There are restrictions however. The main one is that two adults can sign on the ticket as the official ticket holders and at least one of them must be included in the group of 4 adults/4 children. Unless one of the named ticket holders is there, the discount can’t be applied. The second main restriction is that there must be at least one child over the age of 5 in the group – 4 adults and no children isn’t eligible for the Friends and Family discount. The other main restriction is that not all train journeys are allowed with the discount. The main journey restrictions involve peak travel times on peak travel routes so the best way of ensuring that you can use the Friends and Family Railcard discount against your train ticket purchase is by asking the ticket seller BEFORE you purchase the Railcard. There are other restrictions, especially regarding eligible child age, so make sure you read the terms and conditions before buyi
ng the Railcard and that way you’ll know that it’s worth the added expense.
Restrictions, rules and regulations aside, this Railcard is great for a family vacation. Imagine saving £10 on each adult fare and £5 on each child fare – for a family of four that’s a saving of £30, on one return journey you’ll have paid for the card and saved an additional £5, plus the card is valid an entire year. Additionally there are savings to be made through deals the company has with other places, such as if you buy the Friends and Family Railcard online currently you’ll get a free one-year membership with the Youth Hostel Association. Just now there are a number of 2 for 1 ticket discounts at such London attractions as Madame Tussauds, The London Dungeon and ZXL London Zoo, plus 2 for 1 offers for theater tickets such as “Les Miserables” and “We Will Rock You”. These offers are subject to change so make sure you sign up for any update information emails that are offered when you purchase your Friends and Family Railcard.
As with all things you must ensure that the Railcard will be valid for the purpose you need it, but if it is, then you’ll find it was financially worth the effort you made looking into it. And if you travel through Manchester using your rail card, make sure you visit the Beetham Tower as it’s the highest residential building in Europe.