FAQ: trial BahnCard 25 / trial BahnCard 50

1. Where is the trial BahnCard 25 / trial BahnCard 50 valid?

The trial BahnCard 25 / trial BahnCard 50 can be used for travelling on DB's local and long-
distance trains, on services operated by scores of transport associations, as well as on many
other companies' buses and trains. They also get you very appealing discounts in up to 28
countries outside of Germany. Details are available here:
http://www.bahn.de/p/view/bahncard/vorteile/railplus.shtml

2. What discount does the trial BahnCard 25 / trial BahnCard 50 deliver?

A trial BahnCard 25 gives you a 25% discount on standard and saver fares for long-distance
train travel.
A trial BahnCard 50 gives you a 50% discount on standard fares for long-distance train
travel. From 1 August-30 September 2015, you can even get a 25% discount on the
BahnCard 50 Sparpreis saver fare. See point no. 14 for all the details on this special offer.
Point no. 8 contains information about other benefits, such as the City-Ticket for free travel in
urban areas and travelling abroad with a BahnCard.

3. What does the trial BahnCard 25 / trial BahnCard 50 cost?

A trial BahnCard 25 costs EUR 19 for travel in second class and EUR 39 for travel in first
class.
A trial BahnCard 50 costs EUR 79 for travel in second class and EUR 159 for travel in first
class.

4. How long is the trial BahnCard 25 / trial BahnCard 50 valid?

A card is valid for 3 months.

5. Where can I order the trial BahnCard 25 / trial BahnCard 50?

Cards are available for DB's Travel Centres and authorised agencies. They can also be
ordered directly from www.bahn.de/probebahncard.

6. Does the trial BahnCard 25 / trial BahnCard 50 get automatically extended as a

subscription?
Yes. Once the trial period is over, a card is automatically renewed for an additional year
(becoming a conventional subscription BahnCard 25 / BahnCard 50) unless it is cancelled in
writing at least six weeks before it is due to expire.
The follow-up card takes the form of a regular or reduced-price BahnCard 25 or BahnCard
50. To find out if you can buy a reduced-price card, please see point no. 9.

A trial BahnCard 25 for travel in second class becomes a regular BahnCard 25 for second
class (EUR 62), and a trial BahnCard 25 for travel in first class becomes a regular BahnCard
25 for first class (EUR 125).

A trial BahnCard 50 for travel in second class becomes a regular BahnCard 50 for second
class (EUR 255), and a trial BahnCard 50 for travel in first class becomes a regular
BahnCard 50 for first class (EUR 515).

7. How do I cancel the trial BahnCard 25 / trial BahnCard 50?

You can cancel a trial BahnCard 25 / trial BahnCard 50 up to 6 weeks before it expires. You
can do this online at bahn.de or using the form from our BahnCard service:
https://fahrkarten.bahn.de/privatkunde/kontakt/kontakt_start.post?scope=bc

You can also cancel a trial BahnCard 25 / trial BahnCard 50 in writing.

Please send your cancellation to the following address:
BahnCard Service, 60643 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
E-mail: bahncard-service@bahn.de

8. What other benefits does the trial BahnCard 25 / trial BahnCard 50 bring?
a) 25% off scores of items at www.thalia.de
From 1 October 2015 to 31 January 2016, we are running a joint campaign with the Thalia
bookshop chain to bring you our Trial BahnCard 25/Trial BahnCard 50 offer. When you
receive your Trial BahnCard 25/Trial BahnCard 50 by post, you will also get six vouchers for
a 25% discount on a host of items available on thalia.de. One voucher will even get you
quarter off the price of a tolino e-book reader, while you can use the others to buy
audiobooks, music, films, books in English, toys and games at unbeatable prices (discounts
are not available on e-books, books and computer games).

Three of the six vouchers are valid until 30 April 2016 (last day of redemption), and one of
these is the e-book voucher. Each of the other three is valid only within a specific month.
When you redeem them depends on what month you buy your Trial BahnCard 25/Trial
BahnCard 50 . For example, if you purchase it in October, you can redeem one of the three
"monthly" vouchers in November, another in December, and the third one in January.

Each voucher carries a code that customises them for your exclusive use, and each of them
can only be used once.

b) bahn.bonus
When you have a trial BahnCard 25 / trial BahnCard 50, you can take part in our bahn.bonus
programme – simply sign up and collect bahn.bonus points that you can convert into
attractive gift items and special customer services such as free travel. Whenever you buy a
ticket, make sure you indicate that you want to collect bonus points. For every EUR 1 you
spend on a ticket, you get one reward and status point. You can also collect points from our
business partners, such as car hire companies and hotels.

c) City-Ticket
Your long-distance ticket (journeys of more than 100 km) purchased with a BahnCard
discount entitles you to use bus, rapid transit, underground or tram free of charge in 124
German towns and cities. Within its area of validity, the City-Ticket gets you to the station
where your train trip starts and then, when you disembark, from that station to your ultimate
destination.

d) IC Bus
You can also use your trial BahnCard 25 / trial BahnCard 50 on IC Bus services. The IC Bus
is another fast and impressively inexpensive way to travel to a host of towns and cities in
Germany and other countries. Passengers benefit from scores of convenient connections to
other modes of long-distance and regional transport. While on board, you'll enjoy an
excellent standard of comfort: climate control, generous legroom, ample space for your
luggage, the latest safety features, a passenger toilet and even free wifi (not available across
the board). If you get hungry en route, snacks and drinks are available.

e) RAILPLUS – BahnCard's European bonus for you

Want to take a trip outside of Germany? Make the most of the 25% discount that your trial
BahnCard entitles you to for standard fares on the foreign part of your journey in up to 28
European countries.

Discounts also extend to "global fares" (e.g. City Night Line) for trail connections that follow
immediately. However, they are not available for purely domestic services in countries
outside of Germany.

RAILPLUS fares are accepted in certain countries but are not available from their national
sales outlets. We therefore recommend buying your return ticket while you are still in
Germany. Please note: if you have a second class trial BahnCard, you are entitled only to
RAILPLUS fares in second class.

9. Can I get a reduced-price BahnCard 25 / BahnCard 50 once my trial card expires?

A reduced-price BahnCard 25 / BahnCard 50 is valid for 12 months and is available to the
following groups: children aged 6-17, schoolgoers, vocational trainees and students up to 26
years of age, people aged 60 and over, people no longer in employment due to an
impairment, people with a disability rated 70 and higher on Germany's disability scale.
At present, a reduced-price BahnCard 25 for travel in first class costs EUR 81, a reduced-
price BahnCard 25 for travel in second class costs EUR 41, a reduced-price BahnCard 50 for
travel in first class costs EUR 252, and a reduced-price BahnCard 50 for travel in second
class costs EUR 127.

10. Is there anything I need to know if I want to travel with the ICE-Sprinter or City
Night Line?
Yes. Tickets for travel on an ICE Sprinter or City Night Line service are available for an
additional charge that varies according to carriage and service type.

11. Can I bring children free of charge?

Children up to 14 years of age travel for free when accompanying a parent/grandparent. If a
child is between 6-14, simply include them on a ticket when buying it before travelling (please
note: some transport associations may have different regulations).

12. Is a form of insurance available for the trial BahnCard 25 / BahnCard 50?
Yes. Insuring a BahnCard 25 / BahnCard 50 currently costs EUR 7 and comprises coverage
for all train tickets bought using a BahnCard for reduced-price tickets or saver fares and
special offers for long-distance travel. Further information about our BahnCard insurance
options is available at
http://www.bahn.de/p/view/angebot/zusatzticket/reiseschutz/bahncard.shtml

13. What happens if I lose my trial BahnCard 25 / BahnCard 50?

If you lose your card, call our bahn.bonus comfort service at 0180 6 34 00 35 (EUR 0.20 per
call from landline; max. EUR 0.60 per call from mobile network).
A replacement card is available for a processing fee of EUR 15 from the bahn.bonus service