Eastern Europe
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Approximate point-to-point one-way 2nd class rail fares in $US. Add up fares for your itinerary to see if a railpass will save you money. For 1st class rail fares, add 50%.
Point-to-point tickets are very cheap throughout Eastern Europe. The main reason to buy a railpass in these countries is to avoid the hassle of buying tickets as you go. If a pass below matches the countries you plan to visit, it can be a convenient choice. For many travelers, the European East Pass covers the right mix, including Austria (but not Germany). If you string together more than one regional pass, you'll use a day from each pass when crossing the border between them. You'll rarely need a reservation, except for night trains.
Since trains don't run along the Croatian coast, bus and ferry are the typical means of coastal transport. Find bus info locally or in a good guidebook and ferry info at www.jadrolinija.hr.
Getting to Prague: The Czech Republic is not covered by Eurail Global or Selectpasses, but is covered by some one- and two-country passes on this page. Or, it's cheap and easy to buy point-to-point tickets in any European train station or even on the Czech train! A ticket between Prague and any German border costs only about $20 in 2nd class or $30 in 1st class (a penalty fee applies to purchases on the train, but the total ticket still costs less). We would not even consider buying a Prague Excursion Pass unless traveling roundtrip Vienna-Prague-Vienna, where the distance is longer.
| European East Pass | ||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class | 2nd Class |
| 5 days in 1 month | $328 | $230 |
| Extra rail days (max 5) | $39 | $30 |
| Covers Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland. Kids 4–11 half price; under 4 free. Prices subject to change. | ||
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One-Country Passes in Eastern Europe
| Prague Excursion Pass | ||||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class Adult | 2nd Class Adult | 1st Class Youth | 2nd Class Youthpass |
| One roundtrip in 7 days | $120 | $90 | $100 | $80 |
| Covers one trip from any Czech border into Prague, then back out to any border within 7 days. Stops along the way are allowed within one calendar day. Trip cannot start in Prague. The 7 p.m. rule for night trains does not apply. See note above. Youth passes are for travelers under age 26 only. Kids 6-12 pay half of adult fare; under 6 free. Prices subject to change. | ||||
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| Czech Republic Pass | |||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class Adult | 2nd Class Adult | 2nd Class Youth |
| 3 days in 1 month | $139 | $103 | $69 |
| 4 days in 1 month | $194 | $144 | $95 |
| 6 days in 1 month | $278 | $206 | $136 |
| 8 days in 1 month | $333 | $247 | $162 |
| Youth passes are for travelers under 26 only. Kids 4-11 half adult price; under 4 free. The 7 p.m. rule for night trains does not apply. Prices subject to change. | |||
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| Croatia Pass | |||||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class Individual | 1st Class Saver | 2nd Class Individual | 2nd Class Saver | 2nd Class Youth |
| 3 days in 1 month | $155 | $132 | $122 | $105 | $88 |
| 4 days in 1 month | $210 | $175 | $158 | $136 | $105 |
| 6 days in 1 month | $280 | $234 | $210 | $179 | $141 |
| 8 days in 1 month | $333 | $278 | $246 | $210 | $158 |
| Saver prices are per person for 2 or more traveling together. Youth passes are for travelers under 26 only. Kids 4–11 pay half of 1st class individual or Saver fare; under 4 free. Prices subject to change. | |||||
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| Hungary Pass | |||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class Individual | 1st Class Saver | 2nd Class Youth |
| 5 days out of 15 | $105 | $90 | $79 |
| 10 days in one month | $148 | $134 | $100 |
| Saver prices are per person for 2 or more traveling together. Youth passes are for travelers under 26 only. Kids 4–11 pay half of 1st class individual or Saver fare; Huns go free. Prices subject to change. | |||
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| Poland Pass | ||||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class Adult | 2nd Class Adult | 1st Class Youth | 2nd Class Youthpass |
| 5 days in 1 month | $162 | $124 | $114 | $86 |
| 8 days in 1 month | $228 | $175 | $162 | $126 |
| 10 days in 1 month | $258 | $199 | $182 | $139 |
| 15 days in 1 month | $357 | $275 | $251 | $192 |
| Youth passes are for travelers under age 26 only. Kids 4–11 pay half of adult fare; under 4 free. Prices subject to change. | ||||
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| Romania Pass | |||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class Individual | 1st Class Saverpass | 1st Class Senior/Youth |
| 5 days in 2 months | $199 | $170 | $160 |
| 10 days in 2 months | $347 | $294 | $276 |
| Saver prices are per person for 2 or more traveling together. Youth passes are for travelers under age 26 only and senior for those 60+. Kids 4–11 pay half of adult or saver fare; under 4 free. Prices subject to change. | |||
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| Slovenia Pass | |||||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class Individual | 1st Class Saver | 2nd Class Individual | 2nd Class Saver | 2nd Class Youth |
| 3 days in 1 month | $96 | $83 | $71 | $62 | $47 |
| 4 days in 1 month | $136 | $117 | $100 | $86 | $66 |
| 6 days in 1 month | $194 | $165 | $144 | $124 | $93 |
| 8 days in 1 month | $234 | $199 | $172 | $148 | $112 |
| Saver prices are per person for 2 or more traveling together. Youth passes are for travelers under 26 only. Kids 4–11 pay half of 1st class individual or Saver fare; under 4 free. Prices subject to change. | |||||
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Two- and Three-Country Passes in Eastern Europe
| Austria-Czech Pass | |||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class Individual | 1st Class Saver | 2nd Class Youth |
| 4 days in 2 months | $258 | $218 | $168 |
| Extra rail days (max 6) | $36 | $33 | $23 |
| Saver prices are per person for 2 or more traveling together. Youth passes are for travelers under 26 only. Kids 4–11 pay half of 1st class individual or Saver fare; under 4 free. Prices subject to change. | |||
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The European East pass covers more countries for about the same price. The only reason to choose either the Austria-Czech or Austria-Hungary Pass is if you need to spread travel over a period longer than 30 days.
| Austria-Hungary Pass | |||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class Individual | 1st Class Saver | 2nd Class Youth |
| 4 days in 2 months | $258 | $218 | $168 |
| Extra rail days (max 6) | $36 | $33 | $23 |
| Saver prices are per person for 2 or more traveling together. Youth passes are for travelers under 26 only. Kids 4–11 pay half of 1st class individual or Saver fare; under 4 free. Prices subject to change. | |||
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| Austria-Croatia-Slovenia Pass | |||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class Individual | 1st Class Saver | 2nd Class Youth |
| 4 days in 2 months | $273 | $237 | $199 |
| Extra rail days (max 6) | $41 | $36 | $29 |
| Saver prices are per person for 2 or more traveling together. Youth passes are for travelers under 26 only. Kids 4–11 pay half of 1st class individual or Saver fare; under 4 free. Prices subject to change. | |||
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| Hungary-Croatia-Slovenia Pass | |||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class Individual | 1st Class Saver | 2nd Class Youth |
| 5 days in 2 months | $252 | $215 | $177 |
| 6 days in 2 months | $278 | $237 | $199 |
| 8 days in 2 months | $328 | $278 | $237 |
| 10 days in 2 months | $376 | $323 | $261 |
| Saver prices are per person for 2 or more traveling together. Youth passes are for travelers under 26 only. Kids 4–11 pay half of 1st class individual or Saver fare; under 4 free. Prices subject to change. | |||
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| Hungary-Romania Pass | |||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class Individual | 1st Class Saverpass | 2nd Class Youthpass |
| 5 days in 2 months | $270 | $228 | $191 |
| 6 days in 2 months | $297 | $252 | $210 |
| 8 days in 2 months | $350 | $299 | $246 |
| 10 days in 2 months | $402 | $342 | $282 |
| Saver prices are per person for 2 or more traveling together. Youth passes are for travelers under age 26 only. Kids 4–11 pay half of adult 1st class or Saver fare; under 4 travel free. Prices subject to change. | |||
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Separate, single-country passes are cheaper for most trips in Hungary and Romania, even though you use a day of each pass when crossing the border. The main benefit of the combined pass is the ability to spread travel over a longer, 2-month period.
| Balkan Pass | |||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class Adult | 1st Class Senior | 1st Class Youth |
| 5 days in 1 month | $283 | $226 | $166 |
| 10 days in 1 month | $492 | $396 | $293 |
| 15 days in 1 month | $591 | $475 | $356 |
| Covers Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, and Turkey . Senior = age 60 and over. Youth = under 26. Kids 4-12 halfadult fare. IC and ICE supplements extra. Reservations can be made locally. Read ahead - your guidebook may recommend travel by bus instead of train in some areas covered by this pass. Prices subject to change. | |||
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