This is a bit of a continuation of another post regarding tube/train travel in and about London and the use of 2x1 deals associated with that travel. However, 2x1 aside -- my friend and her family (6 adults total) will be staying for 5 days in Holland Park. It is their first visit to London. They want to see the typical tourist sights.
What is the best (1.easiest, 2.most economical) method of public transportation payment for them to use?
They will need transportation from Heathrow to the city and return. They will spend time in central London for The Tower, Westminster, St. Pauls, and the Trooping of the Colours on the 16th June etc. One day doing museums and shopping in Kensington, Knightsbridge area. With travel schedules I think its really only 3 full days in London and 2 partial days on either end connected with flying in and out.
Please, please....explain step by step in simple terms, for all us non-Brits.
Thank you.
Please explain the best way for a family of 6 to travel about London.
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You get a map of London and find your lodging. You get a map of the underground (tube) system and find the nearest station.
You walk to it and get on the appropriate train (after you have used the map to figure out your connections if any).
As for getting to and fro the airports - with 6 people plus luggage I would arrange a car in advance.
Within central London many places are close together (at least to me, a New Yorker used to walking a mile or two) and walking also gives you a better feel for the city.
“They will spend time in central London for The Tower, Westminster, St. Pauls, and the Trooping of the Colours on the 16th June etc.”
TC, that would be a very full day. Choose between Westminster (Abby, I presume) OR St. Paul’s – both magnificent and historic – but visiting both would be overkill, not to forget the hefty admission price for each, times six people.
Suggestion – if the weather cooperates, a boat ride on the Thames is relaxing and provides a panorama of London’s varied architecture and history.
Enjoy London and remember that no one “does it all” even during a much longer visit than yours.
For 6 people, a taxi or minicab (6seaters are still called minicabs), may be more economical than a tube ride. A single tube ride )zone1-2) is about 2.50gbp, but caps at about 7.50 per day.
From Heathrow, call and book a minicab ahead of time. Rarely costs over 50GBP. Plus its door-to-door and reduced schlepping.
To Holland Park from LHR me and a number of other recommend www.justairports.com. You can order on line. You just have to tell how many passengers, flight info and destination info. And then the driver meets you not far from the secured exit from baggage claim. You could take the tube but it would be two changes to Holland Park tube station.
For getting around after that you can buy Oyster cards. You can buy in advance and have them mailed to you. Or buy at the first tube station you use. If you have a balance when you are ready to leave you can get a refund. See the page for vistors for London here. http://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/ and the helpful link comparing regular Oyster card to the Travel Cards. http://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/help-centre/ticket-comparison.html
And for making plans to get around the "Journey Planner" is invaluable http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk
Thanks all. The question is regarding payment for transport on the tube. I didn't mean that they would do all those places in one day, just that those are locations to which they will travel during their stay.
Looking at the charts; it appears that a single roundtrip in Zone 1-2, during off-peak hours would cost 4 GBP or about 6.50 USD with an Oyster card. A 7 Day pass would cost $29 GBP = about $48 USD or slightly less than $7 USD per day. However, with the 7 day pass, they could ride any transport for as many times as needed. For instance if feet get tired and they just want to hop on a bus to get from point A to point B while in the city. Or they simply end up in the wrong place and have to hop on again to back-track (which happens to me). The unlimited ride pass is no more expensive and offers more flexibility. Agree?
Then there is the question of those darned 2x1 coupon deals. It appears that the 7 day pass is a "paper ticket" issued by the National Rail -- doesn't that qualify?
TC - This is the last time I am responding to these question HAHA
Like I stated previously several times - the best option is to get six 7 day paper travel cards.
I even went so far as to explain that when they get to the flat (after taking the justairports transfer for £80 I think you said) that one person should take a few pounds and buy a ticket to get to Shephard's Bush National Rail TRAIN (not TUBE) station - they are in the same place just different ticket booths - and buy the tickets for everyone!
Ok - last post I ever do about transit in London!
Sorry - one more post - someone on the boards, and I cant find confirmation on the national rail site in the few mins I took to check - advised that 7 day paper travelcards (yes, they are valid for 2for1s) now require a passport photo. You may want to get everyone to bring one just in case.
ok - done.
advised that 7 day paper travelcards (yes, they are valid for 2for1s) now require a passport photo
Paper Travelcards bought at a National Rail ticket office.
Unfortunately none of the train stations (Olympia, Shepherd's Bush, West Brompton) near to Holland Park are National Rail stations, so one or more of you are going to have to trek to either Paddington or Victoria to collect them.
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/sjp/VIC/plan.html?rtnloc=VIC
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/sjp/PAD/plan.html?rtnloc=PAD
Thanks alan I just saw the national rail symbol on the tube map - what type of station is it?
I am not sure I understand the savings with a 7 day travel card when they are there only 3 days (or maybe 4 or 5 days if they use the tube on either of their partial days). 29 pounds divided by 3 days is more than 9 pounds per day. 29 pounds divided by 5 days is more than 5 pounds per day. And even a regular Oyster maxes out in a day the same as a one day travel card. From the tfl website "If you make lots of pay as you go journeys in one day, we'll make sure you never pay more than the price of an equivalent Day Travelcard". And here is the chart of max Oyster card charges in a day depending which zone etc:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14416.aspx
For Zones 1 and 2 (Holland Park is just inside Zone 2) it is 8 pounds 40 if used peak and if not used peak it is 7 pounds (peak is morning rush hours until 9:30 am).
And only the paper travelcards purchased at a National Rail office are valid for the 2for1s, nothing else.
Just get your Just Airports ride to the abode, dump the luggage and have everyone get an Oyster card with 10-15 GBP on it at the nearest Tube station. If the five days is really more like three with the travel arrangments, then get to Victoria or Paddington after buying the Oyster cards and buy successive one-day Travelcards for whatever day you will go to the attractions covered by the 2for1s. You can buy in advance (we'll go to the Tower tomorrow morning, so let's get a travelcard in advance tonight - that type of concept). And yes, even with the one-day travelcard cost, the 2for1 will save you money at the Tower, Hampton Ct Palace, Cabinet War Rooms and others.
If the 5 days is REALLY 4-5 days to spend in and about London, get the week-long Travelcard (which costs about 4 days' of max charges on the Oyster).
To make sure you're going to the national rail station ticket office - it's the one on the same level as the M&S Simply Food store (there's almost always one).
The EASIEST thing might be to book a carservice like justairports for transport to rooms. Then one of you walk to nearest Tube stop (or take a taxi if too far or too tired) and buy everyone Oyster cards. Tell person at window your general itinerary and he/she may suggest how much to put on (PAYG, not a TravelCard equivalent). (Also, they could make a stop at a Tube window IN LHR--I assume that's where they're arrining--and get Oyster cards and THEN meet car service, but this would take some time and not sure about keeping car service waiting. This might not be a good option. And 6 of you riding the Tube from airport to Holland Park area is not a good idea.) Use the Oyster Cards for rest of trip, toppping up if necessary. Carservice back; allow time to turn in Oyster cards for refunds.
The CHEAPEST thing is going to involve bothering with the paper travel cards. This could be more bother than they find it worth. It is a sizeable savings at some things (Tower) but does involve the machinations of getting to a NATIONAL RAIL station. And there is the extra complication of now, it seems like, of needing photos to buy 7daycard. If they want to try to bother with it, they could do what I said in first paragraph, then the day before going to the Tower make a special trip by a RAIL station to get One-day Paper Travel Cards for the next day. If there's another site they really want to see that is on the current 2for1 voucher list, then maybe they could arrange to see that site in the afternoon after the Tower and they'd be done with needing a paper travel card.