London by tube
Mar 5th, 2009, 04:35 PM
#1
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London by tube
Hello, I've been reading some of theQ's and A's on this forum regarding the London tube pass sytem and am confused. Rather than try to figure it all out and go crazy I thought I'd ask for a few simple suggestions. My college age son and I are arriving in London on Saturday the 21st, me for 5 days, he for 7 days. We plan the following, Saturday: rest and see a few things, Sunday: tour London, Monday: take Eurostar to Paris, day in Paris, return at night. Tuesday: Tour London, Wednesday: tour London, I leave at night. Rest of week my son enjoys w/o me (never mind the comments!). Question. We are going to use the tube as much as possible. What tickets should we buy?
Mar 5th, 2009, 04:42 PM
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Each should get a 7-day Paper Travelcard, with the rail logo on it, from a RAIL station in London. You can then use it to qualify for the 2-for-1 attractions.
http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/attrac...or1london.aspx
http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/faq.aspx#1
http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/attrac...or1london.aspx
http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/faq.aspx#1
Mar 5th, 2009, 05:44 PM
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Thank you for the answer, I've been to the sites and they are a great help. Further question, Do I have to worry about zones? If so for what zones should I get the travelcard? I assume I can't get one at a tube station, only a RAIL station, correct? Thanks again. Russ
Mar 5th, 2009, 05:48 PM
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You must get it a PAPER travel card at the RAIL station if you want to take advantage of the 2-for-1 offers to which yk referred (the ticket has to have the RAIL logo on it).
If you don't care about/won't use the 2-for-1 offers, there are other alternatives.
If you don't care about/won't use the 2-for-1 offers, there are other alternatives.
Mar 5th, 2009, 05:49 PM
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Assuming you're staying in Central London, you can get the travelcard for zone 1-2. Here's the tube map that shows you the various zones:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloa...d-tube-map.pdf
If you are taking the tube to/from heathrow, you can use your Travelcard and pay a supplement, as Heathrow is in zone 6.
Another plus regarding the 7-day Travelcard is that there's no time restriction on when you can use the tube/buses. It is valid at both peak and off-peak times.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloa...d-tube-map.pdf
If you are taking the tube to/from heathrow, you can use your Travelcard and pay a supplement, as Heathrow is in zone 6.
Another plus regarding the 7-day Travelcard is that there's no time restriction on when you can use the tube/buses. It is valid at both peak and off-peak times.
Mar 5th, 2009, 07:56 PM
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yk...
They won't be able to use a travelcard in from Heathrow as they wouldn't have the paper travelcard needed for the 2 for 1's...they would have to pay full fare Heathrow to Central London (they plan nothing else the day of arrival so no big deal...then perhaps a full fare to the rail station to get the 2 for 1's unless in coming in from Heathrow they first go to a rail station, but the paper 7 day travelcard adn then to the hotel using the zone 1 & 2 travelcard....
You are only doing a couple of days in London...what with a side trip via Eurostar to Paris..leaving the 2 for 1's aside for a moment, it might be your best bet is oyster PAYG...buy it at Heathrow, load £20 on it and see how it goes during the week...you can always top up the card.
But the 2 for 1's might be an issue....take a look at the offers and decide just how many you might want to do...I've been corrected on this but if you're donig a 2 for 1 on a particular day, you can always head over to a rail station and purchase 1 day travelcard with the national rail logo on it starting out in the morning...yeah I know it is complicated but thatis because of the illogical system used in London and the "competition" between national rail and tfl.
Or here's another suggestion if you're staying in London near to a rail station....upon arrival in London let him get a 7 day oyster travelcard and you get a PAYG oyster travelcard with £20....on any day you want to use the 2 for 1, either both of you trudge off to the rail station for the 1 day travelcard costing the one with the PAYG either £1.60 for the tube fare or £1 for a bus fare...then for the rest of that day he uses the 7 day oyster card and you use the 1 day travelcard! You sort of can get the best of both worlds that day...again a trifle complicated but not very much so...that might indeed be the best solution eh yk.
They won't be able to use a travelcard in from Heathrow as they wouldn't have the paper travelcard needed for the 2 for 1's...they would have to pay full fare Heathrow to Central London (they plan nothing else the day of arrival so no big deal...then perhaps a full fare to the rail station to get the 2 for 1's unless in coming in from Heathrow they first go to a rail station, but the paper 7 day travelcard adn then to the hotel using the zone 1 & 2 travelcard....
You are only doing a couple of days in London...what with a side trip via Eurostar to Paris..leaving the 2 for 1's aside for a moment, it might be your best bet is oyster PAYG...buy it at Heathrow, load £20 on it and see how it goes during the week...you can always top up the card.
But the 2 for 1's might be an issue....take a look at the offers and decide just how many you might want to do...I've been corrected on this but if you're donig a 2 for 1 on a particular day, you can always head over to a rail station and purchase 1 day travelcard with the national rail logo on it starting out in the morning...yeah I know it is complicated but thatis because of the illogical system used in London and the "competition" between national rail and tfl.
Or here's another suggestion if you're staying in London near to a rail station....upon arrival in London let him get a 7 day oyster travelcard and you get a PAYG oyster travelcard with £20....on any day you want to use the 2 for 1, either both of you trudge off to the rail station for the 1 day travelcard costing the one with the PAYG either £1.60 for the tube fare or £1 for a bus fare...then for the rest of that day he uses the 7 day oyster card and you use the 1 day travelcard! You sort of can get the best of both worlds that day...again a trifle complicated but not very much so...that might indeed be the best solution eh yk.
Mar 5th, 2009, 08:01 PM
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...or to really penny pinch realizing the 7 day oyster card has no peak/off peak restriction let him (or you the cards can be transferred between you two just keep track which is which as they look identical)...run out early (before 0930 on a weekday) to the rail station, pick up the one day off peak travelcard with the national rail logo on it, go back to the hotel using the 7 day oyster card, wait till after 0930 and you're both set for the day one using the 7 day oyster card the other using the 1 day travelcard.
I know, I know, sounds confusing but if the 2 for 1's are worth it, this will work...of course if you're not doing the 2 for 1's, I still think one gets a 7 day card and the parent gets oyster PAYG is the best solution.
I know, I know, sounds confusing but if the 2 for 1's are worth it, this will work...of course if you're not doing the 2 for 1's, I still think one gets a 7 day card and the parent gets oyster PAYG is the best solution.
Mar 6th, 2009, 02:02 AM
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It all sounds more complicated than it really is. To be honest, if you pick the 'wrong' option, fare-wise it's only going to be a tiny difference each day, so don't get too stressed about it.
If you want to do the 2-4-1 entry deals (and they are good) then one of you needs a paper travelcard. You can get a weekly one.
Otherwise, Oystercards are slightly cheaper than paper travelcards.
You could get one paper travelcard and one oyster so you can get the 2-4-1 and one person is slightly cheaper.
If you want to do the 2-4-1 entry deals (and they are good) then one of you needs a paper travelcard. You can get a weekly one.
Otherwise, Oystercards are slightly cheaper than paper travelcards.
You could get one paper travelcard and one oyster so you can get the 2-4-1 and one person is slightly cheaper.
Mar 6th, 2009, 05:52 PM
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Thanks for all of your information and suggestions. We are landing at Heathrow and we get off the tube at Liverpool to go to our hotel. I notice that Liverpool has a RAIL station so we plan to get our 7 day travelcard there and proceed to hotel. Maybe use the first 2 4 1 on one of those riverboat tours that afternoon.Nothing too stressful. Sound like a plan?? Thanks again. Russ
Mar 6th, 2009, 06:56 PM
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Sounds like a reasonable plan to me, but you'd better get used to saying "Liverpool Street". Otherwise, people might think you meant the city 200 miles away.
And bear in mind your tube fare to Liverpool St will be the full cash fare of £4 each, so you'd better get some value out of the 2for1 deals!
By the way, the most painfree journey from Heathrow to Liverpool St by tube would be to change first at Hammersmith (cross the platform to the eastbound District Line) and then to the Circle Line (same platform) at any station between Gloucester Road (not just "Gloucester") and Monument. Any other way involves changing platforms and moving your luggage up and down stairs (as indeed will your exit at Liverpool St); but this way may well require a bit of a wait for the Circle Line.
And bear in mind your tube fare to Liverpool St will be the full cash fare of £4 each, so you'd better get some value out of the 2for1 deals!
By the way, the most painfree journey from Heathrow to Liverpool St by tube would be to change first at Hammersmith (cross the platform to the eastbound District Line) and then to the Circle Line (same platform) at any station between Gloucester Road (not just "Gloucester") and Monument. Any other way involves changing platforms and moving your luggage up and down stairs (as indeed will your exit at Liverpool St); but this way may well require a bit of a wait for the Circle Line.
Mar 6th, 2009, 07:53 PM
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I think xyz's third suggestion makes the most sense:
Both of you get Oysters upon arrival. Load son's with a 7-day Travelcard for Zones 1-2 plus a few £ for extension fares from/to LHR. Load yours with £20 for PAYG fares.
Get a one-day paper travelcard with the National Rail logo to use on the day(s) you want to use a twofer. Leave the PAYG Oyster at the hotel those days. You can get it/them in advance when you arrive at Liverpool Street Station.
The only disadvantage to this scheme is the fact that any Tube use before 9:30 weekdays will be charged to the PAYG card at peak rates. There is no peak period fare on bus travel.
Both of you get Oysters upon arrival. Load son's with a 7-day Travelcard for Zones 1-2 plus a few £ for extension fares from/to LHR. Load yours with £20 for PAYG fares.
Get a one-day paper travelcard with the National Rail logo to use on the day(s) you want to use a twofer. Leave the PAYG Oyster at the hotel those days. You can get it/them in advance when you arrive at Liverpool Street Station.
The only disadvantage to this scheme is the fact that any Tube use before 9:30 weekdays will be charged to the PAYG card at peak rates. There is no peak period fare on bus travel.
Mar 6th, 2009, 08:16 PM
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alan...as a general rule, you're right however it was interesting when I was in London for a week just this past January...I did as I always do, I bought a 7 day zone 1 & 2 job with one extension to Heathrow on a Sunday morning (£1.10) total outlay £26.90...fine
Then as the week wore on, there were several days I took the tube from my hotel to the Picadilly Circus/Leicester Square vicinity, picked up theatre tickets for both a matinee and an evening performance, hung around the area, had lunch at one of the pubs or at pret, walked wherever (many of the hot tourist spots are walkable or took a bus) and got back to the hotel at night....for the day may have run up a tab of £3.20 if I was using PAYG....at the end of the week I found if I had used PAYG oyster it would have cost me something like £21 for the week....it was just my pattern of travel and certainly the difference was far from enough to make a grown man cry. All I'm saying is that it's not such an open and shut case to say a 7 day pass is always better value, even for a week long stay than a PAYG oyster situation.
In this case, one is only staying 5 days and one of the days includes a full day in Paris and the day of arrival nothing dramatic is planned...lgistically leaving the twofers aside for a second, the best solution might be a 7 day pass for the son and PAYG for the adult (forgive me I don't want to go back through the thread, I think it's a mom and a son but I'm not sure)....they are also staying quite close to Liverpool Street station apparently so walking over the day they want to use the twofers to purchase an offpeak paper travelcard with the national rail logo should not present a hardship..all they have to remember is to take with them for one of them the 7 day oystercard and as robes suggests leave the PAYG card at the hotel...also they do have to remember that on london underground, off peak one day travelcards mean travel after 0930 on weekdays (or they can pick up the one day paper travelcard the night before)...it's really not all that complicated. As mom is leaving, she can stop at the window at Heathrow and get a refund of whatever is left on the PAYG oyster card plus the £3 deposit or save it for the next visit to London. The day they go off to Paris they have either a brief bus rid or tube ride from Liverpool Street station to St. Pancreas....seems to make sense to me.
Then as the week wore on, there were several days I took the tube from my hotel to the Picadilly Circus/Leicester Square vicinity, picked up theatre tickets for both a matinee and an evening performance, hung around the area, had lunch at one of the pubs or at pret, walked wherever (many of the hot tourist spots are walkable or took a bus) and got back to the hotel at night....for the day may have run up a tab of £3.20 if I was using PAYG....at the end of the week I found if I had used PAYG oyster it would have cost me something like £21 for the week....it was just my pattern of travel and certainly the difference was far from enough to make a grown man cry. All I'm saying is that it's not such an open and shut case to say a 7 day pass is always better value, even for a week long stay than a PAYG oyster situation.
In this case, one is only staying 5 days and one of the days includes a full day in Paris and the day of arrival nothing dramatic is planned...lgistically leaving the twofers aside for a second, the best solution might be a 7 day pass for the son and PAYG for the adult (forgive me I don't want to go back through the thread, I think it's a mom and a son but I'm not sure)....they are also staying quite close to Liverpool Street station apparently so walking over the day they want to use the twofers to purchase an offpeak paper travelcard with the national rail logo should not present a hardship..all they have to remember is to take with them for one of them the 7 day oystercard and as robes suggests leave the PAYG card at the hotel...also they do have to remember that on london underground, off peak one day travelcards mean travel after 0930 on weekdays (or they can pick up the one day paper travelcard the night before)...it's really not all that complicated. As mom is leaving, she can stop at the window at Heathrow and get a refund of whatever is left on the PAYG oyster card plus the £3 deposit or save it for the next visit to London. The day they go off to Paris they have either a brief bus rid or tube ride from Liverpool Street station to St. Pancreas....seems to make sense to me.
Mar 7th, 2009, 05:14 AM
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Thanks again guys (and gals). By the way I'm a dad. Last question (yeah right!). What temperatures can we expect while there? I know London is hit or miss for sunshine but how warm? In F if possible otherwise it will take me a half hour to convert. Russ
Mar 7th, 2009, 06:07 AM
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Assuming we're talking the end of March, I would expect low 50sF, more or less as it is now, but we could have cold snaps or early spring. You can keep an eye on the forecasts and actual details at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/foreca...e=10®ion=uk
and the current outlook for the month ahead at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/ukweath..._outlook.shtml
http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/foreca...e=10®ion=uk
and the current outlook for the month ahead at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/ukweath..._outlook.shtml
Mar 7th, 2009, 06:27 AM
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xyz - they don't necessarily have to trek to a NR station to get paper travelcards. If they know the day they will need it, they can buy it at L-St on the way in from LHR and have it stamped for 2ferday.
Mar 8th, 2009, 09:35 AM
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All of these replies have really helped and I feel very good about our time in London So thanks to all. I'm now curious as to the terminology you all have been using. I see 1) Travelcards, 1 or more days, 2) Oyster cards, ????, and 3) Oyster PAYG cards ????. Some issued by the "tube" people and others issued by the National Rail system, and who issues the Oyster card? The Navy?? Anyone want to attempt and explanation?
Mar 8th, 2009, 10:24 AM
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Start by trying to digest/understand the official site. I think the site might be down right now, but the address is oyster.tfl.gov.uk. It is not easy to understand.
Oyster card is an electronic card on which you can load different things - including travel cards and Pay-as-you-go money.
<u>Travel Cards</u> are either issued is 1, 3 and 7-day increments, and can be either paper cards, or just loaded electronically onto the oyster card (the Oyster can have a variety of different things on it at the same time).
- if you want to take advantage of the 2 for 1 offers everyone talks about, you have to have a PAPER travel card (not one that is loaded on your Oyster card) and it has to be issued at a RAIL station (not a tube station) -- it has to have the National Rail logo on it.
- except for the ability to use the 2 for 1 offers, paper and electronic travel cards are the same, that is, a set price for unlimited travel.
<u>The Oyster card PAYG system</u>:
-Each trip is discounted from the fare you would pay otherwise (if you just paid for an individual trip)
-The amount you pay per day is capped - the maximum is the same as a 1-day Travel Card.
There are some differences between Oyster and Travelcard in that Oyster has peak and off-peak times and the Travelcard does not.
It works out that for anything 5 days or more, a 7-day travel card is the best "buy" if you're going to travel a lot on public transportation. Under 5 days, and the Oyster PAYG is probably more cost-effective. Also, if you're going to only do a couple of trips a day, the Oyster PAYG is more cost-effective.
Oyster card is an electronic card on which you can load different things - including travel cards and Pay-as-you-go money.
<u>Travel Cards</u> are either issued is 1, 3 and 7-day increments, and can be either paper cards, or just loaded electronically onto the oyster card (the Oyster can have a variety of different things on it at the same time).
- if you want to take advantage of the 2 for 1 offers everyone talks about, you have to have a PAPER travel card (not one that is loaded on your Oyster card) and it has to be issued at a RAIL station (not a tube station) -- it has to have the National Rail logo on it.
- except for the ability to use the 2 for 1 offers, paper and electronic travel cards are the same, that is, a set price for unlimited travel.
<u>The Oyster card PAYG system</u>:
-Each trip is discounted from the fare you would pay otherwise (if you just paid for an individual trip)
-The amount you pay per day is capped - the maximum is the same as a 1-day Travel Card.
There are some differences between Oyster and Travelcard in that Oyster has peak and off-peak times and the Travelcard does not.
It works out that for anything 5 days or more, a 7-day travel card is the best "buy" if you're going to travel a lot on public transportation. Under 5 days, and the Oyster PAYG is probably more cost-effective. Also, if you're going to only do a couple of trips a day, the Oyster PAYG is more cost-effective.
