Tube passes
 

Will be in London for 6 days. What tube passes would you recommend? Should we buy museum passes?

For six days buy a seven day zone 1 tube pass -- a weekly pass is a bargain if you are in London more than 5 days. (For less than 5 days, it is better to get daily passes.)<BR><BR>You do not need any sort of museum pass - almost every museum/gallery of any note in London is free.

I agree that you should buy a 7-day travelcard when you arrive. Be sure to bring a passport-sized photo, which is required for the card holder. (I have been told that this is being discontinued, but the transport web site still mentions it -- is there anyone in London who can confirm?) <BR><BR>You might want to get a pass for zones 1 and 2, rather than just 1, if you're going farther afield -- say, to Greenwich. An alternative is to buy an extension for your pass if you're going beyond the zone it's issued for -- not only Greenwich but Kew Gardens, Heathrow, etc. Buy this before you board, to avoid a steep (&pound;10) fine.<BR><BR>The daily travelcards cost &pound;5.30 for an all-day card, or &pound;4.10 for one that's sold from 9:30 AM onwards. A weekend travelcard (no 9:30 restriciton) is &pound;6.10. If you are traveling with children, the family travelcards are a very good deal.<BR><BR>There really isn't a "museum pass" for Lonodn; as Janis said, most are free. There is a "LondonPass" but it's not for museums (unless you count the Tower of London), but rather for attractions like Madame Tussaud's and the zoo. The LondonPass also covers the palaces (Hampton Court, Windsor, Buckingham) and assorted other goodies like boat rides and a free teddy bear at Hamley's toy store. But with only 7 days, you probably won't find it a good deal. You can check out their prices and offerings at www.londonpass.com.<BR><BR>Note: you do NOT want to get a visitors travelcard, either through direct purchase or as part of the LondonPass deal. It's just not cost-effective. You can buy a LondonPass (without transport) at many locations right in London.

Now here in London they have automated machines that you can buy travel cards from. I would definately buy a 7-day pass for zones one and two. You are supposed to have an i.d. to accompany your travel card, but since you are tourists, and on the rare possibility you get checked, I wouldn't sweat it.

Thanks for the info, Ryan. Do the travelcard machines take credit cards? Which ones (American Express?)?

Message: Thanks for the info, Ryan. Do the travelcard machines take credit cards? Which ones (American Express?)?<BR><BR>The machines take credit cards but do not take Amex...they do take MC/Visa. Why would you want to use Amex in a foreign country anyway? Amex charges a 2% conversion rate above the interbank rate on foreign transactions. If you stay away from crooked banks such as Citibank, Chase, Providian, First USA and Bank of America, your credit card purchases on MC/Visa would be subject to a 1% conversion rate....

Message: Now here in London they have automated machines that you can buy travel cards from. I would definately buy a 7-day pass for zones one and two. You are supposed to have an i.d. to accompany your travel card, but since you are tourists, and on the rare possibility you get checked, I wouldn't sweat it.<BR><BR>Why advise people to break the rules? If you are caught without a valid photocard you are subject to a &pound;10 penalty. You never know...the turnstile might malfunction and you have to show your card to the station staff. And when you get on the bus, you have to show the card and the photocard to either the driver or the conductor.<BR><BR>The photocard is free...what's the big deal. It's important to note that you only need get a photocard once. After that, you can use the same photocard again and again. When you purchase the travelcard, even with the machine, you are required to put the photocard number on it.

Jeff, I realize that AmEx charges that extra 1 percent, but a penny per mile is worth it to me to get the frequent flyer miles -- without them, I wouldn't be in London in the first place, LOL.