3

I've got a a 4-year-old who's in school, and is quite big for their age. I've just booked a train journey, paying only for myself and relying on the fact that under 5s travel free (though quite possibly without a seat).

Is there ever a need to prove that the child is under 5 when relying on the free ticket (and if so how)? I'd rather not have to carry their birth certificate as it's a valuable document that won't fit in my wallet and travelling by train with a small person (and all their stuff) isn't easy without another valuable item to worry about. On the other hand I don't want any awkwardness from an overzealous official. I haven't been able to find anything obvious on the train companies' websites.

|improve this question
  • Does the UK have compact birth certificate summaries? We have them in Canada, and they're as valid as the full-sized original. If so, get one of those. – Jim MacKenzie May 3 '18 at 14:40
  • @JimMacKenzie they're not exactly compact (they're known as "short form"). These days they're not all that common as they're not accepted in questions of nationality – Chris H May 3 '18 at 14:42
  • 1
    simply take a photo of the birth certificate with your smartphone. – Aganju May 3 '18 at 15:01
  • 1
    @JimMacKenzie Notarising a copy of a birth certificate is probably going to cost more than just buying a child ticket. It's also pointless. – MJeffryes May 3 '18 at 15:24
  • 1
    @MJeffryes is right, especially as that's not really done in the UK (getting a duplicate certificate is more common) – Chris H May 3 '18 at 15:32
2

Nothing in the rail national conditions of carriage about documentary proof either. It only specifies that they can't occupy a seat if it is needed by a ticket holder.

Anecdotally, I've had guards question the ages of children but not demand any documents.

|improve this answer
  • 5
    An old method, which likely still works, is asking the children themselves and only question the parents when the child gives an age which is over the limit. – Willeke♦ May 3 '18 at 16:53

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.