My husband and I recently traveled in Europe without our usual buying all train tickets in advance. The tickets were rather cheap because we're over 65 and traveled during non-peak times. In July we'll be taking 3 teenage granddaughters through Austria and Hungary. Can we count on getting low-cost senior and youth tickets there? Has anyone used the group tickets where one buys a ticket and up to 4 others travel on non-high speed trains for that day for E 5 each? Should we consider the hydrofoil between Vienna and Budapest instead of the train? We're budget-minded because this is our third group of traveling grandchildren and we still have 4 more kids to go! Since there are 5 of us, we'd feel better having tickets arranged as soon as possible.
Posted by
Green Bay
20085 posts
Sounds like you could be talking about 2 different things.
The Einfachraus Ticket. This works much like Laender tickets in Germany. Cost is 34 EUR for 2 people, then 4 EUR for each additional person up to 5 total traveling together. Limited to S, R, and REX trains throughout Austria starting 9 am weekdays until 3 am the next day, and anytime from midnight until 3 am the following day on weekends.
https://www.oebb.at/en/tickets-kundenkarten/schueler-gruppen/einfach-raus-ticket.htmlVorteilscards. There is a Sr Card costing 29 EUR for people over 63. Gives 50% discount on full fare tickets. Available at OEBB ticket windows with your passport as proof of age.
There is also a Family Card costing 19 EUR, but all the kids must be 15 or under. If both adults in the group have Vorteilscards, the kids travel free with you.
https://www.oebb.at/en/tickets-kundenkarten/kundenkarten/vorteilscard/alle-vorteilscards.html
Posted by
1902 posts
Group tickets and senior rebates and combinations thereof are a real tricky business. You should go to a ticket counter at one of the major train stations in Vienna (Wien Hbf or Wien West), explain your travel itinerary and your requirements, and they will provide you with the available options.
Posted by
75 posts
"Should we consider the hydrofoil between Vienna and Budapest instead of the train?"
The hydrofoil was suspended a couple of years ago. It was never really a good option to be honest.
"Since there are 5 of us, we'd feel better having tickets arranged as soon as possible."
I think you can already book the long distance tickets for July.
When using the ERT(the group ticket) you don't have to book anything.
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5382 posts
If you are truly budget minded, then buying your tickets online in advance is the cheapest option. With kids, I’m sure you’ve already nailed down your itinerary, so picking a specific train should be no big trick. Only use the website of the national rail carriers.
Posted by
OP
Gulf Coast
7 posts
Thanks for all the information. We are within time to buy inexpensive tickets from Budapest to Prague, but for times that we do not want to go. It seems we have to wait a few days to get tickets on a train that will get us there at a better time, and probably will cost more. We will do the bus and train combo from Salzburg to Hallstatt, as we've done before, and probably get the Einfach-Raus tickets for the trip from Hallstatt to Vienna. We've pretty much decided against flying to Prague because we will have 4 checked bags and it adds up, especially traveling on a Saturday. We almost left Budapest off the trip, but there is so much to think about when you go there and visit the synagogue and the river memorials, which the girls are old enough to take in. Again, thanks for the answers, and chime in if you have any more tips for 15 year old twins, a 17 year old and their chronologically gifted grandparents.
Posted by
OP
Gulf Coast
7 posts
Well, I'll try to be clear! Tickets we could buy to Prague had us arriving after 10PM. Other tickets for better times were not available to buy yet, according to the website. We're more than 90 days away from that last leg of our trip.
We've just bought all our tickets except from Budapest to Prague. We decided not to try the ERT from Hallstatt to Vienna because it would mean slower trains and at least one more change of trains.
I'm happy with the fares, times, and especially not even thinking about renting a car!
Posted by
1902 posts
Most likely it will be cheaper if you buy the special bargain tickets, called "Sparschiene", from OeBB, going from Budapest to Vienna (e.g. €19), and from Vienna to Prague (e.g. €14).
The price for the Sparschiene ticket varies, depending on the train (departure time), the overall booking situation, the number of days until departure when booking.
The prices given above were taken from a random search in the third week of July.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area
5697 posts
But no senior tickets in Budapest -- unless you are EU senior citizens, who travel for free.
Posted by
OP
Gulf Coast
7 posts
Hello tryker,
We'll travel from Budapest to Prague on July 27. We want to leave mid-morning. Would we have to book 2 different legs to go from Budapest to Bratislava and from there to Prague? Same train?
Thanks