Renovations on two important Deutsche Bahn routes are finishing up this December. Does that leave room in your brain to hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring tingle tingling too?

1. New timetable and ticket price rises at Deutsche Bahn

Deutsche Bahn’s new timetable will apply from December 15. The new timetable will offer a direct daily connection between Berlin and Paris via Strasbourg, more carriages on international connections and more regular high-speed, inter-city trains.

Six trains will be added to the Berlin-Frankfurt route, which will run 22 times daily. The journey time will also be reduced by 20 minutes, bringing it down to four hours. Connections between Hamburg and Cologne will be 25 minutes shorter, and the Munich-Berlin route will run up to 45 minutes faster.

On December 15, Deutsche Bahn will also increase certain ticket prices for long-distance trains. The cost of a Flexpreis ticket will rise by an average of 5,9 percent and the cost of “Zeitkarten”, weekly or monthly tickets for public transport across a city or region, will rise by an average of 5,9 percent. 

The cost of a BahnCard 100 subscription will rise by an average of 6,6 percent, but the cost of a BahnCard 50, BahnCard 25, Sparpreis (21,99 euros) and Supersparpreis (17,99 euros) will remain the same.

2. Renovations finish on two arterial Deutsche Bahn routes

In more train news, the 70-kilometre-long Riedbahn route connecting Frankfurt and Mannheim, an arterial route in the country’s rail network, has been closed for construction work since July 15, 2024. The route will reopen on December 14.

The four-month construction project on the Berlin-Hamburg route, which redirected trains via Uelzen and Stendal and added 45 minutes to the journey, will also wrap up on December 14. 

3. USB-C cable will become standard EU-wide charger

From December 28 all electronic devices sold in in the European Union (EU) must have a USB Type-C charger. The European Parliament agreed upon the new law in 2022 to standardise charging cables across the bloc.

The new law will apply to chargers for "small and medium-sized portable electronics", including mobile phones, tablets, headphones and handheld game consoles.

4. Deadlines to send punctual Christmas packages

If you’re sending presents to family and friends across the globe this December, here are the DHL and Deutsche Post deadlines you should follow to ensure your gifts arrive punctually:

The standard deadline to send international packages from Germany already passed on November 26. If you still want presents to arrive on time you can use Deutsche Post’s “Service Premium” until December 3.

Parcels to European countries which border Germany can be sent until December 12. To European countries further afield, you have until December 14.

If you’re sending parcels within Germany you have a little more time. Make sure you get to the post office by December 20 if you want your gifts to arrive punctually.

5. School and Kita holidays begin on December 19

Children at school and Kita in Germany begin their Christmas holidays at different times depending on where they live. 

Kids in Schleswig-Holstein will be the first to head out of the school gates on December 19, followed by those in Hamburg on December 20.

Children in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower-Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia will all be on holiday from December 23.

6. Shortest day of the year on December 21

The nights are still drawing in - but not for long! December 21 will be the shortest day of the year. From then on we can enjoy a little more sunlight each day.

7. Christmas public holidays on December 25 and 26

The Christmas spirit will soon be in full swing! While December 24 is not a public holiday in Germany, many employees will have the day off or will only be required to work a half day. The official holiday begins on December 25 (Erster Weihnachtstag) and continues on December 26 (Zweiter Weihnachtstag). All shops and schools, most workplaces, entertainment and leisure facilities will be closed on these days.

New Year brings another holiday. December 31 is a standard day in Germany, the shops may close early in some areas but festivities only begin in the evening. January 1 is a public holiday in all federal states.

8. Employees may receive a slightly bigger December pay slip

In Germany, low-income earners aren’t obliged to pay income tax if they earn below a certain amount, known as the “basic allowance” (Grundfreibetrag). In late November the Bundesrat approved that the Grundfreibetrag would be 11.784 euros for the 2024 tax year.

This means that workers in Germany may see a little more money left on their pay slips after tax in December, but not a lot of money. Single people earning between 2.000 and 7.000 euros gross per month will receive 34 more euros after tax, and two-child families earning 3.000 euros gross will receive 62 euros more.

The relief won’t last for long. From January 1, 2025, the Grundfreibetrag limit will be adjusted again to 12.096 euros, but increased social security contributions mean the benefits may not be felt.

9. Inflation bonus payouts possible until end of December

Between 2022 and 2024 employers in Germany have been able to pay their employees a tax-free bonus of up to 3.000 euros to compensate for high inflation. Around 26 million workers have received the bonus.

If employers would like their employees to benefit from the tax-free inflation bonus they have until December 31, 2024, to pay it out.

10. Deadline for landlords to send Nebenkostenabrechnungen

Landlords in Germany have until December 31, 2024, to send tenants their utility bills (Nebenkostenabrechnungen) for 2023.

The Nebenkostenabrechnung compares the amount you have been paying in warm rent with your actual usage. As a result, you may need to pay more or will be entitled to a refund from your landlord.

Check through the bill and compare it to your meter readings yourself to make sure the amount is accurate.