A rail pass is a pass that covers the cost of train travel in a certain designated area or areas within a certain period of time. [1] It is contrasted to a point-to-point ticket in that it allows the holder unlimited travel, within the pre-designated area and period, while a point-to-point ticket only permits the holder to travel from a point to another once. It is different from a season ticket in the sense that, while both of them grant unlimited travel to the holder, season tickets normally target commuting travellers, whereas rail passes usually target tourists. Based on this difference, terms of use are thus normally set differently.
The first rail pass was issued as the Eurail pass in March 1959. Owing to its success, many other passes have been issued by various railway companies all around the world since then.
Rail passes are issued according to different terms of use.
There are two ways of counting the valid period of a rail pass. A continuous pass counts the days or months continuously. For example, a 15-day pass is valid for 15 continuous calendar days starting from the day of validation and a one-month pass is valid for a calendar month (so if it is used in February, it is valid only for 28/29 days, contrasted to the 30-day valid period when using a 30-day pass). [2]
As continuous pass might not be useful to all travellers, as many of them do not travel every day, there exists also the flexipass, which allows the holder to only pay for the days they travel. [2] For instance, when a traveller buy a ten-day-in-one-month flexipass, the pass is valid for one month, and he can pick whichever ten days within the valid period to travel with the pass. This gives extra flexibility to the holders. Usually the holder would need to fill in the date he travels on the pass before boarding on the train.
Some countries offer a country pass to travellers such that they could take most of the trains in the country (e.g. BritRail Pass, Japan Rail Pass, Indrail Pass, Korea Rail Pass, etc.). But some countries offer cross-countries rail pass such that pass holders can travel on trains within the designated countries, even crossing the border (e.g. Eurail pass and Interrail). Some countries offer passes which are valid only within certain areas of the country (e.g. JR West Rail Pass, [3] JR Kyushu Rail Pass, [4] etc.).
Sometimes, if the train passes through areas where the pass is not valid, travellers would need to pay for that section of the route. For example, if one gets a pass that is valid in Spain and Italy, and would like to take a train from Spain to Italy passing through France, he may need to pay for the French section. [5]
Some countries offer concession pass to youth (e.g. age below 26) or elderly. And some other offer group passes, allowing two or more persons to travel together with a lower price (though some may require that all named persons must be travelling together). [5]
Concession pass might get more restrictions. For example, one can travel on the Tze-Chiang Limited Express, the fastest train operated by the Taiwan Railways Administration, with the normal TR Pass but not with the Student Pass. [6]
Some passes allow the traveller to travel with both first and second class, but some are restricted to travel in the second-class only, although some might be offered with the option to travel in first-class by paying a supplement.
There could be limitation on the types of trains that one can ride with the rail pass. For example, high-speed trains are excluded in some countries (e.g. TR Pass), and in some other, one can travel on them by paying supplement (e.g. France Rail Pass).
Passengers with a Japan Rail Pass can ride on the Shinkansen, the high-speed railway in Japan. However, they cannot take Nozomi and Mizuho trains, the fastest train services on the Tōkaidō, San'yō and Kyūshū Shinkansen lines.
In some countries, rail pass holders can travel on sleeper or couchette compartment freely, while some may need to pay some extra fee or are totally restricted from taking sleeper or couchette trains. [5]
Some pass allow the holders to make seat reservation on trains freely, while some require the holders to pay a supplement.
As tourists are the typical target group of rail passes, there may be bonus discounts in certain sightseeing spots, by showing a rail pass within the valid period. In order to enjoy the discount, some flexipasses require the holder to spend a travel day - fill-in that date on the pass - while others do not; some of the passes also cover the cost of travelling by certain buses, ferries or cable cars.
A rail pass is different from a season ticket: the former is generally marketed to tourists while the latter is usually marketed to commuters. The terms of use and purchase are set accordingly.
Very often, rail passes cannot be used by the local citizens and might not even be available for purchase within their area of use. Another difference is the term of the pass: while it is difficult to find rail pass valid for more than three months, it is common to find season ticket valid for a whole year.
Designed for commuting, some season tickets are valid for only one route, while a rail pass is usually valid for an entire area.
Rail passes on offer include:
A visa is a conditional authorization granted by a polity to a foreigner that allows them to enter, remain within, or leave its territory. Visas typically include limits on the duration of the foreigner's stay, areas within the country they may enter, the dates they may enter, the number of permitted visits, or if the individual can work in the country in question. Visas are associated with the request for permission to enter a territory and thus are, in most countries, distinct from actual formal permission for an alien to enter and remain in the country. In each instance, a visa is subject to entry permission by an immigration official at the time of actual entry and can be revoked at any time. Visa evidence most commonly takes the form of a sticker endorsed in the applicant's passport or other travel document but may also exist electronically. Some countries no longer issue physical visa evidence, instead recording details only in immigration databases.
The Oyster card is a payment method for public transport in London, England, United Kingdom. A standard Oyster card is a blue credit-card-sized stored-value contactless smart card. It is promoted by Transport for London (TfL) and can be used on travel modes across London including London Buses, London Underground, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), London Overground, Tramlink, some river boat services, and most National Rail services within the London fare zones. Since its introduction in June 2003, more than 86 million cards have been used.
The Travelcard is an inter-modal travel ticket for unlimited use on the London Underground, London Overground, Elizabeth line, Docklands Light Railway, London Trams, London Buses and National Rail services in the Greater London area. Travelcards can be purchased for a period of time varying from one day to a year, from Transport for London, National Rail and their agents. Depending on where it is purchased, and the length of validity, a Travelcard is either printed on a paper ticket with a magnetic stripe or encoded onto an Oyster card, Transport for London's contactless electronic smart card, or an ITSO smartcard issued by a National Rail train operating company. The cost of a Travelcard is determined by the area it covers and, for this purpose, London is divided into a number of fare zones. The Travelcard season ticket for unlimited travel on London Buses and the London Underground was launched on 22 May 1983 by London Transport. One Day Travelcards and validity on other transport modes were added from 1984 onwards. The introduction of the Travelcard caused an increase in patronage and reduced the number of tickets that needed to be purchased by passengers.
The Interrail Pass is a rail pass available to European citizens and residents. Citizens of other countries residing outside Europe may purchase the Eurail Pass instead. Types of Interrail Pass include the Interrail Global Pass and the Interrail One Country Pass.
The Eurail Pass, introduced in 1959 and formerly known as Europass or Eurorail Pass, is a rail pass which permits travel through 33 European countries on nearly all railroads and several shipping lines. The Eurail Group, based in Utrecht, is responsible for the marketing and management of the Eurail and Interrail passes. The company is owned by over 35 European railway and shipping companies. The Eurail Pass is available to non-European residents, and the Interrail Pass is available to European residents. The passes, which provide access to 250,000 kilometres (160,000 mi) of European railway, are used by over 33,000 travellers annually.
Railroad Pass can refer to:
City Night Line, abbreviated CNL, was a train category of German railway company Deutsche Bahn for overnight passenger train services between Germany and neighbouring European countries. In late 2015, Deutsche Bahn announced that it planned to terminate all night train services in December 2016, and this plan was implemented on 11 December 2016. The service on some CNL routes was replaced by ÖBB Nightjet services.
In addition to the large number and variety of short-term or localised promotional fares that have been available to passengers on the British railway network in recent decades, there are many permanent concessionary fare schemes available to passengers. Some of these take the form of Railcards, which can be purchased by people who qualify according to the conditions, and which give discounts for all journeys over a period; other concessions are available for individual journeys. In all cases, details of the type of concession will be printed on the passenger's travel ticket, to distinguish reduced-rate tickets from those sold at the standard full fare.
The National Routeing Guide is a document, the definitive resource on the validity of rail tickets for the purpose of rail travel in Great Britain. As stated by the Rail Regulator, "[it] sets out passengers' rights to use the network flexibly". It is a book produced by the Rail Delivery Group, which is carried by any rail ticket inspector and is also on hand for station staff.
The Japan Rail Pass, also called the JR Pass, is a rail pass sold by the Japan Railways Group exclusively for overseas visitors. It is valid for travel on all major forms of transportation provided by the JR Group in Japan, with a few exceptions. The pass is designed to stimulate travel and tourism throughout the country. It is cost effective only for long-distance travel, particularly by bullet train. It is of limited use within larger cities, as private operators generally do not accept it.
The Senior Railcard is an annual card available to people aged 60 and over, which gives discounts on certain types of railway ticket in Britain. The Railcard has existed in various forms since 1975; the current version is priced at £30.00 and is valid for one year, with a 3-year card available for £70. It is one of a wide variety of discounted and concessionary fare schemes available on Britain's railway network.
A penalty fare, standard fare, or fixed penalty notice is a special, usually higher, fare charged because a passenger using public transport did not comply with the normal ticket purchasing rules. It should not be confused with an unpaid fares notice.
A transit pass or travel card, often referred to as a bus pass or train pass etc., is a ticket that allows a passenger of the service to take either a certain number of pre-purchased trips or unlimited trips within a fixed period of time.
A train ticket is a transit pass ticket issued by a railwayoperator that enables the bearer to travel on the operator's network or a partner's network. Tickets can authorize the bearer to travel a set itinerary at a specific time, a set itinerary at any time, a set itinerary at multiple times, or an arbitrary itinerary at specific times. The last two categories are often called passes: the former is often sold as a discounted block of trips for commuters; the latter is often sold to vacationers, such as European Eurail passes.
BahnCard is a discount subscription programme offered by Deutsche Bahn (DB), the German national railway company. Unlike airline loyalty programs, but similarly to the UK Railcard, the BahnCard entitles the passenger to a discount price and must be purchased prior to travel. The BahnCard is offered in a non-business and a business version called BahnCard Business. Non-business BahnCard contracts are automatically renewed each year, unless they are cancelled with sufficient notice. Three variants of BahnCard are sold by Deutsche Bahn: The BahnCard 25, the BahnCard 50, and the BahnCard 100. The first two variants allow passengers to get 25% and 50% discount respectively on standard long-distance rail fares, while the Mobility BahnCard 100 is a type of annual ticket that allows free unlimited travel on most of the German railway network for a fixed price. The (non-business) BahnCard 25/50 are valid for one year and can only be purchased by subscription. If they are not canceled no later than six weeks before the expiry date, their term is automatically extended by another year. BahnCard Business 25/50 are also valid for one year but require no cancellation. Unlike the personal BahnCard, BahnCard Business can be combined with the discount that is granted to large-volume business customers.
The visa policy of Singapore deals with the requirements a traveller must meet to enter Singapore. A foreign national, depending on their country of origin, must meet certain requirements to obtain a visa, which is a permit to travel, to enter and remain in the country. A visa may also entitle the visa holder to other privileges, such as a right to work, study, etc. and may be subject to conditions.
GO Transit is the inter-regional transportation authority of the Golden Horseshoe, which includes the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. It is Canada's oldest regional transit system, first serving passengers in 1967.
The Korea Rail Pass, also commonly called the KR Pass, is a rail pass offered by Korail, the national railway operator of South Korea. The pass is offered exclusively to foreign visitors and is valid for most of the rail lines operated by Korail in the designated period, including KTX, the high-speed railway in South Korea. However, the pass is not valid for subways and tourist trains, even when they are also operated by Korail.
The TR Pass is a rail pass offered by Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA), granting holders of the pass unlimited rides on trains operated by TRA within the day count. The pass can be used by both local and foreign travelers, and different durations of validity are offered as choice. There are two versions of the pass, i.e. the General Pass and the Student Pass. While holders of the former could travel with all types of trains operated by TRA, holders of the latter have more limitations of choice, albeit with a benefit of lowered price. Taiwan High Speed Rail and other privately run rail lines are not covered by the pass, as they are not run by TRA.
Rail Europe, SAS is a company that specializes in providing train tickets and rail passes for travel in Europe.