Czechia: Further FIP Restrictions by ČD

In Czechia, České dráhy (ČD) has further restricted the conditions for using FIP benefits. The background is new public tenders and increasing competitive pressure from private operators such as Leo Express and Regiojet.

Overview of Changes

• The surcharge for commercial services has been raised from 125 CZK to 250 CZK.
• While commercial (surcharge-required) services were previously mainly limited to connections between Prague and Ostrava, many services between Praha (Prague) and České Budějovice as well as České Budějovice and Plzeň (Pilsen) are now also affected.
• Additional services in regional traffic are also affected. These now include trains in the Cheb (Eger), Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad), and Mariánské Lázně (Marienbad) area, a section between Praha (Prague) and Plzeň (Pilsen), and south of Ostrava. Overall, a surcharge is now required on significantly more services.
• Additionally, surcharges are also required on some border crossings in regional traffic.

The rules for FIP in Czechia have become significantly more complex. We recommend reading the new rules on the ČD page in the FIP Guide. All affected trains and regions are listed there in detail.

For a quick and easy overview, the FIP validity map for Czechia is also worth a look. The new restrictions are already incorporated there.

Further restrictions on FIP validity are expected at the timetable change at the end of 2026, as operators are changing on some routes in Czechia.