NEED advice on London pass and travel card
May 5th, 2009, 05:18 AM
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NEED advice on London pass and travel card
I have seen many different passes from sightseeing to travel. Can anyone advise me if they are a good deal and if so which ones would you recommend? the London pass looks like it might be a good one but I can't find the list of attractions that it covers.
May 5th, 2009, 06:13 AM
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http://www.londonpass.com lists the attractions it covers. Bear in mind that most of the major public museums and galleries are free anyway. It's up to you whether what you want to see would make this pass worth your while: I think most people here would think it not a particularly good bargain.
May 5th, 2009, 06:38 AM
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This is a good thread from Tripadvisor, it compares the price of the London Pass to the Days Out 2 for 1 offers:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...n_England.html
Regards.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...n_England.html
Regards.
May 5th, 2009, 11:01 AM
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The two-for-one offers are worthless if there's only one of you, so if you're going alone, the comparison thread Hooameye noted won't help. If you're with friend/family member/SO, etc., it's another story.
The following prime attractions have no admission fee:
Tate Gallery
Tate Modern
British Library (permanent exhibits)
British Museum
National Gallery (permanent exhibits)
National Portrait Gallery
Victoria & Albert Museum
London Science Museum
National History Museum
Imperial War Museum
The Tower costs 17gbp, the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms are 12.95, the Eye is 17 or 27 (Fast track ticket), Madame Tussaud's is 25 gbp, the London Dungeon is like 12gbp or so. The first two are worth the money, the latter three aren't.
If there's two (or four) of you traveling, the London Pass is worthless -- do the 2for1 offers. Here's what to do for 2for1 offers:
The offers are for attractions throughout England. You need a national rail train ticket for the offers. But here’s the trick: a “national rail train ticket” only means a ticket that contains the Brit Rail symbol.
The orange paper Travelcards good for one, three, or seven days, if you purchase them from a National Rail station ticket office (Euston, Paddington, Waterloo, etc.), will contain the Brit Rail symbol on them. This means that although they are really for local transport, they qualify you for the discounts.
So here’s the steps you need to take: (1) go to Days Out Guide’s website and register, (2) print out the 2for1 offers from the website you want (there’s really no limit I found), (3) buy a paper Travelcard for you and spouse/sibling/traveling companion at a National Rail station (we got ours at Charing Cross), and (4) present the offer and the card at the attraction. Instead of £24 for the Body Worlds exhibit in Greenwich, we paid £12; we paid £17 for two tickets to the Tower of London, not £34; and £14 for Hampton Court Palace, not £28 (retail price) or £26 (internet special).
OYSTER cards are not accepted for these offers and both you and your travel companion need to have the orange Travelcard to get the discount.
As for transport passes, get a travelcard as I described above if you'll use the two-for-one offers. If it's just you, get an OYSTER card and figure out if you should get a travelcard loaded onto it or just load a specific amount of money and pay as you go (paygo). On paygo plan, Central London tube rides are 1.60 with Oyster, 4 quid without; buses are 1 quid with Oyster and something like 3.30 without. Daily costs are capped at about the one-day travelcard rate. Never pay retail.
The following prime attractions have no admission fee:
Tate Gallery
Tate Modern
British Library (permanent exhibits)
British Museum
National Gallery (permanent exhibits)
National Portrait Gallery
Victoria & Albert Museum
London Science Museum
National History Museum
Imperial War Museum
The Tower costs 17gbp, the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms are 12.95, the Eye is 17 or 27 (Fast track ticket), Madame Tussaud's is 25 gbp, the London Dungeon is like 12gbp or so. The first two are worth the money, the latter three aren't.
If there's two (or four) of you traveling, the London Pass is worthless -- do the 2for1 offers. Here's what to do for 2for1 offers:
The offers are for attractions throughout England. You need a national rail train ticket for the offers. But here’s the trick: a “national rail train ticket” only means a ticket that contains the Brit Rail symbol.
The orange paper Travelcards good for one, three, or seven days, if you purchase them from a National Rail station ticket office (Euston, Paddington, Waterloo, etc.), will contain the Brit Rail symbol on them. This means that although they are really for local transport, they qualify you for the discounts.
So here’s the steps you need to take: (1) go to Days Out Guide’s website and register, (2) print out the 2for1 offers from the website you want (there’s really no limit I found), (3) buy a paper Travelcard for you and spouse/sibling/traveling companion at a National Rail station (we got ours at Charing Cross), and (4) present the offer and the card at the attraction. Instead of £24 for the Body Worlds exhibit in Greenwich, we paid £12; we paid £17 for two tickets to the Tower of London, not £34; and £14 for Hampton Court Palace, not £28 (retail price) or £26 (internet special).
OYSTER cards are not accepted for these offers and both you and your travel companion need to have the orange Travelcard to get the discount.
As for transport passes, get a travelcard as I described above if you'll use the two-for-one offers. If it's just you, get an OYSTER card and figure out if you should get a travelcard loaded onto it or just load a specific amount of money and pay as you go (paygo). On paygo plan, Central London tube rides are 1.60 with Oyster, 4 quid without; buses are 1 quid with Oyster and something like 3.30 without. Daily costs are capped at about the one-day travelcard rate. Never pay retail.
May 6th, 2009, 12:00 PM
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Fodorite Laugatg used the LondonPasses for her family of six. I asked her why she chose that option on her trip report but she didn't answer. (I think she might be recovering!)
I would use the LondonPass not so much to save $ but as a queue buster and ticket buying time saver (boy did she run into a teller from bleep at Westminster Abbey, I think), and I wouldn't buy one to cover all the days of my London trip, but only for a few days and attend the attractions covered since many of the museums are free for the other days.
I found by reading the daysoutguide FAQ that you need one voucher for every 'couple'. For my family of four, I need two vouchers - and I will buy four paper travelcards at a rail station. I printed out about 25 pages of all the things I was conceivabley interested in - two vouchers per page - and will copy them. Now I just have to figure out if I have to have two registrations or if it is OK to have just my name on EACH voucher.
I also considered the Oyster PAYG vs.7 day travelcard - since I am staying in Zone 2, I think it pays for itself for every round trip into Zone 1 (PAYG GBP4.40, Travelcard GBP3.69?)
I would use the LondonPass not so much to save $ but as a queue buster and ticket buying time saver (boy did she run into a teller from bleep at Westminster Abbey, I think), and I wouldn't buy one to cover all the days of my London trip, but only for a few days and attend the attractions covered since many of the museums are free for the other days.
I found by reading the daysoutguide FAQ that you need one voucher for every 'couple'. For my family of four, I need two vouchers - and I will buy four paper travelcards at a rail station. I printed out about 25 pages of all the things I was conceivabley interested in - two vouchers per page - and will copy them. Now I just have to figure out if I have to have two registrations or if it is OK to have just my name on EACH voucher.
I also considered the Oyster PAYG vs.7 day travelcard - since I am staying in Zone 2, I think it pays for itself for every round trip into Zone 1 (PAYG GBP4.40, Travelcard GBP3.69?)
May 6th, 2009, 12:11 PM
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BigRuss - Your post was very helpful. We are going to be in London in approx. 2 weeks, and I have been trying to decipher what an Oyster card is, etc. Just one clarifying question - what do you mean by "figure out if you should get a travelcard loaded onto it." I guess I am still confused about the difference between the travelcard and the Oyster - I thought you had to choose one or the other.
May 6th, 2009, 01:31 PM
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Stokebailey, yes you need one ticket for each voucher that you use - details on www.daysoutguide.co.uk.
Sensa, your question about Travelcard and Oystercard is a good one - it IS far too confusing. Basically an oystercard is just an electronic type of ticket stored on a piece of plastic. So you could store a travelcard on one, OR you could use it on a 'pay as you travel' basis, replacing cash fares each time. It's quite hard to explain but there's a detailed guide here: http://www.moneysavinglondon.com/Tra...nd-london.html or you can search of the Fodor forums for a comprehensive answer too - and don't worry, lots of people struggle with this!
Sensa, your question about Travelcard and Oystercard is a good one - it IS far too confusing. Basically an oystercard is just an electronic type of ticket stored on a piece of plastic. So you could store a travelcard on one, OR you could use it on a 'pay as you travel' basis, replacing cash fares each time. It's quite hard to explain but there's a detailed guide here: http://www.moneysavinglondon.com/Tra...nd-london.html or you can search of the Fodor forums for a comprehensive answer too - and don't worry, lots of people struggle with this!
May 6th, 2009, 03:55 PM
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Sessa: the Oyster is a blue and white plastic card and you can choose to do the following:
(1) load X+3 GBP onto it (X for your fares, the +3 is the 3 GBP deposit that every Oyster card costs; fully refundable) and pay as you go
(2) get it programmed as a travelcard by whoever sells it to you and pay the travelcard fare
(3) both program it as a travelcard and add extra funds (if you buy a Zone 1-2 travelcard, the extras pay for travel outside those Zones).
Note that (from the Transport for London website) "Travelcards are generally issued on Oyster cards except when bought from most National Rail stations." In other words, if you go to a ticket office at an UNDERGROUND station and ask for a seven-day travelcard, you'll get a blue Oyster card programmed as a travelcard.
If you go to a National Rail station (and there are nine major and a passel of minor ones in Central London) and go to the ticket window, they will say they don't sell Oyster cards but you can buy a Travelcard of 1/3/7 days' duration. It will be orange, flimsy, and have the National Rail symbol on the bottom left in white. It's this card that you can use with the 2for1 offers. This card cannot be programmed as a cash card for paygo trips. This card does not require a cash deposit.
For Stokebailey: At Hampton Court, we presented two tickets for the 2for1 but the lady looked at my wife and baby and smiled and said "I'd guessed you are all together." At the Tower, they looked more closely. At the Body Worlds exhibition, they didn't ask to see the travelcards even though our tickets showed they were 1/2 price on their face. Get the two orange cards and be safe.
(1) load X+3 GBP onto it (X for your fares, the +3 is the 3 GBP deposit that every Oyster card costs; fully refundable) and pay as you go
(2) get it programmed as a travelcard by whoever sells it to you and pay the travelcard fare
(3) both program it as a travelcard and add extra funds (if you buy a Zone 1-2 travelcard, the extras pay for travel outside those Zones).
Note that (from the Transport for London website) "Travelcards are generally issued on Oyster cards except when bought from most National Rail stations." In other words, if you go to a ticket office at an UNDERGROUND station and ask for a seven-day travelcard, you'll get a blue Oyster card programmed as a travelcard.
If you go to a National Rail station (and there are nine major and a passel of minor ones in Central London) and go to the ticket window, they will say they don't sell Oyster cards but you can buy a Travelcard of 1/3/7 days' duration. It will be orange, flimsy, and have the National Rail symbol on the bottom left in white. It's this card that you can use with the 2for1 offers. This card cannot be programmed as a cash card for paygo trips. This card does not require a cash deposit.
For Stokebailey: At Hampton Court, we presented two tickets for the 2for1 but the lady looked at my wife and baby and smiled and said "I'd guessed you are all together." At the Tower, they looked more closely. At the Body Worlds exhibition, they didn't ask to see the travelcards even though our tickets showed they were 1/2 price on their face. Get the two orange cards and be safe.
May 6th, 2009, 05:06 PM
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Compare the cost of a 7-day Travelcard to the total of
o Oyster fares for trips on days you don't use twofers*
o The price of paper Travelcards on the days you do.
It might well be that your best strategy is to load cash on an Oyster for PAYG, and buy paper cards for twofer days.
* Keep in mind that you may or may not hit the Oyster "cap" for some or all of these days - if, for example, your destinations can be reached by bus. The point to this exercise is to emphasize the fact that you pay a fixed amount for a Travelcard, be it the 1- or 7-day flavor, and you might not use it up.
o Oyster fares for trips on days you don't use twofers*
o The price of paper Travelcards on the days you do.
It might well be that your best strategy is to load cash on an Oyster for PAYG, and buy paper cards for twofer days.
* Keep in mind that you may or may not hit the Oyster "cap" for some or all of these days - if, for example, your destinations can be reached by bus. The point to this exercise is to emphasize the fact that you pay a fixed amount for a Travelcard, be it the 1- or 7-day flavor, and you might not use it up.
May 6th, 2009, 05:30 PM
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Oh yeah - the numbers you want to plug into your spreadsheet are
o £25.80 for a 7-Day Travelcard
o £5.60 for a 1-Day Travelcard (£7.20 for use before 0930*)
o £1.60 with a £5.10 cap for Tube rides (£2.20 w/£6.70 cap during peak*)
o £1.00 for bus rides (£3.30 cap)
* Peak fares in effect 0630-0930 and 1600-1900 M-F
o £25.80 for a 7-Day Travelcard
o £5.60 for a 1-Day Travelcard (£7.20 for use before 0930*)
o £1.60 with a £5.10 cap for Tube rides (£2.20 w/£6.70 cap during peak*)
o £1.00 for bus rides (£3.30 cap)
* Peak fares in effect 0630-0930 and 1600-1900 M-F
May 6th, 2009, 07:01 PM
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We had a good experience with the London Pass on our March trip, but in our case it was only a bargain because I snagged them on eBay. 2 2-day passes for 40 GBP total (~1.35$/GBP at the time). In two days we hit Windsor, Kew, the Globe Theater, and St. Paul's - would have been somewhere around 100 GBP without the pass. Skipping the lines was a bonus and the savings encouraged us to make repeat visits to places we've previously been and might not have wanted to pay full price for a second time. I would NOT pay full price for the passes. We've also done trips using the 2 for 1 offers and recommend them if they fit in with what you want to do.
May 6th, 2009, 07:26 PM
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Robespierre please tell me if my thinking is correct or not - hopefully this will be helpful for others staying in Zone 2 as well.
We are staying in Zone 2, by Camden Town. We will travel peak. Tube into Zone one and back would be GPB 4.40. Daily paper 7 day pass 25.8/7 = GPB 3.69, so with one trip in/out it pays for itself? I wouldn't mind doing buses but that is a whole nuther learning curve.
Down on my knees, can someone tell me if I can buy a paper 7 day paper pass at Camden Road (rail station) if I decide to go ahead and do so. Website says yes but I trust you guys the most!
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/statio...ils.html#Fares
We are staying in Zone 2, by Camden Town. We will travel peak. Tube into Zone one and back would be GPB 4.40. Daily paper 7 day pass 25.8/7 = GPB 3.69, so with one trip in/out it pays for itself? I wouldn't mind doing buses but that is a whole nuther learning curve.
Down on my knees, can someone tell me if I can buy a paper 7 day paper pass at Camden Road (rail station) if I decide to go ahead and do so. Website says yes but I trust you guys the most!
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/statio...ils.html#Fares
May 6th, 2009, 08:48 PM
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To give you a comprehensive answer, I would have to know the following:
o Where are you coming into London and going out again? Airport transfers?
o Where will your itinerary take you around town each day?
o How many days will you want to use twofers?
If you aren't going to use TfL for each of seven days except ride the Tube into town and back, Oyster fares would be marginally cheaper than the 7-day:
5 peak trips @ £2.20 = £11.00
9 off-peak @ £1.60 = £14.40
Total £25.40
PLUS you gain 60p for any of the 5 weekdays that you can't get under motion before 0930 (£2.20 - £1.60).
Here's something that might assuage your reluctance to use the bus (for £13.80 a week):
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaro...ntown-2041.pdf
o Where are you coming into London and going out again? Airport transfers?
o Where will your itinerary take you around town each day?
o How many days will you want to use twofers?
If you aren't going to use TfL for each of seven days except ride the Tube into town and back, Oyster fares would be marginally cheaper than the 7-day:
5 peak trips @ £2.20 = £11.00
9 off-peak @ £1.60 = £14.40
Total £25.40
PLUS you gain 60p for any of the 5 weekdays that you can't get under motion before 0930 (£2.20 - £1.60).
Here's something that might assuage your reluctance to use the bus (for £13.80 a week):
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaro...ntown-2041.pdf
May 7th, 2009, 03:27 AM
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THANKS Robespierre
Coming into/out of Heathrow - probably in by Just Airports, maybe return also, but tube isn't out of the realm of possibilities, with extension fares.
Itinerary looks like it will take us into Zone 1 pretty much every day - and sometimes beyond (Hampton Court) and back, plus cross town transportation. Tube or bus.
I printed out about 50 vouchers - I don't expect to use every single one, but most of them are in Zone 1, so I am planning on carrying them around for use for every day.
We are planning on daily peak travel - getting out to the popular attractions well before they open at 10:00 or even 9:00, and returning or traveling during peak afternoon/evening times too. We are morning people and usually don't linger in our accomodations. Also, I'd really rather not take the time to buy passes/tickets daily to save a few pence. Hence I came up with the L4.40, round trip, assuming AM as well as PM (16:00 to 19:00?) peak.
Bus map: I've seen that one before, and it is very clear, but it is only for one area! I'd also need/want to know cross town buses for once I am in town - would I have to print out one for every tube/train station? How often do they run? The one thing I would be interested in is if we want to take a break, from any location at any time, we could just jump on a bus and ride around town, seeing the sights. THAT type of excursion would presume a knowledge of the system. I imagine there must be some sort of book or huge detailed map - the printable one online would challenge my weakening eyes, LOL.
Coming into/out of Heathrow - probably in by Just Airports, maybe return also, but tube isn't out of the realm of possibilities, with extension fares.
Itinerary looks like it will take us into Zone 1 pretty much every day - and sometimes beyond (Hampton Court) and back, plus cross town transportation. Tube or bus.
I printed out about 50 vouchers - I don't expect to use every single one, but most of them are in Zone 1, so I am planning on carrying them around for use for every day.
We are planning on daily peak travel - getting out to the popular attractions well before they open at 10:00 or even 9:00, and returning or traveling during peak afternoon/evening times too. We are morning people and usually don't linger in our accomodations. Also, I'd really rather not take the time to buy passes/tickets daily to save a few pence. Hence I came up with the L4.40, round trip, assuming AM as well as PM (16:00 to 19:00?) peak.
Bus map: I've seen that one before, and it is very clear, but it is only for one area! I'd also need/want to know cross town buses for once I am in town - would I have to print out one for every tube/train station? How often do they run? The one thing I would be interested in is if we want to take a break, from any location at any time, we could just jump on a bus and ride around town, seeing the sights. THAT type of excursion would presume a knowledge of the system. I imagine there must be some sort of book or huge detailed map - the printable one online would challenge my weakening eyes, LOL.
May 7th, 2009, 04:11 AM
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Thanks so much to everyone - this has been a very helpful thread.
One last question - we are flying into Gatwick and I suppose will take the Gatwick Express into London and then the tube to our hotel in Kensington. It seems like the fare for the G.E. is separate from any Oyster, Travelcard deal...is that right?
One last question - we are flying into Gatwick and I suppose will take the Gatwick Express into London and then the tube to our hotel in Kensington. It seems like the fare for the G.E. is separate from any Oyster, Travelcard deal...is that right?
