Changes in free European travel for pensioners

[shredder1]

I was fined last week on the Budapest Metro for traveling without a ticket after Brexit, 8,000 HUF, which is only around £18, but UK pensioners are apparently being targeted and I had difficulty finding the wording of the change. Slovakia is still free, even for non EU pensioners, you just need a photograph for the pass and have to book each train you choose to travel on. Prague and some of the Polish cities are still offering free travel for those of certain ages. Please feel free to add any updates to this thread, thank you.

 

[johncrossley]

I was fined last week on the Budapest Metro for traveling without a ticket after Brexit, 8,000 HUF, which is only around £18, but UK pensioners are apparently being targeted and I had difficulty finding the wording of the change. Slovakia is still free, even for non EU pensioners, you just need a photograph for the pass and have to book each train you choose to travel on. Prague and some of the Polish cities are still offering free travel for those of certain ages. Please feel free to add any updates to this thread, thank you.

I remember @dutchflyer mentioning that it applies to EU citizens only some time ago. You know who to blame, and it isn't the Hungarians.

Edit: I found the post from 5 years ago:

Free Rail Passes for Hungary over 65`s.

For the over 65`s, just wondering if there are any for EU members, I believe I can just use a passport for getting around Budapest by tram and bus for free, but didnt test it last time I was out, I`m off for a few weeks in May to try to cover some more lines and wondered what if anything was...

www.railforums.co.uk

Its officially for ALL regular public transport (only base fare, as said the usual supplements for fast trains/buses and seat reservations must be paid) and ONLY for EU-citizens.
I've already heard about busdrivers refusing the english as''you are out of EU''. And of course you cannot expect all 1000s of local busdrivers to grasp all the fine details of brexit etc. The English of course also stand out as you do not have the usual ID-cards that about anyone uses

So nothing 'changed' from the Hungarians point of view. It was only for EU citizens in the first place.

 

[30907]

I was fined last week on the Budapest Metro for traveling without a ticket after Brexit, 8,000 HUF, which is only around £18, but UK pensioners are apparently being targeted and I had difficulty finding the wording of the change. Slovakia is still free, even for non EU pensioners, you just need a photograph for the pass and have to book each train you choose to travel on. Prague and some of the Polish cities are still offering free travel for those of certain ages. Please feel free to add any updates to this thread, thank you.

Not free, but AIUI Czechia has (or is going to?) increased national rail pensioner fares from 1/4 to 1/2.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Hungarian pensioners don't get a free ride on the London metro, so we can't complain.
I think Hungary is the only country to restrict pensioner fares for visitors to EU citizens.
In several countries they are available on demand with ID (passport), but of course many countries restrict such benefits to residents with local identity cards, or only offer benefits with season tickets.

 

[shredder1]

Not free, but AIUI Czechia has (or is going to?) increased national rail pensioner fares from 1/4 to 1/2.

Sorry whats not free?

Hungarian pensioners don't get a free ride on the London metro, so we can't complain.
I think Hungary is the only country to restrict pensioner fares for visitors to EU citizens.
In several countries they are available on demand with ID (passport), but of course many countries restrict such benefits to residents with local identity cards, or only offer benefits with season tickets.

Its not a complaint, its just for information, the fares are very cheap in Hungary anyway

 

[reb0118]

The revenue bods on the Budapest Metro are absolutely brutal. I was seriously thinking of taking out a contract to eliminate a certain female but the local gangsters politely declined my offer.

 

[Fragezeichnen]

Haha Your post reminded of the film of the Hungarian film "Kontroll", set in a fictional version of the Budapest subway ticket inspection team,

 

[shredder1]

Haha Your post reminded of the film of the Hungarian film "Kontroll", set in a fictional version of the Budapest subway ticket inspection team,

Here it is, lol,

 

[30907]

Sorry whats not free?

Rail travel for pensioners in CZ was never free (exceptions in Prague area IIRC), which is the thread title, but the level of discount has changed.

 

[dutchflyer]

Pensioners, but >70 can get free local urban travel in some CZ cities, in Praha (DPP) even from 65, BUT you need first to get a kind of customer card, bring foto, pay 60 CzK, valid 5 yrs, as >70 you need to get another one. This is not restricted to EU only. Addon: it seems that from 70 one can now use ID (IF from EU/EER OR passpt-for others. IN Praha/DPP which I visited for in total nearly 14 days spread the last 2 yrs I was never ever checked.
Various Polish cities also offer free travel-mostly from 70, incl Warszawa and Krakow, the major touristy cities, not sure if limited to EU or not.
Slovakia TRAINs also offer free trvael, from 62 or 63 (age slowly rises), for also now only EU as I recall, again a free customer card (bring foto and preferably a printed address to ease communication) must first be had (at customer info pints) =and then for local=osobny=personal trains every trip a free ticket must be got from office. For R-ychlik=fast there are quota and need to REServe-at maybe 1 or 2€ I thought.
Re HU: I remember that when there were only talks about your island in the Northsea going to brexiteer, there were some reports that the odd HU/Volan busdriver told´not valid anymore´ (anyone here has ID, so stand out as a sore threat with a passport book)-well, one cannot expect a simple busdriver to follow all the news at the minute, or?
Actually I am now in FRance and awaiting an overnight train to Provence using an INterRail and here various cities even restrict their lower senior busfares to locals from that town only!

 

[shredder1]

Rail travel for pensioners in CZ was never free (exceptions in Prague area IIRC), which is the thread title, but the level of discount has changed.

Oh yes of course, thanks for clarifying.

Pensioners, but >70 can get free local urban travel in some CZ cities, in Praha (DPP) even from 65, BUT you need first to get a kind of customer card, bring foto, pay 60 CzK, valid 5 yrs, as >70 you need to get another one. This is not restricted to EU only. Addon: it seems that from 70 one can now use ID (IF from EU/EER OR passpt-for others. IN Praha/DPP which I visited for in total nearly 14 days spread the last 2 yrs I was never ever checked.
Various Polish cities also offer free travel-mostly from 70, incl Warszawa and Krakow, the major touristy cities, not sure if limited to EU or not.
Slovakia TRAINs also offer free trvael, from 62 or 63 (age slowly rises), for also now only EU as I recall, again a free customer card (bring foto and preferably a printed address to ease communication) must first be had (at customer info pints) =and then for local=osobny=personal trains every trip a free ticket must be got from office. For R-ychlik=fast there are quota and need to REServe-at maybe 1 or 2€ I thought.
Re HU: I remember that when there were only talks about your island in the Northsea going to brexiteer, there were some reports that the odd HU/Volan busdriver told´not valid anymore´ (anyone here has ID, so stand out as a sore threat with a passport book)-well, one cannot expect a simple busdriver to follow all the news at the minute, or?
Actually I am now in FRance and awaiting an overnight train to Provence using an INterRail and here various cities even restrict their lower senior busfares to locals from that town only!

Thats great info, thank you.

 

[dutchflyer]

Related; Denmark is to RAISE the lower age limit for cheaper (not free at all) pensioners tickets to 67 from 1/7/22.
(note as I just searched for the summer ticket offer in a thread nearby)

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Actually I am now in FRance and awaiting an overnight train to Provence using an INterRail and here various cities even restrict their lower senior busfares to locals from that town only!

Similar to here where Welsh senior bus passes are not valid in England or vice versa, and Merseyrail/travel free senior concessions don't work for non-residents.
Local administrations don't want "foreigners" (ie paying no taxes in the area) being subsidised by locals.

In Budapest, I never felt it right to utilise free travel, the BKV day tourist ticket is cheap enough, and similar in Prague.
The hospital I used in Budapest did try and charge me for treatment, saying UK EHIC cards were not valid, but that was before we actually left the EU.
The senior concessions on MAV come with extra restrictions for foreign travellers, as they are not valid on cross-border trains.

 

[shredder1]

Similar to here where Welsh senior bus passes are not valid in England or vice versa, and Merseyrail/travel free senior concessions don't work for non-residents.
Local administrations don't want "foreigners" (ie paying no taxes in the area) being subsidised by locals.

In Budapest, I never felt it right to utilise free travel, the BKV day tourist ticket is cheap enough, and similar in Prague.
The hospital I used in Budapest did try and charge me for treatment, saying UK EHIC cards were not valid, but that was before we actually left the EU.
The senior concessions on MAV come with extra restrictions for foreign travellers, as they are not valid on cross-border trains.

Yes I never felt right about the free travel in Budapest until I realised how much the UK was paying into the EU, and how much Hungary was getting, €14.2 billion of balance of payment assistance composed of €8.7 billion from the IMF and €5.5 billion from the European Union.