flagmom

When we visit London in June, we will have both PAYG oyster cards (with a senior rail pass linked to one) and 7-day paper travel cards for zones 1-2. We will be staying near the Gloucester Road tube station. Regarding travel to and from Hampton Court Palace:
The TFL Journey Planner recommends getting to Hampton Court by taking the tube from Gloucester Road to Wimbledon, and then taking the train from there to Hampton Court. For this option National Rail lists return fares of £6.50 (£4.30 for senior) Anytime Day Return, or £8.50 with Off-peak Day Travel Card (£6.50 senior). There is also wording that says “Travel with Oyster Card from £4.20” but doesn’t give an exact amount.
To further confuse me, the Hampton Court website gives train directions from Waterloo. According to the National Rail web page, this route would cost £8.50 return fare with an Off-peak Day Travel Card (£5.60 for the senior), and £11.90 Anytime Day Return (£7.85 with the senior rail card.) Or “use an oyster card from £6.80.”
Since my Travel Card is only for zones 1-2, I would have to pay extra to travel through Wimbledon in zone 3, but not from Waterloo. Is one route faster or more preferable than the other? Since the South West trains accept oyster cards, it seems like it would be easier if I just used them instead of the paper travel cards. Then I wouldn’t even have to take the time to purchase train tickets would I? Just tap in and out with the oysters?
In the long run, I realize it’s not a huge price difference whichever route we take, but I’d like to get a better understanding of the system. Thanks for any advice and tips you can provide.

PatrickLondon

Trains from Waterloo pass through Wimbledon. Your choice is between using the tube to go from Gloucester Road to Wimbledon and picking the train up there, or going by tube to Waterloo (which would probably work out a bit quicker).

The add-on fare for Oyster PAYG for zones 3-6 (which would cover you either way to Hampton Court) is £2.60 before 0930 and £1.40 after 0930 (as against £13.60 before 0930 and £9.80 after 0930 if you go via Waterloo on Oyster PAYG).

However, to rely on the paper travelcard for part of the journey, and to register just the add-on charge properly on the Oyster, you need to "touch in" with your Oystercard at Wimbledon. Alternatively, you get an add-on ticket at either Waterloo or Wimbledon from the National Rail ticket office, which would obviously add time on.

The argument for getting paper travelcards is to get 2for1 ticket offers. If you're not using them at all, you might as well put your travelcard on the Oyster from the outset. If you are using the 2for1s, then in this particular case, it's a bit of a toss-up whether you prefer the extra time of going via Wimbledon, or buying an add-on paper ticket at Waterloo, or (the daftest option) getting out of the train from Waterloo at Wimbledon, checking out on your paper travelcard and in again on the Oystercard, catching the next train.

Or you could regard the 2for1 concession as compensation enough for the cost of travelling more conveniently.

annhig

just to confuse you more, you can get a boat there too.

it takes quite a long time, so best to do it only one way. if you google 'boats to Hampton court" you'll see that they go from quite a few places - Westminster, Richmond, Kingston, and Kew.

you could combine the boat trip and H/C to make a nice day and evening excursion.

PatrickLondon

Hmm. It can take a very long time to go all the way, depending on the tides. Personally, I would take the boat to come back, and then only part of the way, say to Richmond or Kingston and pick up a train back to Waterloo from there.

annhig

good idea, Patrick.

it also depends on the weather!

PatrickLondon

And, by the way, a travelcard gets you one-third off the price of a boat ticket.

flagmom

Thanks again for your quick replies.

"The add-on fare for Oyster PAYG for zones 3-6 (which would cover you either way to Hampton Court) is £2.60 before 0930 and £1.40 after 0930 (as against £13.60 before 0930 and £9.80 after 0930 if you go via Waterloo on Oyster PAYG)."

Patrick, where do I find the information that you quoted above? Not because I don't believe you, rather this is like a giant logic puzzle to me, and I'm keen on trying to solve it!
I'm now thinking that the simplest thing is probably to use my 7-day paper travel card to get from Gloucester Road to Waterloo, since that trip is already paid for. Then I'll use the PAYG oyster cards to purchase the zone 1-6 fare on National Rail, which according to the TFL fare tables for National Rail should be 3.40 each way, not including the senior rail card discount on one of them. Then I don't have to worry about add-on tickets, and it's a reasonable fare. Plus I will use the 2 for 1 discounts. Does that sound like a good plan?

PatrickLondon

Ah, you're right, I was looking at the tables for zones 1-6 for TfL's own services. Offpeak 1-6 on national rail is indeed £3.40. Don't forget to make sure your senior railcard is registered on the relevant Oystercard.

Sounds like the simplest and most cost-effective plan to me.