TGV-senior card
 

When you book aTGV ticket on Senior class they tell you that you must show your "senior card". Is that something special or will a passport be good?

When I booked our tickets from Paris to Munich I 'ticked' the Senior box but have no idea whether I received any more discount because of it. I think the "senior card" applies to local residents only.
Hope someone has more clarity for our next time!

You must be over 60 to buy a Senior Card. It costs €56 and it is valid for a year. You must provide ID or passport when you buy it plus a passport-size photograph. You get a minimum of 25% off on all trains, up to 50% on others.
The conductors ALWATS check Senior Cards and fine you if you don't show it.

Hi tpay,
As pv says, it is something that you must buy. It is also possible that it is available to EU residents only.

((I))

I have used the senior discount quite often without having a senior card..so far I never had any problems.

Kismetchimera :
Either you were very lucky or you did not get the senior discount when booking. If you don't provide the card number you pay the normal fare.

I have never heard of a nationality restriction on the purchase of a <i>Carte Senior</i>. From the SNCF document <b>Les Tarif Voyageurs 2009</b>.

<i>Bénéficiaires
Toute personne ayant atteint l’âge de 60 ans à la date de début de validité de la carte peut bénéficier d’une Carte Senior. </i>

Anyone (60 or over) can purchase these but you'll not receive the corresponding reduced fare without one.

I bought TGV tickets at the senior rate earlier this year. I wasn't asked for ID (other than the CC I used to pay) either when I picked up the tickets, or when I used them. I haven't previously heard of a Senior Card (other than one required for the senior rate in the UK) and certainly don't have one.

The Carte Senior entitles you to at least a 25% reduction on any train, any time. Without the Carte Senior, anyone 60 and over may get a reduced fare on certain trains at certain times. This fare is called Decouverte Senior and will be offered automatically, where applicable, when you indicate your age.

MaineGG - Yes, I think that is what happened when I booked because they asked the age of each ticket holder when I was purchasing online. I remember thinking that the price of the Senior Card was far too expensive to use for just one train journey and it's obviously for people travelling often.
Thanks for clearing that up!

MaineGG - thanks for the info! Next time I'll have to remember that and see if the Carte would be an improvement.

One advantage of the senior card that you pay 56 euros for is that you can get a refund on an unused ticket. I have a friend who gets the senior discount without paying for the card (the amount of the discount can be less than with the card) and once when her flight to Paris was late and she missed the TGV to Aix-en-Provence she lost the price of the ticket.

"One advantage of the senior card that you pay 56 euros for is that you can get a refund on an unused ticket".

This is true before departure time but not always after.

Merci!