Personally, I use 5 days as my cut off as there is almost sure to be a day where you might only use public transport once but it's not worth an argument...the difference is really not be going to be all that great...the advantage of the 7 day pass (leaving aside the whole idiocy of the 2 for 1 discounts) is if you start out early each week morning, you are subject to the higher peak time cap and that might eat up any difference with the 7 day pass vs. PAYG.

As my London stays now have a routine all their own, at least for me, insofar as there are many days when I leave the hotel in the morning and don't return till 2300 without doing too much public transport inbetween (say on a Wednesday or Thursday a matinee and an evening show), I might not use as much public transport as others so I accept it's easiest just to buy a 7 day pass and be done with it (I also travel single so I don't have to worry about 2 fors)....

Can I join in on the questioning?

While I'm in London, I will buy the Oyster 1-2 7day unlimited card. But there is one trip where I will go out of Zone 1/2 (taking the Olympics Stadium Tour and I think West Ham is Zone 3). For that specific trip, I should add extra money to the card to cover going there and back?

Gothampc: "<i>I should add extra money to the card to cover going there and back?</i>"

Yes - when you load the Oyster -- explain to the ticket agent that you want an extension for one return journey into zone 3 and s/he will set you up w/ the 7 day travel card plus a little extra PAYG. You can always top it up more if you find you are going outside of zones 1-2 any other times.

"Can I use my Oyster card (with money on it) to:

(a) travel from LHR by train to the city after 9:30 a.m. and..."

No.

Heathrow RAILWAY stations are not within the area covered by Oysters or Travelcards. Heathrow TUBE stations and bus stops are.

To cross the t's and dot the i's in relation to ssander's specific enquiry, neither TfL travelcards nor Oyster PAYG are accepted on Heathrow Express, or between Hayes and Heathrow on Heathrow Connect (I imagine it's something to do with the spur out to Heathrow having been constructed as a wholly commercial venture).

We are in the same situation as you, 1 day in London then Eurostar to Paris then back in London for 4 days. YOu can check to see if you have any PAYG left on your old Oyster. The machines near the terminals will tell you or the agent. I noticed last month that at the windows there is a 5 GBP minimum. I have enough cash left on my card that our 1 day is covered as we will probably only use the bus 3 or 4 times. From Heathrow for the 2 of us R/T Justairports private car shuttle is cheaper than the Heathrow Express.No way will I do the tube from the airports. I am past dragging suitcases up flights of stairs.And both tube stations that are near our regular hotels have stairs.

Last year our Eurostar tickets had lots of 2 for 1 offers attached, both in London and Paris. Haven't booked our Oct-Nov tickets yet so don't know if they will again.

Don't know the 2 for 1 for LOndon but these are the Paris ones this year

Cité de la musique
Grand Palais, Galeries nationales
Jeu de Paume
Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris
Musée du quai Branly

covers special exhibits too

Latest scores on the doors for actually using Oyster PAYG as a visitor to London, this time for 4 days including tube from/to Heathrow - I spent £20.30, so would have paid £7.30 more if I'd got the 7 day Zones 1-2 Oyster Travel Card for 27.60 GBP originally enquired about.

Has anyone ever taken the bus to LHR from the Victoria Coach station? It looks pretty cheap, and just as fast at certain times of the day.

SS

The coach is the cheapest and fastest way to Victoria Coach Station. Which is an unpleasant (if you're carrying luggage) 10 mins' walk to the nearest tube station, from where you've got to spend extra to get a tube to anywhere most people might want to go.

Since London hasn't got a centre, the bus, the tube, the Heathrow Connect/Express, the train from Feltham to Waterloo or a prebooked car all come out as offering the best price, and the fastest journey, for some people going to some destinations.

But to be honest, the coach hits the spot for fewer people than almost any alternative.

Flanneruk...

Isn't the Victoria Coach Station just down the street from Victoria Station (corner of Elizabeth St & Buckingham Palace Rd)?

We've stayed on Hugh Street on our last three visits to London (and will be doing the same on the last part of our trip), and I'm pretty sure that's where it is...very close to our hotel..I think we've walked by it many times taking strolls around the area.

...or am I mistaking that for another bus station?

We only travel with a pair of small wheeled carry-ons, so a two-block walk is OK for our situation...not really any longer than to the Victoria tube (and we'd have to change to the Picadilly line on the way). The bus seems easier (and probably more comfortable). We've never used it before...in the past we've always taken Southern Rail to Gatwick...we're not familiar with transport to LHR.

I'm just concerned about it getting us to LHR on time. Plane leaves T1 at noon, and there's a bus at 8:00 -- ought to get us there with time to spare, right? The website says ~45-55 minutes...but I know traffic is an issue that time of day.

SS

Yes -- Victoria Coach station is just down the road from Victoria tube/rail stations. But it is a difficult walk - especially w/ luggage.

If one is staying w/i walking distance of the coach station (Eliz. Street, St Georges Drive, Ebury St, Warwick Way, etc) the coach is a good option. But for connecting to the tube at Victoria - it would be a slog and a PITA.

Last June, I was tyaking a National Express coach from Victoria coach station to Dover to catch a cruise ship. Tried it out the day before from my hotel in Bayswater....Circle line from Bayswater station straight through to Victoria...figured out the best stairway at Victoria tube station...then i discovered that while it's only a 2 block walk from the tube exit to the coach station, it is uphill almost the whole way dragging my suit case...ugh...I just got on the #11 bus 1 stop and it was easy enough....got back to VCS and the walk was downhill...still it was the middle of the afternoon and it was hot (for London) and humid but it wasn't bad but I'll tell you...it's easier to take the tube out of LHR to where I go than the bus; not that I question in the slightest there may be spedific hotels where it is better to go to the coach station but they are not next door to Victoria tube station.

So...to summarize:

My wife and I...

(a) staying on Hugh Street...
(b) with two small wheeled carry-ons...
(c) who have only to walk a block and a half (same as to the tube)...

...qualify as one of those rare cases for which the bus from Victoria Coach Station is a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to get to LHR T1...right?

[I understand that this makes no sense for practically anywhere else in London...just thinking about our specific circumstances.]

SS

Yep -- you are the ONE person that the coach makes sense :)

From Hugh Street the best ways to LHR would be the coach or a car service. Coach is cheaper and a car service is a bit easier.

(I once rented a flat on Hugh St and was worried because it backed up on the tracks -- but the noise was no issue at all)

janisj...

Thanks for the difinitive answer.

This will be our 4th stay at the Cherry Court Hotel at 23 Hugh Street...we're on the other side of the street...not the tracks side. As I said, we've liked the location near Victoria Station, coming in on Southern Rail from Gatwick in the past (as well as the price -- very inexpensive hotel run by really nice folks).

SS

Hi everyone,

Sorry but I'm really confused and the website does not provide the details I want. I'm flying in from Heathrow and staying near St Pancras, and leaving via Eurostar. Aside from Heathrow, I should not be leaving zone 1 (for 5 days). What type of oyster card should I get? And is there a difference between an oyster card and a travel card? Thanks

Oyster card is the vehicle in which you load your travel card onto. A travel card can be loaded on an Oyster or you can purchase a paper one at a national rail station (not heathrow). A paper card is only a good thing to get if you plan to use the 2for1 deals on www.daysoutguide.co.uk

If you plan to use the 2for1, buy a ticket to St Pancras at Heathrow to get yourself into town and then at St Pancras/Kings Cross go to the national rail (not underground) ticket booths and buy a 7 day travel card.

If you dont plan to use them them get your oyster card at heathrow and load it with a 7 day travel card and enough pay as you go money to get you to st pancras - the person working the ticket booth will help you with this.