I am staying near the Earls Court tube station during my visit to London. I plan to purchase a 7 day paper London travel card at the National Rail section of Kensington Olympia station. I would like to take care of that on my way into town from the airport. Is the transfer at Earls Court to the Olympia line and from the tube to rail portion of the station at Olympia very long and stressful? I will have a small suitcase and a carry-on. Or are the transfers complicated enough that I should check into my hotel first? Thanks for your insight.

I'm confused. Why if you are staying in Earls Court do you want to go to olympia? They are sonme way apart.

You get to Olympia from Earls court from the same two platforms that also serve Wimbledon and Ealing. It's dead easy (there is also a lift).

You can buy your travel card at the little shops opposite Earls Court.

I THINK the Olympia tube and rail ticket desks are the same thing. I've never bought a rail ticket there, but I can't imagine National Rail would waste money on their own ticket staff, and tickets for both are sold in the same tiny hut. The tube train terminates at Olympia and returns from the same platform: from the tube to the office is a flat, 10-20 yard walk at most.

The connection at Earls Court - and the exit from the District Line where the Olympia train arrives - is by staircase. It's a pretty straight, down the stairs, connection: but there's no escalator.

The Olympia branch of the District tube line doesn't run that often, so you might be surprised at how long this whole thing takes.

Little shops that sell travelcards have Transport for London machines. They sell one-day paper travelcards, but weekly travelcards are only on Oyster cards. To get a weekly (or monthly) paper travelcard, you need to go to a national rail station.

Trains to Olympia are every twenty minutes. At best.

There is no escalator at Earls Ct but there is a lift - it's at the far end where the stairs are.

CW and I are confusing you.

You're coming in from the airport, want a rail thing for a 2 for 1, which is why you want a National Rail ticket place.

I'd never noticed there was a lift at Earls Court.

The lift goes between the district line and the main ticket hall and comes out just round from where the cash machines are. It also serves the district line.

I think it's quite a recent thing.

Samsmom- based on these replies, maybe it's just easier for you to get to your apartment first, then walk to Kensington Olympia Station. It is about 1 mile. By the time you wait for the tube to come (which runs every 20 minutes per C_W), you'd be there by walking! You can take the tube back to Earls Court if you don't feel like walking back.

Earls Court is one of those stations marked with the "handicapped" symbol on the Tube map, which means that it has "step-free access" from platform to street; ie a lift.

Thank you all very much. flanneruk, you are correct, I need the 7 day paper card for the 2 for 1 discounts. I am cheap enough to want to do it all on one tube ticket but lazy enough not to want to drag luggage up and down tons of staircases. Given CW and yk's advice, I think I will check in first and stroll up to the Olympia station after I settle in.