This requirement should not be confused with the completely separate requirement for young people and ex-servicemen to have special Oyster photocards to get their concessionary fares

Season ticket photocards are issued free at any manned National Rail ticket office. You need to bring a passport-type photo with you, and fill in a form, when you buy the associated season ticket (which apparently now includes 7-day travelcards).

This means the usual courtesy requirements are demanded by other customers. English law specifically authorises a customer in a rush hour London area ticket queue to dismember, as painfully as possible, any other "customer" ill-mannered enough to waste other people's time by requiring a form-filling transaction. Few make use of this provision: practically everyone in a queue inconvenienced by the selfish, however, will make their displeasure strongly perceptible to the lout concerned. The civilised obtain their photocards out of busy times.

In a word - yes. But it's free. Just carry a stash of passport photos with you.

But as Flanner points out do it at a quiet time.

I wouldn't take the tube from Heathrow to Paddington, unless you really had to. You can reach Victoria more easily by tube if you change at Hammersmith (walk a few steps across the platform to the District Line eastbound). Or go to your hotel first and then find the nearest National Rail station.

PatrickLondon is right . . . LHR to Paddington by tube is not that easy. Are you staying near Paddington? If not, Victoria would be better.

But again -- not during the morning rush. If you are arriving in the AM wait a few hours. Check in to you hotel, walk around, then go to the nearest train station- whichever that might be.

Is this requirement for travelcards issued through the national railroads for 7 days or more? But that wouldn't necessarily apply to travelcards emblazed on an oyster card by tfl unless I'm missing something.

In other words it would affect the "dodge" of buying a 7 day paper travelcdard for the 2 4 1's (I know it's really not a dodge but the intent was not what it has become when the program was set up and let's leave it at that)..of course floanner is right...simply bring a few passport photos or take some self portraits with your digital camera or whatever.

Finally LHR to Paddington.....Picadilly line train to Hammersmith...easy across the platform transfer to District line train..3rd stop is Earls Court easy across the platform transfer to train designated to Edgeware Road...fourth stop is Paddington....of course then you have stairs to climb to get out of tube at Paddington I think (don't use that station too much)...lthe question as always is can you tote your luggage..how far is your final destnation from Paddington whatever. But of course when you compare the prices, the extra few minutes you save by using the Paddington Express or the Paddington Connect might not be worth it to you.

May not have read op correctly......is it simply the desire to get a 7 day paper ticket for 2 4 1's? Go to your hotel first...you may be in walking distance of some national rail station or for that first day buy a zone 1-6 travelcard at LHR and later during the day, stop by a national rail office to get your 7 day ticket...might cost you a couple of quid exgtra but not all that bad for the convenience of not trudging your luggage.

To further explain: Our flight arrives at 12:15 p.m. We are staying at Gloucester Road. Sorry for the confusion with my original post. I should not have said "tube to Paddington"; we were actually considering the Heathrow Connect. I know that it would cost less to take the tube directly from Heathrow to Gloucester Road, and then go to the National Rail station at Victoria after checking in to the hotel. But we were hoping we could get to Paddington faster on the Heathrow Connect, and do our national rail business there (which includes purchasing a senior rail card), and avoid the 4:30 peak rush before taking the tube to the hotel.
Plan A: Heathrow to Paddington via Connect; tube to Gloucester Road
Plan B: Heathrow to Gloucester Rd. via tube; then two tube rides to Victoria Station and back to Gloucester Rd.
Plan A seems more convenient and timely, assuming I can carry one suitcase up and down whatever stairs will be involved. Plan B is 16 pounds cheaper, but seems like it might take a lot longer. I welcome your opinions.
I feel like a cheapskate "over-analyzing" the pros and cons of the various ways of traveling around London, but I'd like to find a happy medium between convenience and cost. lol
We will be in London 8 consecutive days, so will use an oyster card on arrival day. Then want to use the 7 day travel card the rest of the week. The 2 for 1 offers will more than pay for the cost of the travel cards.
After a short trip to France, we will return to London for a few more days before taking the train to Glascow. Will use the oyster cards those two days. The senior rail pass will pay for itself in the amount of savings just on the trip to Glascow, not counting the other rail trips we'll be making on the remainder of the vacation.
Thanks for your help in making the wisest choices.

Heathrow connect doesn't make much more sense than The HEX. It is cheaper but still is nowhere near your hotel. You won't likely be using 2for1s/paper travelcards on your arrival day -- so I'd avoid going to Paddington. Just go to your hotel and be done w/ it.

The next day you'll likely be near a train station during your exploring - Victoria, or Charing Cross, or London Bridge, or Kings Cross depending on what your are visiting that day. Just get your travelcards then.

And if you are 2 or more people a private car directly to your hotel will be cheaper than HEX. Justairports is excellent .

I would tuber it to Glouster Road....one seat ride on Picadilly line using the oyster cvard payg. Drop off my bags, take a nap if it's a long flight whatever. After feeling refreshed, hop on a district or circle line train at Glouester Road to Victoria...purchase a 7 day zone 1 & 2 travelcrd for the next day...do whatever else you want to do (eat dinner, shop, relax) for the rest of the day using the PAYG on the oyster card.

Next day, you're up and running. Off peak zone 6 to 1 on the payg oyster isn't bad but Paddington still means yu have to do something after you get there (not that bad a ride, District line train to Glouester Road which is 4 or 5 stops but eotjer tje JEX pr tje {addomgtpm Cpmmect are rea;;u ex[emsove amd upi meed tje tibe amuwau/