Balkans Flexipass

[YellowBrick]

I'm interested in the Balkans Flexipass. https://www.bdz.bg/en/a/balkan-flexipass

Specifically, I'd like to know where to buy it given I'm currently far outside the Balkans (Austria) and I'm considering using it to take the ferry from Italy to Patras (Greece) - https://www.superfast.com/en-gb/special-offers/sail-rail - I guess I can't buy it at the ferry terminal in Italy.

Also, I'm seeing two sets of prices:
https://p.bdz.bg/www/b/a/balkan-flexipass-2021-2022-2721.pdf - one for "Prices for countries not participating in the offer Balkan Flexipass" (left set) the other for "Prices for countries not participating in the offer Balkan Flexipass" (right). What's the trigger for which set of prices?

Does anyone know anything about it? I'm finding it hard to find out anything reliable and current online. Thanks

 

[railfan99]

In 2012, I purchased one at Sirkecki station in Istanbul.

 

[dutchflyer]

The 2-tier prices then are new. But then I have not seen any review on it since some 3 yrs-not even from the germans always seeking out the best bargains for their endless overnight in sleeper trips.
Basic knowledge from the days of yore: on old-style certified paper used -once, long ago, for all mutually accepted INTernat. ticketing CIV-type, these can/could hence be issued anywhere they had them-basically even in hand-written form.
Now it seems there are higher prices for issues OUT of the countries doing in this scheme. That could, in theory, still be some agencies in GB (FFestiniogg?-you probably know better as me about any others). As such that is also not really new. But it MAY also mean: Lower price for citizens holding a ID from those countries and higher price for those not having that-my knowledge of BG is not that big and dr. google cannot translate these PDF to me.
NOTE that in RO this pass is NOT valid anymore on CFR-only a few disassembled local lines by some other companies.
Even though prices look pretty low-in fact only BG/BDZ, TR/TCDD and GR/Hellenic are worthwhile-the few in former Yugoslavija are so small and not interconnected, that its next to worthless there. Prices in TR with rampant inflation -on the very few lines with a halfway decent service-are so low that this pass tend to cost even a little more/day. Plus I would assume that railways will claim to be ´full already´ for their higher priced premium trains (Ath-Thessaloniki on Hellenic, formerly OSE) when you hit their counters with this pass. But you may be lucky and/or I am too pessimistic.
For your trip-just pay (ouch?!) to reach Athinai, try there-this is assuming they still offer some counter able to INTERNAT. ticketing-as since some yrs there are no such trains at all to/from GR. If not-bad luck. But as you seem to also reach Adria-coast on rails: check what a longer term InterRail would cost-the diff. between say 10 or 15 days tend to be small-lower as f.e. a 5-day BFP. And you may even gain a tiny discount on some ferries.
Reviews from longer as 3 yrs ago are probably all without any value now.

 

[YellowBrick]

Well, I asked about the Balkans Flexipass in both Thessaloniki (at the international desk) and Athens main stations.

In Thess they didn't seem to know what it was. In Athens after being given the runaround between kiosks, it seems that they've not sold them since 2020 (so sayeth the guy who does interrail passes there).

Shame I forgot to ask when I was in Sofia.

Anyone know of any travel agencies in Athens that may sell it?

 

[30907]

Well, I asked about the Balkans Flexipass in both Thessaloniki (at the international desk) and Athens main stations.

In Thess they didn't seem to know what it was. In Athens after being given the runaround between kiosks, it seems that they've not sold them since 2020 (so sayeth the guy who does interrail passes there).

Shame I forgot to ask when I was in Sofia.

Anyone know of any travel agencies in Athens that may sell it?

https://www.seat61.com/how-to-use-a-eurail-pass.htm#other-railpasses
Surprise, surprise, he knows about it and has a link - but it doesn't throw up a result. Shame.