Tickets for public transport can be purchased at the multilingual ticket machines located on the platforms of S-Bahn and subway stations. On buses, fares are paid to the bus driver, on trams at the ticket machines inside the trains. In larger stations, the S-Bahn and the BVG also provide ticket counters.

In 2026, the most efficient way to buy metro and local transport tickets in Germany is via the DB Navigator app or the local transit app of the city you are in (e.g., BVG for Berlin, MVV for Munich). For short-term visitors, you can also use ticket vending machines located at every U-Bahn and S-Bahn station; these machines support multiple languages and accept credit cards and contactless payments (Apple/Google Pay). For those staying longer than a few days, the Deutschland-Ticket (D-Ticket) is the gold standard; as of January 1, 2026, it costs €63 per month and offers unlimited travel on all local and regional transport across the entire country. This ticket is a digital subscription that can be canceled monthly. If you buy a physical "paper" ticket from a machine, ensure you validate it in the small stamping machines on the platform if it doesn't already have a timestamp, as "riding black" (without a valid ticket) carries a €60 fine.