FAQ

FIP stands for Groupement pour les facilités de circulation internationales du personnel des chemins de fer. It is the association for international railway staff travel discounts. Railway and shipping companies of the UIC (International Union of Railways) are affiliated with it.

The proof of entitlement is the International Discount Card for Railway Staff, in short FIP Card or FIP-Card.

Generally, active and retired employees of FIP members are entitled. Family members can also be entitled under certain conditions. After twelve months of employment, employees can apply for the FIP Card. Please contact your HR department for application and use.

Depending on the agreement between FIP members, family members (children, partners) can also use FIP discounts. This is always mentioned on the respective operator pages. Discounts for children are also listed there.

The FIP Card is the proof of entitlement for discounted travel with FIP members abroad. It enables free or discounted travel with participating railway and shipping companies.

Contact your HR department. Note that you generally only have a right to international travel discounts after twelve months of employment.

With the FIP Card, you are entitled to use the transport services of the respective FIP member at discounted rates. Different rules apply depending on the operator. You can find details on the operator pages.

There are various types of discounts:

1. Discounted tickets: With the FIP Card, you receive heavily discounted tickets (usually 50% off the flexible price or global fare). There are no quantity restrictions or application deadlines.
2. Free travel with FIP Coupons: With many FIP members, you can travel for free with an FIP Coupon. Per operator, one coupon with one to four fields can be ordered once per calendar year.

The purchase method differs depending on the operator, for example online, by phone, or at a travel center. You can find a detailed overview sorted by FIP member here.

The issuance of FIP Coupons depends on your employer. Typically, in one calendar year you can apply for one FIP Coupon with one to four fields per FIP member. More detailed information can be found on the FIP Application.

As a rule, a processing deadline applies when applying.

The application for FIP Coupons is usually made through your railway company’s personnel service or travel center. Some companies also offer online portals.

The number of fields varies depending on the operator, the issuer of your FIP Card, and your employee status. More information can be found in the FIP Application.

A field entitles you to unlimited journeys on the network of the respective railway or shipping company during the validity period on the date entered and the following day.

An FIP Coupon is valid for three months from the date of issue. The fields contained within it can be used during this period.

A field’s validity begins on the date entered by the user and ends the following day at midnight (24:00). Thus, each field is valid for a period of two days. With the maximum of four fields, you can travel for eight days.

Over 30 European railway companies and some shipping companies participate in the FIP system. A list of which companies are involved can be found in the FIP Guide in the list of operators. For information about your travel destination, see our country page.

Yes. With some companies, no FIP Coupons can be used, while with others they apply only to certain train categories.

Details on FIP member rules can be found on the operator pages.

A reservation is required for many trains, mostly high-speed and night trains. You can find an overview on the respective operator page.

It can happen that you miss your connecting train.

If you have a flexible ticket and the next train does not require a reservation or additional fee, you can simply take the next train, provided it is also covered by FIP. Check the corresponding operator page for this. On some operator pages we have also provided further information about missed connections and the respective regulations.

If the connecting ticket is bound to a specific train and you do not have a through ticket, there are two options for continuing your journey:

• HOTNAT (More information)
• AJC (More information)

HOTNAT and AJC are regulations for continuing your journey with a train and do not provide for reimbursement of hotel or taxi costs.

In addition to the options mentioned above, you also have statutory passenger rights, provided it is a joint transport agreement (e.g., a through FIP reduced ticket or a transfer within the scope of a FIP Coupon).

If you miss a connection between two high-speed trains due to a delay or cancellation, you can switch to the next available train of the same operator or another Railteam member. This agreement is called HOTNAT (Hop on the next available train).

To use HOTNAT, you must rebook to the next train at the service counter on site. HOTNAT only applies to transfers between high-speed trains of Railteam members (DB, Eurostar, NS, SBB, SNCB, SNCF, ÖBB) at the stations in Paris, Brussels, Cologne, Munich, Basel, and Zurich. The use of this service is subject to train capacity availability.

The Agreement on Journey Continuation (AJC) allows international rail passengers to continue their journey on the next available train if they miss their connecting train. This is provided at no extra cost. It is important that sufficient transfer time was allowed for in the original booking.

To make use of this service, please contact the ticket counter at the station where you intended to board the international train you missed. AJC applies to the following participating operators: BLS, CD, CFL, DB, DSB, Eurostar, GySEV, HZPP, MAV-Start, NS, ÖBB, PKP, Renfe, SJ, SBB, SNCB-NMBS, SNCF, SZ, FS, and ZSSK.