jeffrx

This May will be my third trip to London, but I want to try taking the Tube from the airport. It's also my first time arriving at Heathrow instead of Gatwick. i'd like to save some money. Also, does anyone know if there are escalators at the Embankment Tube Station? I can't remember. Thanks!

Palenque

buy the card at the Tube station for terminal 4 - take the elevators down from arrivals hall.

not sure about escalators at Embankment.

gertie3751

Yes, easy to get an oyster at Terminal 4 Piccadilly Line tube station. There's a machine and also a ticket office. And usually very few people.
Re the escalators at Embankment, I'm not sure either but I don't think so! It's one of the old unreconstructed stations.

laurie_ann

Tube website says there are 10 escalators at Embankment but doesn't say from which level to which or whether up or down.

Palenque

And IME if there are escalators they may not be working

recently at Bank station a very long escalator was out of order and everyone had to walk down about 200 steps it seemed.

JES

what's an oyster card?

stfc

JES, Google.

sf7307

An Oyster card is an electronic card onto which you can load a variety of kinds of transportation options in London - "pay as you go" or various travel cards. Go to www.tfl.gov.uk --- I would link to it, but for some reason I can't get it to open right now.

supertraveler

Hi ppl i was reading this thread and i was wondering what sort of pass i should get when im in London. I will me in london for 3 days from 28 may to 31 May. Then i will be flying off to italy for a trip around europe before returning to London again for 3 days on 24 to 27 June. Can anyone advise? Is there a pass that lasts that long ? Will the oyster card still work after a month ?

janisj

"<i>Will the oyster card still work after a month ?</i>" Yes - an Oyster lasts forever (or until they change the system). You can keep loading £ on an Oyster over and over every time you return to London. Since you are there some weekdays and some weekend -- I'd just load some PAYG on an Oyster and then if you run out when you return at the end of your trip, just put some more ££ on it. The gates in the tube stations displays the remaining balance on your card.

PatrickLondon

Escalators at Embankment: TfL doesn't list it as one of its step-free stations. As far as I can recall, there are escalators from the deeper Bakerloo and Northern line platforms to an intermediate concourse, and another up from there to nearly ground level, but I think there are some steps to street level. Once you're out of the station, there are steps down to the riverside street level (but there is level access to Villiers St on the other side).

Supertraveler has the option of buying separate three-day travelcards on each visit, or getting an Oyster card for PAYG cash. I don't think you can put travelcards of shorter duration than 7 days on an Oyster. The balance of advantage depends on your own patterns of travel: will you be using only buses, will you be starting before 0930 on any one day, how many trips are you likely to make, will you be using boat services (you get a third off boat fares with a travelcard)? With Oyster PAYG any unspent value from your first three days will carry over to your second three days (but what if you mislay it in between?). And so on, and so on.....

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/2930.aspx