Senior Discount Cards on the Austrian Train System
 

The ÖBB (Austrian National Rail System) sells a senior discount card called a Vorteilscard Senioren. The cost/benefits are greatly in the consumer's favor. <BR>Can I, as a foreigner, purchase one? <BR>I know a picture and proof of age are required, so the big question is this: Can I buy one??

Bob, <BR>Have you been to the rail system's website? You may find your answer there; if not, you can email them from the site. Do a search for oebb fahrplan and you'll get the site.

Wes. It was by reading the ÖBB website that I found out about the Vorteilscard in the first place. I also know the cost, and the benefits. But the web site does not say one way other whether or not only Austrian citizens and permanent residents are eligible. <BR>In some cases the passes are tied to the pension system, including the <BR>Kriegsopferversorgungsgesetz. <BR>(War victims support law literally translated.) <BR>So I thought I would try to find out before I walked up and plunked down my money and my photographs. <BR> <BR>I might be like a fellow here in Athens. He was an exchange student and a veteran of the German army. On the Georgia driver's license form at the time, there was a question: Are you a veteran? Y N <BR>He said Y. And got as free license. <BR>

I am a little amused by the fact that none of you seem to know the answer to the Austrian rail pass question. <BR>I read the pompous posing and posturings espoused by members of the elitist club, particularly those authoritative-sounding, bombastic fulminations about where to go in Switzerland, France, and Italy. <BR>And then there is all of the tripe that gets slung around that poses as an answer to the readers questions. But it appears that our travel experts run out of steam once they get east of a north-south line that extends through Linz and Prague. The poseurs are strangely silent on this one. <BR>Guess you guys and gals are clueless. <BR>

Interesting comments by Mr. Al. <BR>I got my answer to my question posted above. It was a little slow in coming. Here it is, direct quote. <BR> <BR>Die Vorteilscard Senior bekommt Jedermann. <BR>Also auch Ausländer. <BR> <BR>Mit freundlichen Grüßen <BR>Erich Binder <BR>************************************ <BR>6Österreichische Bundesbahnen <BR>Reiseservicecenter Wien/ Zentrale Zugauskunft <BR> <BR>I think that says foreigner can make the purchase, and I qualify because in Austria I am definitely a member of the <BR>Aüslander set. <BR>Case closed as far as I am concerned. <BR>I am curious as to why more of us have not taken advantage of the Vorteilscard Senioren because, if the cost figures I read are accurate, the pass pays for itself very, very quickly.

Bob, <BR>Just received about two pounds of travel literature from the Austrian National Tourist Office (along with a request for a $3.00 donation to defray costs). Found this quote: "Various other discounts (in addition to Eurail, European East and Austrian passes) are available to tourists, e.g. for senior citizens, students and children when buying a train ticket directly in Austria."

That card seems to really good value. I don't know whether you noticed that it offers automatic membership in a Vorteils-club. I don't know whether the other advantages are usefull but there seemed to be car rental companies involved, too. <BR> <BR>A few tips about Germany, which might be interesting: I don't know whether there are any restrictions but the German railway offers a bahncard for seniors, too, at about 65 USD. It offers 50% restriction of the prices and could pay out after two train rides. If you add 15 USD to it, you get a 25% price reduction in a lot of European countries. People under 60 can also buy a bahncard for about 130 USD. Additional bahncards for a spouse or children are cheaper. Families or groups travelling together can go cheaper anyway since only one person pays the full price and the rest pays 50%, small children only 25%. There are special prices for trains between 19.00 and 3.00. There are special prices for trains to airports in Germany, you just have to show your airline ticket. The weekend tickets for regional trains, at 20 USD for up to 5 people, are valid a day. <BR> <BR>Basically there is a full page of price reduction for the German railway and I guess that a lot of tourists don't use them. But in a normal train, probably less than 20% of the people have paid the normal price. If I was travelling to Germany and planed to use the railway extensively, I would either look up the webpage at www.bahn.de or ask at the information of the airport for the cheapest ways to travel by rail in Germany. Other countries are probably the same. <BR> <BR>