The best transit passes, according to hackers
4 transit passes were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 1 earns the Hacker Approved badge.
Top pick
The most recommended transit pass with the badge. Each figure is 5 people. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
Fast, smooth gate and payment tapping
People recommend it for speed, acceptance across Japan's trains and shops, and easy phone setup; the most common caveat is that topping up needs a Japanese bank or cash.
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We may earn a commission. It never changes the order.
All 4 transit passes, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suica | 72 | 16 | 82% | 6 | 10 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| 2 | Interrail pass | 15 | 6 | 71% | 1 | 20 yrs4 owners | — |
| 3 | Deutschlandticket | 8 | 4 | 67% | 4 | — | — |
| 4 | Dutch Railways unlimited off-peak subscription | 5 | 5 | 50% | 1 | — | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same transit pass in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to transit passes that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.