Rail Card for Scotland/England

Will you all be traveling together at all times? If so, Family and Friends Rail card might be the way to go.
https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/praad3fe0a04000201004ccc1f4e0bfd.aspx

National Rail is the website that handles ticketing, inquiries etc. for all rail systems in the UK.

Does each person need a rail card for the discounts?

No, just one rail card for friends and family

Andrea,

a difficulty using the Family and Friends Railcard in your situation is that you are all adults. There is a restriction, "Railcard holder must travel with a child for discount to apply" so the tickets you bought with that Railcard would be invalid. Unless you could get a parent to part with their child for the time you will be on trains, sort of rent-a-kid....

As a group of 4, the Groupsave-4 tickets would help on walk-up fares, but all of your journeys are long enough you will want, I expect, to save the most money by carefully planning each leg and buying what are called "Advance" tickets well in advance, knowing that Advance tickets are only valid on the exact train at the exact time purchased, and only good as a bookmark if you don't make that train for whatever reason.

You could make those cheaper tickets even cheaper with a pair of Two Together railcards. They will get you 1/3 off almost all tickets on trains (not preserved railways or private trains or a very few other exceptions) as long as you meet a few restrictions - you need to provide photos, you must travel together on each leg (the Railcard is not valid if only one of you is on the train), you can't start a journey earlier than 9:30 M-F (any time on a weekend or Bank Holiday), and for the £30 per card to pay off you need to totally spend at least £100 per couple on tickets. All the details at https://www.twotogether-railcard.co.uk/

You might be thinking, based on your question, about the Senior Railcard. In your case I don't think it is worth it UNLESS you must start before 9:30 on your trips. It costs £30 per person (not per couple like above), you don't need a photo but do need to prove your age(s) and one of your group doesn't qualify. You can split up (I know you and you husband but not the other couple), so you really need to consider your choices.

You can't get a train to Woodstock, if the Woodstock you mean is the one next to Blenheim Palace. Oxford is the nearest main station, and buses and taxis to Blenheim are plentiful there. If you arrive at Blenheim by bus you even get a discount.

Yes, the website you quote - known as National Rail Enquiries until Grant Shapps renames it like everything else he touches - is the correct one.

Nigel, thank you. I knew you would know all the ins and outs of rail cards. So, the Family and Friends card is out. No renting of kids will be happening. Groupsave-4 doesn’t work either. Two Together cards would be good, except our travel days are Wednesday, Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday. That means only 3 of our 5 trips would be covered. Would we each need a card? Maybe a senior card makes more sense? Or no card at all? Thanks for pointing out that the train doesn’t go to Woodstock. I knew that and should have said Oxford instead of Woodstock. We would probably go to and from Woodstock by bus, though a taxi might be easier if we could fit 4 people and luggage.

Two Together cards would be good, except our travel days are Wednesday, Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday. That means only 3 of our 5 trips would be covered.

huh?

Two Together Railcards are valid every day of the year (except Christmas and Boxing Day only because the trains don't run) - it is just that on M-F except Bank Holidays travel must start after 9:30. There's a way around that too. Split the ticket at about 9:30 so leave at, say, 9, have a regular non-discounted ticket for the bit until the first station the train call at after 9:30, and another for the rest using the Railcard.

No restrictions on weekends and Bank Holidays.

Does that get it?

There will be one card for each couple, costing £30 per couple, the card will have the photos of both in the couple. So for 4 folks, 2 cards.

I'm away for a couple of days so may not see the thread...

Nigel, of course you’re correct, as always, I was confusing it with a different card. The twotogether card seems like the way to go.

Do the cards need to be purchased before booking the trains, or can I book the trains and buy cards once we arrive in Scotland?

Two Together card is what we use.

You can buy cheap(er) Advance tickets online ahead of time (it used to be 12 weeks in advance, but now it varies and is usually less) and get the card discount (an extra 30%) even if you don’t yet have the Two Together cards. Just indicate the type of card on the National Rail.co website when you start looking for the tickets.

Then buy the Two Together cards when you arrive in the UK, before your first train trip.

Thanks Lola.

just popped in for a mo... buy tickets using the discount. You don't need the actual card until you are ready to board the first train. Then when your tickets are examined at the barrier or on board you show both the tickets and the Railcards. Just as long as you have them in hand before you board the train. But them at any staffed train booking office.... note the word "staffed". Best at a more major station...

We arrive in Glasgow, so we can go to a train station there to obtain the passes. Thanks all!