September 19, 2025, 3:12 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Train travel can get expensive—anyone buying a ticket from Deutsche Bahn might be surprised by the high prices. A new trick called “ticket splitting” aims to bypass these costly fares: By booking two segments instead of a direct connection, travelers can find unbeatable prices. TRAVELBOOK explains what this is all about and the advantages of the “Better Bahn” app. Our author tests whether ticket splitting really works.
YouTuber and software developer Lukas Weihrauch discovered a surprising trick for booking affordable train tickets. The trick involves splitting a direct Deutsche Bahn connection into two or more segments and booking them separately. It’s the same train and arrival time at the main destination. Weihrauch designed an app called “Better Bahn” to find discounted segment bookings. Approval is currently stalled due to a lack of consent from Deutsche Bahn.
What Is Ticket Splitting?
In his YouTube video, Weihrauch explains with an example how saving money through ticket splitting, or separate bookings for the same train route, can work. The direct connection costs 85.90 euros. After splitting the booking via Bremen, the amount was only 23.50 euros. With the discount from the Deutschland ticket, the YouTuber paid just 12.99 euros. Thus, the trip was 84.9 percent cheaper for him.
The reason lies in Deutsche Bahn’s complex and sometimes opaque pricing structure: Individual route sections are often included in special price promotions or offered at lower rates.
“Better Bahn” App
A viewer comment inspired Weihrauch to develop an app for the trick, which automatically compares all connections and reveals the cheapest offers. However, the app needs to access Deutsche Bahn’s interfaces—and this is not allowed without permission. According to “Spiegel,” Weihrauch has already sent two requests to Deutsche Bahn—without receiving a response. When Spiegel inquired about the requests, Deutsche Bahn emphasized that the “Better Bahn” app would neither expand nor complement its own rail network. Deutsche Bahn likely has no interest in customers saving money on ticket prices through third-party providers. The future of the app’s release remains uncertain. Weihrauch promises further updates on his channel and has posted the “Better Bahn” app’s source code on GitHub, allowing the software to be used—but only if self-hosted.
Application in DB Navigator
Even without the “Better Bahn” app, users can try to find discounted fares through ticket splitting in Deutsche Bahn’s Navigator. By experimenting, ticket prices on different segments can be compared.
Risks with ticket splitting arise when booking two different trains separately to reach the destination more cheaply. Some passenger rights do not apply compared to a continuously booked ticket. However, if the same train is split into two different tickets, only a possible change in seat reservation needs to be considered and paid for twice.
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Test: How Well Does Ticket Splitting Work?
Weihrauch shows in his video how he achieves an astonishingly low ticket price through split booking of his train. Whether the “Better Bahn” app will be available one day is unclear. We tested whether ticket splitting still works.
Test 1: Berlin HBF to Munich HBF
- Regular Price:
- Ticket Splitting in Bamberg:
- Total Price: 65.99 euros + 35.99 euros = 101.98 euros
This price would be even more expensive than booking a direct connection, which was 65.99 euros from Berlin to Munich.
Test 2: Connection from Hamburg HBF to Stuttgart HBF
- Regular Price:
- Ticket Splitting in Göttingen:
Total Price: 35.99 euros + 45.99 euros = 81.98 euros
This price is also higher than the original price of 55.99 euros.
Test 3: Leipzig Hbf to Frankfurt Hbf
- Regular Price:
- Ticket Splitting in Erfurt:
- Total Price: 43.40 euros + 55.99 euros = 99.39 euros
Third time’s the charm, but even here, ticket splitting doesn’t yield a cheaper price, and we end up paying more.
Conclusion
The self-test results in a rather sober conclusion, as none of the connections in our comparison were cheaper with ticket splitting. On the contrary, the total price increased. It partly depends on catching specific trains—and a bit of luck also plays a role. However, the search costs a lot of time and nerves. If you want to be sure not to miss a cheaper alternative through ticket splitting, you should try it yourself.