Rail Passes: Overview of European Rail Passes for Summer 2023 (from €2 per Day)

As much as we love flying here at Travel-Dealz, it’s not always the best option. While it is the best way to get from one country to another, more often than not, it’s a rather clunky and expensive way for domestic travel – at least in Western Europe. In contrast, train travel (except when it’s crowded) often offers more comfort and allows you to relax or work throughout your journey.

Every summer, more and more rail companies offer rail passes. These allow you to travel in a country (or on a railway company) as much as you want – except for some conditions.

Austria: Monthly ÖBB Pass for Youth at €39 (U20) / €59 (U26) with a €19 Vorteilscard

Austria is another beautiful country offering an interesting rail pass for young people. If you have a €19 Vorteilscard (you can buy one online and it will be valid for a year), you can purchase a Sommerticket at €39 or €59 depending on your age. If you live in Austria or nearby, it may be worth it, especially if you use the Vorteilscard. That gives you 50% off standard tickets throughout the year and you often get seat reservation gifts. You can also schedule your trip to August and buy the Sommerticket next year (if it will be available) with the same Vorteilscard.

• Price:
  • Under 20: €39 per month + €19 Vorteilscard
  • Under 26: €59 per month + €19 Vorteilscard
• Sales Period: Until August 31, 2023
• Validity: 30 days or until September 10, 2023
• Other conditions:
  • On weekdays it’s only valid from 8:00 a.m. until 03:00 the next day
  • You’ll need a reservation to travel on Friday, Saturday and Sunday on long-distance trains
  • Not valid on night trains (except those that run as D trains, but the 3:00 limit still applies)
  • Valid on ÖBB and Raaberbahn (GySEV) trains and the Graz-Klagenfurt ÖBB IC buses, but not on private railways.

Belgium: 1 Month for €59 (€31 for U26)

Belgium is a compact country, but it’s still (or because of that) easy to travel through it by train. If you want to see more of the country than just Brussels, Antwerp and Liège, you should take a look at the monthly pass. This summer it only costs €59, with one significant restriction: it is only valid from 9 a.m. on weekdays.

• Price:
  • Adults in 2nd class: €59 per month
  • Adults in 1st class: €89 per month
  • Youth (U26): €31 per month or €19 per week
• Sales Period: Until August 31, 2023
• Validity: 31 days or until September 3, 2023
• Other conditions:
  • On weekdays, it’s only valid until 9:00 a.m.
  • You need to download and use the SNCB app.

Czech Republic: 7 – 14 Days ČD Rail Pass Starting at CZK 1,390 (~€55) (Starting at CZK 695 (~€28))

While trains in Czechia aren’t necessarily expensive, packing many cities into your itinerary may cost some money. That’s why České dráhy‘s rail pass may be interesting. However, it’s not valid on the country’s cool private operators such as RegioJet or LEOExpress. Therefore, we have to issue the same warning as to Finland: check whether this is the best option for you, especially when planning in advance. If you have an ISIC card, you can benefit from student fares. Czechia is the country for ISIC, giving you amazing deals throughout the country.

• Price:
  • 7 days, adult: CZK 1,390 (~€55)
  • 14 days, adult: CZK 1,990 (~€79)
  • 7 days, student: CZK 695 (~€28)
  • 14 days, student: CZK 995 (~€40)
• Sales Period: Until August 30, 2023
• Validity: 7-14 days until August 31, 2023
• Other conditions:
  • Valid for all ČD trains within the Czech Republic, but not valid for private railways.
  • You need a paid reservation for long-distance trains.

Denmark: 8 Days Local Transport & Trains at DKK 399 (~€54)

The Rejsepass is another recurring travel pass on this site. Valid for trains and buses in the entire country, it’s an interesting travel pass in a relatively expensive country.

• Price: DKK 399 (~€54) per eight days
• Sales Period: Until August 13, 2023
• Validity: 8 days between August 1 & 20, 2023
• Other conditions:
  • Valid on Arriva, BAT (Bornholm), DOT, DSB, FynBus, Letbanen, Metro, Midttrafik, Movia, NT and Sydtrafik transport.
  • You need to reserve a seat on long-haul trips.

Finland: 5 – 30 Days Free Trains for €119 – €349

If you are visiting Finland and for some reason want to explore any other place than the capital area, you’re in luck. The Finnish railway company, VR is once again offering holiday tickets. The prices include a seat reservation (subject to availability) in Eco class. The one-country Interrail Pass costs €127 for Finland allowing travel on 3 days within one month (and you can finish your night train ride the next day!), so it may be more suited for smaller trips.

• Price:
  • 5 days: €119 (€24 per day)
  • 7 days: €139 (€20 per day)
  • 9 days: €159 (€18 per day)
  • 14 days: €209 (€15 per day)
  • 30 days: €349 (€12 per day)
• Sales Period: Until August 8, 2023
• Validity: Until August 31, 2023
• Other conditions:
  • An Eco class seat is included if there is space on a train. When booking a train, you can select a seat in Ekstra Class or above the restaurant car. For night trains, you’d have to ask the conductor onboard.
  • You cannot use most commuter trains in the capital area (Y, X, U, L, E, A, P, I and K trains).

Slovakia: One Week at €29

In addition to offering free trains to the youth and seniors, Slovakia also offers €29 weekly passes to everyone regardless of nationality or age.

• Price: €29 per month
• Sales Period: Until August 31, 2023
• Validity: 7 days or until August 31, 2023
• Other conditions:
  • Only on ZSSK trains.

Sweden: 10, 20 or 30 Days SJ Rail Pass Starting at SEK 2,295 (~€197) (U26 at SEK 1,995 (~€171)) incl. Seats / Berths

Sweden joins its Nordic partners in offering its own rail pass – or Tågluffarkort. While it dominates the competitors with the free berth reservation and validity to Oslo and Copenhagen, it falls short of them by not allowing local traffic usage and private operators (=no trains north of Umeå).

• Price:
  • 10 days:
    • Adults: SEK 2,995 (~€256) (SEK 300 (~€26) per day)
    • Youth (U26) & Students: SEK 1,995 (~€171) (SEK 200 (~€17) per day)
    • Seniors (62+): SEK 2,295 (~€197) (SEK 230 (~€20) per day)
  • 20 days:
    • Adults: SEK 4,495 (~€385) (SEK 225 (~€19) per day)
    • Youth (U26) & Students: SEK 2,995 (~€256) (SEK 150 (~€13) per day)
    • Seniors (62+): SEK 3,595 (~€308) (SEK 180 (~€15) per day)
  • 30 days:
    • Adults: SEK 5,295 (~€453) (SEK 176 (~€15) per day)
    • Youth (U26) & Students: SEK 3,495 (~€299) (SEK 116 (~€10) per day)
    • Seniors (62+): SEK 4,295 (~€368) (SEK 143 (~€12) per day)
• Sales Period:
  • 10 days: Until August 11, 2023
  • 20 days: Until August 1, 2023
  • 30 days: Until July 22, 2023
• Validity: 10, 20 or 30 days
• Other conditions:
  • Only on SJ- and Tåg i Bergslagen-operated medium/long-distance trains in Sweden and to Copenhagen or Oslo.
  • You must reserve a free seat or shared berth on night trains before departure.
  • Contrary to the Interrail passes, your ticket must be valid for the arrival day of your sleeper train too.
  • You would need to pay the SEK 130 (~€11) access fee to travel to/from Arlanda Airport and even then you can only take a limited amount of trains. You can avoid it by buying a SEK 39 (~€3) local ticket and taking bus 583 to Märstä.

Switzerland: 1 Month of Buses, Trains & Boats at CHF 340 (~€347) (CHF 245 (~€250) for U25)

The Swiss network is often labelled as one of the world’s best or at least Europe’s best. However, one could also argue that you could change the word ‘best’ to ‘most expensive’. For that reason, it’s good to see Trial GA being offered again this year. Adults can use most of what Switzerland has to offer starting at CHF 340 (~€347) and those under 25 can travel even cheaper, starting at CHF 245 (~€250).

• Price:
  • Adults in 2nd class: CHF 340 (~€347)
  • Adults in 1st class: CHF 450 (~€460)
  • Youth (U25) in 2nd class: CHF 245 (~€250)
  • Youth (U25) in 1st class:CHF 325 (~€332)
• Sales Period: Until July 31, 2023
• Validity: One month, until August 30
• Other conditions:
  • Most buses, trams, trains, boats, cable cars are included. You can check the map or the deal site for more conditions.
  • You need to acquire it at a station.

Grisons (Graubünden) Canton at CHF 115 (~€117) (CHF 85 (~€87) for U26)

If the entirety of Switzerland is too much for you, you can limit your stay to Grisons Canton. The famous Landwasserviadukt on the Bernina Railway is located here.

• Price:
  • Adults in 2nd class: CHF 115 (~€117)
  • Adults in 1st class: CHF 165 (~€168)
  • Youth (U26) in 2nd class: CHF 85 (~€87)
• Sales Period: Until July 31, 2023
• Validity: One month, until August 31
• Other conditions:
  • You can get it from a ticket machine, no need for difficult procedures.

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Luxembourg: Free Transport Throughout the Country

While not a rail pass, Luxembourg has free transport throughout the country. This “deal” is not only limited to the summer. Since 2020, everyone in Luxembourg can use public transportation free of charge.

Cover Picture: Peer Linder