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North Macedonia Interrail Pass
Eurail is now Interrail
Eurail and Interrail were two versions of the same pass, and which one you could buy depended on where you lived. That split has gone. There is now one name, Interrail, and it is available wherever you live. Your pass, bookings and account stay the same.
Overview
The Interrail North Macedonia Pass (formerly the Eurail North Macedonia Pass) gives you unlimited travel on the national rail network on the days you choose, at a fixed price. You can take as many trains as you like, and there is no limit on the distance you can travel within a travel day.
Every passenger train in North Macedonia starts or ends in Skopje, so the capital is both your base and worth a couple of days on its own. The Old Bazaar on the north bank of the Vardar is one of the largest Ottoman era market quarters left in the Balkans, and a cable car takes you up Mount Vodno to the Millennium Cross for the view back over the city.
From Skopje, the line southwest runs through Veles and Prilep to Bitola, where the Roman mosaics at Heraclea Lyncestis are a short walk from the centre. The line south follows the Vardar valley to Gevgelija on the Greek border. Between them they cover most of what a first visit would want to see.
Two things worth knowing before you book. Trains are infrequent, often a couple a day in each direction, so this is a pass for a slower trip planned around the timetable rather than a hop on, hop off tour. And Ohrid has no railway station, so if the lake is the reason you are going, Bitola is as close as the train gets.
You do not currently need a seat reservation for any train in North Macedonia, so your pass is all you need to board. This can change, so check your journey before you travel.
Your pass is a mobile pass, added to the Rail Planner app, so there is nothing to print or collect.
The Interrail North Macedonia Pass covers travel inside North Macedonia only. It is not valid for journeys into or out of the country, so if you are arriving or leaving by train you will need a separate ticket, or the Interrail Global Pass.
What is included?
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How does it work?
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1. Pick the right rail pass | 2. Reserve your seats | 3. Activate and travel |
Rail passes can be booked for travel in one specific country or you can choose one of a few pre-selected country/region combinations. Extensive travel plans? Try the Interrail Global Pass, offering train travel in 33 different countries. Once you've selected your pass, its price will depend on the class of service selected, passenger type, and the number of rail travel days. | Trains in North Macedonia do not currently require a seat reservation, so you can board with your pass and take any open seat. That is unusual, and it can change, so it is always worth checking your journey before you travel. Reservation rules are also different on the Interrail Global Pass, where many high-speed and overnight services do need one. | Your paper-free rail pass needs to be activated in the Rail Planner app before your first train journey or first use of a pass benefit. You have up to 11 months from buying your pass to activate it, and once a pass is activated it cannot be refunded. Don't forget to download the app before you travel, in case you do not have good internet access when you arrive. |
Comparison
Rail Passes vs. Train Tickets
Rail Passes | Train Tickets | |
|---|---|---|
Best for discovering more than 3 cities | ✔ | ❌ |
Children usually travel free | ✔ | ❌ |
Often includes travel bonuses | ✔ | ❌ |
Seat reservations included for most trains | ❌ | ✔ |
FAQs
Eurail and Interrail were two versions of the same pass, and which one you could buy depended on where you lived. That split has gone. Since 10 September 2026 there is one name, Interrail, so the Eurail North Macedonia Pass is now the Interrail North Macedonia Pass. The pass works like it did before, and you can buy it wherever you live outside North Macedonia. One Country Passes are not sold to residents of the country the pass covers, and we will tell you at checkout if a pass is not available where you live.
If you bought a Eurail North Macedonia Pass before 10 September 2026, it stays valid for its full period and nothing you have booked needs changing.
No. The Interrail North Macedonia Pass covers travel within North Macedonia only. For a journey that crosses the border you will need a separate ticket, or the Interrail Global Pass, which covers 33 countries. International services to Belgrade and Thessaloniki are also suspended at the time of writing while work continues on the line, so check what is running before you plan a route in or out by rail.
A rail pass is a travel document that entitles you to travel on European trains in a specific geographic area (country/countries), for a specific number of days.
Be mindful that having a rail pass doesn’t necessarily mean that you can hop on any train at will, within the geographical area covered by your rail pass. Depending on the country, the type of train and the route, you may need to purchase seat reservations at an additional cost.
Lastly, rail passes are packed with additional benefits, also known as rail pass bonuses which can range from discounted shopping in retail stores, to preferential rates on other modes of transportation like ferry or bus, to rebates on hotel nights, reduced admission at museums attractions, and more
A rail pass and a train ticket are two completely different types of travel documents.
A train ticket is valid for a single journey between two cities. Many tickets also include a reservation, which mean that they are valid only for a specific train, on a specific date and at a given time. To learn more about tickets, read our article: tickets explained.
A rail pass, on the other hand, is good for travel in an entire geographical area (1 country, 2 countries or more). With it you can take as many train trips as you want within that geographical area, for as many travel days as you purchased, within a set period of time (the pass validity period).
A flexi pass is valid for a specific number of travel days to be used within the overall validity period of that rail pass. For example, 15 days of unlimited train travel to be used within a 2-month period. With this kind of rail pass, you can pick and choose any days (they don’t have to be consecutive) to travel within the rail pass’ validity period.
Continuous (or consecutive) rail passes such as the Interrail Global Pass, are valid for unlimited train travel during the whole duration of the pass’ validity period. In other words, with a 15-day Interrail Global Pass, you can travel for 15 consecutive days by train. Even if you don’t take the train each and every day, those days will be considered used.
A travel day on a rail pass is a 24-hour period, from midnight to midnight, during which you can take as many train journeys as you desire. Since rail passes use calendar days, journeys within 24-hours of each other but on different days will count as two travel days.
The validity period of a rail pass is the time period in which you must complete your travels with your rail pass. This period is calculated from the date stamped on the rail pass by the railway official.
With a flexi pass this period is defined as a certain number of calendar months – typically one or two.
With a continuous day pass the validity period equals the number of travel days.
In general, yes, but there are some exceptions and a few rules to keep in mind.
First, be mindful that some trains (such as high speed, scenic, and night trains) require rail pass holders to purchase reservations at an additional cost.
For international train journeys, be sure that your rail pass covers the country of departure, country of arrival, and any countries through which your train will travel.
Lastly, some private rail lines in certain countries don’t offer reservations for rail pass holders and don’t accept rail passes. In these cases, you can purchase a train ticket locally for the desired journey.