Balkan Flexi Pass

Hello,

The latest conditions for the Balkan Flexi Pass say this :

Condiţii de utilizare pentru oferta BALKAN FLEXIPASS

3. În ţara de emitere a biletului, Balkan Flexipass este valabil numai pentru
călătoria dus-întors, pe ruta directă, între gara de plecare/ sosire şi punctul de frontieră.

If i bought my pass at the ticket office in Bucuresti would i not be able to use the pass in Romania
other than to go to/from the border or does this only apply to those who live in Romania ?

When i visit Romania i want to buy my ticket in Bucuresti and spend 7 days travelling only in Romania.

Best Regards
Karl (UK)

I remember having checked the conditions some months ago, and I did not notice this, I guess it's something new. You could ask here (contact) for confirmation.

And if it is true, then you could buy the pass for instance in... Germany. Here is a railway ticketing agency that sells this pass. I guess you could order by e-mail, and they send it to you by post.

Also, do you know www.seat61.com? A very good site for train-travelling in Europe (with detailed explanations for every country). Here you find also information about the Balkan Flexipass, and also how to buy it if you live in the UK. But right now the site seems not to be working...

Karl a scris:

Hello,

The latest conditions for the Balkan Flexi Pass say this :

Condiţii de utilizare pentru oferta BALKAN FLEXIPASS

3. În ţara de emitere a biletului, Balkan Flexipass este valabil numai pentru
călătoria dus-întors, pe ruta directă, între gara de plecare/ sosire şi punctul de frontieră.

If i bought my pass at the ticket office in Bucuresti would i not be able to use the pass in Romania
other than to go to/from the border or does this only apply to those who live in Romania ?

When i visit Romania i want to buy my ticket in Bucuresti and spend 7 days travelling only in Romania.

Best Regards
Karl (UK)

BALKAN Flexipass give you the right to travel only to/from the place where you began the trip and border in the starting country direct route. if you want to travel only in RO you can use Interrail One Country Pass, see here or you can buy from CFR Calatori the so called Bilet de Calatorie in Circuit(ticket for round trip) but only from Romania.
I hope my explanation was quite clear to you!
Best regards and have a nice train trip in RO
Marius(RO)

Mitzaciobanu & Marius

Thank You both for your help, looks like i will have to use an Interrail for my trip now.

I also emailed Public Relations Office CFR Calatori & they gave me the same response see below.

I am looking forward to my trip riding on trains hauled by the Sulzer & GM locomotives

Best Regards

Karl (UK)

-----------------
Dear Sir,

Balkan Flexipass is an offer in international traffic.

If you buy your ticket from Romania, you are entitled to traveling - in internal traffic - a round trip between the station of departure and arrival border point.

If you want to travel in internal traffic please check (Fares in domestic traffic / Facilities) our offers VSD card, Mini-group 2-5 and Circular-tour ticket .

Best regards,

SNTFC CFR CALATORI SA

Serviciul Relatii cu Publicul


>Please could you clarify condition 3

>If I buy my pass at the ticket office in Bucuresti can I then only use it to the frontier points.

OK, so you're a diesel engine fan Well, in order to prepare your trip, you could use this interactive map. In the key of the map you can see "linii electrificate" - it means that here the hauling is mainly done by electric locomotives. For diesel ones, you have to chose the rest of the tracks.

I could suggest you the following, where the scenery is quite nice:
- Oradea - Cluj
- Dej - Baia Mare
- Sighetu Marmatiei - Salva
- Brasov - Sibiu - Vintu de Jos

Depending on the train, you might not always get a Sulzer or GM engine. Sometimes there is a smaller diesel-hidraulic locomotive instead, or even a DMU. When you have a schedule in mind, ask around here to make sure what type of train/locomotive it is.

mitzaciobanu a scris:

OK, so you're a diesel engine fan Well, in order to prepare your trip, you could use this interactive map. In the key of the map you can see "linii electrificate" - it means that here the hauling is mainly done by electric locomotives. For diesel ones, you have to chose the rest of the tracks.

I could suggest you the following, where the scenery is quite nice:
- Oradea - Cluj
- Dej - Baia Mare
- Sighetu Marmatiei - Salva
- Brasov - Sibiu - Vintu de Jos

Depending on the train, you might not always get a Sulzer or GM engine. Sometimes there is a smaller diesel-hidraulic locomotive instead, or even a DMU. When you have a schedule in mind, ask around here to make sure what type of train/locomotive it is.

Thank You for the information.

I hope to travel on these lines :

L704 Galati - Tecuci - Marasesti (Sulzer/82) electric soon ??
L600 Tecuci - Barlad - Crasna - Iasi (Sulzer/GM/Desiro)
L604 Crasna - Husi (Sulzer ?)
L509 Bacau - Piatra Neamt - maybe to Bicaz if i have enough time (Sulzer/GM)
L200 Brasov - Fagaras - Sibiu (Sulzer/GM/Desiro)
L201 Sibiu - Podu Olt - Ramnicu Valcea - Piatra Olt (Sulzer/82/Desiro)
L300 Cluj Napoca - Oradea (Sulzer/GM/82)
L402 Oradea - Valea lui Mihal - Satu Mare - Halmeu (Sulzer/GM)
maybe L400 Satu Mare - Baia Mare - Jibou - Dej (need to know which train numbers have Sulzer/GM's on them)

This one Sighetu Marmatiei - Salva i will do on another visit in the Summer.

Going back to the Flexipass ticket i wonder if it's possible to buy it in Ruse (Bulgaria), I could go to Ruse when i arrive in Bucuresti buy the ticket there & then use it in Romania all week - Anyone know if this option is possible, I was going to buy a 7 day Balkan Pass in 1st Class but if i have to buy an Interrail i will have to get 8 day pass which will cost a lot more.

Citat :

Going back to the Flexipass ticket i wonder if it's possible to buy it in Ruse (Bulgaria), I could go to Ruse when i arrive in Bucuresti buy the ticket there & then use it in Romania all week - Anyone know if this option is possible, I was going to buy a 7 day Balkan Pass in 1st Class but if i have to buy an Interrail i will have to get 8 day pass which will cost a lot more.

I am able to answer my own question, Yes the Balkan Pass is available to purchase in Ruse
http://www.bdz-rila.com/index.php?m=1007&lang=2
http://www.bdz-rila.com/index.php?m=968&lang=2