20 Railcards for Cheaper Fares and 2013 Railcard Promotional Codes

Train travel can be a pricey option, however, savings of 34% (and more) are available from 20 Railcards available in Britain. What’s more, you can save even more money when buying a card with a Railcard promotional code.

Railcards provide great value for at least 12 months, why pay full fare when it’s so easy to get hold of one. Railcards will pay for themselves within 3 to 5 journeys.

We’ve put together a list of Railcard promotional codes, and all the Railcards available in Britain.

Railcards and Promotional Codes – Quick Links

16-25 Railcard – 1/3 OFF train travel

The 16-25 Railcard used to be called the Young Persons or Student Railcard. It’s available to everyone over 16 and under 26 (and full-time students of any age).

What’s the 16-25 Railcard 2013 offer?

• Save 1/3 on most rail fares
• Average annual saving of £135
• 1/3 discount on London Off-Peak Day Travelcard
• Includes Plusbus combined rail and bus tickets
• Rail and sea through journeys to the Isle of Wight and Ireland included
• Discounts on days out, hotels, restaurants, fitness, magazines, competitions and more

Am I eligible?

• Everyone over 16 and under 26
• Full-time students of any age
• You’ll need a valid passport or UK driving licence
• Visitors can get a 16-25 Railcard if they have an address in Britain

The 16-25 Railcard costs only £28 for one year or get further discounts for £65 for three years. There is a minimum fare of £12 for most journeys before 10am Monday to Friday. See website for further benefits and exclusions.

Also, get a FREE one year Youth Hostel Association (YHA) membership (worth £9.95) when you buy online.

Senior Railcard – 1/3 OFF and fantastic deals

The Senior Railcard offers savings for elderly passengers travelling on UK trains.

What’s the Senior Railcard 2013 offer?

• Save 1/3 on most rail fares
• Average annual savings of £94
• 1/3 discount on London Off-Peak Day Travelcard
• Includes Plusbus combined rail and bus tickets
• Rail and sea through journeys to the Isle of Wight and Ireland included
• Discounts on days out, hotels, restaurants, fitness, magazines, competitions and more

Am I eligible?

• Anyone over 60 both UK residents and visitors
• You’ll need a valid passport or UK driving licence

If you’re enjoying your leisure time or visiting the UK for a few weeks, the Senior Railcard is unbeatable value. Costs only £28 for 12 months or £65 for three years. See website for further benefits and exclusions.

Family & Friends Railcard – 1/3 OFF and other discounts

The Family & Friends Railcard is ideal for groups of adults and children (up to eight people) to get cheaper UK train tickets.

What’s the Family & Friends 2013 offer?

• Save 1/3 on most adult and 60% on kids’ rail fares
• Up to four adults and four children can travel on one railcard (they don’t need to be related)
• 1/3 discount on London Off-Peak Day Travelcard
• Includes Plusbus combined rail and bus tickets
• Rail and sea through journeys to the Isle of Wight and Ireland included
• Discounts on days out, hotels, restaurants, fitness, magazines, competitions and more

Am I eligible?

• You must have a child aged between five to 15 years old travelling with you
• Any two adults can be named railcard holders

Family & Friends Railcards costs just £28 annually or £65 for three years. See website for further benefits and exclusions.

Get a FREE yearly YHA Family Membership (worth £22.95) or renew for just £10 when you buy online.

Network Railcard – 1/3 OFF in London and surrounding area

The Network Railcard is a great offer for those people travelling by train in London and the wide surrounding area. It incorporates Devon, the Midlands, Suffolk and the whole area of London and the South East.

National Rail include it as a national railcard, despite the fact it only offers regional discounts.

What’s the Network Railcard 2013 offer?

• Save 1/3 on most rail fares in the Network Railcard area
• Includes three adults (1/3 OFF) and four children (60% OFF) travelling with the cardholder
• 2for1 London discounts on attractions, exhibition, restaurants, theatre and more

Am I eligible?

• You must be over 16 to purchase a Network Railcard
• Discounts only apply to the Network Railcard area

Network Railcard area map

The Network Railcard costs £28 and is valid for 12 months. £13 minimum fare applies Monday to Friday and travel must be after 10am. There are currently no railcard promotional codes available.

If you buy an Annual season ticket within the Network Railcard area, you will get an Annual Gold Card which includes the Network Railcard discount. Gold Card holders can purchase an additional card for only £1.

To get more information about benefits and exclusions, and to purchase visit the Network Railcard website.

Disabled Persons Railcard – 1/3 OFF and further discounts

For people with disabilities, the Disabled Persons Railcard gets you savings on train tickets.

What’s the Disabled Persons Railcard 2013 offer?

• Save 1/3 on most rail fares across Britain
• Valid for you and one companion on all journeys
• Discounts on books, travel, specialist travel, glasses and more
• FREE Rough Guide to Accessible Britain book

Am I eligible?

• Receive disability-related benefits
• Are registered as deaf or use a hearing aid
• Are registered as visually impaired
• Have epilepsy

Costs are just £20 for one year and £54 for a three year railcard. Your initial purchase must be posted but you can renew after online.

For more information on benefits and exclusions, and to purchase visit the Disabled Persons Railcard website.

You do not need to have a Disabled Persons Railcard to be eligible for reduced fares. Other discounted fares are available to disabled people.

Two Together Railcard – 1/3 OFF in the West Midlands

For people living in the West Midlands area, the Two Together Railcard offers discounted train travel across the whole National Rail Network.

What’s the Two Together Railcard 2013 offer?

• 1/3 OFF all Anytime, Off-Peak, Advance and First Class train fares
• Save around £100 per year on UK rail travel
• Discounts on restaurants, hotels, music, books, travel, fitness and more

Am I eligible?

• Both applicants must be 16 or over (you don’t need to be related)
• Travel must be together to qualify for reduced fares
• You must live in the trial area and in the following postcodes Birmingham (B), Coventry (CV), Dudley (DY), Walsall (WS) and Wolverhampton (WV)

The Two Together Railcard is no longer available to buy. Existing customers can visit their website if you need to replace your Railcard or for other customer services queries.

HM Forces Railcard – 1/3 OFF train tickets

British servicemen, wives and husbands and dependent children can get discounted rail fares with the HM Forces Railcard.

What’s the offer?

• Save 1/3 on most rail fares for you and your wife or husband
• Includes many through bus and ferry links
• 60% OFF for up to four dependent children

Am I eligible?

• All members of the Regular forces
• UK based members of the Brigade of Gurkhas
• TA Non-Regular Permanent
• Wives and husbands and dependent children
• More eligibility (see website)

The HM Forces Railcard costs £15 for one year and can be bought via your unit HR admin staff. For more information on benefit and exclusions, see the HM Forces Railcard website.

National Railcard discounts

Tesco Clubcard – half price railcard promotional code

You can get a 50% OFF railcard promotional code with Tesco Clubcard points. The offer is available on the following one year cards:

• 16-25 Railcard
• Senior Railcard
• Family & Friends Railcard

With the Tesco Clubcard railcard promotional code they cost just £14, instead of the usual £28. You get all the benefits from the railcards as mentioned above and eligibility is exactly the same.

To get the Railcard promotional code, visit the the Tesco Clubcard website.

Gift railcards – discount on standard price

You can get even more money savings if you buy a gift discount railcard. Get more than £1 OFF the normal prices above for the following:

• 16-25 Railcard
• Senior Railcard
• Family & Friends Railcard

The gift cards cost £26.89 (including postage and packaging) for a one year Railcard. For more information and to buy online.

Regional England railcards

Cotswold Line Railcard – 1/3 savings

The Cotswold Line Railcard offers 1/3 OFF discounts on Standard Single and Off-Peak fares on journeys within the Cotswold Line area. This includes Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill, Pershore, Evesham, Honeybourne, Moreton-in-Marsh, Kingham, Shipton, Ascott-under-Wychwood, Charlbury, Finstock, Combe, Hanborough and Oxford.

The 2012 Cotswold Line Railcard costs just £7.50 for one year, to find out more at First Great Western.

Dales Railcard – 1/3 OFF train tickets

The Dales Railcard saves you 1/3 on Single, Day Return and Saver Return tickets. To get these railcard offers you need to live between Skipton and Carlisle (on the Leeds-Settle-Appleby-Carlisle line), Skipton and Carnforth (on the Leeds-Morecambe line), Carlisle and Brampton (one the Tyne Valley Carlisle-Newcastle line) and live in selected postcodes.

The 2012 Dales Railcard is just £10 annually but will be rising to £12 in January 2012. Up to four children can travel with discounts up to 81% of the full adult fare.

You can buy online from The Settle-Carlisle Railway Development Company or download an application form Northern.

Devon and Cornwall Railcard – 1/3 OFF discount fares

The Devon and Cornwall Railcard offers 1/3 reduced rail fares for travel within Devon and Cornwall. It covers most Standard Class Single, Off-Peak Day Return and Off-Peak train tickets. Also, Plusbus rail and bus is included.

To qualify you must be a resident of either county. The 2012 Devon and Cornwall Railcard costs only £10 for one year. One accompanying adult also gets 1/3 OFF their ticket and up to four children for a flat fee of only £1.

For more information about the Devon and Cornwall Railcard and to download an application form visit First Great Western.

Esk Valley Railcard – 1/3 OFF rail travel

The Esk Valley Railcard gives 1/3 savings on train fares on the Esk Valley Railway. If you live in the Boroughs of Middlesborough, Redcar and Cleveland or Stockton, or in the Scarborough, Ryedale, Hambleton districts of North Yorkshire, you are eligible for a Esk Valley Railcard.

The cost is just £12 for annual discounted adult train fares. Up to four accompanying children can travel as well. If you renew your card before it expires, it costs just £7.50.

For more information and how to apply, visit the Esk Valley Railway website.

Regional Scotland railcards

Highland Railcard – 50% OFF train fares

The Highland Railcard offers the best discount of 50% on Anytime and Off-Peak, both Day and Period Return tickets. It’s available to anyone aged 16 or over who live in selected postcode areas.

It’s only available on ScotRail services on the following routes Mallaig/Fort William/Oban – Glasgow, Wick/Thurso – Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh – Inverness.

The 2012 Highland Railcard annual cost is just £8. Two children can travel for just £2 return on any journey accompanied by the cardholder.

For more information, visit the Scotrail website.

Scottish Youth Railcard (SYR) – up to 50% reductions

If you’re aged between 16-18 and live in Scotland you can get 1/3 OFF most rail fares and discounts of 50% on weekly or monthly tickets. This covers all train journeys in Scotland across the ScotRail, Cross Country, East Coast, First TransPennine Express and Virgin Trains networks.

The 2012 Scottish Youth Railcard (SYR) is FREE and valid for 12 months. You must have a Young Scot National Entitlement Card to qualify for the SYR.

For more information about the Scottish Youth Railcard, visit Transport Scotland.

Regional Wales Railcards

Cambrian Lines Railcard – 1/3 OFF on Cambrian Lines

The Cambrian Lines Railcard offers at least 1/3 discount on Standard Class train tickets on Cambrian Lines. This is for journeys from and to Pwllheli – Aberystwyth- Machynlleth – Newtown – Shrewsbury (and stations in between).

The Cambrian Railcard costs only £5 for one year, to download an application form and get more information visit Arriva Wales.

Heart of Wales Line Railcard – 34% discount

The Heart of Wales Railcard gives over a 1/3 OFF Standard Single and Return fares for residents aged 16 or over who live in selected postcodes within the area. It’s valid on journeys between Swansea/Llanelli to Shrewsbury via Llandrindod Wells.

It costs only £5 for 12 months. The cardholder can take up to two children with them for just £2 return, per child.

To download an application form and to find out more go to Arriva Wales.

Pembrokeshire Railcard – 34% reduced fares

The Pembrokshire Railcard is available on most Standard Class train journeys within Pembrokeshire, and extends to Swansea via Carmathen. To be eligible you have to be aged 16 or over and live in qualifying postcode areas.

It costs just £5 for one year with no minimum fare on travel. To download an application and find out more, visit Arriva Wales.

Arriva Trains Wales Seniors’ Railcard – 50% OFF

If you’re over 60 you can get 50% discounts on Cheap Day Return fares on the Cardiff and Valleys route (exclusions between Cardiff Central, Newport and Cheltenham).

The Arriva Train Wales Seniors’ Railcard (also known as the Valleys Senior Railcard) costs just £5 for 12 months. For more information, visit Arriva Wales.

Student Railcard Valleys and Cardiff Local Route – up to 26% discount

Students can get 26% OFF day tickets and reductions of 10% OFF season tickets on key Valleys and local Cardiff rail journeys.

For more information on the Student Railcard, go to Arriva Wales.

Local authority concessionary schemes

Freedom Pass – FREE London travel

The Freedom Pass allows elderly and disabled FREE travel, if they live in a London borough. For the full details of eligibility, it’s best to check directly.

It covers most parts of the London transport but there are some exceptions. Up to four children can travel for FREE with the cardholder.

For more information, visit the London Councils – Freedom Pass website.

Other UK local authority concessionary travel

To find out more about discounts or FREE travel in your local authority, it’s best to check directly with them. The National Rail website has a list of some Railcard discount fare schemes in place.

Railcards are available through Britain and offer bargain train tickets. If you travel just a handful of times a year, you must get one. Don’t get ripped off paying full price when there’s so many great discounts.