<i>So, sounds like 2 travelcards and a single ticket from Heathrow, then pick up a paper travelcard at a train station. Is that correct?</i>

Make that 2 OYSTER Travelcards and a single OYSTER ticket from Heathrow. Otherwise you'll all have to pay 6-zone cash fare rates both ways. The Oyster Travelcard users will acquire the added benefit of only paying between Zones 6 and 2 (&pound;1 or &pound;1.80).

<i>Does the advice to Hagan (above) apply to my family too?</i>

Yup - if you plan to use twofers in the same way. But unless you're mad keen to trudge down into the ground and out again every time you move from place to place, the bus is the way to go. And kids up to 15 ride them free.

But if they use the Oyster single fare for Heathrow to London, they need to pay the &pound;3 deposit for the Oyster card, and if they want to get the &pound;3 back they need to return the Oyster card before they leave.

Hagan, BTW, the link below is the area map of Gloucester Rd tube station, with the bus stations location clearly marked for which bus and for which direction.
http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/Dow...cesterRoad.pdf

<i>But if they use the Oyster single fare for Heathrow to London, they need to pay the &pound;3 deposit for the Oyster card, and if they want to get the &pound;3 back they need to return the Oyster card before they leave.</i>


Turn it in at the Heathrow tube station before you leave and get a credit for the deposit. Or keep it for your next trip :-)

My tip -

Each adult gets an Oystercard to use PAYG and puts around &pound;5 per day that you are going to use it on

On days you are going to use the 2-4-1 offers you buy a one day travelcard from a train station booking office - you can do this the day before if you aren't in walking distance of a train station

So on days you are using 2-4-1 : Travelcard

Other days : PAYG Oystercard

Which neatly solves the problem of how to get into London from LHR without paying the &pound;4 fare

My experience has been that if someone will be in London for 6-7 days, getting a 7-day travelcard for zones 1-2 is CHEAPER than Oyster PAYG; unless the person takes fewer than 3 trips per day.

Fares are listed here:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloa...6-02-01-09.pdf

A 7-day zones 1-2 travelcard is &pound;25.80, which is valid for peak and off-peak use.

Using Oyster PAYG, the day-cap is &pound;6.70 for peak, and &pound;5.10 for off-peak each day.

thanks for the link to map with landmarks on it!! huge help