Last Updated on 20 September 2023 by Colette
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Shortly before taking the kids on their very first trip to London one October half term I invested in a Family & Friends Railcard. The card basically paid for itself within that first trip making it a worthwhile investment for us!
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Quick Family & Friends Railcard Facts
How much does the railcard cost?
The Family and Friends Railcard costs £30 for the whole year – this is payable up front when you purchase your card.
Who can use a Family & Friends railcard?
Up to four adults and four children (aged 5 to 15) on one trip but you must have at least one child travelling with you.
Can I share a railcard with a friend?
Definitely – you can have two named people on each card so you could each travel by train and benefit from the discount without the other there. You must have your card with you when you travel.
Where do you get a railcard from?
You can buy a one year railcard online, in person at the train station or over the phone. The three year railcard must be purchased online.
How do you use a Railcard?
Using a railcard for discounted train travel is simple. You buy your railcard, book your tickets ensuring to present your railcard if you’re buying tickets in person or check the online box for your railcard and then make sure you have your railcard with you when you travel (either as a plastic card or in digital format on your phone!)
Can you use a Family & Friends Railcard at peak times?
Your Family & Friends Railcard cannot be used on morning peak services for journeys that start and end within the London & South East on Monday to Friday (except on public holidays).
It is of course best to travel during quieter times and Railcard can help you save 1/3 on your off-peak tickets.
What is a Family and Friends Railcard?
If you’ve not heard of the Family and Friends Railcard before, it’s basically a paid-for discount card. The Family and Friends rail card costs £30 for the whole year, and then saves you 1/3 on adult and 60% on kids’ rail fares throughout Great Britain! (It’s worth pointing out that you must be travelling with at least one child to be able to use your Railcard!) To save even more money, you can buy a three year railcard for £70!
(If you aren’t travelling with children, it might be worth considering an alternative railcard, for example the Two Together Railcard or the 26-30 Railcard)
Is a Railcard worth the money?
With savings of that size they will soon add up and cover the cost of buying the card in the first place. In fact, the average saving for Family and Friends Railcard users is £141 over the course of the year. For us, the savings on just one trip to London equalled the cost of the card meaning every time we set foot on a train after that we were saving money!
How does a Family and Friends Railcard work?
With the Family and Friends railcard, you can have up to four adults and fours kids (aged 5 to 15) benefiting from the discount on every journey making it perfect for larger families like ours or those times where you want to go adventuring with friends! You can have two named adults on one Railcard meaning if you’re not using it the other named person can be. Our card has both mine and Dave’s names on meaning either of us could take the kids out on the train and use the card but there’s nothing to stop you going halves with your best friend and sharing the card.
Family Train Travel
I have such fond memories of travelling by train as a child – it always felt so exciting. I’m not sure if that was because of the journey itself or the destination but either way it felt a real treat. Even now in my late 30s I still enjoy catching a train and was excited to be able to do this with the kids.
Our trip to London wasn’t a touristy one, we had been invited to an event and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to take the kids to London on the train. I guess I saw it as a bit of a test. Taking three kids to London on my own for the day felt like a big deal – for a start I just don’t have enough hands! To combat that, both girls wore wrist straps and Ben was given strict instructions to hold onto Chloe’s hand. We had such a lovely day out and it certainly proved to me that we were more than capable of doing it again!
Check out the Journey Planner to see how much money you can save with your Family & Friends Railcard!
If you’re planning your Easter holiday adventures – check out the Journey Planner too which shows you how much you could save on a particular journey using your Railcard. It’s also worth noting that if you are travelling by train you can get 2FOR1 entry offers on many British attractions such as London Eye, Tower of London or LSL London Zoo. (Check out this post of educational days out in London too for extra ideas!)
What are your plans for this school holiday? Will you be hopping on the train?
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Well you certainly went on an adventure that day Colette! I’ve just used a Family & Friends Railcard for the first time myself and wish we’d got one years ago.
I remember us having them as children so we could travel to Dover to visit my Aunty but this is only my second year of having on myself.
Well you certainly went on an adventure that day Colette! I’ve just used a Family & Friends Railcard for the first time myself and wish we’d got one years ago.