Mexico, Central and South America
Mexico has railways, but no railpasses, as buses are much more popular with tourists. South America has relatively few railways, and rumors of railpasses are sketchy and unsubstantiated.
Japan Railways
Offers one national and three regional 4-10 day passes which provide passage on almost all trains, JR buses, airport trains, and one ferry. The JR-West Rail Pass is the only pass that covers the "Nozomi," one of the fastest trains in the world. National passes and certain regional passes can be used on the "Shinkansen," or bullet trains. Passes that include Tokyo provide free passage on the JR subway lines, which is a tremendous bonus for budget travelers. JR passes must be purchased prior to arrival in Japan, and are not available to residents of Japan.
japanrail.com/railpasses.php
Visit Malaysia Railpass
Good for either 10 or 30 days of travel within Malaysia. Not available
to Malaysians or Singapore citizens, but can be purchased within Malaysia
or at the Singapore train station.
Indrail Pass
Can be purchased within India, but only by foreigners. It is not necessarily a financial bargain, but does guarantee a seat on sold-out trains. Tourists can use the International Tourist Bureaus located in Delhi, Varanasi, and Jodhpur train stations for assistance and information.
indianrail.gov.in
Austrailpass
Non-Australians should buy these passes in their home countries, good for 14-30 days of consecutive travel. There is also a flexible pass that covers 8-29 days of travel within 6 months, and at least 6 regional passes. Some of the passes include free bus tickets.
railaustralia.com.au
Best of New Zealand Pass
Count points instead of days. For six months, buyers can see New Zealand by train, ferry, and bus for points instead of dollars. Buy points at the beginning of your trip, and then each trip costs some of these points. A trip from Auckland to Rotorua, for example, takes 63 points. An eleven-hour trip from Christchurch to Queenstown will set you back 145 points. If you don't have enough points, you can always buy more.
tranzscenic.co.nz
Eurail
The most famous and versatile railpass is actually several different passes. All must be purchased outside Europe, by non-Europeans. The granddaddy of them all, the First Class Eurailpass, is valid in 17 countries and good for 15 days to three months of consecutive day travel. This is more than most people need, so Eurail developed the cheaper Flexipass and the Europass for those who wanted to spend less money and more time in one place. The Flexipass is available for 10 to 15 travel days over a two-month period. The Europass is good for travel only in 5-7 countries. The other Eurail passes are variations of these, but offer discounts for youths and people traveling in pairs or groups. The Eurailpass/Drive combines car rental with a Europass. eurail.com
Inter-Rail
EU citizen's version of the Eurail pass. Prices are per zone (Europe is
eight zones), and passes are good for one month.
Regional passes
Scanrail Pass and European East Pass are just a few of the passes that
cover regions of Europe. Many of them offer additional discounts for buses
and ferries. All must be purchased in your home country and are not available
to Europeans. EU citizens can buy a similar pass, the Euro Domino, that is not available to non-EU members.
Country passes
Most European countries feature their own railpasses, some with rail/drive options, good for a set number of days within a specific time period (usually a month). Passes must be purchased in your home country and are not available to citizens of the respective countries. railpass.com/eurail/passes
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