If you are planning on using trains as your main mean of transport in the United Kingdom you need to get yourself a Railcard. It’s a shame that there are only certain groups of people who are eligible to receive the benefits of the Railcard.
Five types of Railcard
- 16-25 Railcard – to be eligible for this type of railcard you must be aged between 16 and 26, and have a valid passport (not necessarily UK) or UK driving licence.
- Family and friends Railcard – to be eligible you must have a child aged 5-15 years travelling with you. This card can be used by either of the parents when travelling with the kid.
- Senior Railcard – to be eligible you must be over 60 years old, and have a valid passport or UK driving licence.
- Disabled Persons Railcard – for people with disabilities and who have documentation to support their eligibility.
- Network Railcard – for people living in London or South East of England.
Price
All of the cards will cost you £28 per year, except the Disabled Persons Railcard which is £20.
Discount
Half Price Offer
All the cards give you a 1/3 off discount from any fare.
However, if you own a Network Railcard up to three adults can travel with you and they will also get 1/3 off their rail fare! Plus, you can take up to four children (aged 5 to 15 years) with you and save 60% on each child fare. Although as good as it may sound you will not be able to travel to work using this card or use it over a weekend. Network railcard has a restriction of applying discounts only on travelling after 10am in the morning Monday to Friday (not including bank holidays).
How do I apply for a Ridacard?
You can do this either on the Railcard website or in your local train station travel shop.
“If you have a Tesco Clubcard, you can pay for them in Clubcard vouchers and the cards will only cost you £14 a year! Just follow this link.”
This is not the case for the disabled railcard.