Even bought a spontaneous ticket ( list price EUR14 or EUR10.40 with BC25 ) from the counter at Hornberg, DE and claimed BC25 ( did not have a BC25 only a Swiss GA ) and there was no issue yesterday evening in both buying it and presenting it to the ticket inspector onboard this time.
I have since used it yesterday at Freiburg, DE and Offenburg, DE and had no problems.
Phew... this gives me a bit more confidence now. As you can imagine i've been searching the net for information on exactly this issue!
I recently purchased return tickets from Basel SBB to Duisburg from DB online for the whole family. Both my wife and I have the Swiss Halbtax Abo and I selected DB25 from the drop down menu as halbax wasn't listed.
I'd heard from people that halbtax owners get 25% discount on DB if the start or end station is Swiss, so naturally I selected DB25 as the most appropriate discount. After I paid, I had a horrible feeling I should have bought the tickets through SBB or then over-the-counter.
I also did a quick comparison of prices and for the same journey (using the same trains & connections and stating DB25 and Halbax with the respective operators) the price I paid with DB was 180 €. SBB quoted 320 CHF?
One thing's for sure - it really isn't clear! I called to DB to try and clarify the issue and the answers i recieved wern't very encouraging. The first person I spoke to said it wasn't possible to use halbtax and the next person said it was! Then I started to scratch my head because just before the call ended they started talking about DB25?
Does anyone have recent experience, say in the last two or three months, of showing a German DB conductor a Halbtax card when presenting a ticket bought with the Bahncard 25 reduction?
The Swiss GA ( but close enough ) was accepted by the Ticket Inspectors to verify or validate my self-printed DB ticket from Basel Bad Bhf, DE to Aalborg, DK. No issues.
The ticket was EUR29.90 one way with a BC25 reduction, purchased 92 days in advance. This was used in late September. Did you have any issues ?
The HalbTax has both the TEE and Railplus discounts ( unsure if the GA has RailPlus ).
I've had no issues, but was told (again) at Basel Bad Bf that I am not allowed to buy tickets with the Bahncard 25 reduction (online or at the machine) with a Halbtax. I'm going to do it anyway, and give your name, address and contact details if I get any grief
Adrian, you were told by whom ?
AFAIK, it is an online purchase, and for the past 2 years I have used the swiss cards ( GA ) as equivalent to the BC25 ( got challenged a couple of times but upon showing the GA it was accepted ), unless there is a policy change after 11.12.2011 ( got a ride out on 14.12 - will update here ).
Two different people (at two different times) in the DB ticket office in Basel Bad Bf. And also by email sent to a contact listing at bahn.de. First time was around a year ago. Anyway, I will do it regardless.
My ticket was validated by DB between Basel Bad and Freiburg im Breisgau. I never had a HalbTax nor a BC25, only a GA 2nd class for a DB 2nd class e-ticket. Ask them to refer to order No. 7B36YH as it appears to be conflicting.
This page states that the "Sparpreise" fares, which are the ones usually given by the machines/online, are not valid for Halbtax or GA cards. You obviously get away with it each time
Nope, it is the Europa Spezials:
It all went fine - here is what happend.
Two trains from Basel (Bad Bf) to Stuttgart.
First train - showed my ID (as the printed ticket is not transferrable and you have to nominate an ID/creditcard number when purchasing) and was asked for my Bahncard. Showed my Halbtax - no problem.
Second train - showed my ID, wasn't asked for my Bahncard.
On the way back (I actually stayed on to Basel SBB):
First train - showed my ID, was told "ah, you speak English?" and politely told about the change of platform of my next train. Not asked for my Bahncard.
Second train - was waved away when I started to get out my ID.
So, officially a Halbtax can't be used for Bahncard25 ticket purchases, but the reality matches what jrspet patiently kept telling me above - it works fine.
Has anyone (looking at jrspet) used a non-Bahncard (i.e. a Swiss GA or Halbtax) whilst swanning around in a German city on public transport? A ticket bought with a BC25 comes with "Cityplus" which covers local public transport.
When asked on such transport one is meant to show the intercity train ticket (which has "+City" written on it) and the Bahncard. Now, I've managed to show the Halbtax instead on board the German ICE trains, but to a random tram inspector in, say, Frankfurt? Anyone got any stories?
I bought my DB Europa-Spezial CH to Kiel/Flensburg with a GA. As it was a return ticket, the City+ ( in UK PlusBus equiv. ) feature was on the A4 sized print at home ticket, which has security markings of my CH ID number ( I opted for this under MyDB profile ).
In Flensburg, all I had to show was the printed ticket with City+ - I never had to show my BC equivalent card.
Neither was I asked on the InterCity trains for my BC equivalent card - only my CH ID to verify with the bar code.
The bahn.de website has now added "Halbtax" to the list of "Reduction Cards". There's also an option for "Haltax without Railplus". It doesn't seem (on a very quick check) to impact prices, but I didn't think that existed.
Officially, any card with RAILPLUS is recognised. SBB does sell an "upgrade" to RAILPLUS for HalbTax holders for a fee.
http://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holiday...rail-plus.html
For "insurance", to complement the GA, I have bought a 3 year RAILPLUS from CD , Czech Republic ( In-Karta ) for about CHF45 - once was challenged in Dresden, but I produced the Czech RAILPLUS card and it was Okayed.
That's confusing as I assumed the Halbtax came with Railplus automatically (i.e. in the cost).
Anyway, just priced up a return from Basel Bad Bf (German station) to Stuttgart.
Bahncard 25 - 68€
Halbtax with Railplus - 88€
Halbtax without Railplus - 88€
NO discount card at all - 88€
So I assume, now that the website has the option for Halbtax, your dodgy trick (which always worked!) of selecting the Bahncard 25 option will no longer be valid. Which is a pity, as it's 20€ cheaper.
I have not fully read the latest version posted here ( German ), but previous versions of the DB TnC have always allowed me.
Halbtax without Railplus gives you TEE rates anyway to some but not all countries.
Paging jrspet ...
Has anyone recently (as in the last few weeks) done the "show the conductor my Halbtax despite buying a ticket requiring a Bahncard 25" thing?
The bahn.de website now has an option for the Swiss halftax, and the prices aren't as good as using the Bahncard 25 option. Previously, I have shown my halbtax on the train from Basel Bad Bf to Stuttgart with no problem, but now that they've made it official (on the website and their ticket machines) to select the Halbtax card, they might be more strict.
I got myself a BC25, so would not know about the HT.
BC25 comes with the RailPlus and provides value for cross border destinations beyond the TEE countries. Add a few Euros and get the ERV travel insurance with the BC25.
The BC25 with the Railplus allows me to find deals from DE to near IT via CH for less than EUR30 one way ( I can stay in ZRH for 48hrs ). From Chiasso, add a low cost CHF6 train ticket to Milan.
Once I got it from Schaffhausen CH / DE to Rome via Austria for less than EUR40 one way.