Fandango

Planning trip next week...Is it possible to purchase the London Pass and TravelCard in London when we get there or must they be purchased before leaving? Is it worth it? I'm not sure, but it seems like I read somewhere that you can purchase the TravelCard at Heathrow on arrival and thus avoid getting passport photos before leaving. Has anyone stayed at the Thistle Lancaster Gate? Any other recommendations? Thanks!

Robespierre

Have you priced out the attractions you're visiting and compared the total to the cost of the London Pass? It's rarely worth it because of the free things in London (most of the museums) and the limited time you have to amortize the Pass.

You don't need a photo to buy a Travelcard. I think the bus system is a better way to travel anyway, and bus passes are £13.50 for 7 days, all over Greater London (no Zone restrictions).

Thistle Marble Arch: $60 on Priceline and worth $150.

Fandango

Thanks, we were planning to be there a week and go to the typical attractions, I thought there were charges for all the museums so thanks I will need to look a little closer. It is three of us, two adults and a child, so I thought Priceline wouldn't work, doesn't it have to be two there?

alanRow

I thought these days it was cheaper for folk - even tourists - to get the Oyster Card for travel in London

As for the London Pass - forget it unless you intend every possible hour going just to the things on the pass

Robespierre

(A minor dissent.)

It is not necessary to "intend every possible hour going just to the things on the pass."

All that is necessary is that you use the pass instead of cash for <i>enough</i> attractions that you come out ahead. For example, if you were planning to do the following seven things over six days:

Tower of London (&pound;14.50)
Windsor Castle (&pound;12.50)
London Zoo (&pound;14.00)
Vinopolis (&pound;12.50)
Wimbledon Tour Experience (&pound;13.25)
Hampton Court Palace (&pound;12.00)
London Bicycle Tour (&pound;16.95)

...then the six-day pass for &pound;72 would be cheaper than the &pound;95.70 total of the individual admissions. And that's just one thing a day plus one (not &quot;every possible hour&quot. And not having to queue for tickets makes some difference at some attractions - at the Tower, we didn't even have to wait in the entrance line.

grsing

I don't know about the London Pass, but you can definitely get a TravelCard/Oyster card (Oyster is the name of the actual plastic card, travelcard the service you put on it, as you can also just put prepay money on it, but if you're travelling a lot, the travelcard is a better deal) when you arrive (at Heathrow, or at any other tube station, though be aware that, if you're getting a zone 1-2 travelcard, which is probably all you'll need, you will have to pay extra for a tube ride to and from Heathrow, as it is in zone 6), and for a 7 day travelcard you don't need a photo. As for robespierre's suggestion of just the bus pass, he's definitely right that it's cheaper, and buses do go everywhere and you actually get to see something besides black stone walls, but the bus system is rather complicated, while the tube map is pretty simple, so, for tourists who put a premium on time, I'd suck it up and pay the extra for the travelcard (allowing travel on bus, tube, DLR, and commuter trains).

janisj

From robespierre's example - I'd think it was a very odd visitor indeed to hit most of those places during a 6-day visit. At least 4 of them would be waaaaaaay down the list of &quot;musts&quot; for most London first timers. (Zoo, Vinopolis, Wimbledon Tour Experience, London Bicycle Tour)

The main problem is that in order to get value for money you have to cram several of the for-pay sites into the short period of the Pass.

In order to make the LP pay, you have to spend a lot of your limited time going to sites of much lower interest.

There are many free sites in London.

Robespierre

Date: 02/11/2006, 02:55 pm