London: Ordered 7 day Travelcard; slightly confused...
 

I ordered 2 7 day Travelcards (zones 1-2) directly from the TFL. The website I used to buy the cards is here: http://www.ticket-on-line.com/cgi-bi...a7gi0IQYqRuD-Y

I received them today, no problem, but am curious because the back of the cards say that we need a valid accompanying photocard too? The whole point of me ordering these early was to avoid having to deal with this sort of thing once we got to London, but now it looks like we have more work to do anyhow?

I thought I understood the whole Oyster system, but clearly I don't!!

In case I wasn't clear, these are 7 day Travelcards, NOT loaded onto Oyster cards. They're just little paper cards like library cards or something, nothing to swipe.

you ordered travel cards and that is what you got.

Per the tfl website:

>>Online
If you are a resident in one of the following countries you can get adult Oyster cards with pay as you go credit already added and the cards will be posted to your home.<<

followed by:

>>If you are a resident in one of the following countries or live in the UK (but outside London), adult-rate and child rate three and seven day Travelcards and some single tickets can also be posted to you before your visit.<<

So it looks like you chose the 2nd option and bought paper travel cards. Yes - you will need a photocard.

I used 7-day travelcards before the Oyster system was initiated and they did NOT require a photo. Based on what I've read, I thought the current travelcards didn't either. What is the exact wording on the back of your cards?

TimS: OH - you are right. It depends on the zones.

tara: Since you got zone 1-2 you will not need a photo. (in the "old days" all 7 day cards required a photo but that was changed a couple of years ago)

The only rub is that extension tickets are much more expensive with the paper tickets than they are with oyster cards....an extension from Heathrow to central London (which means a paper tickets for zones 6-3 in this case) is £3...while the peak (0700 to 1900 weekdays) for an extension to Heathrow is £1.80 and only £1 other times...and besides which you have to queue anyway to get the extension.

There is really no need, at least in my opinion, to get London transit asses before arrival in London...true there is a chance of a bit of a one time queue but you don't save any money and to me the added hassle of waiting for it to arrive via post or owhatever and the ever present possibility of getting the wrong ticket and dealing with it outweigh the small queue in London.

Or passes, either. ;)

(Why don't you ask the friendly TfL clerk at Heathrow if you can have that on an Oyster, please - when you add your PAYG cash to it?)

Thanks for the replies... I won't be needing an Oyster or to add any PAYG money - we're staying only within central London and already have transportation booked (from when the 2-for-1 deals were being offered) from Gatwick into central London. So the 7 day card seemed to be the most cost-effective.

The official website says that we won't need a photocard with our 7 day travelcard, but the travelcard itself says it isn't valid without one, hence the confusion. It seems I'm okay following the website, though!

I'm assuming I just insert the travelcard ticket into a turnstile and wait for it to pop back out, like with tickets in the Paris metro?

&quot;<i>So the 7 day card seemed to be the most cost-effective.</i>&quot;

OK - I think you misunderstand how oyster works. You could just as well have loaded a 7-day travel card ON an oyster. A travel card isn't &quot;instead&quot; of an oyster. An Oyster is one (probably the best) way to carry a travel card.

As for needing the photo -- The paper card is preprinted w/ that info on it. But when you only have zones 1 and 2 you will not need a picture.

To help you in the future - an oyster would have been the way to go. But no biggie - the paper card will work.

Yes you stick the card into a slot on the front of the gate and it pops up on the top.

Basically that's correct...you put the 7 day paper ticket in the slot and out it comes and the turnstile open but be aware a big difference between the Paris Metro and London Underground is you have to repeat the procedure on the WAY OUT of the tube...in Paris as long as you stick with the METRO it's not ncessary although if you use the RER wtihin Paris you do so.

Enjoying the image of xyz123 meandering around London on the back of a donkey. A new, more urban Stevenson.