Over 65 travel in the EU

Corsendonk · 20-01-2011 04:09PM #1

I have tried to find more info on this but its very fractured. We in Ireland have free travel for over 65 and Irish Rail in conjunction with Bord Failte have extended the scheme to tourists for rail travel. Hungary offers free travel to anyone over 65 including fellow citizens of the EU and Canada. ID cards for Senior Citizens differ throughout Europe were in some countries you appear to have to apply locally for senior citizen ID cards inorder to get concessions.

Do you know what the other member states offer? Is there any moves to standerdise concessions for over 65s or at least bring in a common ID card for over 65 EU citizens throughtout the EU?

Scofflaw · 21-01-2011 09:45AM

I suspect that senior travel discounts are a national matter rather than a European one. Some useful information here, which you may of course already have seen.

cordially,
Scofflaw

TalkToEU: John · 21-01-2011 04:54PM

Hi Corendonk,

To follow-on from Scofflaw, this would be a matter for national governments and there are no EU policies to harmonise concessions or introduce a common senior citizen ID card across the EU that we are aware of, nor have heard of.

In Ireland, free travel passes for the over 65s would fall into the social welfare category. The EU however, has no competence over the Welfare State of each country.

later12 · 21-01-2011 08:05PM

In France, there is the SNCF Carte Senior for old people to avail of travel concessions, these concessions can be very significant as far as I can remember because they were at similar rates to the student fares. a 50% reduction off peak would be reasonably common.

In the UK there is the National Railcard for elderly travellers and I think that as a tourist you get a concession of 20% or thereabouts.

In either case as far as I am aware there is no free travel for senior citizens who are non residents. I'm not really sure about anywhere else in the EU.

Over 65 travel in the EU

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