London Underground pass
 

Hi all,
I'm confused about the cheapest way to get around London for a day on the tube. I know a normal fare is 4 pounds, but is there a special day pass you can get (not Oyster)?

If you first trip of the day is after 0930 on a weekday (any time on a weekend) and you're essentially staying in central London, there is a one day pass available for £5.30, still kind of pricey if your intention is just one round trip for the day in London.

Now, if you're going to be in London for several days, you might wish to look into getting an oyster card....this is a credit card size thng with a chip in it...there is a £3 refundable deposit required. What you do is use it just like a prepaid phone card...you put money on it which is deducted each time you use it.

In this way, the one way fare on the tube becomes a much more reasonable £1.50 so a round trip in one day is only £3. The nice thing is that if you use it several times during the day, it will cap at £4.80 for the day, 50p less than the one day travelcard (provided that as above, your first trip on the tube for a weekday is after 0930)....there are also possiblities such as the buses.

But if you are "doing the sights" then a PAPER travelcard allows you to use the offers on www.daysoutguide.com

1 & 3 day cards are always sold as paper cards and can be obtained from any Tube or train station BUT 7 day PAPER travelcards can only be bought at train stations

You can get a 1 day travelcard. The price varies depending on whether you want anytime travel or off-peak only, and the number of zones you need to travel through.

For zones 1 and 2 the cost is £6.80 including peak times, or £5.30 for off-peak. You can pick them up quickly from the ticket machines.

Thanks for the advice. I will literally only be there for the day, flying in at 8am and home at 9pm. I guess I'll get one of those day passes, they are a bit pricey but better than 4 pounds per journey! I will be going from Liverpool St to Camden, then to Oxford St and probably back to Liverpool St again.

If you're not in a big hurry and would rather see London than the walls of Underground tubes, buy a one-day Bus Pass for £3.50.

It has no peak restrictions and no zone restrictions. It's good all over Greater London from start of service to good night, Alfie.

Here's a bus map of tourist London you can download and print out:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloa...al_bus_map.pdf

And here's a geographic map that you can get free when you buy your bus pass at any Tube station:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/centlond.pdf

If I <u>had</u> to take the Tube for even <i>one</i> ride (<i>e.g.</i>, to and/or from Heathrow), I'd pay the &pound;3 deposit on an Oyster, load &pound;6.50 on it, and have done with it. You're good to go, from Heathrow to Greenwich - by Tube, bus, tram, or train - after 9:30AM.

&lt;&lt;&lt; they are a bit pricey &gt;&gt;&gt;

????

If you think &pound;5.30 is pricey for unlimited use of the Tube &amp; train system within zones 1-2 and the bus system throughout London, then you are going to get a BIG shock

Eh, no, I actually won't get a big shock because I live in one of the most expensive cities in Europe and have been to London before. Just because I think &pound;5.30 is a lot to spend for 2-3 short hops on the tube (in comparison with 2 dollars a ride in NYC for example) doesn't mean I'm SURPRISED by it. The fact it's unlimited isn't much use to me when I don't intend to use the tube all day long and get buses as well, but thanks for the 'advice'.

Thanks for the info Robespierre. I did consider the bus, but the tube seemed easier, as I'm only going to stay within a short area (there's a purpose to my visit, sadly). I am planning a weekend in London with friends in the near future, and I think we'll definitely use the bus then! I am not a big fan of underground transport either - it's convenient when you live somewhere, but as a tourist, you don't get to see where you're going!