Europe Trains Guide

Seniors (discounts, cards, offers, etc.)

Multicountry:

  • Interrail Global Pass: 10% discount for seniors aged 60 & above
  • Balkan Flexi Pass: 20% discount for seniors aged 60 & above
  • Rail Plus card (can be issued either as separate card or simply included in certain "local" rail card): depending on country of purchase seniors might pay as low as 15 euro for the chance to save 25% on all the full fare SCIC-NRT international tickets

Austria:

  • Austrian Railways (ÖBB): no special discount for seniors, however passengers above the age of 62 (regardless of their citizenship) can purchase ÖBB Vorteilscard. Vorteilscard Senior cost 29 euro and is valid for one year, it allows you to save 50% (or 40/45% if you purchase ticket using ticket counter and not ticket machine) on all the ÖBB standard fare single tickets (trips within Austria) as well as 25% on all the SCIC-NRT international tickets (to/from Austria & many countries abroad). Vorteilscard can be purchased online via OeBB website (first you'll receive temporary card by email, you can print it yourself and start traveling, while OeBB also will send you permanent one by regular mail) or ticket counters in Austria. Another extra bonus which goes with Vorteilscard senior card is the fact that it gives discounts of 33/40/50% on nearly all local transport in the länder (provinces), except VOR around Vienna and VVV Vorarlberg.
  • WestBahn: with so-called Trafik-Aktiv Ticket passengers aged 60 or above can travel Monday through Thursday for a special price starting from € 9,99 (depending on route). The Ticket can be used for a single ride and is valid for one year starting from the date of purchase, you can buy it in one of 3.000 tobacco stores (Tobaccoland) throughout Austria

NB: keep in mind that when traveling by train in Austria it might be much cheaper simply to purchase discounted ticket (Sparschiene) instead of buying Vorteilscard and getting 50% discount from standard full fare tickets. Besides OeBB has occasional special offers for seniors (mostly in/around november), e.g. dayticket for 19 euro or ticket for the entire month for 59 euro, both valid on all OeBB trains in Austria, except EuroNight trains.

Belarus (BCh): only citizens of Belarus who reached pension age (55 for women & 60 for men) receive 50% discount on train tickets for Regional Lines (trains with four digit numbers starting with 6***) during the period 1 May - 30 September

Belgium (NMBS/SNCB): passengers above the age of 65 can travel for a reduced fare with the so-called Seniors Ticket. You pay just €6 (or €13 for the 1st class ticket) for a return journey (on the same day) to anywhere in Belgium (except gr./fr. border points). Seniors Ticket is valid year round Monday to Friday (from 9:00) & Saturday and Sunday (entire day), except peak summer season (from 9 July until 21 August) when it is not valid on Saturdays and Sundays. For Seniors Ticket usual NMBS/SNCB fare rules for discounted tickets apply, i.e. no break of journey, travel via fastest or shortest route (check NMBS/SNCB route planner)

NMBS/SNCB also offers special senior fares for return tickets to Roosendaal & Maastricht in the Netherlands (€9,20) and to Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle) in Germany (€12), however potential passengers should keep in mind that such tickets are not valid on high-speed ICE or Thalys trains.

The local buses/trams of De Lijn (Vlaanderen/Flanders part of Belgium) and TEC (Wallonie part of Belgium) offer quite cheap yearly seasonal ticket for seniors (cost €51 & €36 per year respectively) valid on all of their services, the only hitch here is that potential user will need to have a personal MOBIB chipcard to use it.

Bosnia and Hercegovina (ŽFBH/ZRS): only BiH citizens above the age of 60 receive 30% discount on domestic train tickets

Bulgaria (BDZ): only Bulgarian citizens (women >61 & men >64 years old) are eligible to apply for the special Seniors card (карта "Възрастен"), which cost 1 BGN and saves the holder 50% on all the domestic (within Bulgaria) train tickets

Croatia (HŽ): only Croatian citizens & residents aged 60 & above can receive 50% on all the domestic (within Croatia) train tickets, special seniors card K-33S is needed (valid for one year & cost 50 HRK)

Czech Republic:

  • Czech Railways (CD): Czech citizens receiving old-age pension, as well as EU citizens above the age of 70, entitled to 25% discount on all the standard full fare tickets (however in order to use the discount passenger needs to obtain special pass for elderly (průkaz pro důchodce) by visiting CD ticket counter with the ID, 35*45mm photo and 50 CZK). The same categories of passengers also can purchase special CD IN Karta 50, which allows the holder to save 50% on the standard fare tickets & passes (weekly or monthly) and get reduced fare on discounted Včasná jízdenka & Akční jízdenka. IN Karta 50 cost 550 CZK (one year validity) or 1490 CZK (three years validity). Finally, Czech citizens aged 70 & older can take advantage of CD IN Karta Senior, which allows the holder to travel free in CD passenger & express trains and get 50% off ticket fare on all other trains. IN Karta Senior cost 1490 CZK (one year validity) or 3990 CZK (valid for three years)
  • RegioJet (RJ): passengers above the age of 60 receive 25% discount from the standard fare on certain domestic connections (within Czech Republic)
  • LeoExpress (LE): passenger above the age of 60 receive 30% discount from the standard fare

NB: keep in mind that when traveling by train in Czech Republic it might be much cheaper simply to purchase discounted/promo offer tickets (Akční jízdenka & SuperAkční jízdenka) instead of buying standard full fare tickets with senior discount card

Denmark (DSB): passengers above the age of 65 (regardless of their citizenship) receive seniors discount on the standard DSB domestic tickets (25% on Fridays and Sundays & 50% Monday-Thursday and Saturdays), except holidays high-peak times (around Christmas, Easter, etc.). Senior discount applies only in case when you travel across more than one transport area (for journeys within one area local discounts apply)

NB: keep in mind that when traveling by train in Denmark it might be cheaper simply to purchase discounted/promo offer tickets (DSB Orange) instead of buying standard full fare tickets with senior discount

Estonia (Elron): passengers above the age of 65 (regardless of their citizenship) receive 30% discount for all the domestic train tickets (2nd class only)

Finland (VR): passengers above the age of 65 years (regardless of their citizenship) receive 20% discount from the basic fare for all the VR long-distance train tickets or 50% off tickets on local suburban trains

NB: keep in mind that when traveling by train in Finland it might be cheaper simply to purchase discounted Saver ticket instead of buying basic full fare ticket with senior discount

France (SNCF):

  • passengers above the age of 65 years can purchase Carte Senior+ . Senior+ card cost 60 euro and allows the holder to save between 25% to 50% (depending on departure) from the standard full fare ticket price on SNCF's train tickets. Carte Senior+ is valid for one year.
  • tarif découverte senior: 25% discount for passengers 60+ years of age on all TER & Intercites trains all over France (except Île-de-France (= area around Paris) and Lorraine regions) during the so-called 'période bleue' =off-peak time (in some regions tarif découverte senior is not bound to off-peak times)

NB: keep in mind that when traveling by train in France it might be much cheaper simply to purchase discounted Prem's ticket instead of buying standard full fare tickets with Carte Senior+

Germany (DB): no special discount for seniors, however passengers above the age of 60 can buy special DB BahnCard 25 or DB BahnCard 50 cards. DB BahnCard 25 for seniors cost 41 euro (2nd class) or 81 euro (1st class), while DB BahnCard 50 cost 127 euro (2nd class) or 252 euro (1st class), cards are valid for one year and allow the holder to save 25%/50% on all the DB standard fare tickets (trips within Germany) as well as 25% on all the SCIC-NRT international tickets (to/from Germany & many countries abroad). DB BahnCard can be purchased online via DB website (first you'll receive temporary card by email, you can print it yourself and start traveling, while DB also will send you permanent one by regular mail) or ticket counters in Germany. For shorter periods of time DB offers so-called trial BahnCards 25 for as low as 19 euro (usually valid for 3 months). The only important nuance to keep in mind with DB BahnCards is the fact that they are subscription based, which means automatic prolongation you cancel it at least 6 weeks before expiry

Besides DB BahnCards almost all the local German transport assosiations (Verkehrsverbund) offer some kind of senior discounts (can be seasonal or daily), so before you travel it might be a good idea to check local transport assosiation

NB: keep in mind that when traveling by train in Germany it might be much cheaper simply to purchase discounted ticket (Sparpreis) instead of buying BahnCards and getting 25/50% discount from the price of standard full fare tickets

Greece (OSE): passengers over 65 years of age receive 25% discount from the base fare for all the domestic (within Greece) train tickets. Besides the above discount passenger >65 also can purchase special Senior Citizen Card (Κάρτα Τρίτης Ηλικίας), which is valid for one year and includes 5 free train trips + 50% discount on all the next train tickets. Senior Citizen Card cost € 54,90 (2nd class)

Hungary (MAV): passengers (EU citizens) aged 65 & above travel for free on all the Hungarian domestic connections (only extras you expected to pay are supplements (e.g. on somewhat faster sebes & gyors trains it's from 150 HUF to 735 HUF depending on distance travelled) and seat reservations on intercity/eurocity/railjet trains (from 330 to 1035 HUF depending on distance travelled and channel of purchase)

NB: keep in mind that in Hungary seniors (65 years of age) not only travel for free by rail transport, but also on state wide bus services (Volanbusz)

Ireland (IE): no discount for seniors, but you can always purchase discounted Online Tickets

Italy:

  • Italian Railways (TrenItalia): passengers over 60 years can purchase special CartaFRECCIA Senior card, which gives 20% discount on all the Italian domestic journeys
  • Italo: passengers over 60 years old can take advantage of Italo Senior discount - 40% off Flex fare (standard base fare). Italo Senior discount is valid for travelling throughout the week except on Sundays and on the following dates: 22-23/4, 25-26/4, 1-2/6, 5-6/6

NB: keep in mind that when traveling by train in Italy it might be much cheaper simply to purchase discounted ticket (Economy & Super Economy) instead of buying Frecia Card and/or relying on seniors discount from the price of standard full fare tickets

Latvia (LDz): no discount for senior passengers

Lithuania (LG): passengers (EU citizens) aged 70 years & above receive 50% discount on all the Lithuanian domestic journeys

Luxembourg (CFL): annual season ticket for senior citizens Seniorekaart is issued (by CFL, AVL and TICE ticket offices and by the Centrale de Mobilité) to any person aged 60 or over. The annual 'Seniorekaart' ticket for senior citizens cost €100 and is valid on all routes (except border tariff points gr./fr.) from the date indicated on the season ticket until the same date the next year at 4:00 am. Besides Seniorekaart is also valid for rail journeys to Belgian town of Athus (from where you can catch NMBS/SNCB trains) and number of local bus connections to Belgium, Germany & France 

FYR Macedonia (MZ): only Macedonian citizens above the age of 60 receive 30% discount on domestic train tickets

Moldova (CFM): no senior/pensioner discount is offered for CFM domestic train tickets

Netherlands (NS): passengers 60+ years of age holding OV-chipkaart (widely used Dutch public transport smart card) and NS Dal Voordeel season ticket (cost €50 per year & allows 40% discount on travels during off-peak times, at weekends and on public holidays) can take advantage of the special Keuzedagen offer - 7 travel days of your choice for additional €24,50 (2nd class) or €49,50 (1st class), on Mondays-Fridays after 9:00am, entire day on weekends, holidays & July-August

Norway (NSB): travelers aged over 67 years (regardless of their citizenship) are entitled to a 50 % discount on standard fares + spouse or partner (registered by foreign partnership laws), regardless of age, who travels with such person also entitled to the same discount

NB: keep in mind that when traveling by train in Norway it might be cheaper simply to purchase discounted ticket (Minipris) instead of buying standard full fare ticket and relying on seniors discount

Poland (PKP):

  • travelers above the age of 60 are entitled to 30% discount for any PKP-IC (TLK, IC, EIC, EIP trains) tickets (Bilet dla Seniora)
  • for other Polish train operator - Przewozy Regionalne (PKP-PR) - offered special seniors card called REGIOkarta SENIOR (issued for one year, gives 30% discount on all the full fare standard tickets on PKP-PR (as well as KD, KS, ARRIVA) services and cost 59 PLN)
  • Koleje Mazowieckie (KM) gives a 30% discount for any passengers 60 & older

Portugal (CP): passengers aged 65 & above (regardless of their citizenship) receive 50% discount on Portuguese domestic tickets as well as 25% off (if you aged 60 or over) on the tickets for international Lusitânia Comboio Hotel, Sud Expresso and Celta trains

Romania (CFR): retired (=receiving pension) Romanian citizens are entitled to 6 trips per year with 50% discount on CFR train tickets

Russia (RZD): no senior/pensioner discount is offered for RZD domestic train tickets

Serbia (ZS): only Serbian citizens (as well as foreigners residing in Serbia) aged 60 & above can aquire special SRB Plus legitimation card for seniors (costs 400 RSD), which gives 30% discount on all the domestic (within Serbia) train tickets

Slovakia  

  • Slovak Railways (ZSSK): travelers of 62 years of age & older (regardless of their citizenship) can travel for free on all the ZSSK trains, however in order to do it person needs first to visit ZSSK ticket counter and obtain special preukaz pre zákazníka card (photo 2*3 cm is required), then, before each journey, also obtain "free ticket" from ZSSK ticket counter for the train & date he or she intends to take (NB: there is a quota of free tickets per each departure). Passengers >70 years of age who either didn't register for the seniors card or encounter the situation when quota of free ticket had been reached pay symbolic 0,15 euro fare for each 50km section they intend to travel. In case senior passenger (no matter whether >62 or >70) decides to travel on faster EuroCity train special 1 euro supplements applies
  • RegioJet (RJ): passengers above the age of 60 receive 15% discount from the standard fare on all the domestic (within Slovakia) RJ connections, while passengers above the age of 70 pay symbolic 0,15 euro fare for each 50km section they intend to travel
  • LeoExpress (LE): passenger above the age of 60 receive 30% discount from the standard fare

Slovenia (SZ): persons over 60 years of age (Slovenian citizens or those having permanent residence in Slovenia) are eligible for the Seniors Railcard (K-13a RailPlus), which is valid for one year and cost 7 euro. K-13a card gives the holder 30% discount on train fares for journeys from Monday to Friday, 50% discount on fares for journeys on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays (domestic services only), 30% discount on train fares for single or return journeys to Croatia & 25% discoun on all the SCIC-NRT international tickets (to/from Slovenia & abroad)

Spain (Renfe): travelers over 60 years of age can purchase special Tarjeta Dorada card. Holders of the Tarjeta Dorada are entitled to purchase tickets for any train and class with 40% discount (Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays) & 25% discount (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays). The Tarjeta Dorada card is valid for one year and can be purchased at Renfe stations, Ticket Offices and Travel Agencies for € 6 (as a bonus Tarjeta Dorada is now also valid on Renfe Feve narrow gauge railway)

NB: keep in mind that when traveling by train in Spain it might be cheaper simply to purchase discounted ticket (Promo or Promo+) instead of buying standard full fare ticket and relying on seniors discount with Tarjeta Dorada card

Sweden  

  • SJ: senior passengers (pensioners) can take advantage of SJ Last Minute (Sista Minuten) offer. 'Last minute' Tickets feature minimum fare as low as 155 SEK (price is at its lowest on off-peak periods, meaning usually from 10:00 to 14:00 & after 19:00 Monday to Thursday). 'Last minute' tickets are available for journeys in 2nd class on SJ's day trains, passengers can buy the tickets at the earliest 24 hours before departure, seat reservation is included in the fare
  • Snälltåget (Transdev): travellers over 60 years of age receive 15% discount on “Snålis-biljett” tickets in 2nd class seating area (incl. overnight trains to Berlin and Åre)
  • Stockholm area transport company Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL) offers 50% discount on dayticket for passengers 65 years of age & older

NB: keep in mind that when traveling by train in Sweden it might be cheaper simply to purchase SJ discounted tickets instead of waiting for a chance to catch last minute ticket.

Switzerland (SBB/CFF/FFS): citizens of Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Italy or Liechtenstein aged 64/65 (women/men) can obtain SBB GA Travelcard. With the GA travelcard you enjoy unlimited travel on SBB trains and most other railways in Switzerland. Besides this you can travel on boats, buses and trams and you also receive discounts on many mountain railways (GA TravelCard area of validity). Monthly GA TravelCard for seniors currently cost 250 CHF (2nd class) or 415 CHF (1st class)

Turkey (TCDD): Turkish citizens 60-65 years of age receive 20% discount on the domestic (within Turkey) TCDD tickets, while passengers over 65 years of age receive 50% discount

Ukraine (UZ): only Ukrainian citizens holding pensioners ID can travel for free on UZ suburban lines all over Ukraine (= trains which have four digit number starting with 6***), "free ticket" needs to be obtained either via ticket counter or from the conductor on-board

United Kingdom (National Rail): UK citizens aged 60 & over can take advantage of Senior Railcard which gives 1/3 off most Standard and First Class rail fares throughout Great Britain. Senior Railcard cost £30 (one year validity) or £70 (3 year validity). Those who happen to have London are Oyster card can ask to load their Railcard on it and then travel cheaper on London undergroud

When buying BritRail pass seniors aged 60 & above receive up to 15% off on their pass

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