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How to travel with mobile pass in Romania?


Travelling in Romania with a mobile pass seems extemely challenging. Is this known by Interrail? Did I miss any warnings by Interrail?

Is it even possible?

We are travelling with 3 kids, and tomorrow we want to use a day. 3 trains that do not need reservation according to interrail. Fingers crossed...

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Best answer by Claudi. 8 August 2022, 09:33

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Userlevel 7
Badge +3

What challenges have you encountered?

They do not accept the pass. They wanted  to let us  buy an expensive ticket in the train.

And reservations cannot be made at local stations, they only sell complete tickets. We already lost a day because  of that.

Userlevel 7
Badge +5

Pass ONLY valid on CFR=the old state railway. RO has scores of other competing railways which do NOT take passes=quite other thing as in most other countries. Sadly these others also have the more modern and less vandalised trains. In fact about ALL CFR trains have mandatory RES.

Doing an only RES at a station-@ CFR-is a decennia old thing that they should be very much used to-it cost a few RON-this depends on the distance, I think.

But it has indeed been reported here more as once that the new style mobile pass seems a complete mystery-or thing to distrust, by quite some railway staff there. Some exchange on info is certainly a desirable thing.

OTOH tickets there are so cheap that a pass with passdays likely sets you back more as buying locally. There also is a kind of refund possible if indeed you were forced to pay for normal ticket as they would not accept the pass-IF that pass was indeed all set for that day/train/trip etc

Thanks for your reply 

Pass ONLY valid on CFR=the old state railway. RO has scores of other competing railways which do NOT take passes=quite other thing as in most other countries. Sadly these others also have the more modern and less vandalised trains. In fact about ALL CFR trains have mandatory RES.

Yes, that we figured out yet. Interrail does not show the other railways.

Doing an only RES at a station-@ CFR-is a decennia old thing that they should be very much used to-it cost a few RON-this depends on the distance, I think.

That's one thing, only reservation was not possible. Probably, because the ticket selling personal is also not used to mobile passes.

But it has indeed been reported here more as once that the new style mobile pass seems a complete mystery-or thing to distrust, by quite some railway staff there. Some exchange on info is certainly a desirable thing.

Absolutely!

OTOH tickets there are so cheap that a pass with passdays likely sets you back more as buying locally. There also is a kind of refund possible if indeed you were forced to pay for normal ticket as they would not accept the pass-IF that pass was indeed all set for that day/train/trip etc

Since we have to pay 4 adult tickets and 1 child ticket (still 50%), on longer distance Interrail is cheaper. (Interrail we have 2 kids for free and 1 reduced price).

But we will see what will happen tomorrow. Interrail is also supposed to be an adventure in the end. 😁

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

You need to save all tickets that you have to buy where Interrail should be valid and get them refunded by Interrail. Once you are back home you should contact Customer Support through the form below and ask for a refund of all expenses related to incompetence from railway staff.

 

https://eurail.zendesk.com/hc/en-001/requests/new

You need to save all tickets that you have to buy where Interrail should be valid and get them refunded by Interrail. Once you are back home you should contact Customer Support through the form below and ask for a refund of all expenses related to incompetence from railway staff.

 

https://eurail.zendesk.com/hc/en-001/requests/new

Thank you

Update: It went flawless today.  So good to know it is possible. 😊

Userlevel 4
Badge +2

It has happened before that conductors were either unaware of the Interrail pass, or that their equipment was unable to scan it and the traveler subsequently received a fine. You can read more about which trains are included in our pass network over here and you can read about traveling in Romania by train on our website too. It might be useful to add that Romania does not share their timetable data with us, so please remember to add journeys manually and you can find timetable data on the national carrier's website

 

Please do get in touch with us with receipts of all full fare tickets and/or fines that you might have incurred and include the journey details of the trains where you were fined. This will allow us to follow up with the carrier and to reimburse you. Thanks for flagging this! :) 

It has happened before that conductors were either unaware of the Interrail pass,

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us to follow up with the carrier and to reimburse you. Thanks for flagging this! :) 

Thanks!

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

It might be useful to add that Romania does not share their timetable data with us,

Except that they do. CFR does in any case.

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