David

Does anyone have experience with Tube passes? We can get a 7-day pass for $56 (adult) that covers the entire system, or for only $29 restricted to Zones 1 and 2. It looks like most of the sites we'll visit with our kids on this trip will be in Zone 1, but we may take a day-trip out further one time. Is it worth it to get the pass? What are fares on the Tube? Is there a website for the Tube?

Gregory

Hi David,<BR><BR>Assuming it is the London tube ( or Underground)that you are referring to then the web site is<BR>www.thetube.com.<BR>I would probably suggest just getting a zone 1 and 2 ticket and then buying an extention ticket for the zone you need if oyu are going once or twice. If going more often then the all zones may be more suitable.<BR>The 7-day pass requires a passport sized photo I think so although there are photo machines in a lot of the more popular tube stations ( &pound;3 for photos) you may want to bring the photos with you.<BR><BR>Fares on the tube are split by zone with the omre zones you cover the more expensive it is.<BR>The web site has a section on fares.<BR><BR>Hope this helps

JOdy

The 7 day pass is definitly worth it IMO..get just zone 1 nd 2 , you can buy supplemental tickets for further journeys if needed. it is great to have in hand if you're tired , you can always hop on a bus even if just to go a few blocks! I never buy a single ticket but as I recall last fall they were about 1GBP each so the 7 day is a great savings , Never a day goes by when were in London that we don't use it 9-10 times!

JOdy

sorry forgot<BR><BR>www.londontransport.co.uk<BR><BR>or www.thetube.co.uk

Ladybug

David, I totally agree with Gregory and JOdy's comments based on personal experience. Don't know if you need pictures for the kids' passes, but even if it's just the two adults it's worth going through a batch of family snapshots to find a couple of "head shots" of each of you that can be cut to approximate passport-size and taken on the trip. Most families probably have oodles of extra pictures that can be "sacrificed" to save some money.

janis

Definitely get only the zone 1-2 pass. But did you know they are actually cheaper in London? Not a lot of difference but about 3 GBP ($5+) less per adult pass.

Sue

Another vote for Zones 1 & 2. The current price (in London) is GBP 19.30 (or $27.64) according to the tube site.

sylvia

I'd wait until you get to London and then go to the nearest tube station and buy a one week ticket for zones 1 and 2.<BR>You get a little folder with your photo and the ticket in it, so you can keep it for your new ticket when you return for your next visit.

Patrick Wallace

Once while commuting on the tube I worked out that the weekly Travelcard is (or was then) priced on the basis that the user started to gain after 10 trips (i.e., not if you only used it for a Monday-to-Friday commute). That doesn't allow for additional savings on the hassle factor of not having to take time finding change to pay each time, etc., and the huge advantage that it also covers buses and surface trains within the zones as well, so you can mix and match your travel modes without paying again. I'd certainly second the idea of getting a card for the zone(s) you're likely to use most frequently, with one-off add-ons for trips to e.g., Kew or Hampton Court, especially if it's only the once.

Patrick

Although I always stay in London at least a week, after the first couple of trips I stopped buying the weekly travel card. I find that a couple of days I take trips out of the city by train. Those days I either don't use the tube at all, or at most one round trip to a train station. I stay in central London (Covent Garden) and usually don't start my exploring (other than the immediate neighborhood) before 9:30, so I usually get a one day travel card for the days I will be making several trips on the underground. That also offers the possibility of getting it for the zones you are going to visit on that day only. At the end of the week I have invariably saved compared to the cost of the weekly travel card.

David

I have to say I seriously question the value of travel passes in any European city. Some of them seem to work out well to buy time. For example, the Paris Visite keeps you from waiting in line for tickets at a lot of Parisienne venues and that can be invaluable in helping you do what you really want. <BR><BR>I'd take the travel card cost and break it down by day. Compare that cost to individual tickets and see what your break point is for how many times you have to ride the tube.<BR><BR>I can't speak for different people and what their needs are so it is with deepest apologies to Jody that I say I've never ridden the tube in London 10 times in a day. I don't make that much time for tube riding. If my next destination is only one or two stops down and less than a mile, I walk to see what's there.

Suzy

David, I think Patrick meant that the weekly Tube pass works out better if you're taking more than 10 trips in a WEEK, LOL! Easy enough to go to the tube site to cmpare offerings.

Ronda

I can't find my Rick Steves London book at the moment but he does tell you to buy your weekly tube tickets when you arrive at the TI in Heathrow. It is downstairs on your way to the tube station. You don't need a photo ID when you purchase them there. Zones 1 and 2 are usually just fine. Pay a supplement for riding further.<BR><BR>

JEFF SHERMACK

It shouldn't be that hard to understand...A 7 day zone 1 & 2 pass when purchased in London costs &pound;19.30. If you use the tube once each weekday on a return basis, that's &pound;3.20 a day or &pound;16. It takes just one more round trip on the sixth day to reach the break even point.....and there are no queues....For trips of 5 days or more, I generally recommend the 7 day pass. Even if you are doing an out of town excursion, you will usually need to get to the starting point and back to your hotel at the end, eh....<BR><BR>The problem with the one day passes is they are not good until after 9:30. And at a lot of the Underground stations, huge queues form just before 9:30 as folks wait to buy their tickets.