We are a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 teens) who will be in London for about 5 days this coming February. Except for two planned excursions (Canterbury and Portsmouth) all of our travel will be in Zone 1. On past trips to London we buy 'carnets' of tickets. Is that the best deal for us? Would a Day Travelcard include our trips to either Canterbury and Portsmouth? I already figure out that the day we arrive (a Sunday) we will purchase a family travelcard and take to tube to our hotel (right on the Picadilly line). Anyother discounts to be found? Thanks! Susan

The Family Travelcards, offering unlimited ride on London tube and buses (but not as far as Canterbury or Portsmouth!) are the best value for you, as long as you're making several trips per day, enough to make their cost less than the equivalent number of single-ride carnet tickets.

When you buy Family Travelcards, each family member is issued an individual travelcard, which must be fed into the turnstyle as you enter and again as you depart. Each card indicates whether it's a child or adult ticket, and (theoretically, at least) all members of the group must travel together.

If I'm reading this right, you will be spending two days out of the five going out of the city -- so other than taking the tube to the appropriate train station, I doubt that you'd get your money's worth out of the travelcards on those two days. Maybe a carnet for those two days, and daily family travelcards for the three days you're really spending in London?

Partrick, two round-trips for four on carnets will cost £12 (i.e., £1.50 x 8), whereas the all-day family travelcards for two adults and two kids will cost £7.20. Those 80p fares are hard to beat!

One reason to choose the carnets would be that on weekdays Family Travelcards are available only after 9:30 AM, and they might want to get an earlier start on their out-of-London days.

I assume that Susan knows that kids count as "children" on the London Tube if they're 15 or younger, and that up to 2 adults can travel on Family Travelcard per child. Children age 14 or 15 are supposed to have an ID card, proving their age, I would just carry a photocopy of their passport just in case.

Your answer threw me for a minute there, Anonymous. You don't mean two "round trips for four", you simply mean two single trips each. But your math is right, so the point is certainly well taken.

Not traveling as a family, I never knew what a great bargain those family travelcards are!

Yes, I meant what you said, not what I said; good thing I put my math details in!

Well, my son is 16, so there goes some of the bargain on the family travelcard! I only have one child that qualifies.

It's still cheaper to have two adults and one child using the family travelcards, and the third adult using carnets.

Susan56, You can still save a bunch on the 16 year old's travel in London. 16/17 year olds can get a 7 Day Travel Card for 7 GBP. It has all the same features as the Family Travel card (tube, DLR, bus, tramlink, National Rail etc.) but can be used prior to 9:30 am. He'll need a 16/17 photo ID card too. I know you said you'll be in London for 5 days but it is still a bargain.

The updated info for 2004 is at the tube site (www.tube.tfl.gov.uk). You can download the morass of data on Fares 2004. The info you want is on page 35 and 53.

I meant to include the point that the 7 GBP fare is the child's price for the 7 Day Travel Card. I think that's change for 2004 for to have such a reduced fare available to everyone under 18.

obxgirl - How do I get my son a photocard? I see that I need one in order to get the 7 day travelcard for him. It is difficult (time consumming)to get the photo card? Can we get it at the tube station at Heathrow? Or is this something I should have before the trip? I have been looking at the tube website and I admit that I am getting more and more confused! Thanks! Susan

Susan56, You can get a photocard for your son when you get to London at almost any tube station. It's not time consuming so unless there is a line, do it at Heathrow. Take a small headshot photo of your son, maybe an inch square or very slightly larger. You can cut one out of an existing photo. It doesn't have to be professional looking.

You can also get the photocard at the British Visitor Centre, 1 Regent Street.

HTH!

Thank you! I think our best bet is to get him the 7 day travelcard and we can then purchase the family day travel cards for the days we are in London. The days we are traveling out of London we will use the carnet tickets. Thanks for all of the help!