Tyrol expands free public transport rides for grandchildren

Tyrol’s VVT transport network is expanding its free travel scheme for grandparents, allowing grandchildren to travel free year-round on all school-free days, ORF reported. The benefit is no longer limited to the KlimaTicket SeniorIn.

Grandparents with a VVT annual pass who are under 65 can now take their grandchildren on public transport without buying additional tickets. The scheme applies to the KlimaTicket SeniorIn, KlimaTicket Tirol, the nationwide KlimaTicket, and the Spezial, Regionen and Stadt ticket categories.

Parents’ Tyrol Family Pass or Euregio Family Pass must be presented, either as a plastic card or digitally. The free travel applies to grandchildren under 15 throughout Tyrol. It does not apply to ÖBB long-distance services or Westbahn trains.

VVT managing director Alexander Jug said the expanded benefit would make joint trips and everyday journeys by public transport easier. He said children would also gain early experience using buses and trains independently.

Tyrol’s transport councillor Rene Zumtobel of the Social Democratic Party said the scheme strengthened public transport as an accessible and routine mobility option for all generations.

Parents can already take their own children under 15, if listed on the Family Pass, free of charge throughout the year on weekends, public holidays and during school holidays with several ticket types, including the nationwide KlimaTicket, KlimaTicket Tirol, U26, Spezial, SeniorIn, Regionen, Innsbruck and Stadt tickets.