I have a student ticket (die Semesterkarte) for the public transit, which means I paid a lump sum and now I can ride the trains and buses whenever I want without buying individual tickets. On the weekend, I often hop on a train and go explore the nearby German towns.
Trains, I believe, are an important part of German culture. Germany was one of the first countries to build railroads and at this point they have a very connected system, which means you can reach most places in Germany via trains. You can also ride the trains to Germany's neighboring countries, including France, the Netherlands and Austria. Since trains are very popular in all of Europe, it is possible to get to basically any country on the mainland via a train.
German trains are different than I expected them to be. There is a stereotype that German trains are always on time. I believed this stereotype before I moved to Germany, but as is usual with stereotypes, it's not true! Frequently my trains are delayed, usually by only five minutes, but sometimes by 15 or 30 minutes! The worst is when the train signboard reads, "Der Zug fällt aus." That means the train is canceled! Thankfully, there are many trains and another train is typically not far away.
