an "instant cancellation" free of charge, regardless of the fare conditions.

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Mobile phone tickets and online tickets differ in format and in how they are presented for inspection on board the train.

If the ticket is used and presented for inspection in the DB Navigator app, it is a mobile phone ticket.

Some products, such as the Deutschland-Ticket, can only be used as a mobile phone ticket. A printout of a mobile phone ticket, e.g. in the form of a screenshot, is not valid.

An online ticket is issued in PDF format and can be presented either digitally or printed out on paper.

Some tickets, such as for certain international routes, can only be used as online tickets.

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No, you can book tickets on bahn.de, int.bahn.de or in the DB Navigator app without registering or logging in. However, having a DB customer account offers you advantages when you book tickets:

  • Receive useful information about your journey by e-mail or via notifications in the app
  • Manage your bookings and BahnCard subscriptions
  • Collect bonus and status points with every journey with our BahnBonus loyalty programme
  • Sign up to our newsletter and services to receive regular personalised information by e-mail
  • BahnCard: enjoy receiving travel vouchers, upgrades and partner deals
  • Once you have logged in, you can access all the digital tickets you have purchased via your DB customer account, in the "Journeys" section of the DB Navigator app and under "My Trips" on bahn.de.
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