Sixty used to be when your pension started if you were a woman, nowadays many of us will have to wait until we’re 67. It made me wonder whether there’s anything these days you can get cheaper or free when you reach this lifetime landmark. In preparation I thought I’d do a bit of research and the answer is a resounding ‘yes’. There’s quite a lot, in fact, so I’m going to spread this information over two blogs. Today I start with travel discounts, tomorrow the focus will be on retail. Please note, all these offers are subject to change.
Rail Travel – If you’re over 60, you qualify for a Senior Railcard. It costs £30 but you get a third off any standard or first class ticket. If you plan on travelling by rail, that’s a huge saving. For a 3-year plan, you pay only £70, saving you even more. If you live in Scotland and are over 50, you can opt for ScotRail’s Club 50 card. Membership costs £15 a year and you get 20% discount on off-peak and advance bookings as well as other benefits and perks.
60+ Oyster Card – The 60+ Oyster Card has a one-off cost of £20 and if you live in a London borough you can use the city’s public transport free. A weekly travel card for an adult (Zones 1-6) costs £62.30, so if you use London transport a lot, you will make some big savings. Top Tip: If you have an Oyster card and a senior railcard, you can take them both to a main London rail ticket office and ask them to link the railcard to the Oyster card. This will mean your journey by Oyster will cost 30% less on London Transport. You have to redo this whenever you renew your railcard.
Bus Travel – In England access to a free bus pass is linked to women’s state pension age, even for men which is a bit disappointing. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland free bus passes start at 60. If you live in London, you can travel for free on buses and tubes with a 60+ London Oyster photocard which costs £20 until you qualify for a Freedom Pass.
National Express – Save a third on standard and fully flexible fares to hundreds of towns, cities and airports across the UK with Senior Coachcard. You can also use your card for travel on Tuesdays and you’ll pay just £15 for a day return anywhere in the UK (except airports). You have to book your tickets three days in advance. The card costs £10 a year plus £2.50 p&p.
Wightlink Ferries Over 60s can enjoy discounted rates on Wightlink ferries to the Isle of Wight. You’ll need to show proof of age if you’re lucky enough to look younger.
Camping and Caravanning Club – If you’re a Club member you can get an additional 25% off club site pitch fees in all seasons except the high season. This works out as 288 days of discounted camping per year. Find out more here https://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/
Interrail – For a bit more adventure, those aged 60 or over can get 10% off fares with Interrail, which allows you to travel across 30 European countries by train. The discount is available on first or second-class travel.
Claiming over-60 discounts on rail travel in Europe – Trainline now allows you to book train and bus tickets for anywhere in Europe and it makes it super easy to get the best fares for over 60s, just select Senior (60+) when selecting passenger type and they’ll automatically select the best price available for you. For more details and to book visit trainline.eu
Going Abroad? If you’re travelling to the USA, check out Senior Citizen Discount List for discounts on Restaurants, Retail Stores, Grocery Stores, and Travel.
A load more reasons to look forward to turning 60. Come July, I’ll be claiming as many of these discounts as I can. Look out for part two tomorrow focusing mainly on cinemas, culture and sport.