About the Rail Card in London and getting to other places

[icydog]

Hi, I am inquiring about arrangements for my trip to London this coming Monday. I have previously gotten some good advice on this UK Community board. Following your advice, we're going to travel on the Heathrow Express, the quickest and least arduous trip to Paddington Station, and forgo cabs and buses. While trying to buy 2 rt tickets to London from Heathrow on the Heathrow Express website, I found out about the existense of something called a Rail Card. They said it is for Seniors, my husband is 74, and for disabled persons, I have severe arthritis, but I am not sure if
non-Brits who meet these qualifications can use it. There are some wonderful two for ones that you can get if you show the Rail Card and a train ticket but I am not sure what they mean. If I can get a Rail Card then will I have to take a train around London in order to get the discounts? I find the tubes very difficult to navigate, they are wonderful and quick but I find I have a great deal of difficulty with so many stairs. We try to take buses and cabs to most destinations. If I don't take the tube won't I be able to use this Rail Card?


Also we were going to try to take day trips outside of London to Strafford on Avon, Cambridge or Westminster. Is this difficult to manage? Where do you get the trains. I know I should have done more research but I figured reading the travel books on the plane would give me something to do.

 

[KayleeUK]

Giving this a bump up for you.....hope someone will be able to help Marylyn.

 

[carolfoy]

As a british rail approved agent, I can tell you that the rail cards are for 60+ cost £20 each per year and offer up to a third off standard rail fares, you are not supposed to be able to own one if you're non british resident although I issue a dozen or more a year to non brits who have a UK address, I'm not sure about any 2 for 1 offers at the mo but they can save more than the cost of the card itself if buying rail tix at the last minute and travelling on fares costing above £60 (not difficult),
Tube trains are not included in this deal nor are other privately owned services such as heathrow express.

Stratford goes out of Marylebone
cambridge is from kings cross and westminster is part of the tube service

 

[icydog]

As a british rail approved agent, I can tell you that the rail cards are for 60+ cost £20 each per year and offer up to a third off standard rail fares, you are not supposed to be able to own one if you're non british resident

I thought it was too good to be true. How about on the Heathrow Express, is there a discount for disabled or older US citizens?

 

[carolfoy]

Unfortuantely as far as I know - No, unless theres a special deal only available in the states.
just for info a standard return saver tix from london to cambridge, £24.90 with railcard is £16.45, from london to stratford without railcard is £34.90 with railcard £23.05, it may still be worth your while getting them although you DO need a UK address to put on the form, if you have relatives or friends here, use theirs!

 

[icydog]

Unfortuantely as far as I know - No, unless theres a special deal only available in the states.
just for info a standard return saver tix from london to cambridge, £24.90 with railcard is £16.45, from london to stratford without railcard is £34.90 with railcard £23.05, it may still be worth your while getting them although you DO need a UK address to put on the form, if you have relatives or friends here, use theirs!

Can I put the address of the timeshare? Do they actually mail you something or is your London Address only for the form?

 

[carolfoy]

Go ahead and use the london address, if you're buying the cards over the counter, the clerk won't know its a timeshare address, as far as I know they only ever send out reminders for renewals and the odd special offer to that 'home' address. If you're buying the cards over the internet you'll obviously need an address they can send the cards to!

 

[icydog]

Go ahead and use the london address, if you're buying the cards over the counter, the clerk won't know its a timeshare address, as far as I know they only ever send out reminders for renewals and the odd special offer to that 'home' address. If you're buying the cards over the internet you'll obviously need an address they can send the cards to!

Thanks for that heads up but won't an address like 2 Hyde Park Square (the timeshare's address) seem suspicious to an attendant. Is there anyway to find a more generic address? Maybe I could look up some Carlyle (our family name) ancestors or distant cousins in London and use their address. When we are in London nobody has any trouble spelling our name but over here they insist on spelling it Carlisle.
Thanks,
Marylyn Carlyle