[adithyasrin]

I switched to this ticket in Berlin and the process was (surprisingly) straight forward, could do it in online so I wrote about it. They did try to make the digital ticket default instead of a physical card.

https://www.arbeitnow.com/blog/bvg-monthly-ticket-to-deutsch...

You can already apply for your monthly subscription to change to this ticket. That's what I did. So instead of 66 euros for Berlin (VBB area) a month from May, I'll be paying 49 and can access the local networks across the country

[em-bee]

i find this the most appealing aspect of the new ticket, that it competes with and underbids the local and regional monthly tickets. i expect in the long term many of these local offers will disappear or drastically be reduced in price.

i remember some time ago when i lived in NRW the monthly ticket for the city i was in was open to all of NRW on weekends which i thought was awesome. and now the whole country for the same price, that just adds so much more flexibility especially for those commuting across regional borders.

[dathinab]

Interestingly the ticket the OP owns will not disappear and can still be monetarily beneficial in some cases.

While the 49€ ticket is cheaper and has (way) more reach the "VBB Umweltkarte" has some additional benefits.

Like:

- in the evening (20:00) and on week ends you can take an additional adult as well as a child along for free

- it's not person bound so you can pass it to other people

This means that e.g. for a family of two parents and one child a single card is enough to cover all weekend family trips and when the child is to old to be covered it also normal has a "school ticket" which I think is free since some years(?).

Similar there are still other tickets of relevance, e.g. a ticket to be able to take your bike on the train (in areas where it's allowed and a separate ticket is needed).

But by itself I agree, especially for people crossing regional boarders in a unlucky way this ticket is a blessing. E.g. if you live close idk ~30min by care close to Berlin you often would have to get a Berlin ABC (or BC) + 2 regions ticket which is just supper expensive to a point where many people will not even consider it and just take a car. But this isn't because it need to be that expensive but because they have no lobby behind them which negotiated better tariffs. This was shown e.g. by Potsdam universities which negotiated a Berlin ABC + "ALL regions and cities in Brandenburg" ticket at a normal student ticket price.

Anyway I love it.

[em-bee]

"VBB Umweltkarte" has some additional benefits

good point, but a lot of people will switch, and offers like these may want to lower the price to remain attractive.