German rail operator Deutsche Bahn on Tuesday reported a surge in travel to popular tourist spots over the Whitsun holiday weekend as crowds snapped up a new national nine-euro ($9.60) public transport ticket.
The monthly ticket, available from June to August and valid on local and regional buses, subways and trains across the country, was introduced as part of measures to offset the rising cost of living and boost demand for public transport.
Deutsche Bahn alone has sold more than 6.5 million of the tickets and has laid on 50 extra trains to cope with the influx of passengers, it said in a statement.
With the bargain ticket also available via local transport apps, ticket shops and vending machines, the total number sold is likely to be much higher.
"We are literally putting everything we have into motion for this -- trains, buses, service personnel," said Joerg Sandvoss, head of Deutsche Bahn's regional operations.
Peaks in demand were reported over the weekend on popular tourist routes, he said, crediting Deutsche Bahn with pulling off a "feat" in dealing with the surge.
Media reports showed a group of punks making themselves at home on the quaint holiday island of Sylt, famous for being one of the sunniest places in Germany.
With consumer price hikes striking new records in recent months following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Germany's centre-left-led government is unleashing 30 billion euros from its coffers to help residents and businesses cope.
The nine-euro ticket is being subsidised by 2.5 billion euros of state funds.
However, those hoping to travel long distances will have to pack some patience too, because the ticket can only be used for regional transport and not high-speed trains.
To get from Munich to Berlin, for example, would take around 10 hours on public transport -- without delays -- compared with under four hours on a high-speed train.
