Travel cheaply through the summer holidays by bus and train

The FerienTickets for the whole of Saxony and the regions make you mobile

When the summer holidays start in two months' time, Saxony's transport associations will be offering suitable tickets for schoolchildren and trainees up to the age of 20. On the one hand, there is the FerienTicket Sachsen, which is valid throughout the state. Alternatively, the transport associations offer a FerienTicket for Vogtland and Central Saxony, another for the Central German Transport Association and Saxony-Anhalt and a third for Dresden and Eastern Saxony.

The FerienTicket Sachsen costs 30 euros and is valid for six weeks throughout Saxony and the entire Central German Transport Association (MDV), including as far as Halle or Altenburg. "For just 68 cents a day, young passengers can use buses, trains, trams and many ferries", emphasises Martin Haase, Head of Tariffs at the Upper Elbe Transport Association (VVO). "So the ticket is an inexpensive alternative for the time when many pupils do not have a monthly ticket for the journey to school and holiday trips are planned at the same time."

Pupils and trainees who are only travelling in their home regions can use the local versions of the holiday ticket. Around Dresden, Görlitz and Zittau, the VVO+ZVON holiday ticket from the VVO and the neighbouring Oberlausitz-Niederschlesien transport association is available for 19 euros. The ticket is valid in both transport associations on all buses, trams, local trains and on many ferries. In addition, some of the special and historic means of transport can be used with the ticket.

Both tickets are valid daily from 6 July to 18 August, except Monday to Friday between 4 am and 8 am. Pupils and trainees need a customer card from the transport association or a school ID card. Their name must also be on the ticket, as it cannot be passed on to another person. A bicycle can be taken almost anywhere free of charge. "All details about the tickets have also been summarised online on the joint website www.dein-ferienticket.de", says Martin Haase.

The FerienTickets are available at the service points of the transport companies, at all railway ticket machines and from many train attendants and bus drivers on regional services. Further information is available from the VVO information hotline on 03 51/852 65 55 and on the Internet.

TIP: The Radebeul Pass offers a €9.50 refund.