Using it
Which tickets the 16-25 Railcard works on (and which it doesn’t)
The railcard takes a third off most fares, including Advance tickets. But Season tickets, Eurostar, most Tube tickets and some others get no discount. Here’s the list, plus what we know about split tickets.
On this page
At a glance
- Works on Anytime, Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak and Advance fares — First Class only when it’s an Advance fare.
- No discount on Season tickets, Eurostar, most London Underground and DLR tickets, or First Class fares that aren’t Advance.
- Some coach and bus links, excursion trains and some train companies’ promotional fares are excluded too.
- It can’t be combined with any other discount.
Tickets that get a third off
| Ticket | Discount? |
|---|---|
| Anytime (Standard) | Yes |
| Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak (Standard) | Yes |
| Advance (Standard) | Yes — and the weekday morning minimum fare doesn’t apply |
| Advance (First Class) | Yes |
| Anytime Day Travelcard bought with a ticket to London from outside Zones 1–9 | Yes, with a minimum fare — see London |
On weekdays before 10am a £12 minimum fare applies to the non-Advance fares — see the morning rule.
Tickets that get no discount
The official pages and terms list these as excluded:
- Season tickets — including Travelcard Seasons and period Travelcards
- Eurostar
- First Class fares that aren’t Advance
- Most London Underground and DLR tickets (but see Oyster)
- Special excursion or charter trains
- Some coach and bus links, including RailAir
- Some promotional fares run by individual train companies
If your ticket includes a bus or ferry link, the discount on that part may be less than a third. And the railcard can’t be combined with any other discount.
Split tickets
Split ticketing means buying separate tickets for different parts of one journey, to pay less overall. We didn’t find any official guidance on how railcards and split tickets work together, so we don’t state any rules here. If you’re buying split tickets with a railcard, check with the retailer or train company that each ticket can take the discount — and remember the weekday morning minimum fare and the excluded tickets above.
On the day
- Carry your railcard. Without it you may have to pay the full fare, or get a Penalty Fare — see lost, stolen or forgotten.
- If you’re not sure a ticket qualifies, check the official “Using your Railcard” page before you buy.
Sources
Checked 17 October 2026. We wrote this guide from these sources, in our own words:
- 16-25 Railcard: using your Railcard (official) (16-25railcard.co.uk)
- 16-25 Railcard terms and conditions (official) (16-25railcard.co.uk)
- 16-25 Railcard: FAQs (official) (16-25railcard.co.uk)
- 16-25 Railcard (official site) (16-25railcard.co.uk)
We are an independent guide, not the official Railcard website. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.