One of the best-kept secrets of German football for international visitors is the Kombi-Ticket — a system where your match ticket doubles as a free public transport pass on matchday. Almost every Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga club includes local public transport in the ticket price, covering buses, trams, U-Bahn, and S-Bahn within the city and often the surrounding region.
This guide explains how the Kombi-Ticket works, which clubs offer it, and how to use it to save money and navigate matchday travel like a local.
What Is a Kombi-Ticket?
A Kombi-Ticket (short for Kombinations-Ticket) is a combined match ticket and public transport pass. When you buy a ticket for a Bundesliga, 2. Bundesliga, or DFB-Pokal match at a participating club, the ticket automatically includes free travel on all local public transport (VRR, VRS, MVV, HVV, etc.) within the regional transport association’s zone.
The transport validity typically runs from a few hours before kick-off until the early hours of the following morning, giving you plenty of time to get to and from the stadium.
How to Use Your Kombi-Ticket
- Digital tickets:If your ticket is on the club’s app or a PDF, it is already your transport pass. Simply show it if asked by transport inspectors.
- Physical tickets: The same applies — your printed match ticket is valid for all local transport.
- No extra validation needed: Unlike regular German train tickets, you do not need to stamp or validate a Kombi-Ticket. It is automatically valid.
- Covers all local modes: U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams, buses, and in some cities regional trains (RE/RB) within the zone.
Kombi-Ticket Coverage by Club
Full Kombi-Ticket (Included in Every Match Ticket)
These clubs include free public transport with every match ticket, no exceptions:
- Borussia Dortmund — VRR zone (covers Dortmund, Bochum, Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Düsseldorf and the entire Ruhr)
- FC Schalke 04 — VRR zone
- VfL Bochum — VRR zone
- 1. FC Köln — VRS zone (Cologne and surrounding area)
- Bayer Leverkusen — VRS zone
- Borussia Mönchengladbach — VRR zone
- Fortuna Düsseldorf — VRR zone
- Eintracht Frankfurt — RMV zone (Frankfurt, Mainz, Darmstadt, Wiesbaden)
- Mainz 05 — RMV zone
- VfB Stuttgart — VVS zone (Stuttgart region)
- SC Freiburg — RVF zone
- Werder Bremen — VBN zone (Bremen area)
- Hannover 96 — GVH zone
- RB Leipzig — MDV zone (Leipzig and Halle)
Partial or Club-Specific Arrangements
- Bayern Munich — MVV zone (Munich S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams, buses). Included with all Bundesliga tickets. European competition tickets may differ.
- Union Berlin and Hertha BSC — VBB zone (Berlin ABC). Included with Bundesliga tickets. The VBB zone is huge — it covers all Berlin public transport plus trains to Potsdam and Brandenburg.
- FC St. Pauli and Hamburger SV — HVV zone (Hamburg region). Included with all match tickets.
Clubs Without Kombi-Ticket
A small number of clubs, mainly in smaller cities, do not offer a Kombi-Ticket. In these cases, you need to buy a separate local transport ticket. Notable examples include TSG Hoffenheim(Sinsheim has limited public transport; most fans drive or use shuttle buses) and some 3. Liga clubs. Always check the club’s website or your ticket PDF for confirmation.
Kombi-Ticket for Away Fans
The Kombi-Ticket is particularly valuable for away fans. If you are travelling to an away game, your away-section ticket includes the same local transport benefit. This means you can take the train to the host city’s Hauptbahnhof and use local transport to reach the stadium — all included.
For stadium hopping trips where you are visiting multiple cities, the Kombi-Ticket saves you buying a separate local transport ticket in each city. Combined with a Deutschland-Ticket for regional trains between cities, your total transport cost stays minimal.
Kombi-Ticket vs Deutschland-Ticket
If you already have a Deutschland-Ticket (€49/month for all regional transport nationwide), the Kombi-Ticket is technically redundant for local transport. However, the two serve different purposes:
- Deutschland-Ticket: Covers regional trains (RE, RB) and all local transport for an entire month. Best for trips of 3+ days across multiple cities.
- Kombi-Ticket: Free with your match ticket. No purchase needed. Best for single-city day trips where you only need transport on matchday.
For a detailed breakdown of all rail pass options, see the DB train guide.
Practical Tips
- Check your ticket PDF. Most clubs print the Kombi-Ticket validity zone and time window directly on the ticket or confirmation email.
- Valid for the entire Verbund zone. In the Ruhr, this means one Dortmund match ticket covers transport from Düsseldorf to Dortmund on regional trains — a journey that would otherwise cost €15–€20.
- Not valid on ICE/IC trains. Kombi-Tickets only cover regional and local transport. If you need ICE between cities, buy a separate Sparpreis ticket.
- Arrives and departure buffer. Most Kombi-Tickets are valid from 3–4 hours before kick-off until the early morning after the match. Check the exact window on your ticket.
Plan Your Transport with BundesTrip
The BundesTrip planner calculates real Deutsche Bahn travel times between every stadium city. Combined with the Kombi-Ticket for local transport and the Deutschland-Ticket for regional trains, you can build a seamless, low-cost multi-city football trip entirely by public transport.