My husband and I are planning our first trip to England in September of 2023. We're considering getting rail passes for our trip and are wondering whether to get the Senior Passes (both in our 60's) or the Two Together passes. Are there advantages/disadvantages of one over the other? Thank you for any advice!
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
8913 posts
Just to keep the language straight, you are asking about rail cards vs rail passes. A rail card provides a discount off purchased tickets while a rail pass buys unlimited travel for a geographic area over a specific period of time.
One Two together rail card is 1/2 the cost of two senior rail cards. There may be the advantages of being able to travel separately with the senior rail card and some differences in change policies. I encourage you to read through the information for each on the National Rail Website.
Posted by
Stratford upon Avon
470 posts
Both Rail Cards cost £30, so the cost of buying the Two Together is half of buying 2 Senior
With the Two Together you cannot use before 9.30 Monday to Friday and you always need to travel together
You need to spend £90 on tickets before you make any saving.
They are not passes, they give 34% discount on tickets
Need to know journey plans before advising further
Suggest you consult www.seat61.com for information on rail travel in England including how to book tickets from abroad
Posted by
OP
Kansas
29 posts
Thank you for the clarification. I got the terminology confused apparently! I did mean Rail Cards and not "passes". At this point in time we are planning for 10 full days (not including arrival and departure days) and doing the Bath, York and London sights. We are planning to use public transportation throughout our visit and looking for the optimal modes to use (in cost and time savings).
Posted by
UK
140 posts
You can add senior railcard discount to an oyster card, but you can't with two together railcard.
That alone won't save you £30 in 10 days.
https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel/national-railcard-discount
Have a look at the rovers. Some offer good values. For example, this southern train one only costs £11 per head if you manage to form a group of 4.