Hello all... I am researching for our Italy trip in April of 2019 and see that many places we have on our to-do list offer reduced pricing for kids and students. Clearly you can tell they are teenagers, but do I still need to prove they aren't adults to receive the discounted price?
Thank you for your help.
Yes, if they are not obviously under the relevant age.
But, you will have the document you need on you, their passports. Just be prepared to show them if required.
As far as student discounts, AFAIK these only apply to students in EU countries, who will have student ID. Don't expect student ID from a non-European country to work.
I think the safest answer is that it can depend on the person selling tickets, so if you want to be 100% sure, it would be best to have their passports--though a photocopy would probably be fine for this purpose at museums, etc. The odds are that if the kids look young, you'll never be asked for proof, but carrying a copy of the photo page of a passport isn't burdensome, so that's the middle ground I would choose.
I'm a senior, and I have not been asked to prove my age except when buying or using senior rail passes or tickets. For that, a passport (and not just a copy) is fairly often required.
I'm basing these comments on my experience in Europe in general, not Italy specifically.
Just backing up Chris here -
Yes, you should have their passports with you as you may be asked to provide proof. And as he mentioned, student discounts or those for young adults between 18-25 usually only apply to citizens of the E.U.
Thanks, Chris, acraven, and Kathy. On a past trip to London, Paris, and Bruges with the kids, we left our passports in the safe at the hotel and carried a copy of all of them with us. We will carry the passports with us this time in our money belts.
Here is the relevant page from b-ticket for the Accademia Advance ticket purchase.
https://webshop.b-ticket.com/webshop/infos/en/popup_ticketauswahl.html#nicht_zustellbar
Kids 17 and under are free but still need a ticket. This applies to everyone, not just EU citizens.
Student discounts apply to persons 18-25 who are EU residents, so no available for your kids.
If buying tickets in advance to skip the line, you can choose the free tickets for the kids and do not need to provide proof of age at that time. But you may need to show it upon entry, so be sure and bring their passports.
In some cases non EU citizens get away with a discount as well. For example when I worked at the City of Florence, we would give the senior (or youth) discount at the City swimming centers to everybody regardless of nationality or residence. An official government issued photo ID is often necessary however. If you belong to the school of thought that says to just carry the passport photocopy and leave the actual passport in the hotel safe, have at least some other official ID (like your State Drivers’ license or Identity card) with you. In nearly all circumstances your passport photocopy+your actual drivers’ license will be sufficient.
Unless they're of driving age, it is very unlikely that US teenagers will have any sort of official-looking ID other than a passport.
Just scan all the identification on your phone. It beats having to reach under your pants to access original in a moneybelt,
