Train travel at Christmas: This is the cheapest day to leave the university town
The Christmas season is approaching and many students are travelling home. Our latest study, which analyses 343 long-distance connections operated by Deutsche Bahn and provides information on price differences in the top 20 German university cities, shows when is the best time to travel with Deutsche Bahn at the lowest possible price. The result: ticket prices can vary by up to 118 per cent, depending on the day of departure and the starting point.
Train fares fluctuate most in Darmstadt
With a price difference of up to 118.01 per cent (€20.88), Darmstadt ranks first in the ranking. It is closely followed by Karlsruhe with a price fluctuation of 112.29 per cent and Stuttgart with 112.07 per cent. Bonn ranks fourth. Anyone wishing to leave the city on the Rhine by train before Christmas must expect a price difference of 107.33 per cent. The capital Berlin ranks fifth with price fluctuations of 107.11 per cent.
Smallest price difference in Cologne
While train prices fluctuate greatly in many cities during the Christmas season, students in Cologne can book with a relaxed mind: with a price difference of 63.51 per cent (10.53 euros), the city has the lowest value in the ranking. Dortmund ranks second with a price fluctuation of 65.71 per cent, followed by Düsseldorf in third place with 73.18 per cent. The university city of Aachen follows in fourth place with a price difference of 74.53 per cent. Hanover, the capital of Lower Saxony, ranks fifth with 75.14 per cent.
On 16 December, students can travel at the lowest price.
‘With the start of the Christmas season, many students are planning their journey home. It is worth taking a close look at ticket prices, as these can vary greatly depending on the departure date. Especially for students on a limited budget, it is important to plan early and remain flexible in order to get home as cheaply as possible. The price increase is largely driven by higher demand during the holiday season, as more people travel simultaneously, allowing transport companies to raise fares. Moreover, broader economic factors such as inflation,operational costs and fluctuations in fuel prices also influence the overall pricing structure, leading to higher travel expenses during peak periods.’ comments Dr Kamilia Kentra, lecturer at BSBI and tourism expert. ‘The analysis shows that for all 20 student cities analysed, the most expensive day to travel is 20 December. If you want to travel home as cheaply as possible, you should leave on 16 December. With the exception of Berlin and Leipzig, every other departure city offers the cheapest train connection on this day.’
About the study
The study examined 343 long-distance rail connections operated by Deutsche Bahn for the 15–26 age group. Long-distance connections that were slower or only marginally faster (15 minutes) than local connections were excluded. The train prices of the cheapest connections between the top 20 student cities (most students in absolute terms) from which the journey starts were compared with each other. To do this, the average price on the respective day for travelling from the starting city to the destination city under investigation was determined. The minimum and maximum prices as well as the price difference in euros and per cent were also recorded. In addition, only connections departing between 7:00 a.m. and 6:59 p.m. were included. The destination cities were the ten largest cities in Germany and the largest cities in the federal states that are not represented in the ten largest cities in Germany.