Senior Fares in Slovakia

[LNW-GW Joint]

I'm looking at spending a few days in Slovakia exploring the Tatras, in late summer.
The trip would end on a Poprad-Bratislava Ex service, at a "normal" fare (ie not attempting to get "free" travel) of about €18 for 2nd class.
However ZSSK has "Senior" fares (over 70) which appear not to need more than ID to prove age, and the 1st class discounted fare is €14.
Can anybody confirm that this Senior fare works for foreigners?

While working out how to get to the Tatras, I discovered there is now a 2-per-day Flixbus service from Krakow to Poprad for €10 taking 4 hours.
This goes via Zakopane and replaces the local cross-border bus that has run for quite a while.
There is also another 2pd fast direct service in peak seasons for €15, missing out Zakopane and taking 2.5 hours.
The local trains Krakow-Zakopane are very slow and often bustituted, so the Flixbus is a useful option which I might well use.
There is also an all-rail route from Krakow to Poprad via Tarnow and Muszyna, but the cross-border connections are poor.

 

[SandsofEss]

It's worth contacting ZSSK to ask directly for peace of mind. In the past I've had rapid and detailed responses in English by emailing [email protected].

I rode that Flixbus with my family last year. Comfortable buses and beautiful scenery once you get past Zakopane. The journey from Krakow to Zakopane was reasonably well-patronised, but we were the only passengers who continued over the border. You can join or leave the bus at Tatranska Lomnica too rather than Poprad, which is handy if you're planning to use the Tatra Electric Railway or the local branch.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Many thanks for the advice.
Will see what ZSSK say.
It's not that I can't pay the full fare, but I like to get the best deal.
Yes I noticed the stop at T.Lomnica and would probably use that as the cable car up to Lomnicky štit is in my sights.

 

[30907]

General rule in CZ and SK is that Senior fares are for any nationality - I've used various on train and bus. For over 70s the ZSSK website says "ID with date of birth."

The Tatra railways are free over 62 if you have the free travel card (which you should be able to get at Poprad-T Station if you haven't already, and the form is now online) - but that may come free with your accommodation anyway.

 

[dutchflyer]

Free travel on trains needs a personal and made on the spot (bring passpt foto) card-and get tickets for every ride with this. It will help if you have a kind of label with your adress (and fone nr) printed on it. You at the end have to sign=podpis. On R=fast trains the nr is limited. IN these small Tarta tram/trains no further ticket is needed.
FLIX has variable fares-by demand. Most of these green buses in PL tend still to be the old PolskiBus, set up after deregulation by a mr. Souter (?) and imitating MegaBus in UK.
Krk-Zak has(had, could all have changed after covid) half hourly buses-2 comps. each ev hour.
Zak-to beside border (hranica) had frequent local minibuses. Walk over to first turning circle on SK side, then local (about hourly weekdays, much less weekends) SAD bus to either Poprad or just Stary Smokovec. The direct buses are a fairly recent innovation and mostly only summertime.

 

[30907]

Free travel on trains needs a personal and made on the spot (bring passpt foto) card-and get tickets for every ride with this. It will help if you have a kind of label with your adress (and fone nr) printed on it.

Pedantically, they ask for a 2x3cm photo which is less than passport size. I managed to reduce one, but ISTR reports of other people just using scissors to trim.