Senior RailCards

If you are traveling as a couple the Two together card works out cheaper.
Unless there's been a huge about turn ,they will sell railcars to anyone

I see that wording too in the requirements for eligibility “ A valid passport, UK driving licence number or EEA National Identity card.” IF the passport is for UK citizens only. Not clear. A cheaper option we use when traveling by train in the UK is to buy a Two Together Railcard for £30 which is 1/2 the price of two seniors needing their own £30 Senior Railcards. With the Two Together you do have to travel together and your journey needs to start after morning rush hour, 9:30 M-F. These requirements don’t impact our ability to use this one card for two people.

Loads of US Visitors on this forum have successfully purchased and used the Senior Railcard. The website anticipates, naturally, that users will be UK citizens, but there seems to be no problem at all about international visitors doing so. Otherwise Rick and/or other forum members would have reported it well before now.

There is no problem buying the Senior Rail Card as a foreigner.

My wife and I bought a Two Together rail card last year as US citizens and it worked fine - no issues with our not being UK citizens. We used the Trainline app.

It says valid passport, not UK passport

We are U.S. citizens and used a Two Together rail card last year. It was very convenient since we knew we would always be traveling together and was less expensive than 2 senior rail cards.

You can book train tickets in advance using the discount and buy the card when you arrive in the UK at a train station.

Last month I bought a digital Senior Railcard online. The worst part was taking the selfie for the required photograph. (I was home alone, it was late in the evening, and didn't want to wait until I could get someone to take a better picture.)

I don't remember all the steps, but the system recognized my US address, accepted my US passport number for the required ID, and took my credit card payment - with no glitches.

I downloaded the Railcard app to my phone, and my senior railcard is in that app (bad picture and all). Immediately after getting the digital railcard, I used it to book an advance ticket on LNER.

A bit confused here. Is a Senior Rail Card required if you have already purchased a BritRail pass? Or should it be purchased before reservations are made on the BritRail Senior Flex plan? And, what is the purpose of the Senior Rail Card?

A bit confused here. Is a Senior Rail Card required if you have
already purchased a BritRail pass? Or should it be purchased before
reservations are made on the BritRail Senior Flex plan? And, what is
the purpose of the Senior Rail Card?

BritRail passes and Senior Railcards are sort of from alternate worlds. If you're traveling on a BritRail pass, you don't need a Senior Railcard.

The purpose of the Senior Railcard is to get discounted prices when purchasing tickets from the companies on the UK's national rail system. (It's not aimed at city transit systems, EDITED to add that @rogerbrown has noted below, that you can load the Railcard onto an Oyster Card to use on rides with Transport for London.)

You do not need the Senior Railcard to buy and use a BritRail senior pass. The Britrail pass is from a different ticketing source -although of course you ride the same trains as if you'd bought your tickets directly from the UK national rail companies.

I'm not sure what you mean by making reservations "on the BritRail Senior Flex plan." This is from the FAQ on the britrail pass site. Please note that there's no charge for making a seat reservation in person at a train station, but ACP charges a fee if you make it through them. Not sure what their fees are. I've used a BritRail pass and made some seat reservations in person at rail stations, but didn't have to worry about getting seats together with anyone, etc.

How do I make seat reservations?

Seat reservations can be made online through our BritRail Specialist
ACP Rail for a fee per reservation. This will enable you to be
reserved on the trains you require in advance and give you peace of
mind you will be travelling on that train and seated near each other
(if multiple travellers.) This is important for high-speed InterCity
trains which get very busy particularly in the peak times. It is also
possible to make seat reservations at any National Rail station free
of charge. Many people do this as soon as they arrive Britain to make
sure they get the seats they want in advance of their travel date. All
you need to do is show your BritRail Pass. You will not need to
validate your BritRail Pass to make a reservation in advance of it
starting, you simply need to show it as evidence you hold a valid
pass. This does, however, carry the risk that you may not be able to
get seats reserved or seats together by leaving it until then.

Night Sleeper trains need compulsory reservation. Caledonian Sleeper
London to Scotland (v/v) can only be purchased throgh the Caledonian
Sleeper call centre +44 141 555 0888 and the Night Riviera Sleeper
London to South West (v/v) can only be purchased throug the GWR call
centre +44 (0) 345 7000 125

Also, as many other folks here would do, I highly recommend you go to the extremely informative website The Man in Seat 61, for excellent descriptions and information of how the UK train system works. IMO it should be almost mandatory reading if you're not familiar with the system. I'm a little familiar with the system, and I still often go to Seat 61 for information.

that quote encouraging you to spend the money with the ACP people whoever they are is using a little gentle FOMO psychology to encourage you you to spend with them.

Unless you are looking to travel on an absolutely rammed train - like 8am into London from the commuter belt on a day when people go into the office or the Friday afternoon before a Bank Holiday - which any sane person would avoid anyway, getting a free reservation a few days ahead from any ticket office would be fine. If you are a large group (I know you aren't) you would use the group travel facility of the rail company and would be unlikely to all be on Brit Rail anyway.

Very subtle, and it is correct, reading between the lines, but don't worry....

Thanks for the helpful information, Nigel.

I agree, the ACP Rail folks are pushing hard on the FOMO to sell their services.

I appreciate your sharing the boots-on-the-ground knowledge about seat reservations and availability. My knowledge is limited to my own experience, which I shared: that I had no trouble getting seat reservations in person at rail stations after I landed in the UK with my BritRail pass in hand.

RE Suz
Re Senior Rail Pass
You can get the discount loaded onto an Oyster Card for use in London

RE Suz

Re Senior Rail Pass

You can get the discount loaded onto an Oyster Card for use in London

Thanks! When I wrote that the Railcards aren't really aimed at local transport, I had a sneaky feeling my sweeping statement could be faulty. I'll see if I can edit and correct my post.

There is also another sneaky way to get senior railcard discount on local transit.

Many cities and towns have 'plus bus'. When you buy a ticket to or from any city/town which has it, you can buy a 'plus bus' add on. That allows unlimited local bus use on that day in the city. The plus bus has a senior railcard discount on it as well.
So buy a Senior Railcard train fare to say Edinburgh plus bus, your Senior Railcard discount is applied to the plus bus bit as well.
In every city which has trams, except Manchester, you can use the plus bus on the trams as well as the buses.
It is very good value.
This website lists all cities/towns concerned, and their fares-
https://plusbus.info/