london travelcard,Heritage Pass etc-is it worth it
 

Does it make good sense to buy the Travel Card-does it really save you money & is it cheaper to buy it in US or wait and get it in London? Same question for the British Heritage Pass and Gatwick Express tickets.Also, should I get tickets for the various london "walks" or wait till we get there? Guess it's pretty obvious I am stressed out planning this last minute trip! THanx for your thoughts!!

We used the tube constantly while we were in London - our hotel was in Bayswater, a hike from the west end - so the 3-day travelcard paid for itself in a day. Individual trips on the Underground tend to be expensive because of the zoning, especially when compared to the cheap public transit in Paris, Amsterdam and other cities.
If your hotel is not right in the West End/Oxford St. area, a travelcard might not be a bad investment.

Buy your Express tickets at the airport, or even on the train, credit cards are accepted.
The Original London Walks do not require reservations..just show up at the time appointed on the brochures...so now, that eliminates a bit of stress for you. :-)
As for the travelcards, I suggest buying them in London..there are daily ones and weekly ones , so a lot depends on how long you plan to be in town.
The Heritage Pass is very worthwhile if you plan to visit outside of London..not nearly as useful inside London because many of the museums are free .

We used the tube lots - 4 or 5 trips a day - while in London last month. The travel card saves both time and money if you plan to use the bus or the underground extensively.

Not necessary to buy any tickets in advance. I was in London for 1 week and then again for 2 weeks and bought the weekly pass (think it requires a photo -any head shot will do). Only used the British Heritage Pass outside London during a 3 week trip. We actually broke even but probably saved some "line" time. You will definitely pay a premium to buy in the US. Visit the British Heritage website to see what you can expect to see - I requested their brochure since I had time to get it. Also, when I arrived at Gatwick I just walked over to the train ticket booth and got my ticket. [email protected]

Thanx for great advice!! I've made a note to bring photos (head shots) for the passes!

We just returned from London. We purchased a 7 day zone 1 and 2 travelcard. We did not have to have a photo. We just walked up to the ticket counter at the station and purchased one--very easy. We were concerned because the travel guide said you had to have a photo--not the case.
This was a great way to travel (we used the underground to go all over London)

Hannah-thanks for the info re not needing photos. That makes it even better! Will buy the card there!

The heritage pass is mainly for outside London. I don't recall off hand if the Tower of London, Hampton Ct. or Windosr Castle were included, but considering the price of admission to each - you may want to time those sites for when you have a Heritage pass if you're doing a tour of sites in the countryside. Seems to me it was about $20each for the Tower.

There is also a daily pass for the tube (and the busses) - If I recall, about $5 - cheap if you put off starting your trip until 9:30 after rush hour.