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Using your pass in Serbia


Managed to use my pass on the train from Nis to Beograd- conductor scanned the pass no problem even with the journey manually added. 

Just tried to get the train from Beograd Centar to Novi Sad. Asked at the ticket office in Beograd, "can we use our pass on the 10am train and do we need seat reservations?". After several people in the ticket office we consulted, "we do not know. Ask on the train!". 

Went to the train doors and asked the lady there, she looked at our pass and the manually added train info and let us on. 10 mins later the ticket inspector comes and refuses to accept our pass and says we need a barcode. She cannot explain how or where we get one from. 

Anyone know what we should be doing or where we have gone wrong? 

Many thanks! 

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Best answer by Wesper 16 August 2022, 15:25

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Userlevel 7
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Also with manual adding a train you will get a QR-Code. You have to go to my pass and click on show ticket.

Did you add your manual added train to my pass?

Userlevel 7
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If you are from GB you likely have used pass before on other trips.

There have been a few isolated reports that this pride&joy newly renovated line with fine new trainsets Bgr->NS would not accept passes-there was an introductory offer with very low promotion fares. But I dk if this still is the case. THat a normal conductor who maybe hardly ever sees such a pass will not know how to handle all the ins+outs etc seems pretty evident to me-you would have got much the same answer in GB one whatever of the multitude of railways´companies´ there.

 

 

Yes, I showed the QR code. It was a barcode she wanted. Just trying to figure out if Serbia has effectively stopped accepting Interrail. 

Userlevel 7
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No they have not, if they do not accept the QR-Code they have to accept the text below the Code on the app, it is the same that they see when scanning the QR-Code works. 

 

But to get some official Information I will tag some Eurail staff, maybe they can investigate. 

@Claudi. @Camilo @Nanja 

I asked on the return journey at Novi Sad station. I got a very emphatic replied shouted at me from the man in the ticket office: "No interrail! No interrail. Pay ticket!."

He was very clear that interrail was not usable on this route. 

How did you add the ticket from Nis? I'm trying to do that and the station does not even show on the planner.

How did you add the ticket from Nis? I'm trying to do that and the station does not even show on the planner.

You have to add it manually. Go to the planner on the rail app. Do a search for 2 known stations (doesn't matter what 2 stations- so "Beograd" to "Paris" for example). This will come up with no results. Below the message that says "sorry we can't find trains that match your search" there is a link to "add journey manually". Click that link then type in the name of your departure station and arrival station along with the times of the train and save it to your trip. 

This is on the Android version of the app but my other half has the Apple version and the process was very similar. 

No they have not, if they do not accept the QR-Code they have to accept the text below the Code on the app, it is the same that they see when scanning the QR-Code works. 

 

But to get some official Information I will tag some Eurail staff, maybe they can investigate. 

@Claudi. @Camilo @Nanja 

On the day I emailed Serbian Railways and have received the following response:

"We must to inform you that Interrail pass is not valid in IC and Regio express SOKO train, but it is valid in Regio train. If you want to travel by Soko train you have to pay promo price 400 RSD (this promo price valid until the end of the August), but you must to buy on ticket office at Novi Sad station, not in the train."

 

 

Got it, thanks a lot for the help!

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

On the day I emailed Serbian Railways and have received the following response:

"We must to inform you that Interrail pass is not valid in IC and Regio express SOKO train, but it is valid in Regio train. If you want to travel by Soko train you have to pay promo price 400 RSD (this promo price valid until the end of the August), but you must to buy on ticket office at Novi Sad station, not in the train."

@Claudi. @Camilo @Nanja 

Could you please get some official information from Serbian railways in which trains they have now stopped accepting Interrail, for which period this is and add this to the information pages about Serbia?

(And maybe ask them to send their timetables to MERITS again.)

Userlevel 7
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@Nanja 

I now see that the rail network guide for Serbia in the app has been updated: for the "Soko” trains Beograde - Novi Sad it is now mentioned there that passes are not valid.

However:

  1. This information seems to have been added in the English version only. E.g. in the German UI this is is not mentioned.
  2. On the website nothing has been added.

Could you please make sure that information like this is synchronised?

Userlevel 7
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Thanks for flagging - there was indeed some inconsistency. It has been adjusted to show the same information. 

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