# Bus Passes, etc.



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Somebody asked about bus passes for the elderly in Spain.

Here in Andalucía, if you are over 65 you can get, via the Social Worker at the Ayuntamiento a "sesentaycinco" card issue by the Junta which gives you a number of benefits including:
50% reduction on buses (supported by the Junta de Andalucía - or most of them)
Reductions on the admission costs to museums, public monuments, all the touristy things
Considerable reduction in the cost of spectacle lenses (eyesight tests are free anyway not like the usual con in UK) although you may have to pay for the frames which are a matter of personal choice, but if you are having old frames reglazed, the cost of your 'new' glasses can be reduced by something like 110€

and a number of others.

BTW, if you have glaucoma and could do with more frequent tests of the intra-ocular pressures, most opticians will do it free of charge.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> Somebody asked about bus passes for the elderly in Spain.
> 
> Here in Andalucía, if you are over 65 you can get, via the Social Worker at the Ayuntamiento a "sesentaycinco" card issue by the Junta which gives you a number of benefits including:
> 50% reduction on buses (supported by the Junta de Andalucía - or most of them)
> ...


I think this deserves its own thread 

so it now has one


about the glaucoma tests - I don't have glaucoma, but both my parents did, so I get fairly frequent tests - & free - & I'm quite a way off being a pensioner........


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Gold card for rail travel
http://renfe.mobi/renfev2/jsp/descu...C994E7823?ss=07F7B21053D0CAFF50C42D356590B739
If you are 60 years old, make the most of the advantages and convenience of travelling by train and apply for a Dorada Card. This card will entitle you to purchase tickets for any class and train. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays you will receive a 40% discount. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays the discount will be 25% for tickets that have not been bought in advance and with a reserved seat.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

We don't have ant trains here, would the Dorada card give 40% discount on the local slurp, which also goes by the name of Dorada

I think I know the answer


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Do all these 'freebies' depend on you having an income below a certain level?


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> Do all these 'freebies' depend on you having an income below a certain level?


It is just the same as in UK so No, if you are a resident in Andalucía and, of course on the Padron, and over 65 then you can get the "Over 65" card. I don't know whether other autonomous communities have similar schemes, only about Andalucía. Perhaps residents in other communities will check and add to this thread.

As I said, just skip down to the town hall, ask to see the social worker (or whoever handles the "tarjeta sesentaycinco" scheme) take your relevant paperwork plus the usual photos and ask for a card. Unlike UK, it carries other benefits beyond the buses.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

baldilocks said:


> It is just the same as in UK so No, if you are a resident in Andalucía and, of course on the Padron, and over 65 then you can get the "Over 65" card. I don't know whether other autonomous communities have similar schemes, only about Andalucía. Perhaps residents in other communities will check and add to this thread.
> 
> As I said, just skip down to the town hall, ask to see the social worker (or whoever handles the "tarjeta sesentaycinco" scheme) take your relevant paperwork plus the usual photos and ask for a card. Unlike UK, it carries other benefits beyond the buses.



Thanks. Useful info.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Another good reason for going on the Padrón.

Lots of towns also offer heavily subsidised coach trips and excursions for the over 65s. We wanted to go on one to El Rocio after seeing a poster, but were told we were too young! That isn't something I hear often these days ... 

Meanwhile I see back in Blighty the government are withdrawing subsidised travel on National Express coaches for pensioners and the disabled.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Hepa said:


> We don't have ant trains here, would the Dorada card give 40% discount on the local slurp, which also goes by the name of Dorada
> 
> I think I know the answer


Ant trains? Looks like you've been on it already!


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Alcalaina said:


> Any trains? Looks like you've been on it already!


Never before the sun goes down, a rule from colonial times, passed down through generations of tea and rubber planters. Strictly adhered to here,

Hepa


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Alcalaina said:


> Meanwhile I see back in Blighty the government are withdrawing subsidised travel on National Express coaches for pensioners and the disabled.


I'm going to make myself very unpopular here, but I've been using the bus a few times since I've been back in the UK and it really annoys me that hardly anyone seems to pay, cos everyone seems to have a bus pass - apart from me and I cannot believe the cost to travel two miles into town £3.50!!!!!! I walk whenever possible. But it seems to me that to try to cover the cost of all the bus passes, they charge huge amounts to fare payers, who, like me probably walk or drive instead - The buses arent full or anywhere near. Usually me and four or five others!!! Hardly a viable business! So, I think they should either make bus passes 50% off or reduce the normal fare to encourage people to use buses.

Sorry :focus:

Jo xxx


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

jojo said:


> I'm going to make myself very unpopular here, but I've been using the bus a few times since I've been back in the UK and it really annoys me that hardly anyone seems to pay, cos everyone seems to have a bus pass - apart from me and I cannot believe the cost to travel two miles into town £3.50!!!!!! I walk whenever possible. But it seems to me that to try to cover the cost of all the bus passes, they charge huge amounts to fare payers, who, like me probably walk or drive instead - The buses arent full or anywhere near. Usually me and four or five others!!! Hardly a viable business! So, I think they should either make bus passes 50% off or reduce the normal fare to encourage people to use buses.
> 
> Sorry :focus:
> 
> Jo xxx


But are the all using FREE bus passes? Maybe people have bought a weekly or monthly pass. You can't use the free ones till after 9.30 when the rush hour is over and the buses would be empty otherwise. I've been trying to encourage my mum to use hers more and save on petrol. You're right though, the full fares are ridiculously expensive.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Alcalaina said:


> But are the all using FREE bus passes? Maybe people have bought a weekly or monthly pass. You can't use the free ones till after 9.30 when the rush hour is over and the buses would be empty otherwise. I've been trying to encourage my mum to use hers more and save on petrol. You're right though, the full fares are ridiculously expensive.



No, they're definitely the "over 65s"!! 

Jo xxx


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

jojo said:


> No, they're definitely the "over 65s"!!
> 
> Jo xxx


In that case Jo they are entitled to a free bus pass (are they not)
At this age the vast bulk will have spent their lives working & contributing into the system, now had you have said that they were all asylum (read economic migrants) then I would make you right.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

jojo said:


> I'm going to make myself very unpopular here, but I've been using the bus a few times since I've been back in the UK and it really annoys me that hardly anyone seems to pay, cos everyone seems to have a bus pass - apart from me and I cannot believe the cost to travel two miles into town £3.50!!!!!! I walk whenever possible. But it seems to me that to try to cover the cost of all the bus passes, they charge huge amounts to fare payers, who, like me probably walk or drive instead - The buses arent full or anywhere near. Usually me and four or five others!!! Hardly a viable business! So, I think they should either make bus passes 50% off or reduce the normal fare to encourage people to use buses.
> 
> Sorry :focus:
> 
> Jo xxx


My reason for putting up the info about bus passes here in Spain was that we used the bus for the first time since we have been here because the car was in the Citroen dealers in Alcalá la Real having it PAS pump, etc sorted out and we had to get home and, as it happened, go back to collect the car this evening.

The bus journey is 12km in each direction. SWBO who is underage (for bus pass before anyone accuses me of cradle snatching) had to pay 1€27 in each direction and I with my "sesentaycinco" card only 0€64. The service was dead on time and the bus about half-full (bear in mind that this was 11.30 am from Alcalá and then 7.15pm back to Alcalá so not exactly busy times.

Our impression of our first usage of the buses here was very good.

The one thing I did find irritating was there are no published timetables of the sort we're used to in UK. They just give the times of the buses from here to there but not from there back to here.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> My reason for putting up the info about bus passes here in Spain was that we used the bus for the first time since we have been here because the car was in the Citroen dealers in Alcalá la Real having it PAS pump, etc sorted out and we had to get home and, as it happened, go back to collect the car this evening.
> 
> The bus journey is 12km in each direction. SWBO who is underage (for bus pass before anyone accuses me of cradle snatching) had to pay 1€27 in each direction and I with my "sesentaycinco" card only 0€64. The service was dead on time and the bus about half-full (bear in mind that this was 11.30 am from Alcalá and then 7.15pm back to Alcalá so not exactly busy times.
> 
> ...


Our bus service here is excellent - and cheap. The trains too! More immigrants like us should use them.


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## Guest (Aug 31, 2011)

My bus timetable is printed at the station and comes like a supermarket bill. One for 'origen' and for 'destino' I have a prepago tarjeta and the fare for 12km approx is 97 centimos. I think it is 1euro 30c full price. I am not a pensioner just 55 but I see I can now get discount on stays at the Paradores shame they don't take dogs


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2011)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Gold card for rail travel
> http://renfe.mobi/renfev2/jsp/descu...C994E7823?ss=07F7B21053D0CAFF50C42D356590B739
> If you are 60 years old, make the most of the advantages and convenience of travelling by train and apply for a Dorada Card. This card will entitle you to purchase tickets for any class and train. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays you will receive a 40% discount. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays the discount will be 25% for tickets that have not been bought in advance and with a reserved seat.


I obtained the Gold card in Madrid. The nice thing is that it also allowed the same discount for my wife.


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