Romania

Romania can be travelled quite well with FIP overall. On the main routes, the Romanian state railway CFR Călători operates most services, and both FIP Coupons and FIP 50 Tickets are accepted. It should be noted that on some routes, other operators also run parallel services that cannot be used with FIP.

Reservations are mandatory on most routes, but they are comparatively cheap. For FIP 50 Tickets and reservations, the ticket office is often the only place where these can be purchased. For international connections, the required tickets are only available at special international ticket counters at major stations.

Identify Train Operators and Search Connections

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CFR Călători Website

The national CFR Călători website displays national CFR Călători connections.

To Website

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CFR Călători International Website

The CFR Călători international ticket booking website displays international connections of CFR Călători and their partner railways in other countries.

To Website

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DB Website

You can search for trains using the journey planner. In the More Information section for each train, the operator is specified. For cross-border connections, multiple operators are often involved.

(The operator information is correct in almost all cases. Outside Germany, operator details may be incorrect if train numbers are used more than once.)

To Website

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vagonWeb

On the vagonWeb website, you can search for individual train numbers. However, it is not possible to search for connections. If several trains with the same train number exist, you must select the correct route of the train. Afterwards, the Carrier is displayed. For cross-border connections, multiple operators are shown.

To Website

The rail network in Romania is around 10,000 kilometres long and connects the most important cities. One of the most important routes is the west-east connection coming from Hungary all the way to Constanța on the Black Sea. The country’s largest station is București Nord in the capital Bucharest. From there, connections exist in all directions, including international services to Hungary, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine.

The largely ageing Romanian network is currently being upgraded in parts for higher speeds and future needs. The fastest line so far is between Bucharest and Constanța, where speeds of 160 km/h are possible. There are often no real regular-interval services, but at least on the main lines there are several connections spread throughout the day.

Particularly scenic are the routes along the Carpathians, for example between Ploiești and Brașov. The station of Sinaia on this line is also a popular filming location. For instance, a scene for the US series Wednesday was filmed there.

Bulgaria

There are a few daily trains between Romania and Bulgaria. Especially in the summer season, these trains are relevant, as there is then a daily through train pair between the two capitals Bucharest and Sofia, with through coaches to the Black Sea at Varna and even overnight to Istanbul, Turkey. Outside the season, this train pair only runs between Bucharest and Ruse, the first stop in Bulgaria, where a change is required.

To use these cross-border trains with FIP, you need either FIP Coupons for both countries or a continuous FIP 50 Ticket. In addition, a reservation is mandatory for the entire journey. Outside the summer season, a reservation for the Bulgarian section from Ruse is sufficient. For the night train, a berth in a couchette or sleeper car can also be reserved for an additional fee.

Another daily connection between the two countries exists via the Vidin border crossing. A daily train runs from Vidin in Bulgaria to Craiova in Romania. For this route, FIP Coupons for both countries or a continuous FIP 50 Ticket are sufficient.

Moldova

A night train runs once daily between the Moldovan capital Chișinău and Bucharest. Within Romania, it is operated by CFR, but in Moldova by CFM. Since the latter is not a FIP member, FIP tickets are only valid within Romania. A regular-price ticket must therefore be purchased for the Moldovan section. However, it may also be more practical to buy a through night train ticket for the entire route online.

Serbia

Currently, there are no passenger trains between Serbia and Romania.

Ukraine

In the past, direct trains across the Ukrainian-Romanian border have been offered from time to time, but these are currently suspended. Instead, a direct train currently runs between Kyiv and Bucharest via Moldova. FIP tickets can only be purchased for the Romanian section. However, it may also be more practical to buy a through night train ticket for the entire route online.

Hungary

Most international connections to Romania come from Hungary. These include both daytime trains and night train services such as the famous Dacia, which runs from Vienna in Austria via Budapest to Bucharest. The connections can be used with FIP for the entire route. For this, either a continuous FIP 50 Ticket or FIP Coupons from CFR and MÁV are required (if travelling from Austria, a ticket for the ÖBB section is also needed).