travelmere

I have looked at the comments on Fodors re the London Pass vs the 2 for 1 coupons and the consensus seems to be that 2 for 1 coupons are better. I looked on the 2 for 1 website and it seems to be saying that tickets issued at a tube station are not eligible. If I buy the travelcard from the Visit Britain tourist info will it be eligible for 2 for 1 coupons? Does National Rail operate the underground? Obviously, I am a little confused! Anybody shed some light? Thanks!

jamikins

You need to buy a paper ticket that is from a national rail station - you can also use these on the tube. Note there is no longer a 3 day option - they offer 1 day and 7 day passes.

If you do a search on this forum for oyster you will get lots of info.

jamikins

Oh definitely dont get a London Pass - very overpriced

jamikins

http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/

janisj

Forget the London Pass.

How long are you in London and how many of the 2for1's do you plan to visit? If you are only using 2for1's on one day, you can buy an Oyster when you get to town w/ some PAYG money on it and then on the day you need the paper travel card buy a 1-day pass at any train station. Most of the trains stations also have tube stations attached but you need to buy the paper travelcard in the actual train station.

alanRow

If I buy the travelcard from the Visit Britain tourist info will it be eligible for 2 for 1 coupons? No, the Travelcard must be bought at a National Rail operated train station

Does National Rail operate the underground? No, National Rail are responsible for the trains & most train stations, TfL are responsible for Tube stations & some train stations.

How are you arriving & leaving London?

travelmere

Thanks for the responses but I'm still confused! We are coming and leaving from Gatwick by train (I assume that is the fastest/easiest method). The things on our list to see are the Tower, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's, possibly Hampton Court or Kew Gardens and of course a number of the free museums and galleries. We will have 3 and a half days in London (I know it will be rushed!)So do I understand that I just buy a one day travelcard each day and then I will be eligible for the discounts? And where do I buy the travelcard if I can't buy it at a tube station to be eligible for the discounts? Thanks for the help?

janisj

Problem solved! Buy a R-T train ticket Gatwick/London/Gatwick. That will be a paper ticket w/ a national rail logo on it and will cover every day you are in London. So you are set for the 2 for 1 offers. No need to faff around w/ daily travel cards or special passes.

Then once you get into London -- say at Victoria -- go into the tube station and buy Oyster cards w/ pay as you go ££ on it to use for your travel around London.

reddy2go2

janisj -- I was having the same questions about the 2-1 deals. We fly into Heathrow. So if we buy RT tickets from Heathrow to London, will that be a National Rail paper ticket as well? That will solve the problem. Thanks for the insight! London travel seems more complicated than Rome!

janisj

reddy2go2: Doesn't work the same from heathrow. The only trains from LHR go to Paddington which isn't convenient for most hotels/sightseeing. The tube or a pre-booked car service are normally the best ways to get in from LHR.

I personally would not take the train in from LHR just for the 2 for 1's (unless I was staying AT Paddington, but in my case -- that wouldn't happen.)

The reason it works for travelmere is Gatwick -- from which a regular train is the best/fastest/cheapest way to get in to London.

reddy2go2

Janisj: got it. We are going to get an Oyster card each at LHR and then get a travel card for 3 of our 5 days in London. We plan to see many sites and plan on using a 2:1 deal on most of them. Never knew London travel was so complicated! Was thinking of loading 20 pounds each on the Oyster to cover incidental travel (LHR to Victoria/Pimlico, early train to Paddington for trip to Bath etc.). Sounds about right?

alanRow

"Never knew London travel was so complicated! "

The only reason it's complicated is because of the 2-4-1 offers - which are nothing to do with the people who are responsible for travel within London.

It could be simpler but then you wouldn't get the 2-4-1 offers - which would you prefer?

MissPrism

I get the impression that the 2 for 1 offers are really for people like me who take the train into London from other parts of the UK.

jamikins

MissPrism you are correct. I believe they are to encourage people to travel into London from outside London by train. Tourists from outside the UK visiting London are able to take advantage of them as well, but it does add a layer of complexity for them in transit options.

nomikal

Is there a site where I can see which stations are operated by the national rail ?

PatrickLondon

These are the national rail stations in central London:
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_...html#terminals

alanRow

nationalrail.co.uk

DeborahAnn

I found it a great savings that our national rail tickets to and from Canterbury from London allowed us to use the 2 for 1 while in London. I thought we would need to show an active travel card for London to get the 2 for 1. Our vouchers were accepted even though we had gone to Canterbury at the beginning of our visit. Deborah

BigRuss

The main National Rail stations in central London are Paddington, Euston, Kings Cross, St. Pancras, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, Waterloo, Charing Cross and Victoria. There are others, but if you stay in central London, you will be close to one of the nine above. Blackfriars, Cannon Street, Fenchurch Street, Moorgate and Marylebone are smaller and their hours may be more limited.

BigRuss

The London Pass is crap. The only thing it really covers that you can't get anywhere else is St. Paul's. But the 2for1 offers for the Tower and the Cabinet War Rooms offset that. Plus, the London Pass is unnecessary at the National Portrait Gallery, the National Gallery, the British Museum, the British Library, the Imperial War Museum, the V&A, the Natural History Museum, the Tate Gallery, the Tate Modern . . . wow! that's a ton of top-end museums for no entry fee.