Transportation within London
 

Hello,

I will preface my request by saying that I have read many many threads on the various ways to get into and around London - avoid the Gatwick Express, Oyster cards, Travelcards, loading one on the other, 2 for 1 deals, paper vs plastic..until my head was spinning. And that was before we were hit with a nasty stomach bug and the flu.

So, we leave tomorrow and I am so far behind with packing, etc that I am afraid I won't have the time to figure out the best way to get around and maximize my funds.

The deal is we are 2 adults and 2 children arriving in Gatwick 3/13 and leaving 3/20 for Paris. We are staying at Marriott County Hall.

I had vague plans to take Southern Rail (buy tickets at the airport - perhaps 2 for 1 with the knowledge that I need to print out vouchers - but really don't understand how it works, to buy a Travelcard - if I need one at all - and then load onto an Oyster if necessary) to Victoria Station and buy Oyster/Travelcard.

We will be going to Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace. Other than that, everything else will be within the city.

Can someone be my mother and just tell me what to do???

Thanks for reading this far,
Jeannine

Treat the journeys to and from Gatwick, Windsor and Hampton Court as something separate. These journeys will be by national rail companies rather than Transport for London: the Travelcard will be irrelevant.

With a party of four, it might make sense to take a taxi from Victoria and put off dealing with Travelcards until you can choose your time and your purchase point (but as you will probably need to explain to the clerk about the children's ages, it would be best to go to a station rather than one of the ordinary retail outlets).

Get 7-day Travelcards for the adults.

Your 9-year-old should be able to travel free. Your 11-year old can travel free on buses but not the tube: for that she will need either Oyster PAYG or a child-rate travelcard, and a photocard to prove her age. If have any spare passport-sized photos, bring them, or be prepared for her to have to use a photobooth when you get here. This is what you will need to ask the clerk's advice about.

For 2 for 1 vouchers, you can print them off the website www.daysoutguide.co.uk for the attractions you're interested in, or there are booklets at the main train stations, like Victoria. They say they're only valid if you have a train ticket for the day of your visit to the attraction or at least a monthly travelcard - but that no doubt depends on how much checking the attraction in question chooses to do.

There are separate 2for1 offers for people with Oyster:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/microsites/oysteroffers/

BTW The usual entrance for the County Hall is still closed - you need to enter from Belverdere Rd - which runs parallel to the river.

Don't dismiss the Gatwick Express

Southern trains are commuter trains that come to Gatwick from the south and could be crowded already, depending on time of day

Gatwick Express is a dedicated non-stop service to Victoria that starts at Gatwick and is usually sitting there - allowing you to leisurely situated yourself and is unlikely to be mobbed anytime - it also has room for large luggage

southern trains and FCC trains may stop for a minute or so and you scramble aboard - with luggage (and no special places it seems for luggage on these commuter trains) and kids i'd take either an airport transfer mini-bus or the Gatwick Express IMO

Thank you so much!!!!

I will look into the Gatwick Express again - the thought of juggling luggage and cranky kids is not at all appealing!

I much appreciate your cutting through my fog and pointing me in the right direction! Plus the pointer about the hotel lobby.


On a side note - we were planning to check out the St Patrick's Day parade and activities at the various squares - any suggestions??

Many thanks,
Jeannine

PatrickLondon has given you great info. Just one clarification. The Travelcard is not irrelevant for Hampton Court Palace. Yes, you do take a regular train there, not the tube. But HCP is in TFL zone 6 so a travel card can be used. Your travelcard will be for zones 1-2 and you pay a small supplement to add on the outer zones just for that journey.

I wondered about that point, but I doubt if there's a great difference between the ordinary fare and the add-on for Hampton Court - especially if it means more queueing at Waterloo rather just buying tickets from a machine.

Many folks will find going to Richmond on their Oyster Card then changing to a train to Hampton court is the best route - unlikely to be long lines at Richmond IME - take the Tube to Richmond rather than the hassle of going to Waterloo, a very hectic station with umpteen platforms

Swings and roundabouts. Trains from Richmond to Hampton Court involve additional changes and take about 45-50 minutes on top of the tube journey out to Richmond. Waterloo to Hampton Court takes 30 minutes and there are four trains every hour.

If you are using an Oystercard then getting (and paying) for the train to Hampton Court from Waterloo means you can use the 2-for-1 offer for Hampton court

www.2for1entry.co.uk

Thank you all very much - we leave tonight and are so excited. We certainly will have a much more enjoyable trip because of all your help.

Jeannine

Patrick - i mixed up Windsor via Richmond as i started in Waterloo last month and switched in Richmond for Windsor

yes Hampton Court on a different track and you are right

We (lucky us) went from Richmond to Hampton Court Palace by boat, courtesy of London Walks. The boat ride was a highlight of our trip. From my brief google, it looks like regular service doesn't start until April. Are there any boat options in March?

One doesn't need to use London walks to take the boat (I'm sure you didn't mean courtesy of London Walks - they did not cover the fare for free did they? )

It is normally better to take the train to HCP and the boat back to London. That way one can get to the Palace in the morning - spend as much time as you want, have a nice lunch, and then IF the weather is nice, take a leisurely boat ride back into town in the afternoon.

If you only get 2 for 1 with a train ticket even if you take the boat you may want to buy a one way Richmond-Hampton Ct train ticket and not use it and still save quite a bit as entry is about 13 pounds i believe

or have a Travelcard for that day - i wonder if the Travelcard must include Hampton Court station to get the 2 for 1 - that would mean an all zone card as Hampton Ct is on the very edge of the last zone i believe