London - Public Transportation
Mar 9th, 2011, 05:05 AM
#1
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London - Public Transportation
I hope to ride on the subway system once I get to heathrow airport. I am staying in Croydon. Is there a subway stop at the airport? Can I purchase some type of one-week pass for all public transportation or what is most economical for tourist travel purposes?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Mar 9th, 2011, 05:08 AM
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I buy an Oyster card 7 day pass, for zones 1 and 2 . Idon't know what zone Croyden is so you might need 1-3. I found booking justairports is cheaper than using the train and a taxi. Never took the tube too much baggage to handle easily
Oyseter is good for tubes buses and trams
Oyseter is good for tubes buses and trams
Mar 9th, 2011, 05:16 AM
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Are you staying at East Croyden, South Croyden or West Croyden stations (why Croyden??)?
These stations are all in zone 5 (west croyden might be on the border between zone 4 or 5) so you will need to get a 1-4/5 zone depending on what station you are at. You can buy your Oyster at Heathrow and load it with money or a travel card (depending on how long you are staying for). You will need a combo of underground/tube/ and overland trains and potentially trams - all of them you can access using your oyster card.
Fare info can be found here: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14416.aspx
If you tell us which stop is closest to where you are staying we can help out more specifically.
Is there a reason you are staying in Croyden?
These stations are all in zone 5 (west croyden might be on the border between zone 4 or 5) so you will need to get a 1-4/5 zone depending on what station you are at. You can buy your Oyster at Heathrow and load it with money or a travel card (depending on how long you are staying for). You will need a combo of underground/tube/ and overland trains and potentially trams - all of them you can access using your oyster card.
Fare info can be found here: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14416.aspx
If you tell us which stop is closest to where you are staying we can help out more specifically.
Is there a reason you are staying in Croyden?
Mar 9th, 2011, 05:27 AM
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Sorry missed that you will be here for a week.
You will need a weekly transit pass: £39.40 for a zone 1-4 or £47 for a zone 1-5.
You can put this onto an oyster at Heathrow and will have to pay a slight charge of £5 to get the oyster that is refundable. You will also have to get an extention for Heathrow to zone 4-5 as Heathrow is in zone 6 but the person you buy it from can help you with this.
If you are interested in using the 2for 1 deals here: http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/ You will need to get a 7 day paper ticket from a national rail station. They do not have these at Heathrow so you will need to buy it once you get to an overland station (east croyden is one) and will need to pay for a ticket to get from Heathrow to Croyden at the underground station at Heathrow.
The paper ticket and the eleectronic one on the oyster above are the same price, just different mediums. You cannot use an oyster for the 2for1 deals.
Hope this helps!
You will need a weekly transit pass: £39.40 for a zone 1-4 or £47 for a zone 1-5.
You can put this onto an oyster at Heathrow and will have to pay a slight charge of £5 to get the oyster that is refundable. You will also have to get an extention for Heathrow to zone 4-5 as Heathrow is in zone 6 but the person you buy it from can help you with this.
If you are interested in using the 2for 1 deals here: http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/ You will need to get a 7 day paper ticket from a national rail station. They do not have these at Heathrow so you will need to buy it once you get to an overland station (east croyden is one) and will need to pay for a ticket to get from Heathrow to Croyden at the underground station at Heathrow.
The paper ticket and the eleectronic one on the oyster above are the same price, just different mediums. You cannot use an oyster for the 2for1 deals.
Hope this helps!
Mar 9th, 2011, 05:49 PM
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This is very helpful ... thank you! London is expensive when traveling from the status. Everyone is asking why Croydon??? It's because I was able to book a holiday inn express for $97 (including tax/VAT, internet access and a contential breakfast, tv and bathroom). It is a three star. I could not find this same value in a hotel closer in with decent reviews. We also plan to tour cambridge and oxford campuses. It looks like I need to figure out what all we want to do to determine what zones we need. If you have other sugggestions on a similar hotel under $100 let me know. Thanks!
Mar 9th, 2011, 06:00 PM
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I will be staying here: 1 Priddys Yard, off fifth road. I am not sure of the section of croydon. These are the directions I was given from the airport. Take Piccadilly line between heathrow and northfield. Change trains in central london to Victoria that takes me to victoria station. Then take victoria station over ground train to East Croydon. That's it... East!
I didn't really understand the 2 for 1 site. It looked like you had to buy train tickets for only off peak travel to get travel deals. How do they verify that you travel by train for the deal? Thanks!!
I didn't really understand the 2 for 1 site. It looked like you had to buy train tickets for only off peak travel to get travel deals. How do they verify that you travel by train for the deal? Thanks!!
Mar 9th, 2011, 07:53 PM
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I'll try to explain the 2 for 1's briefly and others can pick up on it. The 2 for 1's don't deal with travel, they are deals at various attractions within London that can save you a good deal of money. If you are travelling with somebody and visit, say the Tower of London, the 2 for 1 deal would save money at the Tower of London, not have anything much to do with the cost of getting there.
The 2 for 1's referred to here were originally offered by the National rail services to entice people within the UK to visit London using their services so if I live in Scotland and want to spend several days in London, I might take the train and buy a return (English for a round trip). I could then print out the vouchers and show my National rail ticket and get the discount.
The National rail companies are allowed to issue various travelcards at the same price as tfl (Transport for London whch runs the tube system, many of the buses etc.). Tfl does issue some 1 day travelcards on paper stock but most of their media are on oyster cards which are simply credit card looking cards with a chip that can be read by special readers on the tube and on the bus. Since the national rail companies can issue 7 day travelcards on their own ticket stock at the same price as tfl can issue a 7 day travelcard on an oystercard, the advantage of the former is that you can use the 2 for 1 offers and the paper travelcard issued by the national rail company will serve as your proof validating the discount. This board is full of discussions of how to do it including the trip from Heathrow. Others can make suggestions of the best way to do it as I have no experience with it as I travel solo.
As far as staying where you're staying, I really believe yo can find hotels much closer in for the same price or just a little bit more. You will question your decision to stay out in the boondocks on some evenings when you decide to do a show in London and then are sitting on the tube for the long ride back to the hotel. I have found several 3 *'s in the Bayswater area, some people don't like the area but I do, for £60 which would be around $100 at today's exchange rates. Probably a tad lower in quality than HI Express but the fact that it is only a 10 minute tube ride from Central London has its advantages.
Whatever you decide, have a good trip!
The 2 for 1's referred to here were originally offered by the National rail services to entice people within the UK to visit London using their services so if I live in Scotland and want to spend several days in London, I might take the train and buy a return (English for a round trip). I could then print out the vouchers and show my National rail ticket and get the discount.
The National rail companies are allowed to issue various travelcards at the same price as tfl (Transport for London whch runs the tube system, many of the buses etc.). Tfl does issue some 1 day travelcards on paper stock but most of their media are on oyster cards which are simply credit card looking cards with a chip that can be read by special readers on the tube and on the bus. Since the national rail companies can issue 7 day travelcards on their own ticket stock at the same price as tfl can issue a 7 day travelcard on an oystercard, the advantage of the former is that you can use the 2 for 1 offers and the paper travelcard issued by the national rail company will serve as your proof validating the discount. This board is full of discussions of how to do it including the trip from Heathrow. Others can make suggestions of the best way to do it as I have no experience with it as I travel solo.
As far as staying where you're staying, I really believe yo can find hotels much closer in for the same price or just a little bit more. You will question your decision to stay out in the boondocks on some evenings when you decide to do a show in London and then are sitting on the tube for the long ride back to the hotel. I have found several 3 *'s in the Bayswater area, some people don't like the area but I do, for £60 which would be around $100 at today's exchange rates. Probably a tad lower in quality than HI Express but the fact that it is only a 10 minute tube ride from Central London has its advantages.
Whatever you decide, have a good trip!
Mar 9th, 2011, 10:23 PM
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A tip for changing from the Piccadilly Line from Heathrow to get to Victoria: do it at Hammersmith - you just need to walk a few steps across the platform to the eastbound District Line, which will take you to Victoria.
But I agree, if you can find a reasonable hotel in zones 1 or 2, you'll find it much more convenient.
But I agree, if you can find a reasonable hotel in zones 1 or 2, you'll find it much more convenient.
Mar 9th, 2011, 10:25 PM
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"We also plan to tour cambridge and oxford campuses."
Another reason for "why Croydon". Both Oxford & Cambridge are two hours from Croydon, it'll also mean you'll have to travel in peak hours through London which is never pleasant
Another reason for "why Croydon". Both Oxford & Cambridge are two hours from Croydon, it'll also mean you'll have to travel in peak hours through London which is never pleasant
Mar 9th, 2011, 10:44 PM
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"it (Bayswater) is only a 10 minute tube ride from Central London "
And East Croydon is just a 15 minute train journey, with frequencies virtually identical to most tube lines. Frith (NOTE: NOT "Fifth") Road is another half mile walk, though using the tram or buses 312, 119 or 466 takes you halfway there. The belief that the extra 5 mins constitutes "boondocks" is held only by visiting North Americans.
You seem to be getting surprisingly useless directions from the hotel. Get the tube from Heathrow towards Central London (ignore all this "Northfields" nonsense), then change at Hammersnith to an eastbound District Line (though not one headed to Edgware Rd), and get off at Victoria. If you stay on the tube from Heathrow to South Kensington, you can change to any eastbound District or Circle Line tube, but this involves negotiating two flights of about 15 stairs, which some people with luggage find a nuisance.
At Victoria, follow signs for the railway station, and get the first "fast" train (ie one whose first or second stop is East Croydon) that will stop at EC (they may have dozens of different final destinations).
If you want to use the 2 for 1 deal, you need a currently valid ticket issued by a railway ticket office (which can't be Heathrow, but can be Victoria). Unrestricted one-day Travelcards are 20%-90% dearer than offpeak cards: seven-day Travelcards have no peak time restrictions. There's no need to restrict yourself to off-peak travel: it's simply that nost advice given here uses the cheaper offpeak Travelcards to explain the economics.
In your case, if you want to use the 2 for 1 deal, unusually it's PROBABLY best to buy a single tube ticket at Heathrow to Victoria. Then, if you're staying in London for six or more consecutive days, or want to travel in peak hours and will be here for four or more consecutive days, buy a £47 7 day Z1-5 Travelcard at Victoria. If four or fewer days, probably best to buy individual one day cards (£15 unrestricted: £8 offpeak only)
And East Croydon is just a 15 minute train journey, with frequencies virtually identical to most tube lines. Frith (NOTE: NOT "Fifth") Road is another half mile walk, though using the tram or buses 312, 119 or 466 takes you halfway there. The belief that the extra 5 mins constitutes "boondocks" is held only by visiting North Americans.
You seem to be getting surprisingly useless directions from the hotel. Get the tube from Heathrow towards Central London (ignore all this "Northfields" nonsense), then change at Hammersnith to an eastbound District Line (though not one headed to Edgware Rd), and get off at Victoria. If you stay on the tube from Heathrow to South Kensington, you can change to any eastbound District or Circle Line tube, but this involves negotiating two flights of about 15 stairs, which some people with luggage find a nuisance.
At Victoria, follow signs for the railway station, and get the first "fast" train (ie one whose first or second stop is East Croydon) that will stop at EC (they may have dozens of different final destinations).
If you want to use the 2 for 1 deal, you need a currently valid ticket issued by a railway ticket office (which can't be Heathrow, but can be Victoria). Unrestricted one-day Travelcards are 20%-90% dearer than offpeak cards: seven-day Travelcards have no peak time restrictions. There's no need to restrict yourself to off-peak travel: it's simply that nost advice given here uses the cheaper offpeak Travelcards to explain the economics.
In your case, if you want to use the 2 for 1 deal, unusually it's PROBABLY best to buy a single tube ticket at Heathrow to Victoria. Then, if you're staying in London for six or more consecutive days, or want to travel in peak hours and will be here for four or more consecutive days, buy a £47 7 day Z1-5 Travelcard at Victoria. If four or fewer days, probably best to buy individual one day cards (£15 unrestricted: £8 offpeak only)
Mar 10th, 2011, 08:17 AM
#12
You are paying $97 for a 3 star HI Express in Croydon -- and you could pay $90-$100 for a 4 star in the center of town if you bid Priceline or Hotwire. They would not include Breakfast or VAT -- but would save you a lot of time/money every day for the extra travel in/out from Croydon.
It isn't the most horrible place to stay -- but is far FAR from the most convenient. If you have prepaid and it is non-refundable - you can make do. But if it is refundable, I'd keep the booking temporarily and try bidding on priceline. If you have a winning bid you can happily cancel Croydon.
Saving $10 or $20 a day but adding train journeys in/out could be a false economy.
It isn't the most horrible place to stay -- but is far FAR from the most convenient. If you have prepaid and it is non-refundable - you can make do. But if it is refundable, I'd keep the booking temporarily and try bidding on priceline. If you have a winning bid you can happily cancel Croydon.
Saving $10 or $20 a day but adding train journeys in/out could be a false economy.
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