FIP fares

[158801]

Is there a way to obtain the FIP fares (especially for French domestic and France to Switzerland / Italy) without going through the staff travel section at D/Bahn ?

Is there a website that can give this information ?

 

[83G/84D]

Rail Canterbury can book FIP fare tickets but will add a small charge.

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

Ditto for Ffestiniog Railway, but note that they charge a transaction fee. In principle, so do DB but it's paid by Rail Staff Travel on your behalf so this is the really the best option.

 

[158801]

Thanks for the replies.

I know DB can book them - I was just looking for a source for prices (online) without having to pester people

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

Yep, no easy way to do that. Mostly you can just take the public fare for the most flexible ticket from each railway's website and divide by 2 (or 4 for France etc. etc.) and you are more or less there. ATOC produce a guide to FIP travel on globally priced trains on their website, which is useful, although doesn't have all options/possibilities on it.

 

[gordonthemoron]

is it not possible to buy FIP tickets in person at a ticket office in the country concerned?

 

[30907]

Yep, no easy way to do that. Mostly you can just take the public fare for the most flexible ticket from each railway's website and divide by 2 (or 4 for France etc. etc.) and you are more or less there. ATOC produce a guide to FIP travel on globally priced trains on their website, which is useful, although doesn't have all options/possibilities on it.

This Czech site will give you international fares if they are calculated in the traditional way (for FIP, click on the reductions box at the bottom)
http://jizdenka.idos.cz/IT.aspx?Lang=69

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

On the continent, you can indeed book FIP fares through ticket offices including 'remote issues', eg. Cologne-Brussels on Thalys booked in Austria. Most staff know what to do and saying please nicely always help for more complex (eg. Eurostar, Thalys). NB. that DB no longer sells any kind of Thalys fare from its stations as they have kind of fallen out commercially with them.:cry:

 

[gordonthemoron]

don't DB part own Thalys?

 

[30907]

don't DB part own Thalys?

Not any more, sold out a couple of years back IIRC

 

[mikestone1952]

The DB website says
http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/home/help/railstaff.shtml
they have limited availability for journeys other than Belgium-Netherlands and vv. There is in fact a very reasonable Thalys FIP fare, but the SNCB travel centre in Brussels told me today that you need to book at least a fortnight in advance.
;
Quite how you can do that from England I don't know - I am asking RST.

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

DB's booking centre for RSTL still offer FIP fares on Thalys and the Rail Europe shop opp. the Hauptbahnhof at Cologne can as well. But both SNCB/NMBS and NS don't seem to have any availability within a week or two of travel.

 

[Alfie1014]

DB's booking centre for RSTL still offer FIP fares on Thalys and the Rail Europe shop opp. the Hauptbahnhof at Cologne can as well. But both SNCB/NMBS and NS don't seem to have any availability within a week or two of travel.

No they don't I tried to book a few weeks back for travel this week and they said they no longer offer THALYS fares. Had to book with a third party (Rail Canterbury) who sorted us out.