Free and discounted rail travel, UK and abroad, age dependant.

[shredder1]

It was suggested that I start a thread outlining free and discounted rail travel, at 73 I think Ill qualify for most free travel, around Europe, despite no longer being in the EU.
Although Hungary is no longer available to UK passport holders.

Slovakia, free rail travel all over the country aged 65 and over.

Warsaw, and Krakow, Poland free local rail and trams all over the city, 65 plus

Prague, and Olomouc over 65, inner city, all underground lines and trams.

 

[Thames99]

Luxembourg is free for everyone regardless of age.

 

[kkong]

Holders of Scottish National Entitlement Cards (NEC) with a Strathclyde logo can purchase discounted Off-Peak rail tickets.

• Journeys <10 miles approx: flat fare of £1.00 single / £1.50 return
• Longer journeys: 50% discount on the price of the applicable Standard Day Single / Standard Day Return.

The journeys must be wholly within the Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme Area.

Card holders can also travel Off-Peak on the Glasgow Subway for £1.00 single / £1.50 return.

 

[JBuchananGB]

If you're 60 or over and live in a London borough, you can get free travel on TfL transport services with an Oyster photocard.
Merseytravel offers free travel on all buses, trains and Mersey Ferries river crossings for anyone aged 60 or over who lives in Merseyside.

 

[Dstock7080]

If you're 60 or over and live in a London borough, you can get free travel on TfL transport services with an Oyster photocard.

£20 on first application and £10 each year to renew for 60+ Oyster

 

[Belperpete]

Prague, and Olomouc over 65, inner city, all underground lines and trams.

For free travel on the trains within Prague, you need to buy the senior identity card. Easily bought at nominal cost over the counter from one of the info centres (you will need a passport size photo), and it doesn't ever need to be renewed. Also saves you carrying your passport around.

 

[shredder1]

For free travel on the trains within Prague, you need to buy the senior identity card. Easily bought at nominal cost over the counter from one of the info centres (you will need a passport size photo), and it doesn't ever need to be renewed. Also saves you carrying your passport around.

Ive just carried my passport around, but ill picked one up, thanks, you need a photocard in Slovakia.

 

[Deerfold]

It was suggested that I start a thread outlining free and discounted rail travel, at 73 I think Ill qualify for most free travel, around Europe, despite no longer being in the EU.
Although Hungary is no longer available to UK passport holders.

Slovakia, free rail travel all over the country aged 65 and over.

Warsaw, and Krakow, Poland free local rail and trams all over the city, 65 plus

Prague, and Olomouc over 65, inner city, all underground lines and trams.

This page (https://www.zssk.sk/en/zero-fare/) suggests that free travel in Slovakia is for over 62-year-olds, but you need to be a citizen or resident of Slovakia or an EU state.

Who is entitled for zero-fare transport services?​

• Students under 26 years of age and pensioners over 62 years with Slovak citizenship or permanent residence in Slovakia
• Students under 26 years of age and pensioners under 62 years of age who are citizens or permanent residents of EU member states
• Students studying at schools in the Slovak Republic, regardless of nationality and place of permanent residence, i.e. students of all countries, not only the EU.

I suspect the "under 62" is a misprint.

 

[shredder1]

This page (https://www.zssk.sk/en/zero-fare/) suggests that free travel in Slovakia is for over 62-year-olds, but you need to be a citizen or resident of Slovakia or an EU state.


I suspect the "under 62" is a misprint.

I was in Slovakia earlier this year and renewed my picture card in Bratislava with my UK passport and travelled around the country without issue, Im not a Slovak national and Im not in the EU, but yes I found that page also, so maybe its not filtered down yet, I held my previous card for 6 years, until the ink vanished from the card, but to be fair travel is cheap in Slovakia anyway, so I wouldnt begrudge paying if they start to enforce it now.

 

[Belperpete]

Ive just carried my passport around, but ill picked one up, thanks, you need a photocard in Slovakia.

Your passport is okay for the trams, metro, trolleybuses and buses - but not for the trains. For the trains you need the ID card.

 

[shredder1]

Your passport is okay for the trams, metro, trolleybuses and buses - but not for the trains. For the trains you need the ID card.

Ah OK thanks, it wouldnt have affected me though, Ive always had separate rail tickets, the all country tickets in Czech are very cheap, (although Ive seen them double in price over the last ten years), in recent years Ive been using the One ticket all line rovers, which can be used on all operators trains and between July and September Ive used the two week special offer all line tickets, (cheaper than Interrail).

Ive had 25% reductions in Spain FEVE and RENFE have different discounts for the over 60s, https://seriouslyspain.com/senior-c...ose-65-or-older-are-a-great-way-to-save-money

In Portugal seniors get a 50% discount on showing your passport, which is cheaper than an Interrail ticket, (which also has a senior discount), https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/discounts-benefits/Discounts/senior-citizens

In the Balkans you can also get a 50% discount for over 60s, discounts are also available on the Balkan flexi pass, https://www.bdz.bg/en/a/balkan-flexipass

When in Spain Ive always found it cheaper to use a RENFE journey pass which includes reservations, you buy these based on the journeys you make per train, these work out cheaper than Interrail now in Spain because of the price of reservations on the high speed network. https://www.thetrainline.com/en/train-companies/renfe?gclid=84e9165f8ded1e4c1e1e70f7e8f6dceb&gclsrc=3p.ds&msclkid=84e9165f8ded1e4c1e1e70f7e8f6dceb&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=EN-UK>EU_TOC_^_^_^_^_DSA_BSH15E8&utm_term=en/train-companies&utm_content=EN-UK>EU_TOC_^_Catch All_^_^_^_^_^_DSA

In the Baltic countries, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, Ive always found it cheaper to buy point to point tickets, which also have senior discounts, https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/baltics-rail-passes

Italian up to 50% for seniors, https://www.trenitalia.com/en/offers/senior-offer.html

 

[sheff1]

10% discounts for 65+ on SJ in Sweden. You can also buy "Last minute" (in fact up to 24 hours in advance) tickets for many journeys which offer a higher discount.

In Belgium the Senior Ticket is excellent value - €8.30 for a day return anywhere after 0900 weekdays, any time weekends. First class €17.50.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Italian up to 50% for seniors, https://www.trenitalia.com/en/offers/senior-offer.html

I think you need an annual Frecce card for that senior discount, similar to the senior scheme SNCF operates.
That means it's not useful for the odd journey.

Norway and Finland offer 50% off on demand for seniors over 65.
Spain has its Tarjeta Dorada which gives up to 40% discount over 60 for a year on regular fares (not the cheapest advances), but you need to buy it in Spain (€6), so cannot book in advance (you have to quote the card number to get the discount).

In SK and CZ I believe 70 is the age where you get discounts in 2nd class without needing a special photocard (ie passport proving age will do).

Belgium has a cheap senior return fare after 0900, including some cross-border routes (not all).

 

[shredder1]

I think you need an annual Frecce card for that senior discount, similar to the senior scheme SNCF operates.
That means it's not useful for the odd journey.

Thanks, yes you do, a couple of weeks line bashing can make it worthwhile, but I mainly use Interrail in Italy, which at senior rate can be cost affective on the slower non reservation trains.

Norway and Finland offer 50% off on demand for seniors over 65.
Spain has its Tarjeta Dorada which gives up to 40% discount over 60 for a year on regular fares (not the cheapest advances), but you need to buy it in Spain (€6), so cannot book in advance (you have to quote the card number to get the discount).

In SK and CZ I believe 70 is the age where you get discounts in 2nd class without needing a special photocard (ie passport proving age will do).

Belgium has a cheap senior return fare after 0900, including some cross-border routes (not all).

Thanks for the input guys, there's a few I wasn't aware of.