vzbv report: the advertised "Sparpreis" cost more on 76 percent of survey days

Deutsche Bahn's advertised Sparpreis is sometimes a promise the railway does not keep. The consumer federation vzbv spent almost two years checking it. On 76 percent of the days measured, the cheapest fare on sale cost more than the advertised price. In extreme cases it was 157 percent higher. Only on just under one day in four did the fare match the advertised offer or come in below it.

The study ran from June 2024 to April 2026 and covered around 290,000 connection queries. It looked at direct routes between the five largest German cities, during the day and in second class.

Not just the Sparpreis

The Flexpreis has also drifted from its original premise. In 2016 the railway announced only slight fluctuations. On the same routes in the 2025 timetable, the study found gaps in the tens of euros. A Berlin to Cologne ticket cost 99.90 euros at best and 185.10 euros at worst. The largest absolute gap turned up between Frankfurt and Hamburg: 154.20 euros. On many routes the Flexpreis on days of high demand was more than twice as expensive as on the cheapest day to travel.

The data also put into perspective the railway's claim that it would not raise prices with the 2025/2026 timetable change. Fares for short-term and long-term bookings stayed on average stable or slightly cheaper. For medium-term bookings, three weeks before travel, Sparpreis prices in the first quarter of 2026 rose by an average of 36 percent. On individual connections prices doubled.

What this means for the traveller

vzbv head Ramona Pop accuses the railway of a significant lack of transparency. Anyone who does not know the carrier's fare system, she says, is clearly at a disadvantage when in doubt. She wants favourably advertised fares to be reliably available during typical travel times as well, not only at off-peak dates.

The organisation also points out that the price spread does not stem solely from the number of people wanting to travel. The price depends on when you buy and on how the carrier manages the availability of the cheapest seats on a particular train. For the passenger, that remains opaque.

The practical conclusions are the same as they have been for years. Tickets are best bought well in advance, in the study about twelve weeks, and not in the week of departure, when prices rose several times over. Trips early in the morning and in the evening are also cheaper, as is travel on days such as Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday instead of Friday and Sunday.