The Slovak rail operator ZSSK is extending its SLOVAK summer offer until 31 August, allowing unlimited travel for seven days on the company’s trains throughout Slovakia for EUR 35. There are also cheaper options available for young people and holders of discount cards.
Travellers wishing to discover Slovakia by train have two weeks left to use the SLOVAK summer tickets offered by Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko (ZSSK), the national passenger rail operator.
The most affordable option for the general public is the SLOVAK TÝŽDEŇ (weekly ticket), which costs EUR 35 and allows unlimited travel for seven days on ZSSK trains throughout the country.
The ticket can be purchased until 31 August via the IDeme vlakom app, the company’s online shop or at ZSSK ticket offices.
Three options, ranging from EUR 19 to 35
The offer includes three types of seven-day passes.
SLOVAK TÝŽDEŇ costs EUR 35 and can be purchased without the need for a special rail card.
For KLASIK cardholders aged 26 or over, there is the SLOVAK KLASIK (annual discount card) option, priced at EUR 29 .
Young people up to the age of 26 who hold a JUNIOR card can use the SLOVAK JUNIOR, which costs just EUR 19 for the whole week.
Seat reservations, tickets for railcars or couchette carriages, and the supplement for first-class travel are paid for separately.
According to ZSSK, the EUR 35 option is by far the most popular and accounts for approximately two-thirds of all SLOVAK tickets sold this summer.
It can be cheaper even for a single return journey
The Slovak operator points out that the ticket can be good value even before the passenger takes advantage of the seven days of unlimited travel.
For example, for a Bratislava–Košice return journey, the EUR 35 SLOVAK TÝŽDEŇ pass costs less than buying two separate tickets for the two legs of the journey.
For the remainder of the validity period, the traveller can continue to use ZSSK trains without having to pay for any further basic tickets.
The company is promoting this offer for spontaneous trips to the Tatra Mountains, Zemplínska Šírava, Banská Štiavnica or the Orava region, as well as for journeys to festivals and other summer events.
Over 400,000 journeys with discount cards
The summer months are traditionally one of the busiest periods for rail travel in Slovakia.
Last year, passengers holding KLASIK cards made over 341,000 journeys, whilst those with JUNIOR cards made over 71,000 journeys on the ZSSK network.
The operator is also seeking to turn the summer offer into a tool for encouraging passengers to use the train regularly.
Once the SLOVAK campaign has ended, passengers can continue to use the two annual discount cards.
Discounts of around 25 per cent for those who continue to travel
The JUNIOR card, intended for those aged up to 26, costs EUR 15 per year, whilst the KLASIK card, for passengers aged 26 and over, costs EUR 39 per year.
Both offer discounts of approximately 25 per cent off the standard fare, in both second and first class.
The discount can also be used on higher-class trains, such as SC, EC, Railjet and Railjet Xpress, for an additional charge of EUR 1 .
Cardholders also benefit from reduced fares on the Tatra tourist railways, including the Tatranská elektrická železnica and the rack railway.
The SLOVAK offer remains valid until the end of August, meaning a traveller can travel across virtually the whole country for a week for EUR 35, without having to buy a separate ticket for each journey.
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