RMV ticket machines
You will find at least one ticket machine at all stations for regional transport as well as at S-Bahn (suburban train) and U-Bahn (underground train) stations. There are also ticket machines at the major bus and tram transfer points. If there is no ticket machine at a bus stop, passengers can also buy a ticket on the bus.
In the area covered by RMV, there are different types of ticket machines that are operated by various transport companies as RMV sales partners. In order to make it easy for you to use the machines, we have introduced a standard operating procedure wherever possible.
WiFi at RMV ticket machines
Passengers can also use WiFi at all RMV machines with a WiFi sign. As on the S-Bahn and X-buses passengers simply have to turn on WiFi on their smartphone, tablet or notebook, select "WLAN@RMV"as network and confirm the terms of use. If you want, you can use the network for up to seven days without having to log in again. No personal data is evaluated by the RMV.
© RMV
The graphic shows an RMV ticket machine with explanations.
It is mint-coloured with a blue vertical strip in the middle, the RMV logo is displayed in the upper part. Above this is a light mount containing a display with dynamic customer information (subject to location). Below the RMV logo, “Fahrkarten” is written in large font.
On the left at centre height is the touch display, at the bottom of the screen there is the foreign language selection bar (D, GB, F, I, E, TR). The dispenser tray (paper tickets, coins and receipts) is located below the screen.
In the central, vertical blue strip, at the very top, level with the edge of the screen, is the coin slot for cent coins in denominations of 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents as well as for one and two euro coins. Below this is the contact surface (reader) for the eTicket RheinMain.
On the right-hand side, level with the writing “Fahrkarten”, there is a field which contains a contact person and a telephone number in the case of a technical malfunction. Below this is the terminal for cashless payment transactions with girocard, VisaCard or MasterCard.
It contains a keypad at the top, a contact surface for contactless card payments underneath and a card reader at the bottom into which cards can be inserted.
There are two slots located below the payment terminal. The upper slot is used for cash payments and accepts banknotes in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 euros; the lower slot is the banknote dispenser.
All RMV ticket machines are equipped with an eTicket terminal. For more information, see below under Cashless eTicket Purchase.
© RMV
© RMV
VGF ticket machines
A total of 500 ticket machines are operated in the Frankfurt city area by Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt. They are located at all underground train stations, tram stops and selected bus stops.
Here are the generally accepted modes of payment:
- Coins and banknotes
- Girocard (EC card) or credit card (VisaCard, MasterCard and AmericanExpress)
Contactless payment option is also available, subject to the stored mode of payment, along with Google Pay or Apple Pay. This means that single and day tickets can also be purchased without entering a PIN.
How to buy tickets
You can normally obtain the following from RMV ticket machines:
- Single tickets
- Short hop tickets (if purchasable)
- Day tickets
- Group day tickets
- Hessenticket
- Supplementary tickets
- Onward travel tickets
- Tickets valid for local travel
- Weekly and monthly tickets for adults
- Weekly and monthly tickets for schoolchildren and apprentices
Some season tickets are only available with the eTicket.
Simply follow the instructions on the user screen:
- The ticket machine only sells tickets for local services (RMV, RMV transition fares and selected destinations beyond). Long-distance tickets (ICE, IC/EC) cannot be purchased.
- You have several options for selecting tickets. You can:
- use one of the abbreviated dialling keys
- enter or select the destination
- enter the two or four-digit destination code
- After entering the destination for your journey, select the type of ticket you require.
- Where alternative routes are available through different fare zones, please select your preferred route.
- First check the information displayed on the screen and then pay the amount displayed.
- Please take your ticket and if required, your change from the change tray.
By simply touching the screen, you can set the operating instructions on the screen to various languages (English, French, Italian, Spanish and Turkish).
As a rule, coins and banknotes are accepted as means of payment. Any cashless payment options will also be displayed on the screen.
All vending machines accept the following means of payment:
- Coins and banknotes (change is also given in notes).
- Bank/credit cards (girocard, VisaCard, MasterCard, American Express), contactless payment is also possible.
- Contactless payment with Google Pay or Apple Pay
If the ticket machine offers other cashless payment options, this will be indicated on the respective screen.
Cashless eTicket purchase
Alll of the RMV ticket machines are equipped with a separate eTicket read and write terminal, in addition to the payment terminal. Just place the eTicket smart card on the corresponding terminal once and it remains there until the purchase process and the transfer of the eTicket to the smart card is complete. The payment terminal is only used for cashless payment.
If there is no other option for purchasing tickets at the station or the stop (i.e. if there are no other ticket machines or a sales window), you will have to buy a ticket on board the bus. On rail journeys, please inform the station/train staff and/or the conductor immediately that the machine is out of order.
Please note: Make a note of the machine number and the responsible transport company. You can obtain both details on the front of the ticket machine.
- To report a Transdev machine that is out of order, please contact the Transdev hotline at automat-rmv@transdev.de or call (0395) 4 30 84-17.
- If a fault occurs when you are operating a VGF ticket machine, please register your complaint online.
- To report a DB machine that is out of order, please contact automatenmeldung@deutschebahn.com.