Family & Friends Railcard: 60% off kids fares — the maths
If you ever travel by train with children, this is usually the first card to buy: 60% off children's fares is the deepest discount in the system, and it applies to up to four children at once.
The numbers
| Cost | £35 for 1 year, or £80 for 3 years |
| Discount | 1/3 off adults, 60% off children aged 5–15 |
| Covers | Up to 4 adults and 4 children on one journey |
| Break-even | About £105 of adult fares — or far less with children |
Why the children's discount changes the maths
Children already pay about half the adult fare; this card takes 60% off that. A family day out where the kids' tickets would total £40 saves £24 in one trip. Add a third off the adults and a single family outing can recover half the card's cost.
For a family of two adults and two children, a typical day trip saves roughly £20–£30 — so two or three trips a year and you're ahead.
Pros
- 60% off up to four children — unmatched by any other card
- Adults get the standard third off
- Adults don't have to be parents — any four adults travelling with a child qualify (grandparents, friends, groups)
- Three-year option at £80
- Works on Anytime, Off-Peak and Advance fares
Cons
- At least one adult and one child (5–15) must travel together — you can't use it for adult-only journeys
- Weekday morning restriction: generally no travel before 09:30 Monday to Friday (weekends and public holidays are fine)
- Under-5s already travel free, so very young families save less than they expect
- Not valid on season tickets
Who should buy it
Any household that takes even a few family trips a year, grandparents who take grandchildren out, and anyone organising group days out with children. The break-even is so low that it's almost automatic if children travel with you at all.
How to use it
Buy online (digital cards arrive in minutes and live in the Railcard app or your phone's wallet), add the card to your account on whichever ticket site you use, and the discount is applied automatically at checkout. Staff and barrier scanners check the card against the ticket, so carry the card — or your phone — whenever you travel on a discounted ticket.
Stack it with cheaper tickets
A Railcard discount applies on top of the fare you'd otherwise pay, so it combines with everything else that saves money:
- Advance tickets — book early for a specific train, then take the third off
- Off-peak travel — a cheaper base fare means the Railcard saves less in cash terms, but the total is still the lowest
- Split ticketing — the discount applies to each ticket in a split combination
Check your train before you travel
Once you've booked, you can watch your train run in real time on our live UK rail map — live position, platform, delay and the full stop-by-stop timetable for every service.
Prices and conditions were correct when this guide was written and can change — always confirm on the official Railcard site before buying.