Cotswolds/London trip when do I buy a travel card?
Jul 23rd, 2011, 07:03 PM
#1
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Cotswolds/London trip when do I buy a travel card?
Hi,
We fly in to Heathrow on Wednesday and take the train /bus to the Cotwolds. Saturday we take the train/bus to London, flying back out of Heathrow on Wednesday.
1) Should I purchase a travel card for 4 days in London?
2) When and where should I buy the travel card to take advantage of the 2 for 1 deal, would the vouchers expire if I purchased too early?
3) My daughter is 17, should I prepurchase the oyster photo card for $10, picking it up from Heathrow or Victoria or will the child discount not matter if we have a travel card?
Thanks so much
We fly in to Heathrow on Wednesday and take the train /bus to the Cotwolds. Saturday we take the train/bus to London, flying back out of Heathrow on Wednesday.
1) Should I purchase a travel card for 4 days in London?
2) When and where should I buy the travel card to take advantage of the 2 for 1 deal, would the vouchers expire if I purchased too early?
3) My daughter is 17, should I prepurchase the oyster photo card for $10, picking it up from Heathrow or Victoria or will the child discount not matter if we have a travel card?
Thanks so much
Jul 23rd, 2011, 11:47 PM
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If you are taking the train back to London from the Cotswolds, then your train ticket entitles you to use the 2 for 1 offer. In fact, the whole point of the 2 for 1 offer is to encourage people to visit London by train, and the dodge of buying a travelcard when you are visiting only London is just a way round the rules.
Details are at www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/TwoForOneLondon.aspx. Note that this particular offer expires on 30th October 2011, and there is no guarantee that it will be available later. It might not be available during the Olympics, for example, since the trains may already be crowded.
Details are at www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/TwoForOneLondon.aspx. Note that this particular offer expires on 30th October 2011, and there is no guarantee that it will be available later. It might not be available during the Olympics, for example, since the trains may already be crowded.
Jul 24th, 2011, 11:18 AM
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1. "If you are taking the train back to London from the Cotswolds, then your train ticket entitles you to use the 2 for 1 offer"
Only on the day of intercity train travel.
For subsequent days, buy a 3-day travelcard (possibly postdated) on arrival at Paddington from any National Rail ticket office on the ground floor (NOT the TfL offices in the underground area) at Paddington, or if you're bussing into London any London National Rail station on your travels.
2. "Saturday we take the train/bus to London,"
Don't understand. Unless you've planned to end your Cotswold journey at Cirencester, getting a bus hardly ever makes sense.
Only on the day of intercity train travel.
For subsequent days, buy a 3-day travelcard (possibly postdated) on arrival at Paddington from any National Rail ticket office on the ground floor (NOT the TfL offices in the underground area) at Paddington, or if you're bussing into London any London National Rail station on your travels.
2. "Saturday we take the train/bus to London,"
Don't understand. Unless you've planned to end your Cotswold journey at Cirencester, getting a bus hardly ever makes sense.
Jul 24th, 2011, 01:33 PM
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"buy a 3-day travelcard (possibly postdated) on arrival"
1) No such thing as a 3 day Travelcard - only one day, seven day or longer so OP needs to see if the ticket office at Paddington will sell them 3 days worth of Travelcards in one go - the forth day will be when they are returning to LHR so it's likely they'll only need one journey which they can pay for on the day
2) When you arrive at Paddington - Ticket Office is by platform 1 - http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/statio...tml?rtnloc=PAD
3) It's £10 not $10 - over 3 days the savings from getting the photocard are minimal so just treat the 17yr old as an adult.
1) No such thing as a 3 day Travelcard - only one day, seven day or longer so OP needs to see if the ticket office at Paddington will sell them 3 days worth of Travelcards in one go - the forth day will be when they are returning to LHR so it's likely they'll only need one journey which they can pay for on the day
2) When you arrive at Paddington - Ticket Office is by platform 1 - http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/statio...tml?rtnloc=PAD
3) It's £10 not $10 - over 3 days the savings from getting the photocard are minimal so just treat the 17yr old as an adult.
Jul 24th, 2011, 02:38 PM
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Thank you everyone so much.
So when I come back from MIM on the train (part bus because of closure) I can get a voucher for that day only right? This I can use for a bike tour that is in walking distance from our hotel on that day?
No need to buy a travel card for that day as I will only need to get to my hotel by Hyde park, correct?
will I need to go back to Paddington to buy a travel card for the day we go to the Tower of London?
So when I come back from MIM on the train (part bus because of closure) I can get a voucher for that day only right? This I can use for a bike tour that is in walking distance from our hotel on that day?
No need to buy a travel card for that day as I will only need to get to my hotel by Hyde park, correct?
will I need to go back to Paddington to buy a travel card for the day we go to the Tower of London?
Jul 24th, 2011, 10:42 PM
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"So when I come back from MIM on the train (part bus because of closure)"
what closure?
"We fly in to Heathrow on Wednesday (presumably July 27?) and take the train /bus to the Cotwolds. Saturday (presumably July 29?) we take the train/bus to London"
No line closures till August 6 (bizarrely, not even this coming weekend). Then, of course, most of the western section closes till Aug 22. But till then, it's all fine.
Whatever you do, you need to buy travelcards from any RAILWAY station ticket office in London. Paddington will sell you postdated cards.
what closure?
"We fly in to Heathrow on Wednesday (presumably July 27?) and take the train /bus to the Cotwolds. Saturday (presumably July 29?) we take the train/bus to London"
No line closures till August 6 (bizarrely, not even this coming weekend). Then, of course, most of the western section closes till Aug 22. But till then, it's all fine.
Whatever you do, you need to buy travelcards from any RAILWAY station ticket office in London. Paddington will sell you postdated cards.
