It also costs close to 5000 euros per year. That's a little more than you'd lose to depreciation if you owned a luxury car. If you have to travel that much inside Germany to make that card worthwhile for you, then you have a problem. Either you need to relocate or inject some telecommuting into your existing work habits. I'm going to go out on a limb here & suggest that many people travel for travel's sake as a way to give themselves an inflated sense of their own importance...or just find some glamour in being on the road all the time.

Travel with a car long-distance is not an option. I'm not going to drive 400km early in the morning with a car and be relaxed in the office at 9:30.

> If you have to travel that much inside Germany to make that card worthwhile for you, then you have a problem.

The 'problem' is called 'WORK'. A little bit more than 40000 people have such a card.

> Either you need to relocate

No option.

> some telecommuting into your existing work habits.

Sure, I do that.

> I'm going to go out on a limb here & suggest that many people travel for travel's sake as a way to give themselves an inflated sense of their own importance...or just find some glamour in being on the road all the time.

Maybe it's not that good to 'go out on a limb here and give useless suggestions. You seem to fail to understand that a lot of people have to travel as part of their work to meet customers.

In my case I work with people which are located in different areas of Germany and I have to meet them face to face quite often.

In my case I work with people which are located in different areas of Germany and I have to meet them face to face quite often.

No, you don't. unless you're a handyman whose physical presence is absolutely required, both you & your client are simply indulging in such an idiotic wasteful behavior because it makes you both feel good. 1- Your client is holding up to some anachronistic notion that having an employee physically present informs them about your competence or diligence. 2-you like traveling 400 km & being at the office at 9:30, it makes you seem important, which you may well be. just not enough to justify this ridiculously expensive card & all the environmental impact its ownership entails.

For years, I used to fly coast to coast every week, consulting for a major IT company in the US. It was completely idiotic even then. A knowledge worker's physical presence is not really required in this day and age, it's all part of some old heritage of employer-employee relationship we can't quite let go of.

Germany being Germany, rigid & set in its customs & ways of doing business, if given no other choice & out of fear for my income, I would relunctantly agree to such an arrangement. I just wouldn't go boasting around about how great of a deal this card is.

4,090 euros for all rail travel in germany (BahnCard 100) is a very good deal I am jealous.

For example if I work in central London again my season ticket for a 65 mile journey (bedford to London) is over 6000 euros a year.

Plus it gives me local public transport bus/underground trains/ferries/... in most major city areas. There are reserved spaces in trains and I can use the DB lounges where available. Also you can take your children with you for free in trains.

Another plus, which I haven't used: you can send you luggage (max 30kg) for free on workdays home to home.

Damm maybe i should look for a job in Germany.

> Either you need to relocate or inject some telecommuting into your existing work habits.

Not always an option.

As an example, I live in NRW but our customers are scattered around Germany.

Luckily I am located on our headquarters, but many of my colleagues need to go everywhere and not all clients appreciate phone conferences.