View Full Version : Travelling in London
Geoff Collier
06-08-2007, 16:27
Hi,
Can anybody help a puzzled northerner? We are spending a few days in London from this Friday to Tuesday - staying at the City Airport travelodge in Travel Zone 3 and expecting to be visiting places in zones 1 & 2.
Now, I think I've worked out that the best option for travelling on London Transport is to buy a "3 day 3 zone" pass for Saturday-Monday, which extends till noon on Tuesday, by which time we have to back at KX. We'd just get a single ticket from KX to City airport on Day 1, I assume.
However, what I can't tell from looking at the net is how much a 3 day 3 zone pass costs and whether it require anything more than going to a station and paying (like a photograph or something)?
Can anyone help?
Cheers
Geoff
I didn't know you could get a 3 zone pass, only 1-2, 1-4 or 1-6. Plus I didn't think they did weekend passes anymore, only 1 day ones.
If I am right then your best bet would be to either buy a 1 day travel card each day, or get an oystercard (£3 deposit) & put about 6 quid on each day (they will cap it so that the max you spend is less than the cost of a travelcard.
I might be wrong though so I'll let someone else take over now.
Oh, and Oyster pay as you go can't be used on some overground lines though so it all depends where you are planning to go really.
Clear as mud?!
Assuming you don't want to use the overground (unlikely I think), then:
1) at KX underground station go and ask for an Oystercard with £15 - £25 pre-pay on it. You'll probably have to pay £3 deposit on the card.
2) Swipe card on the yellow readers on tube, buses and DLR round London. Never forget to swipe in and out on tube/DLR, and to touch your card on the reader on buses, or else you end up paying excess fares or worse.
3) If you run out of money, you can add more at any tube station
4) At the end of your trip, hand your card back in at KX and ask for a refund of any money remaining on it + your deposit back.
The prepay costs (I think) £1.50 for a single tube journey in Zone 1, and £1 for a bus journey. But it always tops-out at the cost of a daily travelcard, so you may pay less but you'll never pay more.
Weekend travelcards sadly do not exist any longer.
I didn't know you could get a 3 zone pass, only 1-2, 1-4 or 1-6. Plus I didn't think they did weekend passes anymore, only 1 day ones.
The good news- they still do 3 day passes
The bad news- you have to have all 6 zones so it'll set ya back 20 quid plus 10 pee. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/oneand3daytickets/2911.aspx
The 1 day zones 1-4 pass (which should be fine for your needs) is 5.70 a day.
Don't need a photocard for 3 or 1 day passes.
Now, I think I've worked out that the best option for travelling on London Transport is to buy a "3 day 3 zone" pass for Saturday-Monday, which extends till noon on Tuesday, by which time we have to back at KX. We'd just get a single ticket from KX to City airport on Day 1, I assume.
I'm fairly sure your 3 day pass would be just that - 3 days so Saturday, Sunday, Monday and you would need a 1 day pass or a single for Tuesday. Singles on the tube are hideously poor value at 4 quid a pop :eek:
Frankly I'd be tempted to get an Oyster- that's what I've done as I visit quite often
The good news- they still do 3 day passes
The bad news- you have to have all 6 zones so it'll set ya back 20 quid plus 10 pee. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/oneand3daytickets/2911.aspx
The 1 day zones 1-4 pass (which should be fine for your needs) is 5.70 a day.
That's all assuming you don't want to travel in the peak on Monday (ie before 9.30).
I'm fairly sure your 3 day pass would be just that - 3 days so Saturday, Sunday, Monday and you would need a 1 day pass or a single for Tuesday. Singles on the tube are hideously poor value at 4 quid a pop :eek:
Frankly I'd be tempted to get an Oyster- that's what I've done as I visit quite often
Yeah your 3 day pass wouldn't take you through to Tuesday.
I'm not sure if a 3 day pass can be purchased on Oyster - it probably can.
DON'T buy paper single tickets on the tube - £4 a go vs. £1.50 on Oyster.
I still think you're better off just getting pre-pay. Worst case scenario you end up paying a few quid more than you would with a 3-day pass. Best case scenario if you don't end up travelling that much you'll save money. And either way you can just get it when you arrive and providing you put enough pre-pay on it not have to worry about it until you leave.
I travel round London alot AND I work in transport and I still find the fares systems hellish confusing. :rolleyes:
geminisnake
06-08-2007, 19:58
I'm glad I read this thread. Son has been down to London twice this year and used daily zone cards. I didn't know how the oystercards worked but now I can tell him.
London_Calling
06-08-2007, 20:48
Hi,
Now, I think I've worked out that the best option for travelling on London Transport is to buy a "3 day 3 zone" pass for Saturday-Monday, which extends till noon on Tuesday
A 3-day travel card is valid for 3 1/2 days, I didn't know this ?
I'm glad I read this thread. Son has been down to London twice this year and used daily zone cards. I didn't know how the oystercards worked but now I can tell him.
If you're making regularish trips to London, definitely the best way to go is to buy an oystercard and put a bit of pre-pay on it. Then next time you're in London it's good to go and you can whizz straight onto the tube without having to join the tourist throng queueing at KX or Victoria etc.
A 3-day travel card is valid for 3 1/2 days, I didn't know this ?
Probably because it isn't correct :p
Geoff Collier
07-08-2007, 13:41
Probably because it isn't correct :p
This is on the Transport for London website
3 Day Travelcards (Off-Peak)
Can be used from 0930 Mondays to Fridays, all day Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, on each day of validity and for any journey that starts before 0430 on the day following the expiry date.
Thinking about it, they mean 4.30 am don't they :o
Thinking about it, they mean 4.30 am don't they :o
:D
Yep - basically you can get a night bus at the crack of dawn on Tuesday, but that's it.
Thinking about it, they mean 4.30 am don't they :o
Public Transport is always 24hr clock
Geoff Collier
07-08-2007, 15:16
Public Transport is always 24hr clock
How embarrassing :confused:
Anyway, thanks to all those who helped me on this. Its definitely an Oyster Card for me. I might even go so far as to say give your second preferences to Ken next year :)
How embarrassing :confused:
I used to work for National Rail Enquiries. You are not the first and you won't be the last.
Anyway, thanks to all those who helped me on this. Its definitely an Oyster Card for me. I might even go so far as to say give your second preferences to Ken next year :)
Oh gawd no! Anyone but him!
(I wish I hadn't helped you now :p ;) :D )
I still think you're better off just getting pre-pay. Worst case scenario you end up paying a few quid more than you would with a 3-day pass.
OK this is really embelishing a case we've already proven but I was thinking about this this morning and I don't see how Geoff could lose.
Oyster should cap out at 6.20 a day (50p below the cost of a daily travelcard)
Thats 18.60 for three days maximum. It will proberbly be less because he is pretty unlikely to use zones 5 and 6.
Geoff Collier
07-08-2007, 16:21
OK this is really embelishing a case we've already proven but I was thinking about this this morning and I don't see how Geoff could lose.
Oyster should cap out at 6.20 a day (50p below the cost of a daily travelcard)
Thats 18.60 for three days maximum. It will proberbly be less because he is pretty unlikely to use zones 5 and 6.
Thanks again. It's highly unlikely that we'd use zones 5 and 6 as we intend to do sort-of touristy things; museums and suchlike. So Oyster will work out at £5.20 per day max.
The only question now is why is it called Oyster?
Who knows why it's called Oyster :D
The simlar system in Hong Kong is called Octopus so maybe they all have a marine theme.
Although I kept getting confused when I was in HK and calling at a Lobster card :D :confused: :rolleyes:
Pure guess.....An 'all of London is you Oyster' type thing- a pun on the saying 'the world is your Oyster'
Could be something totally different of course :D
It's actually an omelette card.
quimcunx
07-08-2007, 19:58
What I'm not sure about is on oyster pre-pay do you never get charged more than a daily travelcard for the zones you've travelled in (i.e. 1-2 max 1-4 max or 1-6 max) or is the maximum you will be charged the 1-6 travelcard price even if you only travel within zone 1, or 1-2 or 1-4 etc?
What I'm not sure about is on oyster pre-pay do you never get charged more than a daily travelcard for the zones you've travelled in (i.e. 1-2 max 1-4 max or 1-6 max) or is the maximum you will be charged the 1-6 travelcard price even if you only travel within zone 1, or 1-2 or 1-4 etc?
Pretty sure it's the former.
Pretty sure it's the former.
It is.
If you really want the full manual, it's here
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/TfL-Fares-April-2007.pdf
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