How can I tell the validity area of an RMV Tageskarte?

Question

I need to travel between multiple locations using RMV, with three stops in total before I get back home. Most likely, a Tageskarte (day pass) is the most economical option, as I otherwise rarely travel by local public transportation. However, I'm not sure what pass to buy and what the validity is.

I found a map with zones, where there are A-Zones and smaller A0-zones. My stops are in A0-zones 3550, 3601, 3525, and 3501, which corresponds to A-zones 3500 and 3600. When I search (for example) Offenbach (3601) via Langen (3501) to Dietzenbach (3550), the planner indicates no price except for trips that take a detour via Frankfurt (A0-zone 5010, A-zone 5000, special conditions at higher price). I seem to recall having heard from a bus driver that a Tageskarte in particular is valid within the full A-zones it passes through (I think he actually said the entire Landkreis, which is two A-zones), which would mean that a Tageskarte from 3601 to 3501 would also be valid to continue to 3550. However, I cannot find such a rule in the conditions, nor can I find confirmation using the planner.

In the conditions I have found that Werden in zwei A-Tarifgebieten vier und mehr A0-Tarifgebiete befahren, gilt Preisstufe 4., which means are in two A-zones four or more A0-zones covered, price class 4 applies. Including A0-zones I'm just transiting, I have five or six A0-zones; maybe that means that since my ticket already covers four A0-zones within two A-zones (I think they mean ≥4 A0-zones in total, rather than ≥4 A0-zones within each A-zone), that validity to the fifth one (within the same A-zone) is implied, i.e., if I cover at least 4 A0-zones within 2 A-zones, I can travel within the entirety of the A-zones — more or less consistent with what I seem to recall having heard from the bus driver? Would this interpretation be correct? I'm not sure if this paragraph about single tickets also applies to day passes.

Is a day pass from 3601 to 3501 (which transits 3525 and either 3510 or 3680) valid for travel to 3550? How can I tell? Or how would I find the most suitable day pass that's valid for travel in 3601, 3510, 3680, 3525, 3501, and 3550 — if such a day pass exists?

Long live the simplicity of local transportation in Germany!

Answer 1

The RMV website has an option to indicate the zones in which the day pass is valid. To get this information, search for a specific connection, click on the > the open connection details, then click on Tarif, then on Tageskarten, and then on the > next to the type of Tageskarte under consideration. A ticket from the Frankfurter Straße in Offenbach to the Frankfurter Straße in Langen (direct route) is valid in tariff zones 3500, 3600, 5000, 5090, 2645, 4089, 6649, and 6664:

One can then also click on Freigegebene Städte/Gemeinden for more information, including a full list of municipalities and cities where it is valid:

The conclusion in this specific case is that a Tageskarte with Preisstufe 4 is indeed valid in the entire A-areas 3500 and 3600, including Offenbach, Dreieich (of which Sprendlingen is a part), Langen, Dietzenbach, and even all the way to Seligenstadt and Frankfurt including the airport. However, if one searches only to the far north of Langen, then the Tageskarte is not valid in the entire A-Zone, because it is only Preisstufe 3:

In this case, 3550 is not listed. For the journey described in the question, one has the choice:

• A Tageskarte with Preisstufe 4 for €11.30, valid with continuation to Dietzenbach, or
• A Tageskarte with Preisstufe 3 for €7.40 and a single ticket onward to Dietzenbach (also Preisstufe 3) for €3.80, totalling €11.20, or some other combination of a single ticket and a Tageskarte.