I haven't read a lot about any special fares or passes for these two groups of people. If you have any knowledge of what kind of discounts can be had and what kind of documentation is needed, I would appreciate it. I vaguely remember bringing extra photos many years ago when I traveled as a teacher.
Thank you!
Are you talking about trains?
Yes on trains there are various railcards available which cost £30 per person and give 34% discounts for a year.
You need to make more than £30 in savings before they pay off. If you are a resident that is easy, for a tourist not so much so.
One is the Senior Railcard, available for over 65s.
The other is the 16-25 Railcard available to people of those ages and persons in full time education of any age with suitable documentation. Students, not teachers. The 16-25 Railcard also requires a photo.
You can't just hop on the train and claim the discount because of your age. You must buy the Railcard in a station or online (residents only).
Both Railcards carry peak time travel restrictions in and around London, and the 16-25 Railcard has morning restrictions nationwide except on weekends, bank holidays and in July and August.
Official information at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/46540.aspx
The relatively recent 'Two Together' railcard can be more economical than ones related to age etc, simply because you only need one card for two people rather than one each.
Most versions of BritRail Passes also offer Youth discounts in 1st or 2nd class and Senior discounts for 1st class only. Your passport will be checked as proof of age when you activate the rail pass at the first train station (no extra photo).
You used to need photos for some London Tube/Bus passes (and still would for the youth and senior cards that most residents use) but a Visitor Oyster Card does not appear to need one.
Many museums are free for everyone. At sites that charge admission, a passport is the most likely form of ID that they'll check. Membership and Visitor Pass deals from English Heritage or the National Trust have family and student pricing.
Laura: Some of us who live near the Canadian border have US Passport cards for land travel into Canada. Are these cards generally accepted for ID (eg proof of citizenship and proof of age) in the UK, or are they so rare that they will confuse the typical merchant? My practice is to leave the US Passport at my hotel and just carry the card which I think I have never used in the UK. If it gets stolen I can still get back into the States without a hassle; this is not the case if the passport is stolen.
Geor, no, a strange card from a foreign country will not work. The normal ID to prove you are over 18 is a passport. That, or a British driving licence is the only thing that is legally or normally recognised.
You would not normally have to prove your citizenship, but if you do the only thing that does that is a passport
If we are talking about admission discounts most places won't be looking for an ID as it is done on trust. These kinds of discounts are in general relatively minor.
The UK isn't big on photo ID for routine matters and most people don't habitually carry them, although driving licences are a bit more common than they used to be.
The only exception might be alcohol purchase if there is the faintest hint of being under 18 ...
Janet, are you still there? Are the answers about the type of discounts you are asking about?
Sorry - income tax time! Yes, you have all been extremely helpful! I thought there might be more senior discounts as I remembered buy a pair of glasses frames in Denmark and you could get a percentage "off" equal to your age. I would have really inexpensive glasses now!
