FYR Macedonia (MZ)

Country info: FYR Macedonia (Македонија)

Rail companies: MZ (Македонски Железници)

Macedonian Rail Network Map (detailed) or Macedonian Rail Network Map (general) 

Currency: 1 euro = app. 62 Macedonian denar (MKD)

Train travel in Macedonia: train types, tickets, fares, discounts & other info

 

National Train Service:

Train types in Macedonia: Regio (pегионален), InterRegio (интер регионален), InterRegio Express (интер регионален експрес) & International (мегународен) trains

• Regio (marked as 'R' on MZ website): local short distance service, mainly to/from Skopje, no seat reservation required. MZ Regio trains have 4 digit number starting with 2***
• InterRegio (marked as 'iR' on MZ website): interregional service connecting major Macedonian stations with Skopje, no seat reservation required. MZ InterRegio trains have 3 digit number starting with 6**
  
• InterRegio Express (marked as 'iRx' on MZ website): express train service, currently only from Skopje to Bitola & back (trains # 540/541), seat reservation compulsory. MZ InterRegio Express trains have 3 digit number starting with 5**
  
• International (marked as 'B', 'ICB' & 'D' on MZ website): international trains connecting Macedonia with Serbia, Kosovo (Pristina) & Greece (Thessaloniki), seat reservation not required. International trains in Macedonia have with 3 digit number

At the moment Macedonian Railways (MZ) operates only 4 regular international trains:

• Skopje to Belgrade vis Nis (# 336/337, InterCity), runs daily 8:20-18:08
• (Thessaloniki) Skopje to Belgrade via Nis (# 334/335, Fast), runs daily 22:19-7:42
• (Belgrade) Skopje to Thessaloniki (# 334/335, Fast), runs daily 4:45-10:07
• Skopje to Pristina via Urosevac/Ferizaj (# 891/892, Fast), runs daily 16:10-19:20 (NB: train change at the border, while ticket for the train can be bought only on board from conductors)

Macedonian Railways (MZ) train tickets validity period (domestic journeys): one-way tickets valid for one day (journeys <100 km) or for two days (journeys >101 km), return tickets are valid for 1 day (journeys <50 km), for 2 days (journeys >51 & <100 km) and 30 days (journeys >101 km)

Discounts & ways to save money for passengers traveling by train in FYR Macedonia (MZ):

1. Macedonian Railways (MZ) offer 20% discount for buying return tickets (e.g. Skopje to Bitola one way 314 MDK & return 502 MKD, Skopje to Veles 113 & 180 MKD, Skopje to Kumanovo 87 & 140 MKD, etc.)
2. For passengers planning to visit couple destinations can purchase one through ticket (instead of more expensive combination of two separate ones). The trick is really simple and totally legit - Macedonian Railways allow one stopover during validity period of the ticket (or two stopovers - on the way there & back - with return ticket), so passenger can actually purchase one through ticket from destination A to destination C via B, but in de-facto make two separate journeys (first A to B and then B to C) on different trains and even days
3. Passengers holding ISIC or EURO 26 cards receive 30% discount on all the domestic tickets

 

International Train Service:

       a) Regular discounts

• 30% discount for SCIC-NRT tickets on Macedonia-Croatia relation
• 30% discount for SCIC-NRT tickets on Macedonia-Slovenia relation (+ additional 20% off for return tickets)

 SET tariff (valid for rail journeys between the members of South-East Europe Railways Group (SERG), which are the railway companies of Albania, Bulgaria, FYR of Macedonia, Greece, Romania, Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro & Republika Srpska (ZRS)

Passengers can also take advantage of special Multilateral Agreement between a number of Central European railway companies. It allows to get 30% (or 40% for youth<26 years old and 50% for groups more than 6 passengers) discount from regular SCIC-NRT(TCV) tariff fare on any return ticket purchased for connections between countries participants of the tariff Agreement (Czech Republic (CD), Hungary (MAV), Romania (CFR), Poland (PKP), Slovakia (ZSSK), Bulgaria (BDZ), Serbia (ZS) and FYR Macedonia (MZ)

Though at the same time potential passengers need to be careful and also consider possible bilateral agreements between Macedonian Railways (MZ) & rail companies in other countries (those might be cheaper at the end). In case of Macedonia it's cheaper to purchase tickets to Serbia, Bulgaria & Romania with a help of other discount (SET tariff) and bilateral agreement for tickets to Hungary

b) Special offers (Sparchiene)

'Serbia Special': return ticket (2^nd class only) from Skopje to Belgrade (32,60 euro) or from Skopje to Niš (15,70 euro)

Skopje to Thessaloniki: 12,20 euro (one-way ticket) or 19,50 euro (return ticket)

c) CityStars

No info available

One of the major deals for domestic and international train travels in the region is Balkan Flexi Pass (special pass offer for journeys in the area of south-east Europe). Balkan Flexi Pass (validity period of one month) allows unlimited number of rail journeys during of 5, 7, 10 or 15 days on rail networks of Bulgaria, FYR of Macedonia, Greece, Romania, Turkey, Serbia & Montenegro

Balkan Flexi Pass prices (2^nd class):

 

How to Buy Train Tickets in Macedonia:

Macedonian Railways (MZ) currently does not offer option of purchasing national (domestic) or international tickets online via MZ website, thus potential passengers will have to visit MZ ticket counter

 

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