Author: Bob Handford
There is no simple answer to the Oyster or Travelcard question – either could be the right product for your individual needs.
This blog post is aimed at the visitor to London, visiting for two weeks maximum. If you are a resident, the answer to this question will inevitably be Oyster Card.
Just follow this page through and you should be able to make an informed judgements on the best solution for you.
Do you have any children, under 18 years?
If yes, read the article linked below about obtaining half price or free child fares before you go any further and factor this into your Oyster v Travelcard decision.
I’m afraid child fares are needlessly complex.
Child Fares On London’s Public Transport
Are You Travelling In a Group Of 10 Or More?
If you are travelling around together in a group of 10 or more a Group Day Ticket will be cheaper than either Travelcard or Oyster Card
Is Sightseeing A Major Part Of Your Visit To London?
If you are visiting places like the Tower of London, Madame Tussauds etc there is a railways promotion that is available to people with Travelcards purchased from the railways that is not available to Oyster Card holders. The potential savings are substantial, but there are some tedious aspects too. You may well buy Travelcard purely on the basis of obtaining these savings on your sightseeing.
2 for 1 Admission Sightseeing Promotion – More Details
Are You Staying Less Than 5 Days?
And the child and 2 for 1 promotion issues (above) don’t sway you get an Oyster Card
If You Are Travelling By Public Transport In The Centre 5 Or More Days In Any 7 Days
Get a 7 day Zone 1/2 Travelcard. (though if you have children over 10 read the child fares section)
If you are not travelling 5 in any 7 days on London’s public transport get an Oyster Card
Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport is in zone 6 of London’s transport system. All the hotels in Central London and nearly all attractions are in zone 1 or 2. (Notable exceptions are Hampton Court and Kew Gardens)
Do not get a 7 Day Travelcard for zones 1 to 6 just to cover the Underground transfers from Heathrow. Get a zone 1 to 2 7 Day Travelcard and pay for an extension fare for zones 3 to 6 to cover for the airport trips, you will save a lot of money this way. You cannot use Oyster or Travelcard on the Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect trains.
Luton, Gatwick & Stansted Airports
Neither Oyster or Travelcard go out to any of these airports.
Still Confused, Got Something You Want To Add?
Well just post it below. I’ll mormally answer within 24 hours.
Oyster Card – In depth including fare stricture
London Travelcard – In depth including fare stricture
Oyster or Travelcard? – More in depth information
279 Comments
Bob, I need a sanity check on 3-day London Pass which for my ideal itinerary does prove out against the individual pricings, and also to understand what to buy as to Oyster Card with a Travelcard loaded on to get out to Windsor. To first dispense with the latter, one day I’ll want to get to Windsor (and Eton — and both included in London Pass) from my hotel at Gloucester and Cromwell Roads in South Kensington. The other two days will be sightseeing in central London, of which I believe all my places of interest are in Zone 1. As to the London Pass, for the two days in town I hope to see its included Tower of London, Churchill War Rooms, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. Add to those the free British Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum, and the non-LP added fee access Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament. I haven’t routed what’s close to which, but I will do so. If there’s extra time, perhaps on the Windsor/Eton day, I would ideally add Shakespeare’s Globe Theater and/or the Imperial War Museum once back in London. BUT if all this is too ambitious and I have to cut back on the LP included sites, it might no longer be a money saver. So how best to purchase use of the transit system in-town and out to Windsor, and is my itinerary too ambitious for LP to prove out economically? Thanks!
If you’ve read previous postings I’ve made you will see I take a cynical stance about the London Pass, but it does work for some with a very ambitious itinerary which it sounds like you are contemplating.
Sounds like I’m the opposite to you, I spent all day in the Imperial Wae Museum for instance the other week with my wife.
The key point I think you may have missed is that Windsor is outside London and not covered by either standard Oyster or Travelcards.
However the London Pass has its own Travelcard you can bundle with the London Pass that uniquely covers the train out to Windsor so this sounds the obvious route to go down.
The alternative for 3 days without the Travelcard bundled with the London Pass is an Oyster Card and buying return train tickets to Windsor.
Hi Bob,
We are flying into Heathrow on September 6 early morning and out on September 12 afternoon. We are staying near Tower Hill tube station. In order to get the 2 for 1 savings, should we buy the paper 7 day Travelcard or a 1 day Travelcard from a railway station? We also own Oyster cards. What would be the best, and least expensive, way to get from Heathrow airport to our hotel at Tower Hill, and should we stop to buy the Travelcard along the way? If so, where should we stop?
It sounds like the best solution would be to use your Oyster Cards starting at Heathrow. The cheapest option by far between Heathrow and Tower Hill is the Piccadilly Line to Hammersmith where from the same platform you can get the District Line to Tower Hill.
On days you want 2 for 1 buy a 1 day Travelcard from a railway station, including London Bridge, Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street that are relatively close to Tower Hill and use the Travelcard instead of Oyster on that day.
Hi Bob. Great Page! I am going with my daughter (15 years old) to London arriving at Heathrow on July 10, early morning. We will stay in Bloomsbury and then we will spend 5 complete days in London. We will like to visit London Eye, Tower of London, Big Ben, Westminster Abby, London Bridge, Thame River Cruise, Westfield Mall, and a couple of places I don’t remember now, but CAN YOU PLEASE help me decide if I should buy an Oyster Card or Travel Card and if is worth it to buy a London Pass for 3 days? We are planning on visiting at least two places a day. Please advise me , if you can, on what places are closer to each other so I can organize my itinerary. It was overwhelming just choosing what hotel to pick! I hope is not too much asking! thank you! and regards! Oh, please, what transportation should I pick when we arrive to Heathrow to the hotel? Gracias!!!!
The first thing you probably need to address is your 15 year old daughter.
Its too late now to apply for an Oyster ID card that enables a child rate Oyster to be sold to you.
The other is how you are planning to get between Heathrow and Bloomsbury. The only real direct option is the London Underground to Holborn or Russell Square which is also by far the cheapest option. But after a long flight and with luggage its not the most comfortable way to start your trip.
I’m not going to start planning your itinerary, you seem to have the classic first time visitor tourist track things lined up for you by the marketing people which will certainly extract the cash from you.
With a 15 year old daughter in tow I would have thought their natural places to visit might include Camden Lock, Harrods and other more hip things teenagers tend to prefer which also tend to be free with an accent on experience rather than culture.
My first inclination is to advise that you buy an Oyster Card at Heathrow Underground, assuming you are using the Underground and you use that all your stay and your daughter get a 1 day child Travelcard each day.
Most people cannot make the London Pass work financially but you may find the fast track facility worthwhile.
For things like the Tower of London covered by the 2 for 1 promotion on the days you want to use this promotion both of you walk up to Euston Railway Station. Buying a 1 day Travelcard each from the railways qualifies you for that promotion. You just don’t use your Oyster those days.
Hi Bob. Great website! I found the information very useful in helping me decide whether to get a 7-day travelcard or a London Pass.
I will be buying a 7-day travelcard and would like to take advantage of the 2 for 1 deal at Hampton Court Palace (zone 6). If I go for half a day on a weekday, is it better to take the tube to Vauxhall station (zone 2), then buy a train ticket to the palace? I did a quick search on National Rail and a return ticket is £8.40. Or would it be cheaper if I used my Oyster card to travel from zone 3 – 6? (I haven’t quite figured out how to calculate the supplement.) If I used my Oyster card, would I still be able to use the 2 for 1 deal?
Oyster Card is not valid for 2 for 1.
For Hampton Court you need a railway issued ticket whether return train ticket or Travelcard.
I’m assuming you are buying a 7 day Travelcard zone 1-2.
If you want to use 2 for 1 in London then you need to buy it from a railway station and it will come as a card.
Buy anywhere else and it will come loaded onto an Oyster which will not be valid for 2 for 1
Thanks Bob. Yes, I’ll be buying a paper 7 day Travelcard zone 1-2 from a railway station. Can I present this paper Travelcard, even though it’s for zone 1-2, at Hampton Court Palace for the 2 for 1 deal (but use an Oyster card to get there by paying the extension for zone 3-6)? Or do I have to buy a return train ticket in order to get the 2 for 1 deal?
Hi Bob!
I am planning to go for business to London for 4 weeks and will have weekends for sightseeing (the usuals such as London eye, etc). Will stay in Sheperds bush ibis for the first week and stay in Sunbury for the rest.
any recommendation ?
The easy part is the first week, just get an Oyster Card.
The tricky bit is Sunbury. Sunbury Station is according to the transport zone map just outside the area covered by Oyster / Travelcard etc.
However, Sunbury covers quite a large area so you may not be staying anywhere near the rail station.
Your Oyster will cover you on the red London buses that go through the area and may connect you to local train station like Hampton that is covered by Oyster.
If not then you can get day return tickets from Sunbury Station with or without a zone 1 Travelcard bundled
Bob, I just wanted to thank you so much for this post. We are planning a trip to the U.K. in August and our time in London will be split with 3 days on each end. I have read numerous guide books, posts, etc… and have never gotten this kind of clarity on what pass is right for us… Oyster Card, NOT purchased in advance is the way we will go. Thank you!
Hi Bob,
We a family of 4 (2 adults, kids: 18 & 16 yrs) are flying to London on 15/June/13 for 8 days, arriving Heathrow T3 early in the morning and will take a Heathrow connect to Hayes & Harlington stn for a fare of 5.60 pounds as our apartment is nearby. From H&H station we will buy 4 7days Travelcards to cover zone 1-9 + Watford Junction(79.20pounds) to reach Warner Bros. studio tour on 17/June/13, is this the best way to buy the Tavelcards or we should buy zone 1 to 6 and pay for the extended fare to Watford Junction? Please advise which is worth it? How much is the extended fare to Watford Junction?
At Paddington station, can we take Bakerloo line to Harrow & Wealdstone station to connect London Overground line to Watford Junction station or we have to take the train directly at Euston station? What is the travelling time for this 2 journey?
Thanks for you prompt advice.
Best regards,
Cindy
Hayes & Harlington is in zone 5.
A zone 1-5 7 Day Travelcard is £51.80, the same thing to cover Watford Junction is £79.20.
Therefore its not worth buying the Watford Junction product just for one trip. Buy an extention fare.
At Hayes and Harlington you will also need to bring along passport size photos for id cards issued free. The good news that the railway issued Travelcards qualify you for the 2 for 1 promotion.
For planning journeys and estimating times, easiest thing is to use TFL travel planner.
http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/user/XSLT_TRIP_REQUEST2?language=en
Thanks a lot for the reply and this website.
So I’m coming into Heathrow in a about a week and will only be stay in london for 2 days before I move on with a tour to Belgium. My hotel is in Zone 2. I want to be able to travel around zone 1 and 2 for 1 day. Should I just buy a day Travel Card for Zones 1 and 2 and buy an extension from the airport? Thanks.
An Oyster Card will be your best choice.
Bob,
I’ve been reading your comments and you are a national treasure.The rules and regulations to your transport system seem to me to be more complicated than our (USA) national tax codes.
I think it’s best for me to buy a 7 day Travel Pass to take advantage of the 2-4-1 deals, but I’m confused as to whether I will be allowed to do so. After walking the Cotswold Way, my sister and I plan to take a train from Bath to London. After 6 days in London, we will be taking the Heathrow Express to the airport. Would these two train trips allow us to purchase the 2-4-1 deals?
Thank you.
I’m afraid not, the Heathrow Express is not valid for 2 for 1.
On arriving at Paddington Station from Bath you can buy a 7 day Travelcard zone 1-2 from the RAILWAY ticket office on the main foyer, not the Underground Station.
You will need a passport size photo for a Railway id card, though I guess there is an outside chance you may already have one if you are travelling extensively.
Don’t forget to pre-print the 2 for 1 vouchers before you leave.
Hopefully you get good weather for the Cotswold Way and congratulations if you’re doing the full Stratford to Bath length.
Something I’d like today one day
Bob,
Thank you for your help. If not the Heathrow Express from London to the airport (portion of our round trip in and out of London), then which train to the airport would allow us to purchase the 2 for 1 deals? Or, did I misunderstand and the Bath to London train alone would allow us to do that? Thank you for the information about the photo ID.
To qualify for 2 for 1 you need a return ticket that would get you to and from the attraction on the day you are visiting.
The railway journeys you are using do not meet this criteria as the Heathrow Express doesn’t support this promotion.
Buying a 7 day Travelcard at Paddington from the railways will qualify you for 2 for 1.
Bob,
Thank you so much for your help. It’s very kind of you to answer all these questions.
We 3 adult friends will be in staying in South Kensington for 6 nights and it seems the 7-day, 1-6 zone Travelcard is the best option, especially if we want to use it to/from Heathrow.
My question is about ease of use on buses & in tube stations:. Can the Travelcard be used on the touch machines the same way the Oyster Card is used? We want to be able to get in & out of stations & buses as quickly and smoothly as possible.
Thanks for your time.
Its not worth buying a zone 1-6 7 Day Travelcard just to cover a couple of trips out to the airport. You pay an extra £25 for the zone 3 to 6 capability.
Get a zone 1-2 Travelcard and pay extension fares to cover zones 3 to 6 on those odd journeys.
If you buy the 7 Day Travelcard at anywhere but a railway (not Underground) station a 7 Day Travelcard will come loaded on an Oyster Card.
If you buy from a railway station you will need a passport size photo for an id card and the ticket will come as a card ticket which you simply enter into the slot for such tickets on the ticket barriers and it takes only fractions of a second more than an Oyster.
On buses its better than an Oyster as with a Travelcard you don’t do anything you just show your card if a ticket inspector requests it.
Thanks much for the helpful information.
We will likely be going to Wimbledon & Kew Gardens which are in Zones 3&4. So if we buy a Zone 1-4 Travelcard, how & where do we pay extension fares to cover trips to/from Heathrow?
We’re planning to purchase the Travelcards online before we depart from California so we will have them with us when we arrive at Heathrow.
I think you would be better off just getting an Oyster Card at Heathrow Underground Station if you are travelling in different zones on different days.
Hi bob, I’ll be arriving heathrow airport on the 12th jun with my daughter(12)and my husband.
We will be departing from gatwick airport on the 19th jun.
What travel cards do u suggest we buy?
We would like to do a lot of sightseeing.
We are really confused with the card system.
Thanks for your help. It’s greatly appreciated.
Liza khoo
A lot wll depend on where you are staying in London, how you plan on doing the airport transfers and what you will be doing in London.
Most, but not all of London’s hotel and sights are in zone 1 and 2. Heathrow is in zone 6 and and Heathrow is outside London not covered by Oyster or Travelcard.
As a first stab and making assumptions you are staying in Central London all of your stay I would suggest you get an Oyster Card at Heathrow Airport Underground Station and for a stretch of 7 days whilst in London load a 7 Day Travelcard zone 1 and 2 onto your Oyster.
Only the London Underground is valid from Heathrow, if you want to use the Heathrow Express or Heathrow Connect trains you will need to buy separate tickets.
For getting to Gatwick there are many options, but Oyster/Travelcard do not cover any of them.
Hi Bob, my girlfriend and I are going to be in London for 5 days. We are staying at Tune Hotel – Kings Cross. We plan to do sightseeing in Zone 1/2 and we want to use the 2for1 vouchers (London Eye, Tower of London, City Cruises ; and maybe London Bicycle Tour).
We will arrive (and leave) at London City Airport in Zone 3.
And on Saturday, 25. May we go to wembley stadium in Zone 4 (CL-Final).
So what to do, 7-Day-Travel Card Zone1-2 or/and Oyster Card? Is it possible to use the 2for1 with an Oyster Card with aTravel Card on it?
Thanks so much for any advice you can give!
In order to take advantage of the 2 for 1 promotion you need to have a Travelcard sold by a railway station (not Underground).
Oyster Cards are no good.
I wouuld suggest you buy an Oyster Card at City Airport and use that.
On days you want to take advantage of 2 for 1 go to Kings Cross Station Railway ticket office and buy a 1 day Travelcard zone 1-2 ticket and use that on that day.
This will mean you have to plan your days so that the days you go outside zone 1-2 are not the days you use 2 for 1
We are a family of 6 adults and we will be arriving in London during Christmas (dates are pending at this time) from Paris. We plan to take the train from Paris to Calais to Dover. Then , take a bus or train to London.
Does the London Pass (that includes travel from Zone 1 – 6) allow us to travel free into London?
We are looking to stay in a budget apartment for 6 on the outskirts of London (hoping that it will be cheaper) within Zone 1-6 and close to a Underground train station. Could you suggest a few areas we should look at for a place to stay?
Thank you.
Best regards,
Rajendram
If you get the Eurolines or Megabus from Paris to London, normally the cheapest option by far from Paris then you will arrive at London Victoria.
It certainly will be much cheaper than paying for trains. ferries etc separately.
If you are on a budget then the London Pass is not for you just get a Travelcard or Oyster once you are in London.
Christmas is one of the cheapest times to visit London. Most British are on holiday from December 24th to January 2nd or later and there are no business or conference visits then so hotels are virtually empty – I don’t think you will save much by staying out from the centre indeed I susepct the extra travel costs will result in you being worse off.
Also there is no public transport (and everything is closed) on December 25th and December 26th is patchy.
I would first look at some mainstream options in the centre, both apartments and hotels
Look at these pages to get you started (the prices in December should be much,much cheaper than the prices listed which are summer prices):
http://www.londontoolkit.com/accommodation/bed_breakfast_family.htm
http://www.londontoolkit.com/accommodation/tourist_hotels.htm
http://www.londontoolkit.com/accommodation/ibis_london.htm
http://www.londontoolkit.com/accommodation/family_rooms.htm
http://www.londontoolkit.com/accommodation/apartments_city.htm
http://www.londontoolkit.com/accommodation/apartments.htm
we are flying into london heathrow on 25 may. we are staying at london apex temple court hotel near fleet street and farringdon street (in between temple church and st. paul’s cathedral). we will be in london until 29 may and are leaving for liverpool on that morning by train from euston station. we will be seeing a few tourist sights while in london as well. is it better to buy the 7 day travelcard from a national rail station (in order to get the 2 for 1 savings) or just buy the oystercard? how many tourist sights would you need to go to in order to make the 7 day travelcard a better deal than the oyster card? and finally, what would be the best way to get from heathrow to apex temple court hotel? we don’t need the speed of heathrow express, so would it be better to take the tube all the way to the area of our hotel from LHR, while trying to find a national rail station along the way to buy the 7 day travelcard? or would it be better to take heathrow connect to paddington, buy 7 day travelcard from national rail ticket office at paddington, and then take tube from paddington to area of apex temple court hotel? thanks in advance for your response.
In terms of transport only an Oyster Card is less costly than a 7 Day Travelcard zones 1 and 2 unless in a 7 day period you make 3 or more journeys in 5 or more days in that 7 day period.
The Oyster Card is also more flexible if you want to travel out of zones 1 and 2 to pplaces like Heathrow or Hampton Court.
Taking advantage of the 2 for 1 offers is certainly worthwhile and the savings made just used once will dwarf the difference between Travelcard and Oyster for fares.
Its worth pointing out that a 7 Day Travelcard requires a passport size ohoto to creat an id card when bought from the railways.
Without knowing your precise sightseeing itinerary I would float the idea of getting an Oyster Card each at Heathrow and using that but on days you want to use 2 for 1 buy a 1 day Travelcard zone 1-2 from a rail station and use that instaed.
Blackfriars Station is near your hotel and is run by First Capital Trains so the train ticket office should sell Travelcards valid for 2 for 1 (though I’ve never been there so check before purchasing)
From Heathrow I suspect luggage may be an issuer and your attitude towards cost v comfort.
Paddington is a long way from your hotel and it will take longer to get from there to your hotel than from Heathrow by Heathrow Express/Connect.
Also note Oysters/Travelcards are not valid on Heathrow Connect/Express trains
Assuming you only have one large case and are comfortable carrying your own luggage, I’d take the Underground. The Underground starts at Heathrow so you’ll get a seat. Without changing trains I’d just hold tight until Holborn, then get a black cab to your hotel under a mile away.
You can get slightly closer to your hotel by changing to the District Line on the same platform at Barons Court and getting off at Blackfriaers which at a stretch is walkable.
You don’t have to make a decision really until you are in the Underground train and get a feel for numbes travelling at that time.
Quick question? We are a family of 4 adults and 3 kids (ages9,10,12)
I am thinking of buying the Oyster card for our ride into and out of london and for our trip to bath. I am thinking of buying the travelcard for day 2 and 5 to take advantage of 2-4-1 deals. Question is if I buy two 1 day travelcard for each adult, do I have to use it on consecutive days? And will I have to buy a five 1 day travelcard for my 12 year old?
Not sure I totally understand your requirement. Responses to my first stab at answering my clarify.
The Oyster Card (and Travelcard) is only valid for the London transport public zones and doesn’t extend outside London to places like Bath.
In this London area children under 11 travel free on Underground and London buses but not railways
Your 12 year old would need an Oyster ID card to purchase a child Oyster Card. For most viistors it is impractical as it costs £10 and takes weeks to process.
It sounds like your 12 year old is best to buy 5 x 1 day Travelcards
If you want to use 2 for 1 for the adult you need to have either a return train ticket or a Travelcard purchased from a railway station.
1 Day Travelcards are discrete tickts valid for one day, if you buy more than one you get a Travelcard ticket for a specified day that expires at the end of the day and is not related to any other Travelcards you may purchase.
Hi Bob!
Me and my friend are coming tomorrow to London, till Saturday. We are arriving at night actually, around 9 p.m. What would be the best option to buy, Oyster card or Travelcard in your opinion? And how much would it cost? We’re leaving on Saturday around 1 p.m. We’re staying at London Barking Hotel so I think this is the zone 4 if I am not mistaken. We bought the easyBus tickets from Luton airport to Baker Street. I would like to ask you if you can tell me where to buy tickets in that area cause we’re too girls and don’t wanna walk to far at night.
Thank you for your answer
For 4 days just buy an Oyster Card each at Heathrow Underground Station.
The fare structure is complicated and to work out exactly the cost you would need to know exactly where you are travelling in London on a day by day basis.
The page below will give you an indication of costs
http://www.londontoolkit.com/briefing/oystercard.htm
My family and I (4 of us) will be flying into Gatwick airport and buying a Group Save Gatwick Express Return ticket to London. Do you know if there is anyway to buy Group Save Travel cards? We will be in London for 4 days. I am not sure if it’s possible since I can’t see it being offered anywhere so figured I would ask the expert
No there is no small group or family discount scheme for Travelcards and Oyster Cards.
Buy them at Victoria Station on your arrival.
Hello Bob,
I’m not a tourist but don’t travel much. I need your advice on what tickets I’ll need to buy travelling from Peckham (SE15 2DX) to Salisbury (SP1 3UH). Day return. Leaving at 10;30am. I have an Oyster card. Any use? help appreciated. Thanks
The Oyster Card will get you from Peckham to waterloo Station where the trains to Salisbury depart frequently.
Its worth looking at the Megatrain web site as they sell very cheap tickets on-line between Waterloo and Salisbury at off peak hours, much cheaper than buying from the normal train ticket channels
http://uk.megabus.com/
Hi Bob.
Ok, I have yet more questions for u. Just a recap:
Family of 5 flying in to Gatwick. As established by u, we will catch train via london bridge to charring cross. We arrive on a thursday, leave the next Tuesday. The return tickets will qualify us for 2 for 1 promotions.
Now, we are doing zone 1 and 2 sightseeing so thought the 7 day travelcard for my husband and I and 7 day child travelcard for my 13 year old. My other 2 kids are 10 and 8.
However, on the monday we are visiting Hampton Court with friends which is outside our zones.What must I do now. Buy a separate travel card for zone 6 on that day, or leave the travelcards altogether and just go for oyster card.
Thanks for yr help. You are a life saver.
Jayne
The simplest solution would be to simply walk across the river to Waterloo Station and get a return train ticket to Hampton Court in zone 6 or if you must get a connecting train from Charing X to Waterloo East and walk across the road to Waterloo Station
The train ticket will qualify you for 2 for 1 for Hampton Court, strictly speaking Hampton Court would be entitled to say your Gatwick – Charing X rail tickets are not valid to visit an attraction outside the centre of London on 2 for 1.
Its a bit complicated as unlike the London Underground and buses there is no free train travel for kids so your 8 and 10 year old need to purchase tickets of one kind or another.
I would pay a visit to Charing X or Waterloo ticket offices before hand as I suspect I may miss something here.
Waterloo would be better as South West Trains are at Waterloo and they do Hampton Court bundle deals.
There may be family 4 travel for 2 ticket, and extention tickets for zones 3 to 6 may be on offer for those who have Travelcards for zones 1and 2 and there may be a Family train and admission ticket combo ticket.
In short just tell the ticket attendant your situation, tell them some idiot suggested some of the above may be available and they’ll tell you what really is available and the best deal for the times and dates you want to travel.
Hampton Court is a big place. The Tudor part has plenty to keep the kids happy and there are workshops and costumed characters etc.
The other bits like the Georgian wings are a bit dryer.
Home Park out the back of the formal gardens is worthwhile just to see the Deer.
You can get to Hampton Court by boat, just like Henry VIII etc used to.
The service from Westminster Pier by Big Ben takes about 3 hours so is one-way only and the novelty may soom wear off for your kids.
There are shorter more frequent boats between Richmond (in zone 4) where the Underground goes to and Hampton Court, though that would put a spanner in the works of all the train based solutions above.
There is also a local bus from Hampton Court to Richmond so you could go boat one way, bus the other.
London’s buses are zoneless so you can use your Travelcard zones 1 and 2 on the Hampton Court bus and of course your 8 and 10 year olds travel free on the Underground to Richmond.
How long is the bus journey to Hampton Court?
Thanks for help
There is no single bus from the centre of London to Hampton Court.
The bus I was referring to was the R68 bus that passes Richmond Underground Station and takes 45 minutes to Hampton Court.
Ok thanks.i suppose the train is much quicker. Just out of interest, are there queues at Hampton court to get in like at other attractions. Or is it easy to just arrive and use the 2 for 1 offers.
You would be very unlucky to get a queue at Hampton Court
Hi Bob,
I’ve read a lot about Travelcard and Oyster card but still need your advice.
29/5 Arrive at Heathrow airport, travel to Ladywell. (2 of us will stay near Ladywell for 6 nights)
30/5 to zone 1 & 2 for sightseeing
31/5 to Oxford (take a bus from Victoria Coach Station)
1/6 Following day tour to Cotswald
2/6 to Cambridge (take a train from Liverpool street)
3/6 to zone 1 & 2 for sightseeing
4/6 will join a 22 days Europe tour, meeting point at Canada Water
25/6 back to London, will stay at Ladywell for 1 night
26/6 to city center and head for Heathrow airport for a night flight back home
For the above journey around the city, which card is most suitable for us?
If possible we like to enjoy the 2 for 1 admission sightseeing promotion too
Thank you
Ladywell rail station is in zone 3.
Given that you will be travelling out of London a lot of the time best just get an Oyster Card at Heathrow Underground Station and surrender it there on your last day to get your deposit/balance back.
On days you want to use 2 for 1 in London buy a 1 day Travelcard zone 1-3 at Ladywell Train Station ticket office and use that instead of the Oyster that day, though note Ladywell ticket office is closed Sundays.
Hi Bob,
I will be arriving at Heathrow on 11 May and staying for 6 days at Elephant & Castle, two of the days, I would like to go to Cotswold, using public transport (tube, train, bus) if possible and the remaining, just hanging out in Central London.
Would an oyster card serves me well? Is there a card for airport express to E & C plus able to use it on public transport?. Your advise please and thanking you in advance!
Thank you very much!
An oyster card is fine for the London Underground ino London, but not much else.
Its also fine for travel within London but not for the Cotswolds region which is well outside London and not blessed with great public transport.
If the oyster card is used only on a red London bus before 9:30 a.m. will the peak cap be triggered or do peak times only apply to tube travel? If triggered in the morning will the peak cap then apply for the whole day even if only a fraction of the travel was actually made during peak hours?
If you use a red bus in peak time and use other transport in off-peak you do trigger the peak cap for the whole calendar day.
Thanks so much for the reply and for this website. It’s an invaluable help to any visitor.
Andrea
next week i will be in london for 5 days. I decided to buy a 7 days TC zone 1 -2 loaded on oyster card and to add some pounds to go to wembley in zone 4. I can’t understand how much is the extension fare off peak.
Thanks in advance
To get the extension fare on Oyster use the table at the link below as if it was a single journey on the fare zones needed on Pay As You Go not covered by your Travelcard
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14416.aspx
Having 1-2 zone TC for going in zone 4 with PAYG i should add 1,50, is correct?
Thank you
By train i make it £1.60/£1.50 depending on peak, off peak.
If you travel by bus to zone 4 from zone 2 you’re covered by s zone 1-2 product as London buses are zoneless.
Hi Bob,
my question is similar, so i’m replying to this post.
Arriving at LondonCity(z3), i’m gonna load on a oyster a 7dayTC zone12.
Then, if i jump in at LondonCity and leave in any station in zone 1, what i’ll be charged? Just 1.5£ (offpeak fare for 3 to 2), or 2.7£ (offpeak fare for 3 to 1)?
I mean, if I’m covered by the 7dayTC for travel in zones 1&2, does the “system” only charge journeys outside this zones?
If you’ve a Travelcard that is valid for zones 1-2 you have to pay the Oyster fare from the last station that is valid covered in zone 2 to/from the station in zone 3.
If you’re lucky the last zone 2 station may be be a dual zone station, both 2 and 3
Like cdb, my question is in this same general topic so adding on to prior posts.
Arrive Heathrow Friday noon, leave on Eurostar following Tuesday. Hotel and general sight-seeing in Zones 1-2. Choices seem to be (A) Take Express/Connect to Paddington then Tube to station near hotel, or (B) Only take Tube changing lines at Barons Court. Plan to use 7-day Zones 1-2 Travelcard rather than deal with deposit/refund on Oyster. 2-for-1 deals n/a. (A) will cost 9.50 Connect + 30.40 at Paddington Tube (no photo). (B) will cost 1.50 extension fare + 30.40 at Heathrow (no Activation Fee since TC not Visitor OC). Total travel time likely less (~1 hour?) with (A). Sound about right?
Also, I think (A) can be done at ticketing machines with credit card but unsure if (B) needs person-to-person purchase at Heathrow or can their machine add the 1.50? Guessing the machines are faster to use than ticketing staff.
Thanks for your excellent assistance.
Where is your hotel?
Tower Hill station.
The cheapest option would be to get an Oyster at Heathrow and use the London Underground to Tower Hill via Barons Court and then buy 1 day zone 1-2 Travelcards from a railway station like Liverpool Street or London Bridge on the days you want to use 2 for 1 instead of the Oyster.
Getting you balance and deposit back at St Pancras really is no issue and certainly less time and trouble than getting a passport photo and getting a rail id card in order to get a 7 Day Travelcard valid for 2 for 1 at Paddington, Liverpool Street etc
Not sure I understand your comments at Heathrow. Travelcards and train tickets bought at Heathrow are not valid for 2 for 1. If you want 2 for 1 the qualifying ticket needs to be purchased in London.
If you get the Underground or Heathrow Connect/Express trains then buy at ticket office or the self serve machines, just a personal preference there, there is no “best solution”
The only reason not to take the option in the first paragraph is speed or comfort.
Going part way on the airport transfer from Heathrow on Heathrow Express / Connect buys you some extra space and comfort for half the journey which may be worthwhile if you have lots of luggage and reducing your journey time by about 30 minutes.
I intended to convey the idea that the 2-for-1 promotions are “Not Applicable” i.e. I do not care about them. Sorry for the confusion.
It would seem an advantage of NOT using Heathrow Express/Connect would be the perhaps easier change of trains at Barons Court over Paddington when travelling with luggage (e.g. large roller bag).
Read on other websites that refunds of deposit/balance on Oyster cards at some locations requires multiple ID documents. Perhaps this is false or no longer their policy.
Thanks for your help!
The change of trains at Barons Court is far easier than at Paddington.
At Barons Court its about 10 steps, at paddington you have to negotiate escalators, steps, corridors.
Really comes down to luggage. If you have just one large bag you should be OK, and at Heathrow you should get a seat on the Underground.
I think a “large” often means something different in North America. In Europe anything over 44lbs is outsize.
There was some fraud issues a month or so ago where at some stations with Oyster, notably Euston they put up signs saying they wanted id when handing Oyster Cards due to a rash of stolen Oyster Cards being tendered which got a lot of discussion on things like TripAdvisor at the time.
A few years ago now there was also some issues where some stations were not handing back the money immediately but asking for a form to be signed and a cheque sent to your home address which was a fat lot of good for overseas visitors receiving a personal cheque in UK currency for a small amount in their home country. But that is just a memory now too.
Today, you really would be unlucky to have a problem. If you are leaving the country at St Pancras presumably you’ll have your passport so I cannot see what the issue is if Id was asked for.
The unconfortable sector on either trip is going to be Barons Court – Tower Hill or Paddington – Tower Hill on the Underground, where worst case is just that you will be in a crowded carriage having to stand for 30 minutes.
Hello there Bob,
I wish France and Paris had the same nice guy answering questions like you do for London. You don’t happen to have an extended family, do you?
;-p
More to the point.
A friend and I are planning a ten-day stay in London. We are interested in a London Pass (most of the attractions will be ticked off when we’re done) with transport thrown in.
What do you suggest for the remainder of our trip, as a London Pass is only 7 days in duration?
Thanks for your help.
– Philippe
Flattery gets you everywhere here.
Personally I’m not a great fan of the London Pass.
The advice I would give is to write down all the must see’s that you simply must see. Some presumbly will be free of charge.
Then recognise what your personal interests are and the types of things that you get pleasure from and start researching things in London that fit that profile.
Then see if the London Pass covers your target list and will save you money.
You might also want to compare this with just getting a 7 day Travelcard from a train station and using the 2 for 1 promotion.
See: http://www.londontoolkit.com/whattodo/london_travelcard_2for1.html
A lot of great experiences in London are free and don’t get much publicity.
There are numerous world class museums and art galleries that if you are interested in the subject matter will take at least a day.
Go and see a murder trial at the Old Bailley, or the Law courts during the week, heckle speakers at Speakers Corner on Sundays, watch some other French people try to play soccer with Arsenal FC or go native and try to understand cricket. Greyhound and horse racin or rugby perhaps if you are interested. Markets, portobello on a Saturday, camden Lock if you’re younger than Bob, or Borough if you’re a foodie.
Out of London, the Oxford Tube will get you to Oxford cheaply and there are many others by tour or public transport.
Hi and thank you for your help!
I have read a lot about this and I’m still not sure what should I get!
I’m coming to Gatwick with my friends on Friday at 6 p.m, we already have tickets for train from there to Victoria station, I guess we will take tube from Victoria to our hostel and then take tube back to the town, and later back to the hostel again (all in zone 1). On Saturday we are planning a major sightseeing, but probably all in zone 1 (except Notting hill if I remember correctly) and on Sunday we are going to the Stansted airport,so we will probably need tube only once – to get to the train for the airport.
What should we get – travel card or oyster card, because to me it looks cheaper to buy 2 travel cards and pay for one ride on Sunday than pay extra 5 GBP just for the oyster card.
And is it possible to buy oyster card on the Gatwick airport and to get a refund on Stansted airport.
Thank you!
The Oyster Card is your best bet for the itinerary described.
Gatwick and Stansted are outside London so you can’t use Oyster or Travelcard there and you can’t get your deposit back at Stansted.
You can buy Oyster Cards at Gatwick but these are Visitors Oyster Cards not as good as the ones bought in London.
So buy your Oyster at Victoria and hand it back at the Underground Station you get your transport to Stansted to reclaim deposit and balance.
You might want to look at taking one of the airport buses to Stansted rather than the train which are much cheaper.
Thank you!
We’ll take your advice then and take the oyster card! If you don’t mind, just one more question: how much money you think we need to put on it? Is 15GBP enough?
Oh, and we did checked buses for Stansted but they are all sold out around the time we should leave.
At the weekend travelling in zones 1 & 2, the centre, the maximum you can pay in one calendar day is £7.00.
A single fare across town is £2.10 on the Underground the day you get your Stansted transport.
Hi
Just jumping in on this one as it is similar to my trip. I’m leaning towards getting an Oyster card, and keeping it for future trips to London, but would I have to get a Visitors oyster, as I’m not a UK resident, and what are the disadvantages of the visitors card compared to regular, since you said the latter is better.
Thanks and best regards!
I would not advise getting a Visitors Oyster Card at all.
You are much better off geting a normal Oyster Card in London that anyone can buy.
My question is about the difference between a regular oyster card and a visitor oyster card. If I purchase my card at Heathrow, is it a “regular” oyster card that I can take to any tube station when I leave to get the balance refunded? I don’t want to have to send it somewhere to have a check mailed to me. If I puchase the card with a credit card, do I receive a cash refund or is it credited back to my card? Thanks so much for all the help you provide.
The main difference between an Oyster Card and a Visitors Oyster Card is the Oyster bought at Heathrow Underground, the regular Oyster you can claim back your deposit and balance.
You can do this on demand at the ticket office just by handing back your Oyster Card.
If you paid by cash you get cash back, pay by card and you get a card refund.
Great site and much appreciated!
I’m trying to make sense of the ticketing process. Two adults and two kids (under 5) staying with family in Chelmsford for 14 days in May. First time in UK and plan to tour central London extensively and probably a few day/overnight trips to other parts of England, so will likely travel to or through the London Zones all but 1 or 2 days. Would like to take advantage of the 2-for-1 discounts at the major sites, but with the kids we may need to spread these visits out over the entire two weeks to maintain flexibility and sanity.
My guess is that two 7-day travelcards for each adult is our best option for cost and simplicity but I’m confused on which zones to purchase, 1-2 or 1-6?
And then how to complete the ticketing between Chelmsford and the London Zone? We’re willing to pay a little more to use the fast trains and especially to avoid the hassle of exiting and reentering a station.
Thanks in advance.
Children under 5 travel free on the railways and travel free on the Underground and buses in London under 11.
Chelmsford is well outside London and the London transport zones.
The optimum ticket will probably be a day return train ticket bundled with a zone 1 Travelcard on the same ticket.
There is a weekly ticket version of the same if you are travelling 5 or more days in 7. To get this you will need a passport size photo each as you will need a photocard.
These tickets will qualify you for the 2 for 1 promotion below, which is worth using for first time visitors.
http://www.londontoolkit.com/whattodo/london_travelcard_2for1.html
If you are travelling around by train it would be worth checking out if a railcard makes sense for you.
http://www.londontoolkit.com/briefing/rail_cards.html
As far as I can see all trains betwwen London and Chelmsford are about 40 mins and will be in commuter style trains.
When you go on longer trips by train, fares can be eye watering if you pay on the day.
Advance purchase discounted fares appear about 3 months before travel.
Hi Bob,
I am currently in Stevenage and plan to do sight seeing in London on weekend. Which train + travelcard or oyster card will be the good option for me. Since coming from Stevenage, so my understanding is i will be travelling zone 1 to zone 6. looking for your expert guidance . thanks Hemant
Stevenage is well outside London and not within the London travel zones
If so it sounds the best ticket will be a day return train ticket bundled with a zone 1 Travelcard assuming you are sightseeing in the centre.
Hi Bob,
My family and me(6 adults, of which 2 are over 60) will be staying at Euro Lodge Clapham which is close to Clapham south tube station. We reach the hotel on a Sunday evening and might want to go to central london the same day. But Monday morning we would definitely go to central london by tube and go for the hop on hop off bus tour(original london sightseeing tour) and then return back to our hotel in the evening/night . The next morning we have a flight from Gatwick at 8:30 am for which we would be mostly doing a taxi.
For going to london city from clapham south, do you suggest we buy an oyster card, or just normal tickets or travelcard.
Thanks a lot !
Dan
The Oyster Card will be your cheapest solution.
There are no seniors concessions.
I should buy an oyster card, even for just 1 return trip from clapham south to central london , as i will be in london only for 1 day only .
Also can i buy it from clapham south tube station itself. How much is the price of the card as i want to do only 1 return journey. Do i have to return the card to obtain a refund. Is any photo or id needed to buy the oyster card.
Thanks a million !
If you want to pay the lowest fares then your cheapest option is buy Oyster Card from Underground station.
If getting the refund and balance back is too much hassle the just buy cash tickets.
You do not need photo id.
How much would i have to pay for the oyster card, if i need to do only 1 return trip from clapham south to central london. Also is the refund given immediately on the spot in the underground station itself after i finish my return journey. Are there any timings for getting the refund balance. Thanks
One way fare with Oyster is 2.10 or 2.80 GBP depending on day and time of travel.
You should be able to get your deposit and balance back immediately after surrendering your Oyster Card at the Underground Station.
Hi Bob,
I thought I had it but now I’m confused again.
My husband, myself and 12 year old daughter will be flying into Heathrow on July 22 then staying out by Kings Cross station where we will be catching the train to Scotland the very next day. We will then be returning to England by train on August 8 for a few days and leaving August 12.
1. Which pass shall we buy for our trip from Heathrow to Kings Cross (on the Piccadilly line I believe)?
2. When we return to London which pass shall we buy? Yes, we probably would take advantage of at least one of the 2-1 passes. It also looks like we have enough time to apply for a child’s Oyster pass.
If you have any thoughts or suggestions they would be very appreciated!
Thank you,
Carol
For the adults its pretty straight forward get an Oyster Card at Heathrow each and use it for all your London transport needs. On the days you want to use 2 for 1 buy a 1 day Off Peak Travelcard on the day from Kings Cross Station and use that instead of the Oyster that day.
For 3 people your child will not qualify for 2 for 1 so would suggest just getting a child single fare from Heathrow to Kings Cross and then getting Travelcards each day on the longer visit.
Hello Bob!!! We’ll be visiting london for the first time with my wife and our 2 years old son for 5 days. We are staying in zone 2. What would you recommend? Thanks!!
If you are staying and travelling within London for a full 5 days then get a 7 day Travelcard zone 1 and 2 unless your sightseeing includes days out of town.
Otherwise get an Oyster Card each
Probably with only 5 days we will be visiting the city, so I think we’ll go for the Travelcard… Can I buy it in the train station or should I do it on the web?
Thanks a lot bob!
Its easiest to buy them in London at any Underground station.
First I would like to thank you for this fabulous website filled with such valuable information!
We (husband and I) are arriving in Southampton by cruise ship on a Tuesday, and we will leave Friday afternoon through Heathrow.We have already booked the Cruise to London Transfer tour which will stop at Stonehenge and arrive at Hotel Indigo Kensington – Earl’s Court by 1:00 or so. We would like to see Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower of London, Windsor Palace and Harrods and explore some of the neighbourhoods. Could you tell us how best to do this using public transportation, please. I understand that there is a direct ‘tube’ to Heathrow. (ie oyster card, travel card, 2for 1). Many thanks
For 4 days your best transport solution is an Oyster Card bought at Earls Court Underground Station.
The only place listed not accessible using this is Windsor.
If you want to visit Windsor Castle it would make sense to upgrade your Stonehenge only tour transfer to Salisbury, Stonehenge and Windsor getting to your hotel before 5 p.m. This would save you time.
If you want 2 for 1 in Central London, organise your days so the 2 for 1 places are on the same day and buy a 1 Day Zone 1 & 2 Travelcard from a railway station ticket office and use that on that day instead of the Oyster.
There are Underground trains every 5 minutes from Earls Court to Heathrow.
Hi Bob,
thanks for what you do!
I cannot make clear what happens to the daily price cap on a oyster if during a day, I make a trip from zone 1 to zone 2 in the afternoon peak hour (between 16.30 and 19).
I mean, on tfl website is stated that a trip outside zone 1 is intended as peak, but when i read the offpeak price cap conditions, it seems that in determining the off peak condition, you just have to travel after 9.30 so travelling between 16.30-19 doesn’t seem to affect this.
Can you please help me to understand?
Hope this is clear and sorry if not (i’m mothertongue italian…)
Thank You
CDB
I think the area you are getting confused with is that the times for Oyster peak travel are not exactly the same as Oyster peak and off peak caps.
The peak Oyster cap is triggered if you travel between 04:30 and 09:29 Monday to Friday only, there is no afternoon slot to trigger peak caps.
So if you start travel after 9:30 a.m. and also travel in the peak afternoon period your Oyster will be charged a peak fare, but your Oyster cap will still be the off-peak rate.
If they didn’t do this a Travelcard would be cheaper than an Oyster.
Hey Bob,
I have got a question. I am going to travel with my girlfriend on 1th May to London. We are from Germany.We stay 7 days so we want to buy Travelcard for 7 days. We want it in paper form so we will buy it at the rail station ( we haven’t got enough time to buy it and let them to post ). If we buy it at Victoira (for example) then we need a photo id, too.
So we just have to bring a pass photo? And then get we it in paper form. Right?
Thank you very much!!
Yes you need to buy the Travelcard from a London train station ticket office that sells Travelcards like Victoria, (but not the Underground Station ticket office)
At the railway ticket offices they treat 7 Day Travelcards as a season ticket so you have to get a railway id card made up first that requires a passport size photo.
If you were flying into Gatwick Airport and got a return train ticket to Victoria that in itself would qualify you for 2 for 1 and you could just buy your 7 day Travelcard from the Underground Station which doesn’t require id but doesn’t qualify for 2 for 1.
Thank you very much!!!
Hi Bob,
You are saving many people hours of frustration. Thankyou.
We will be travelling to London (arriving at Heathrow) for one week in August from Australia. Our family, 2 adults, three children (13, 11 and 8 years old) will be staying within walking distance from Southgate Station on the Piccadilly line, which I believe is zone 4. We are wanting to qualify for the 2 for 1 deal and will probably travel into central London most days. I’m guessing we will need a 7 day travel card for zone 1-4? Any advice as to what would be the best to do will be very much appreciated.
As i guess you’ve already grasped the big complicating factor is going to be your 11 and 13 year old children with regards travel in London.
You have not mentioned qualifying for the 2 for 1 promotion that adds another layer of complexity so I will deal with that last.
A 7 day Travelcard Zones 1-4 is as you have stataed looks like the best travel product
If you were a couple of adults it would be simple, just buy a Zone 1-4 Travelcard at Heathrow with an extention fare to cover zones 5 & 6 (Heathrow is in zone 6).
Its a direct but long journey Heathrow to Southgate
Your 8 year old is also simple, they travel free without tickets on the Underground, DLR and Buses (but not railways)
In order to buy a 7 Day Child Travelcard at Heathrow your kids need an 11-15 Oyster ID Card that costs 10 GBP each and takes weeks to process after ordering an on-line.
The most effective work around is if you bought 7 Day Travelcards zones 1-4 for everyone and ordered them on-line from the TFL Travel Shop and had them delivered to your home address in Australia. By doing this you get child fare Travelcards without photo id
The TFL visiitor shop is at:
http://www.londontoolkit.com/affs/tfl_visitorshop.htm
You would have to still buy an extention fare at Heathrow to cover the portion of the Heathrow – Southgate initial journey that is in zones 5 & 6.
You might also want to consider whether after such a long flight a private car might be a viable option. Looking at Simply Airports web site they’re quoting 63 GBP for a MPV that will carry 4 to Southgate. Whoever you are staying with in Southgate may know a local company that offers a better deal, but Simply Airports are a good benchmark.
If you want to qualify for 2 for 1 … (see http://www.londontoolkit.com/whattodo/london_travelcard_2for1.html)
I think you’ll need to get the Underground to St Pancras Station paying for single tickets and buy your 7 Day Travelcards there to qualify for 2 for 1 before using them first to continue on from St Pancras to Southgate.
That is brilliant. Thanks so much Bob.
Hi Bob, i think i have things pretty clear at this point with your explanation and the comments. However, there’s a little thing that i have a doubt still.
I am going to visit London eleven days in july, so i know i need a 7 days travelcard for the first seven days, and an Oyster card in “pay as you go” basis for the other four days.
Since the 7 days travelcard will be charged in an Oyster card, my question is: Is that Oyster card an actual one, which i can switch to the pay as you go basis for the last four days or is only a travelcard “Oystershaped” that expires and then i have to buy the actual Oyster card?
Thank you very much.
If you buy a 7 day Travelcard from anywhere but a railway station (not Underground) it comes loaded on an Oyster Card.
You can use the same Oyster Card in Pay As You Go mode loading money onto it when the 7 Days are up.
If you buy from a railway station then the Travelcard comes as a card ticket and you throw it after it has expired. You then have to purchase an Oyster as a separate transaction.
Thank you, for such a quick answer.
I will buy the travelcard in a tube station, so it’ll be loaded in the Oyster, so i guess it’ll cost me 5 more refundable pounds, (35,4 instead 30,4), as a deposit for the oyster card, is this correct?
You’ve got me there.
They did stop charging the deposit if you just bought a 7 Day Travelcard coming on an Oyster.
I’m not sure if that is still in force or if they are charging again the deposit for 7 Day Travelcards.
Thanks again, it’s not a big deal anyway whether they charging or not, it would be a refundable deposit!
Can a 7-day paper TravelCard be purchased at a NatRail stations (specifically Paddington) the day before the intended start of use (specifically, purchase on Sat but used it from Sun through the next Sat)?
This page seems to say “No”, but other non-offical sources say “Yes”.
nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/… – London_Travelcard_Seasons
On the official National Rail web site it says, you can buy 7 Day Travelcards “On the start date. If the start date is a Monday (or Tuesday after a Bank Holiday), the season ticket may be issued from 0600 hours on the previous Sunday.”
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/46575.aspx
At the Underground Station ticket offices you can buy 7 Day Travelcards up to 7 days in advance from manned counters, but only on the day from the ticket machines”
On the Overground you can buy 7 day Travelcards up to 4 days before travel days
There have been posts on forums like Tripadvisor suggesting that whatever the actual rules stated, what is practised at the ticket offices is not always the same.
Thanks. That is how I read it too. I guess I will plan on it might being possible, with an alternate plan if it is not.
But I’m confused by “On the Overground you can buy 7 day Travelcards up to 4 days before travel days”
I thought that the portions of the NatRail lines within the 6 London zones were considered the “Overground”. Is that incorrect?
What I need is a paper TravelCard issued on NatRail paper for using the 2-for-1 offers. I’m there for 8 full days, and I thought it might be most efficient to get a 1-day TC from a tube station on the first day, not using a 2-for-1 on that day, and pick up a 7-day at a rail station for use the following day. Any suggestions?
Thanks for the prompt feedback.
The Overground is a separate entity to the railways and Underground that have taken over a few old railway and Underground lines that form a mini-network of lines that cicumnavigate the centre of London.
Its a bit of a red herring I think with regards your situation.
Which airport are you arriving at and where are you staying?
Thanks again.
We’re arriving on a Fri at LHR with a car pickup. Staying near Marble Arch. Here is what I had planed:
On first day, buy a 1-day z1-6 TC at Marble Arch, tube to Paddington, train to Windsor. On return to Pad, purchase 7-day z1-2 paper TC to start the following day.
On some clear day during the next 7 days, purchase a z1-6 TC to go to Hampton Court, even though we will have a z1-2 card, rather than pay the add-on cash fare.
We’d like to avoid getting an Oyster because it seems highly likely we won’t have time to turn it back in for the refund on return.
If we cannot get a 7-day TC from NatRail 1 day in advance, the best option I’ve found on my own is to take a bus from Marble Arch to a NatRail station on our second day to but the paper TC.
Do you see any other options?
Thanks.
Regards Windsor it is outside the London public transport area so you cannot use Travelcards or Oysters. Just buy a return train ticket to Windsor from Paddington. Currently Windsor Castle has no 2 for 1 voucher offer.
Marble Arch to Paddington is no more than a 15 minute walk.
There is no point is getting a zone 1-6 Travelcard for your Hampton Court day if you already have a zone 1 – 2 Travelcard. Just use your existing Travelcard to Vauxhall on the tube in zone 2 then buy a day return train ticket to Hampton Court. This will also qualify you for 2 for 1 voucher into Hampton Court.
Not sure I understand the Oyster refund reasoning. If you are staying at Marble Arch, the Underground Station there is open from about 6 a.m. to about midnight every day where you can return yor Oyster.
Hi Bob,, this is really great
Im visiting London on the 30th March till 4th April 2013. Will be reaching Heathrow around 10pm on the 30th and i planned to travel to central London the next morning around 6am. I planned on sightseeing in zone 1 and 2 from 31st till 3rd and on the 4th will be following Europe tour from Canada Water. I will be back on the 18th and my flight is in Gatwick the next day morning. which will be better of that two?
thanks in advance
Sounds like an Oyster Card will be the best option for you though it won’t cover the transfer out to Gatwick and from Heathrow into London only by Underground.
THANKS
Bob, Thanks for this info! I will be in London for about 9 days–doing the main tourist visits, with my husband. Will also take one day trip outside London. We are arriving in Heathrow Airport. Am not sure which to get, the Oyster or 7-day Travelcard? A combo of both? We plan to use the Tube and or buses, and walk, exclusively….. Would appreciate your advice! Thanks so much! Karen
It makes sense to buy an Oyster Card each at Heathrow Underground Station on arrival and use it as an Oyster Pay As You on that day.
For the last 8 days either on the 2nd or 3rd day load a 7 Day Travelcard zones 1-2 onto te Oyster and use it as a Travelcard for those 7 days, then use again as an Oyster on the 2nd or last day.
Dear Bob
I am a senior citizen from Singapore and I will be staying two days in Heathrow Ibis in June this year and travelling to and from London city for sightseeing and shopping.
What’s my most economical way of getting to and from my hotel in Heathrow?
Thanks!
The most economical option is to buy an Oyster Card at Heathrow Underground Station on your arrival.
The local London buses 105 and 111 between Heathrow’s bus station and the Holiday Inn Ariel hotel a few yards down from the Ibis is free so don’t swipe your Oyster Card.
To get into London just use the London Underground from Heathrow, the Underground is underneath the bus station or the 81 and 222 buses go from outside the hotel to Hounslow West Underground.
If you travel before 9:30 a.m. Monday to Friday the maximum you will pay in a day increases from £8.50 to £15.80 per day.
There are no seniors concessions
We are a group of 15 students aged 17-19 and two teachers planning to visit London and do a lot of sightseeing. Our plane arrives at Gatwick on 15/03 at 14:30 and leaves on 20/03 at 8:05.
Our hotel is not far from Kentish Town Station, so we have thought of taking the train to London and then buying 7 Day Travelcards (zones 1-2) to qualify for the 2FOR1 offers.
As it appears to be cheaper to buy tickets to Blackfriars where we would have to change trains on the day of arrival anyway, I wondered if we could buy our Travelcards there. Are Travelcards sold at all rail stations? Why do Anytime Return tickets seem to be more expensive than buying Anytime Day Single tickets for both train journeys? The fares are so confusing.
We would like to economise on travelling as much as possible to be able to spend more on sightseeing.
Thank you in advance for your advice.
The First Capital Trains that ply the Gatwick – Blackfriars – London bridge line also have stopping trains that would enable you to go onto Kentish Town rail station.
I think the best option would be for you to buy groupsave return tickets to Kentish Town from Gatwick, this would also qualify you for the 2 for 1 offer without Travelcards.
Every train company is slightly different so I would go to the First Capital web site and make contact with their customer services to make sure there are no obscure students or other relevant fares and they are valid for 2 for 1.
That line is having a lot of maintenance on it at the moment, especially at weekends so its worth checking there are no line closures on your dates.
This approach would also enable you to buy 7 Day Travelcards or Oyster Cards from wherever you wnat including Kentish Town Underground Station without having to factor qualification for 2 for 1 in your purchasing decision.
I have already bought train tickets from Gatwick Airport to London. Can I buy a 1 one travelcard for zones 1-2 at Gatwick so I can use straight away once I arrive in London? Also can I buy another 1 day travelcard for another date at the same time? Thanks
Buy the Travelcard at Victoria Station in London
You can purchase 1 day Travelcards up to 7 days in advance from manned ticket offices
Hi Bob, we are staying in Borehamwood for 3 nights and intend travelling into london to do the usual sightseeing and museums etc. 2 adults and 2 kids (aged 6 and 8). massively confused over the travel zones and what travel option to take. we thought we could travel in from Elstree and Borhamwood station to St pancras or blackfriars but dont know if we need a train ticket AND a travel or Oyster card. Please advise which would be our best option. Thanks in advance
Elstree and Boreham Wood is in zone 6 of the London Transport system so you can buy Travelcards or rail tickets or railtickets with a zone 1 Travelcard.
I think the key point is that the London Underground and red London buses allow children under 11 to travel free while the railways do not.
If you went to Edgeware Underground Station in zone 5 the kids could travel free as you would use the London Underground.
If you took this route for 3 days it would be best just to get an Oyster Card each for the adults and the kids travel free.
I already have an PAYG oyster card. I just plan to stay in london for 6 days and would like to buy a 1-week travelcard zone 1-2 from the rail station, for 2 for 1 promotion. What shoul I do if I go from zone 1 to Heathrow airport at the end of the trip?
If you buy a 7 Day Travelcard from the railways to qualify for 2 foor 1 it will come as a separate ticket to your Oystercard.
For your Heathrow trip ask the ticket attendant if its cheaper to use your Oyster Card or buy an extention fare for your 7 day Travelcard to Heathrow
hye Bob! i found this site very interesting and helpful. however i need to clarify some issues
we are a family of 4 (3 adults + 1 child (13y/o)
we will reach at Heathrow Airport on the 29/3/2013 and planning to take the Heathrow Connect to Paddington. our Hotel is in Paddington, Tune Hotel.
1) on the next day 30/3/2013 we need to take the tube from Paddington to Marble Arch to join for Europe trip. SHOULD WE GET OYSTER CARD (for 30/3 and 7/4) PAY PER BASIS OR ANY SUGGESTION?
2) we will return to London on the 7/4/2013 – 12/4/2013. when we return to London, we rent an apartment in Shepherd Bush, Zone 2. we will take tube from Marble Arch to Shepherd Bush.
3) we will be taking the tube/bus, etc for sightseeing for 4 full days.WHAT IS YOUR SUGGESTION. we r tinkin of gettin a 7 days travelcard for each to qualify for 2 for 1 promotion. OR DO U THINK WE SHOULD OPT FOR AN OYSTER CARD?
Thanks in Advance!
The airport trains Heathrow Express or Heathrow Connect you cannot use Travelcards, Oyster etc on. The London Underground is the only Heathrow transport you can use these on.
The Tune Paddington is not that far from Marble Arch, about 600 yards to there as opposed to about 400 yards to Paddington Station.
If you can’t walk to Marble Arch with luggage maybe taxi?
For the adults it sounds like your best bet is an Oyster Card and on days you want to use 2 for 1 buy a 1 day Travelcard from a railway station like Paddington in advance and use it that day instead.
For the 13 year old its less straight forward because of ID Cards for the child and that you want to take advantage of 2 for 1.
I guess its a choice between buying a 1 day Travelcard for each day or buying a 7 Day Travelcard and from Paddington Station or similar.
If you are planning on using 2 for 1 extensively it might be best just to go to Paddington and get a 7 Day Travelcard for everyone, onec you have don that you have everything covered. Don’t forget your passports size photo cards.
Really comes down to how much hassle you want to endure to squeeze out on paper the cheapest deal.
Hi Bob,
My family (5 adults and 2 children aged 8 & 4) will be travelling from Newcastle upon Tyne to Hayes (Kent) via London on April 03, 2013. We will be visiting and staying overnight at Hayes and will be leaving for London on 4th April. We will be staying in London for 3 days in zone 1 and will be departing for Newcastle. We would be visiting the common London attractions during our stay and would like to avail 2 for 1 pass facility. Is it possible to buy separate travelcards (zones 1 & 2) for 2 individual days in advance (Travelcards which allow 2 for 1 passes) from London Kings Cross or London Bridge?
Thanks
If you have return train tickets from Newcastle to London and those have the rail logo on that would qualify you for 2 for 1 without the Travelcards.
Your children aged 4 and 8 travel free on London’s Underground and don’t need tickets.
For the adults for 3 days the best ticket is an Oyster Card on transport alone but this dosen’t qualify you for 2 for 1 if the train tickets are not valid for some reason.
If you do need to buy 1 day Travelcards for 2 for 1 you can get them at either Kings Cross or London Bridge railway ticket offices.
Dear Bob thank you very much for your prompt answer!
i think we will opt for travelcard considering that there is not much different with oyster
thank you!
Hello Bob,,
Could you please help me ?
I’ll be in london for 3 days. Can I buy 3 traveller cards at the same time when arriving in London or have I to buy one each day ?
Tanks in advance.
Jacqueline
The Travelcard product you can buy at any Underground ticket office up to 7 days in advance.
For 3 days its slightly cheaper to buy an Oyster Card which never expires, just the inconvenience of paying a deposit and reclaiming that and any balanace left on the card at the end.
Hi Bob,
What a GREAT site I’ve just stumbled upon!! You’ve just made my London-planning so much easier – thanks for the effort
So – here’s my questions:
1. Will be in London from mid June to mid July 2013 for study. Will be living in Zone 2 but studying in central London, zone 1. Will be going back and forth to school daily + hope to get as much sightseeing in as possible. As I’ve understood from the previous posts, isn’t the monthly travelcard my best option?
2. Will be arriving in Heathrow, and upon arrival will have to get to Zone 2. What is my best (aka cheapest) travel option then?
3. Where will it be best/easiest to buy the travelcard?
Thanks so much!
It sounds like your best product would be a monthly Travelcard for zones 1 and 2.
You can buy an extention fare between Heathrow (Zone 6) and zone 2 at Heathrow.
Hi Bob,
I am coming with two children, aged 14 and 16 to London. We will be staying in Battersea for 6 days, planning to visit all sightseeing in London plus Greenwich. Last two days we are off to Hook, Basingstoke. also, we have to get from heathrow to the city. pls advise what is the best option, and where to buy it – I guess for an adult best is 7 day travelcard, but i cannot understand what is the best to buy for children – and where to buy it, thanks in advance
Basingtsoke, Hook and getting from there to Heathrow are all outside London so you just pay child and adult fares on the trains, on the trains your 16 year old is an adult.
If you are in London/Battersea for 5 or more days then the adults including the 16 year old is best with a 7 Day Travelcard zones 1 and 2, otherwise get an Oyster Card each.
For the 14 year old if you need a 7 Day Travelcard get it on-line from the TFL on-line shop where no photo id is required. Its not viable for a 14 year old to get a child Oyster for just a few days so just buy a 1 day Travelacrd zone 1 nad 2 each day.
Dear Bob
2 adults are coming to a hotel near Wandsdworth town station on 16th April, leaving April 21st, i.e. 6 days. We are attending a wedding in Dulwich on the 20th, but hope to “do” some of the London sights from the 17th onwards, including a river cruise, London eye,Tower of London, Cutty Sark. Which card for tube/bus would suit us best? Many thanks Anne
All of the places you mention except Dulwich are in either zones 1 and 2.
If you think you will be doing more than 2 Underground/Bus journeys in 5 or more of the 6 days get a 7 Day Travelcard zone 1 and 2, otherwise get an Oyster
Bob, I will be in London for about eight weeks–not all consecutive–and I expect that I will be travelling in Zone 1 on most days. Would you recommend using the Oyster or getting a month-long TravelCard? On a daily basis, my understanding that you will be charged the lowest rate with the Oyster card–including automatically charging the daily Travelcard rate if that is the least expensive. Will this also happen with the monthly usage? Thanks so much for the amazing and detailed info on your site.
A 1 month Travelcard is £116.80
The daily cap an Oyster is £7.00 or £8.40 or £2.40 per journey if you don’t reach the cap.
Looking at it crudely and not knowing your travelling intentions it looks like the monthly Travelcard would be a winner if you travelled most days.
I and my friend are arriving at Heathrow on 10 March 2012. We will be staying in KIngscross, London that night and then departing tthe next morning for tours in Scotland by rail 13 March 2013 when we return to London. We will be sightseeing in London until our departure on 18 March 2013.
I paln to buy a PAYG oyster card when I arrive Heathrow for tube to the hotel at Kingscross.
Could I buy the 7-days travel card loaded to the oyster card I had, when I arrive London for travel of 5 days?
I would buy your Oyster at Heathrow and use on a Pay As You Go basis and then get your 7 Day Travelcard when you return to Kings Cross.
If you are doing the normal sightseeing thing it would be probably best if you bought the 7 Day Travelcard from Kings Cross Railway ticket office and thus qualified for the 2 for 1 sightseeing promotion which you would not do loading it onto an Oyster.
http://www.londontoolkit.com/whattodo/london_travelcard_2for1.html
HI! WE ARE A FAMILY OF FOUR (TWO ADULTS AND TWO KIDS AGED 10 AND 12) COMING TO STAY IN WINDSOR FOR A WEEK IN OCTOBER. WE ARE HOPING TO TRAVEL IN AND OUT TO LONDON 2 OR 3 TIMES DURING THE WEEK. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT VARIOUS WEBSITES RE TRAVELCARDS ETC BUT AM COMPLETELY CONFUSED ABOUT TRAVEL ZONES. WE HAVE A CAR SO COULD POSSIBLY GO TO NEAREST PARK AND RIDE TO WINDSOR WHICH FALLS WITHIN TRAVELCARD ZONE. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS EASIEST AND LEAST COMPLICATED METHOD?
Windsor is outside London as far as Travelcards/Oysters etc.
At weekends there is free parking opposite Turham Green Underground along the side of the green in zone 2.
During the week from Windsor along the M4 to Osterly (zone 4) and Hounslow West Underground (zone 5) have car parks plus there is free steeet parking if you park about 5 minutes walk from the station in residential areas.
At weekends Hounslow west car park is free.
For the kids get a 1 day Travelcard, for the adults get Oyster Cards
Thanks for our prompt reply Bob.
It is a good idea to buy travel cards for both of us in one place with photos brought.
There is a question of 1 for 2 promo that I would like you to clarify for me.
If I buy 2 travel cards for 7 days from Paddington railwaystation with photos does that mean that at some sightseeings I can have a discount at the very day I purchase the travel cards or the discounts may occur from time to time all the way through. Is the discount a single offer or multiple?(if I worded it correctly). Thanks.
If you bought 2 x 7 Day Travelcards at Paddington you can use as many 2 for 1 vouchers as you want during the 7 day span of the Travelcards.
The discount is basically with one voucher, 1 person pays standard admission, the other gets in free irrespective of age. Both people have to have tickets issued by the railways taht would have enabled them to get to the attraction that ady
Hi Bob.
The site you are running is of great help.
But a complicated maths calculation is my weak point.
Please help me with my dilemma.
We, me and my 14 year old son, are visiting London for 7 days in May 2013.
That means that we will probably use different transport means for 5 days.
We will be staying around Bayswater.
Could you recommend me the most money saving way to travel on a budget inside the city.
Thanks.
For the adult its not going to be much difference whether you get an Oyster Card or a 7 Day Travelcard zones 1 and 2
For your 14 year old its much more complicated at that age to access child fares.
The cheapest option would be to buy a child 7 Day Travelcard zones 1 nad 2 from Paddington Rail Station ticket office (10 minutes walk from Bayswater) or any other mainline railway station you come through on arrival.
You will need to bring a passport size photo as the railways need to make up a photocard, which they do the sport free of charge.
Otherwise its buy a 1 day child Travelcard zone 1 or 2 each day from Bayswater or Queensway Underground.
(An Oyster requires your child to get an Oyster 11-15 ID Card that costs £10 and you have to apply on-line several weeks prior so for 4 days its not worth it.
If you go for the child 7 Day Travelcard option from the railways, the adults may as well do so also and take advantage of the railways 2 for 1 admission promotion
http://www.londontoolkit.com/whattodo/london_travelcard_2for1.html
Great Information!
We’re a USA family of 5 arriving for a 5 day stay (kids are 17, 15, and 12). Arriving LHR late and spending the 1st night in Slough (Holiday Inn Express) because we wanted to do Windsor the next day. The rest of the week we’re near Hyde Park. Originally i was going to pre-order the 7-day travel cards for zones 1/2 (3 adult/2 children). Reading your site has made me very interested in the 2 for 1 offer. Any suggestions on how we can get the 2 for 1 Travelcards before we go to Windsor?
I suspect the key to where to get Travelcards for 2 for 1 is how you are getting to the Holiday inn in Slough and then to your hotel “near Hyde Park”
Most hotels calling themselves “near Hyde park” are in the Bayswater / Paddington districts so the common sense way of getting between the two is train on the Slough to Paddington line.
In which case get the Travelcards at Paddington railway Station ticket office.
The situation with regards your kids is complicated and we have a different view to age concessions of all kinds than the US. Your 17 year old can drink alcohol, have as much sex as they like and join the army and kill people in the UK so is classified as an adult.
Everyone will need a passport size photo to get 7 Day Travelcards at paddington rail station, kids and adults.
Bob,
Thanks for the response. To clarify, my problem is that I’m NOT going into London first. I’m going from LHR directly to Slough by hotel shuttle. I was going to taxi to Windsor the following morning. I guess my real question is can I get the 2 for 1 travelcards somewhere near Windsor/Slough? After Windsor we are heading into London for the rest of the stay. As per the hotel, the closest tube stop is Hyde Park Corner.
P.S. My 17 year old daughter can do what? I won’t tell her if you don’t
Slough is outside the London public transport area so you cannot buy Travelcards at Slough or immediatly around.
Your hotel is directly behind the rail station and bus station at Slough in the centre of town, right next to the shopping centre.
Slough is very “multi-cultural” a far cry from Windsor on the other side of the river.
There are several buses an hour from the bus station that stop outside Windsor Castle only about 3 miles away and go on to Runnymede if you want to see where the Magna Carta was signed or the Queen’s Farm Shop.
There are also about 2 trains an hour over to Windsor Central opposite the castle from Slough Station.
By getting a return train ticket from Slough to Windsor Castle you’ll qualify for 2 for 1 into Windsor Castle.
Your hotel in London at Hyde park Corner is less than a mile from Victoria Station and about a mile from Paddington Station.
I’m assuming you’re staying in that corner of Mayfair around the Intercontinental and Hilton Hyde Park corner,
If you’re getting a taxi all the way, you can walk to Victoria Station is about 15 minutes through Green park passing Buckingham Palace or there are red buses about every minute.
Or there is a Green Line Bus from the bus station at Slough to Victoria, get your Travelcards then get a taxi to your hotel.
Or you can get a train from slough to paddington get your Travelcards there and then taxi to Hyde park Corner
I just discovered there are two Holiday Inn Expresses in Slough. I’m on London Road, not Mill Road:(
Thanks for the advice on the travelcards in the city. And good guess by the way. We’re staying at the Hilton (using reward points).
OK, I think that Holiday inn Express is more commonly known as Holiday Inn Express Terminal 5 (although its nowhere near T5 or Slough)
I think the hotel shuttle you refer to is the Hoppa Bus run by the airport authority as hotels are not allowed their own airport shuttles.
From that location with 5 people I susepct a private car from someone like Just Airports or Simply airports or if you have lots of luggage a small mini bus from us from hotel to the Hilton would be a benchmark to beat. An 8 seat bus with capacit for up to 20 cases is 120 GBP, the car should be about half that.
Great site Bob,
I’m a single person from the USA planning a vaction for 15 days in England in the first part of September, 2013. My B&B will probably be in zones 3-4. I will be purchasing a Brit Rail pass (14 day consecutive) due to going on approximately 8-9 trips outside of London. The rest of the time will be in London. Would Oyster card be the best within all London zones for tube and bus travel rather than Travelcard?
Thank You.
If you will be travelling every day within zones 1 to 4 then 2 x 7 Day Travelcards is slightly cheaper than an Oyster Pay as You go option.
Bought from an Underground Station the 7 day Travelcard will come on an Oyster card
Hi Bob, thanks for great advice.
I am transiting at Heathrow. My flight arrives LHR at 13:35 and the onward flight departs at 20:30.
Rather then spend all this time at the airport twiddling my thumbs, I thought I have a sneak peak at London city.
Do you think I have enough time to travel to the city after allowing for travel, and check in times?
If so, what type of transport you recommend and why?
Cheers.
I
If your flight is on time it will probably be near 4 p.m. when you get to the sights in Central London and you’d only have 60 minutes in London before having to think about making your way back.
So it will be just a peak and you run the small risk of something “unusual” happening which delays your return and you miss your flight and your return will be at the height of the rush hour commute.
Hi Bob!
I’m visiting London with two friends, for 5 days (Thursday late evening till Tuesday afternoon). We’ll arrive to Luton airport and our hostel is near Elephant & Castle. Can you recommend a route, transport?
As I understood correctly the right way to go is to buy Oystercard. As we’ll do some sightseeing in general.
Also, we plan a half day trip to Cambridge, what is the best way to go?
If you are on a budget then get the easyBus bus between Luton and London Victoria, buy your tickets on-line from easyBus as far in advance as you can for the cheapest tickets. This runs a good 24×7 service
For travel around London get an Oyster Card at Victoria and take the Underground to Elephant and Castle changing at Embankment and use it on subsequent days.
Thank you!
And what about short trip to Cambridge? Best way?
The slow but cheapest option are the National Express buses from Victoria Coach Station.
Faster, but more expensive are trains from Liverpool Street Station
Both are not covered by Oyster/Travelcard
We are flying to London and landing at Heathrow. What is the best way to get to the Grange Tower Bridge Hotel from Heathrow? We will be sight seeing in London for two days and leaving to Harwich to catch a cruise ship. After 11 days, we will be returning to Harwich and will need to get back to Heathrow. What is the best combination of tickets for our visit?
Not sure there is a universal best way between Heathrow and Tower Bridge, and which terminal you are arriving at also is a factor.
Tower Bridge is also very awkward to get to from Heathrow with luggage, unless you are travelling light.
The cheapest way (by far) is by the London Underground changing at Barons Court and alighting at Tower Hill. However if you have cruise luggage this may be stressful.
For comfort the Heathrow Express train to Paddington then a (long) taxi ride to your hotel is going to be a similar price to a private car from someone like Simply Airports or Just Airports all the way.
Whilst you are in London, an Oyster Card is best for 2 days. If you take the Underground route from Heathrow buy it at Heathrow and use it to get to your hotel.
Your hotel is less than a mile from Liverpool Street Station, where there is a cruise train to the Harwich cruise terminal for most cruise ships. Or there is an hourly stopping train where you normally have to change train.
Details of the cruise train is at the web page below:
http://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/harwich_cruise_terminal.htm
There is also a cruise shuttle bus that will pick you up from a neighbouring hotel at Tower Bridge
http://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/harwich_fromlondon_shuttle.html
On the return to Heathrow, its a long trip about 2 to 3 hours depending on traffic. So what time your flight leaves is pivotal.
The cruise bus service above in the opposite direction doesn’t get to Heathrow until around 1 p.m.
http://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/harwich_tolondon_shuttle.html
Hello there!
I found this website just now and I hope you will be able to answer my question.
I came to London few weeks ago, to live and work. I live in zone 2 and work in zone 3, but to go to work asap I have to go through zone 1 and change at oxford circus. I’ve been thinking how to reduce costs of transport? Is there any way I can do that? I can purchase 16-25 railcard as well but I was wondering would that help? at the moment I’m buying normal 1-3 zone monthly oyster.
Many thanks! x
The 16-25 Railcard might help in that it will give you a discount on your Oyster of 33% but the big caveat is that you only get the 33% discount used on a Pay As You Go basis, and then only at off peak times, not a monthly pass that covers travel at any time.
It might be a complex calculation working out if it does save you money spending £28 on the Railcard for a years doscounts.
Without knowing where you are travelling from / to I suspect your main hope would be looking again at your route options.
Hello there,
Im travelling to London Friday 8/2/13 – staying 5mins from Watford Junction station. I need to travel from Euston to Watford junction early afternoon – then back to Euston later in the evening to make my way to the Lion King (via tube from Euston to Charing Cross) and then back to Watford Junction late evening (phew!)
I think i’ve cracked it after days online with the off peak day travelcard… zones 1-9 + Watford Junction – but now i’ve been told I can only use it for 1 trip to Watford Junction? Also can I purchase this travelcard from Euston because another blogger says I can only purchase from selected stations? London transport says unlimited travel for £15.70 – but I’m still aprehensive that the info is correct.
Any help or better ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Your options are:
- A single ticket Euston to Watford junction is £11.80
- Buy a 1 Day Travelcard giving unlimited travel in one calendar day. This costs £15.70 as long as you travel weekends or after 9:30 a.m. Monday to Friday.
- Buy an Oyster Card. This sounds the most likely. A single trip between Watford Junction and the centre using Oyster is £5.70 or £8.60 at peak times Monday to Friday, The Oyster has a daily cap, exactly the same as the price of a Travelcard which means Oyster over a couple of days is never going to be more expensive than a Travelcard and in your case sounds as if it will be cheaper.
Hi Bob!!
I feel like I could use a little help here! I’m a little bit confused about Oyster and Travelcard!!! To many options, fares, pro and cons.
2 friends and I will be staying in London for about one week, from Feb. 9 to 15.
Our hotel (the Marriott, Marble Arch) is right on George Street. I thought of getting an EasyBus from Gatwick Airoport to West Bompton and from there take the Circle line straight to Edgware Rd.
Now, bearing in mind that we will be mostly touring London’s main attractions (London Tower, Big Ben, Oxford Street, Kensington, Leicester Square, etc… – mainly zones 1 and 2) I was wondering which solution you think would suit us best. Would you suggest an Oyester visitor’s card or a 7daysTravelcard? Are there any other solutions?
Thanks for your help
P.s. we’re not afraid of long walks so sometimes we may even think of leaving tube, bus and trams behind us and choose a long walk : )
Sorry, I meant West Brompton
easyBus is going to be the cheapest option into London assuming you are paying on-line well in advance and don’t have much luggage that triggers their low luggage allowance thresholds.
For travelling in zones 1 and 2 for a week the best product is a 7 Day Travelcard Zones 1 and 2 bought at West Brompton Station.
The District Line goes direct to Edgeware Road from West Brompton.
You’ll probably find yourself walking to Marble Arch as much as Edgeware Road Underground Station during your stay.
Seems a strange combination of budget going for budget transfers and an expensive hotel.
Vehicles are the slowest way into London from Gatwick by far, only those trying to save the last penny use the buses.
Most people use the trains into London from Gatwick that are half the time at least of the quickest taxi.
If you are doing the first time tourist thing and visiting places like the Tower of London, London Eye although slightly more expensive the Gatwick Express into Victoria has 3 tarvel for the price of 2 deals. The real benefit is a return ticket qualifies you for the 2 for 1 promotion to many of the major sights and will save you a lot more cash than the difference in cash for the airport buses/trains.
The alternative is to get the First Capital Train to St Pancras or the Southern Train to Victoria.
You can also get the National Express Bus to Victoria which has a larger luggage allowance to easyBus and walk up the road to Victoria Rail/Underground Station and buy your 7 day Travelcard from the rail station ticket office. By buying from the rail ticket office this also qualifies you for the 2 for 1 promotion, but you have to bring along a passport size photo buying at Victoria or St Pancras rail station the 7 day Travelcard.
Hi There,
i am going to stay at Heathrow airport hotel for 7days and will be travelling to london to see nice places , what do you suggest please for 2 adult ?
First of all I would suggest you look at staying in Central London, it will be both a false economy and very tedius each day commuting into London from Heathrow unless you stay at one of the expensive hotels attached to the passenger terminals.
If you must, get a Travelcard zone 1-6 for 7 days and make sure your Heathrow hotel has a red London bus passing its doors.
Allow 90 minutes to get into and out of London each day.
thank you so much for reply , will it be better if we have underground for the time spending on bus 90min sound hash
Its about an hour from Heahrow to the centre by Underground (there are about 17 stations to stop at).
Unless you are staying at the Sofitel, Hilton Terminal 4 or Jurys Inn at Heathrow it will take another 20 minutes to get from your hotel to the Underground.
the hotel we booked is called easyhotel , how shall we do pls ?
The easyhotel is a little way from the airport itself, but luckily a couple of miles from Hayes & Harlington Station.
The 140 bus runs 24×7 between the hotel, then there are commuter trains into Paddington that only take about 20 minutes.
Haeyes & Harlington Station is in zone 5, so the roduct you need is a 7 Day Travelcard zones 1 to 5 that costs £51.80.
Paddington is just outside the centre so you’ll then need to get the Underground to wherever you are going in London from there.
The Travelcard will also cover the 140 bus
Forget the Heathrow Express for commuting, it must be one of the most expensive trains in the world for the distance travelled.
A 12 journey carnet of tickets (i.e. 6 returns to London) costs £199
i can see there is express from heathrow to paddington every 15min is this something we cant get weekly pass ?
Thank you so much for you good advice , if there is a donate button pls let me know
, so we will get 2 7day travel card and it will only take us like 25min to london well not bad..
Hey Bob,
Husband and I are going to be staying in London for 3.5 days. Half of Friday, Sat, Sun and Mon…then Tues morning we leave. We’ll be staying in Canary Wharf so we’ll be taking the Standsted Express to Liverpool Street Station, then from there we go to Crossharbour Stn. I think for the number of days we’re there, it makes sense to buy Oyster card instead of Travelcard, right? But which Oyster card is better – visitor’s or normal? I read somewhere there’s these 2 kinds and that’s a bit confusing. Also, we will mostly be touring the main attractions like London Tower, Big Ben, Oxford Street, Kensington, Leicester Square etc…so it’s fair to assume we will be in zones 1 and 2, right? Canary Wharf falls under zone 2 as well?
How much credit should we load on our oyster cards and also which should we go for – travel or normal? Thank you so much!!
I would buy a “normal” Travelcard at Liverpool Street rather than a visitors Oystercard. There are a few subtle differences but the main one for you is that you get your deposit back when you surrender the Oyster at the end of your visit, with the visitors Oyster you don’t.
Crossharbour is in zone 2, all the sights you state are in zone 1.
Very crudely every single journey you take will cost between 2.10 GBP and 2.80. The most you pay on any calendar day is 7.30 GBP on Saturday and Sunday and 8.80 GBP on Friday and Monday
That means the maximum you will pay is 31.90 GBP
When you leave hand the Oyster back at Liverpool Street and you will be refunded your deposit and any money left on the Oyster.
Thank you! One more quick question – As a Harry Potter fan, I’d love to go to King’s Cross Station where the 93/4 platform they’ve made is. To get to the platform, would we actually have to spend 2 tickets (in and out)?
No the Harry Potter platform at Kings Cross is entirely free access.
For guidance on how to find it:
http://www.londontoolkit.com/blog/visits/harry-potters-platform-9-34-kings-cross/
Me and my friend are going to visit London from February 1 – 5 . We’ll arrive through Stansted Airport. We already have bought a National Express bus ticket to take as from the airport to London Victoria Coach Station. And we’ll gone be staying in a hotel @ Wembley. How can we go from Victoria Coach Station to our hotel ? and which one is best for us Oyster or Travelcard ? . If we use our Oyster cards and change buses between our journey, are we going to be charged for each bus journey ?
I would get off the National Express Bus well before Victoria at Finchley Road Underground Station.
Wembley Park is one stop on the Underground from there.
For 5 days its borderline whether a Travelcard or oystercard is cheapest.
For flexibility and convenience I’d get an Oyster at Fincley Road Underground Station
Hi Bob,
Your tips are very useful – thanks. However I bought an Oyster card for zones1-2 and tomorrow I`m planning to visit the RAF Museum, which is located in zone 4. What should I do in this case?
Thank you!
Fabricio
If you have bought an Oyster Card on a Pay As You Go Basis then you can use it in all zones.
If you have bought a Travelcard for zones 1-2, ask for an extention fare to cover the journet out to Zone 4.
Hi I have found your site the easiest to understand so far but am still a little confussed, My sister and I are going to london on the 6th – 8th May. The main reason for going is to visit the warner bros studio, although we would like to spend sometime shopping. We are both adults. Would apretiate some help on what kind of card is better for us.
For 3 days the best London public tansport pass is going to be an Oyster Card each.
The Harry Potter Studio’s are a little outside London so you will not be able to go all the way using an Oyster.
There is a shuttle bus the studios run from from Watford Junction Station, which is outside the London public transport zones covered by Oyster. Frequent train sfrom Euston Station.
Golden Tours also run a shuttle bus and ticket bundle several times a day but again you cannot us the Oyster,
Full details ofboth are on the Studio Tour web site.
Thanks very much you were very helpful
This is the best place I found to understand all the possibilities, thanks! But I am still not sure what to buy: My husband and I, plus kids 8 and 11, are vacationing in London between March 19 and 27. That is 9 days, but considering the arrival and the departure (for which I understand we should buy separate transportation), we’ll be around for actually 7 days. It is our first time there, so we plan lots of sightseeing and tourist popular attractions.
We are staying with friends in Chiswick, who already own 4 spare Oyster cards for us to load. Then I started researching if the kids could pay less. Since we will have to take the rail daily from Chiswick to central London (not the Tube/buses only), even my 8 yr old will pay, right? So I was thinking to borrow the oysters for the two adults, and to buy two 7-day child travelcards online. I also have time to apply for the oyster photo card, but I am unsure the extra $10 will be worth it, plus having to guess how much to put in, since no one else will be able to use it later.
Then I see the 2 for 1 promotion! And now I am wondering if I should just buy 7-day travelcards for everyone in the family? Maybe we purchase 1-day travelcards on the very first trip, then buy 7-day ones in one of the designated railway stations, to qualify for the 2 for 1? What do you think would be the best option?!
Chiswick is in Zone 3 of the London Transport System and as you know is a railway rather than an Underground station.
Free travel is for under 11′s is restricted to just buses, Underground and Overground, not the railways where they all pay child fares.
Your 11 year old will not be able to get a child Oyster of a 7 Day Travelcard from TFL outlets without a 11-14 Oyster ID Card that for visitors is a lot of hassle and costs £10.
I’m assuming you could ask your friends to double check Chiswick Station has a railways ticket office and so issues Travelcards with the rail logo.
Assuming this is the case, ceratinly your 11 year old would seem best placed to get a 7 day Child Travelcard for zones 1-3 and if you are going to travel from Chiswick daily by train your 8 year old as well.
At the railway ticket office instaed of the Oyster ID Card they issue their own railways photocard on the spot – you have to bring your own passport size photo though.
For the adults, if you will be travelling 5 or more days out of the 7 it will be cheaper to buy a 7 Day Travelcard too than use Oyster (but the difference isn’t that big)
The big benefit would come from the fact that buying the 7 Day Travelcard from Chiswick Train station qualifies you for 2 for 1 (and so would a 1 day Travelcard)
For the 7 day Travelcard at railway stations you need to being along a passport size photo as well, just like the kids. This is not a requerment for 7 day Travelcards bought anywhere other than a rail station.
Thank you very much!
Sorry, me again. Where do you get this information that we can purchase 7-day Travelcards on the spot by bringing the photo? Is it a insider secret tip? I checked the National Rail website and they don’t mention anything of the sort, and actually I found somewhere that paper 7-day travelcards are only sold online (maybe only for the tfL, but now I am confused again). Are you absolutely sure I can arrive with 4 passport photos only and get the paper 7-day travelcards (adults and children) plus use them with the 2-for-1?
Travelcards are only sold in London by the railways, so the vast majority of rail companies do not sell Travelcards.
In London only, because you can use Travelcards and Oyster on the commuter train lines here the train stations in London also sell Travelcards, but through their own tickting system, not through the TFL ticketing system used by everyone else that sells London public transport tickets.
On the railways a 7 day Travelcard is classified the same as w weekly ticket on the railways. Since last year all weekly or longer tickets (season tickets) have required a photocard which requires a photo. If you look at railways ticketing regulations for season tickets this is all fully documented. 1 Day Travelcards are classified as day tickets which on the railways do not need any id.
All the other 7 day Travelcards sold by the Underground, Overground, DLR, Visitor Centres, on-line or at newstands in London are sold through the TFL ticketing system. These do not require the photo id (for adults) but don’t qualify for 2 for 1 as they are not sold by the railways and don’t have the railway logo on.
Hi there
Does student oyster 18+ fare of £21.10 ( 7day) (zone 3-6) allow to travel during peak times? Is it Any Time fare when bought weekly?
All 7 Day Travelcards are valid throughout the day.
An Oyster 18+ card gives you 30% off adult price Travelcards.
18+ Oyster ID Cards are only available to students studying in a registered educational establishment in London.
Greetings!
I will be in London for a total of 6 days (Monday to Satuday) and will be staying near Angel station (Northern Line). Each day I will be travelling to different cities for job interviews, those are: Guildford (Surrey), St-Neots (Cambridgeshire), Long Eaton (Nottingham), Potters Bar (Hertfordshire), Diss (Norfolk) and Rotherham (South Yorkshire). Should I just buy a zone 1 to 2 7 day travelcard (and pay the extension for the from/to airport trips)? Is there another card which will allow me to do as many trips as I want around Britain for the period of 7 days? Thank you in advance!
All except Potters Bar are a long way from London.
It sounds like an Oyster card for London transport is appropiate.
For getting around England look at the Britrail passes and the various Railcards to see if you can fit into any of these
http://www.railcard.co.uk/
Hi,
I will be arriving in London via heathrow airport. Is there anyway I can get the 7-day travel cards for my family and myself and be eligible to use it for the 2 for 1 deals?
If not, what is the nearest station to purchase it?
Thank you in advance!
Nothing at Heathrow qualifies for 2 for 1.
You will have to wait until you get into the centre of London and find the nearest mainline station to your hotel.
Thanks Bob for the reply.
We will be staying at a relative house who had recently move there. It is at West finchely station. Is there any station along the way that we will pass by that is selling the 7days travelcard that qualifies for 2 for 1?
We will be taking the tube from heathrow to west finchley.
If you change Underground trains at Kings Cross St Pancras Station you can buy 7 Day Travelcards valid for 2 for 1 at either Kings Cross or St Pancras Stations railway ticket office above the Underground Station.
Hi
I have one question…I’m a visitor from Iceland and I’ll be in London from late Sunday until Friday. From Monday until Friday I have to travel from zone 1 to zone 3 at least two times each day. Would a 7 day travelcard be better than an Oyster card?
Thanks!
A 7 Day Travelcard for zones 1 to 3 is £35.60
A single journey on the Underground zones 1 to 3 using Oyster is £2.70/£3.20 off peak/peak.
So if you do 10 journeys at peak time using an Oyster Card thats £32, cheaper than a 7 day Travelcard.
Ahh, good to know.
I have to take three different trains each time, and maybe a bus also, does that still only count as one fare?
If you are connecting between Underground trains at the same station you don’t go through an exit barrier so it counts as one journey.
AS sson you go through an exit barrier on the Underground to board a train or bus that is the end of the Underground journey, the next journey is a new journey.
Hello I am travelling to london for the first time so I could use some advice.
I’ve booked my train ticket to london euston. Whilst there I’m planning to visit my friend who lives in south kensington, which would be closet underground?
After staying for 2/3 days I’ll be flying back home, which is then the easiest underground method to reach Heathrow?
Also how much would this cost me on the oyster? And how do I get an oyster card?
The Piccadilly Line of the London Underground goes between Kings Cross St pancras and Heathrow stopping at South Kensington on the way.
Euston is one stop on the Underground from Kings Cross on another line.
The Oyster is explained at the web page below:
http://www.londontoolkit.com/briefing/oystercard.htm
Bob
I am planning a vacation to London with my 2 daughters (16 and 17) What would be the best way to get to our apartment which is near Shadwell station from Heathrow? I plan to buy the 7-day travelcard for the three of us. Where is the best place to purchase it, and should we bring passport pictures with us? We plan to go to the Harry Potter Studio and other popular sights. I was also thinking of going to Bichester Village Shopping Centre, what would be the best way to get there?
Thank you
Sonya Thomas
Toronto, Canada
Shadwell is the oher side of London from Heathrow, a rather tedious journey even without luggage.
If you are bringing significant luggage (more than one case each) I’d get a quote for a private car from someone like Just Airports or Simply Airports.
I guess any other alternative will involve the London Underground for at least half the journey with at least 2 changes of train and you will be doing well to do the journey in 75 minutes (perhaps standing for a fair proportion)
I guess a pivotal decision is going to be whether you want to go after the 2 for 1 promotion and where you will be sightseeing. Bicester is a long way from London and the Harry Pooter studio tours a long way out, tricky to get to using public transport.
Your daughters at 16/17 are basically treated as adults in the UK.
It is possible to apply on-line weeks in advance for an Oyster 16-17 Photocard that costs £10 and would enable you to buy 7 Day Travelcards for your daighters at child fares. You’d pick the Photocards up at the visitor centre at Heathrow (which may be along way from the passenger terminal you are using). If you went for the Photocard option you’d have to buy the Travelcards from a TFL outlet like an Underground Station which would not qualify for 2 for 1. If you just buy 7 day Travelcards from a TFL outlet as an adult no photo or id is required.
The alternative is to buy the Travelcards from a railway station to qlaify for 2 for 1. The railways treat your daughters as adults so the child price option is not there. If you bought from a Railway Station then you would need to bring passport size photos, the railways issue their photocard free on the spot.
Shadwell is in zone 2 and all the main sights in London are in zone 1, so you only need a Zone 1 & 2 Travelcard.
Any attractions outside the centre you’d need to treat as a separate trip.
Clearly the above is not as black and white as no doubt you’d like but it might get you going down the right tracks. If you want to sqeeze the very best deal then you need to exactly know where you wnat to go and I guess finding out where the places are and how viable they are to get to by tour bus or independently is part of deciding your ideal itinerary, bit of a chicken and egg situation.
Thank you so much for your advice, it has been very helpful. Could you tell me the nearest rail station to Shadwell? I plan to buy us the 7 day travelcard
to take advantage of the 2 4 1.
Sonya
Nearest would be Liverpool Street or London Bridge Station
Bob, thank you for your website. Your information is clear and concise. I finally think I have a handle on getting around London once I get there in two weeks. I just have a couple of questions, if you don’t mind helping me out.
First of all, I indend to purchase a 7-Day travel card (as I will be there for 7 days total, including an overnight trip to Paris) for zones 1 and 2. My friend, with whom I am staying, lives in Notting Hill so this would likely be the best option for me.
You say that a 7-Day travelcard requires me to “supply a passport sized photo”. Do I just need to bring my passport (USA), or bring an actual passport photo for them to use? If my friend and I are to use the 2-4-1 deals, she would need to do the same, correct? I’m not sure if she already has this type of travelcard, as she most likely uses the oyster card.
I’ll arrive on a Monday morning at Heathrow, and leave the following Sunday afternoon. Given the information I have recieved here, the 7day pass is best. I do not see on your website what the peak rate is for the 7 day pass. I’ll need it for peak times when I go to the train to paris, as well as coming home from the theatre.
That is all I can think of for now! And if you ever need NYC advice, let me know.
I think the pertinent points that come to mind are:
If you want to use the 2 for 1 deals, then a 7 day Travelcard zone 1 & 2 sounds the right ticket. If you go down this route you will need to bring your own passport size photos. At the main railway stations like Paddington they have DIY photo me machines. Heathrow is no good for getting Travelcards valid for 2 for 1 so getting to Notting Hill is a separate need.
There is no peak or off peak with 7 day Travelcards its a flat fee for the entire day in the calendar days covered.
Without 2 for 1, given your trip to Paris it sounds like Oyster will be just about the same price as a 7 day Travelcard and will be cover you for Heathrow to Notting Hill by Underground.
Nearest train station to Notting Hill that has a rail ticket office that sells Travelcards valid for 2 for 1 is Paddington, about a mile away.
You could pay single fare on the Underground to Paddington from Heathrow and then buy the Travelcards or you could take the Heathrow Connect or very expensive Heathrow Expres trains direct to Paddington.
My wife & I will be flying into Heathrow Oct 26 and staying 7 nights at Marriott County Hall by Parliment. I want to buy (I think) a 7 day travel pass to use Underground from Heathrow to Waterloo Station (transferring from Piccadilly line to Jubilee Line at Piccadilly Circus ?? unless you suggest a better transfer. We want to do Hampton Court once and Kew Gardens (probably) – all other uses would be Zones 1-2 I think. On Sat am Nov 2 we will check out & go to Waterloo Station to take a train to Southampton & take a transatlantic crossing Royal Caribbean cruise (boarding between Noon & 4p). What Pass do I buy, costs and advice on travel to Hampton Court & trains to Southampton?
Travelcards work on zones, Heathrow is in zone 6, as is Hampton Court, Kew Gardens is in Zone 3
Its not worth buying a Travelcard for zones 1 to 6 just for one airport journey and a trip to Hampton Court.
Best to get a 7 day Travelcard just for zones 1 and 2.
The Marriott County Hall is about equididistant from Waterloo and Westminster Underground.
Personally I’d opt to take the Underground to Hammersmith, then get the District Line to Westminster then its just walk across Westminster Bridge to your hotel. Waterloo is better if it is raining as it is more sheltered.
You can buy an 7 Day Travelcard for zones 1 and 2 at Heathrow which will come on an Oyster and pay Oyster fares for any single journeys outside zone 2.
However, you might want to look at the 2 for 1 promotion run by the railways. The savings are such that you might want to postpone getting the 7 day Travelcard until you get to Waterloo
http://www.londontoolkit.com/whattodo/london_travelcard_2for1.html
Trains go to Hampton Court from Waterloo. A return train ticket from Waterloo on its own would qualify for 2 for 1 admission.
You might also want to look at the Magabus web site (which includes Megatrain) they sell very cheap train fares on the Waterloo to Southampton train run.
At Southampton you’ll need a taxi, between 6 and 10 GBP depending on which of Southampton’s 4 cruise terminals you are using.
Travelling to London arirving 2nd May till 8th May. After reading a lot about Travelcard I am a little confused but here goes. Am I correct in saying Buy a Travelcard for zones 1 and 2 which can then be used at attractions 2 for 1 offer. Do I need to purchase before leaving Australia or can I buy on arrival and where. We are staying at Kensington Close. A site I looked at said it needs to be brought at a railway station to be valid for 2 for 1 offer is this correct
You can use Travelcards for 2 for 1 only if they are bought from a railway station, the promotion is run by the railways.
Travelcards bought from everywhere else including on-line are not sold by the railways and so are not valid.
Return train tickets frm Gatwick and Stansted Airports but not Heathrow would also qualify.
The nearest railway ticket office to Kensington Close is Paddington rail station, though there may be other stations convenient depending on where you arrive in London and how you are getting to your hotel
Hi, I have read loads of different bits of information about the best/lowest way to get around London, I think that I would be better off purchasing an Oyster card for a 3 night stay, for 2 adults. We are planning on staying in the Euston area of London, we need to get to Finsbury Park on one of the evenings, and the rest of the time site seeing, possibly Tower of London, that type of thing. I just wondered if you could please answer me a couple of questions:
i) Do I need to purchase an Oyster card for both or can we use the one to travel together?
ii) How long is the Oyster card valid for? Could I use it again say in December 2013 if I purchased it in April 2013?
Yours confused
You need to purchase an Oyster Card for each person travelling together.
The Oyster will stop working if you do not use it for 2 years though you can still get any money back loaded on it after that.
Hi Bob
I have been using a 7 day zone 2-4 travelcard travelling from Seven sisters to Richmond. I normally go from Seven Sisters taking the victoria line to Finsbury park, then piccadilly line to Hammersmith, then change to district line to Richmond. Journey normally takes about an hour or so. Fares have gone up by about a pound but for some reason recently I’ve been getting charged somewhere along that journey and don’t know why or where?!
I specifically buy this travelcard as I don’t go into zone 1 and my work place is in Richmond (zone 4). Any ideas? Is there something that’s changed or I’m doing wrong? Or is there another route I can take that wont charge me more than the travelcard I’ve paid for? I’m Happy to travel up to 1 hour and 30mins… but all these random charges are bugging me… especially as I never got charged before.. and now its like £3 here and there.
Thanks!
Phone the TFL help line for a definitive answer
You might want to try The London Overground between Richmond and Highbury & Islington, then Victoria Line to Seven Sisters whose route doesn’t go into zone 1
Hi Bob, which is cheapest to travel, the bus or the tube?? Im planning to buy the Oyster but I wanted to know which is better. Thanks!
Londons red buses are far cheaper than using the Underground, £1.40 per journey and a maximum spend of £4.40 per day on Oyster.
Travelling on buses for anything other than realtively short trips can be very time consuming though
Hi Bob. What a great service you’re doing for first-time visitors. Thank you!
We will be arriving in London at Gatwick on July 5th, early morning. Our hotel is near Tower Bridge. There will be four of us, two adults and two 12 year olds. We’re staying three days, doing the usual sightseeing stuff and particularly, making the trip to the Harry Potter Studio Tour. On the 8th of July we will be flying to Venice, still not sure which airport we’ll leave from as we haven’t purchased the tickets yet.
What would you suggest we purchase for travel? Honestly, all of the options are confusing as I try to work out what zones we’ll use (mostly 1 and 2 I guess) and then the airport trips, and the studio tour. If we need to order anything early, I would love to get the details straight in my head.
Thank you so much!!
From Gatwick to your hotel at Tower Bridge get the train from Gatwick to London Bridge and ask if there are any 4 travel for the price of 2 fares. London Bridge is the other side of the river from your hotel so you may as well take a black cab from the station forecourt. This train is not covered by any London public transport pass.
For London, taking just transport, get Oyster Cards for the adults and Child 1 day Travelcards zone 1& 2 for the kids. These cover the buses and Underground in Central London.
Get them from Tower Hill Underground Ticket office or London Bridge Station.
Take a look at the railways 2 for 1 promotion, it may well interest you.
http://www.londontoolkit.com/whattodo/london_travelcard_2for1.html
If so and you are flying out of Gatwick too, get a return train ticket at Gatwick and that will cover you for 2 for 1, otherwise everyone get 1 Day Travelcards from London Bridge or Liverpool Street Railway Stations
If you get the return rail tickets and want 2 for 1 don’t let the ticket barriers take your outward ticket at London Bridge, go through a manned barrier, you’ll need the ticket to show when you use 2 for 1.
Harry Potter is on the edge of London and not that easy to get too, worth getting tour tickets in advance out of London as they do sell out.
Thanks so much. We’ll follow your advice. I’m printing it out and adding it to our trip binder now.
Very much appreciated!!
I am thinking of visiting London this summer. I’ve read the above on which card to use where.
Who invented this system – they’ve made it simple – any way they could have made it more complicated?
Well below the standards I would expect from England.
The system is very simple to use, it only becomes complicated if you want to work out how to save money!
My daughter is moving to the Canary Wharf area to reside in rented accommodation. Her work will require her to travel through all the Zones ( including Zone 1). She will need to use the tube and the buses. If I purchase her an Adult Annual Pass ( £780 approx I think) does that mean she will enjoy UNLIMITED travel or not? Many thanks!
Canary Wharf is in zone 2.
Ab adult annual pass for zones 1 and 2 is cirrently £1216.
This covers unlimited rides in zones 1 and 2, basically Central London west of Canary Wharf on London’s red buses, Underground and Docklands Light railway
Hi Bob, If I use the Oyster Card for 4 days which are the zones Im allowed to travel throgh or is there a link to know which are the zones that it covers? I have heard about zone but I dont know what they mean. Thanks again!
Using an Oyster you can travel through whichever zones you want there are no restrictions.
The fare is calculated per journey and is worked out by the computer from the station at the start of your journey when you go through the ticket barrier and the station at the end. Each day your daily cap is worked out based on which zones you travelled through that day and at what time.
All the sights and hotels visitors use are in zones 1 and 2.
Heathrow Airport is about the only place commonly used by visitors (in zone 6) outside the centre
I am an outsider and will be in west london for three months and working in zone 2 (Hammersmith hospital). I have two options for residence, one in zone 2 (Ravernscourt park) and the other in zone 3 (Gunnersbury). Could you let me know the prices for a three monthly travel card versus oyster pay as you go for both the options mentioned above? Are there any other cheaper alternatives. Does changing underground lines to reach your destination, mean that you are charged twice for the travel? Thank you.
For longer periods than 7 days there is no choice between Oyster and Travelcard there is only a monthly or annual ticket that comes loaded onto an Oyster Card.
The price depends on what zones you want covered, not how often you travel or which route you take.
For zone 2 only the price for a monthly ticket is £88.40, for zones 2 and 3 it is also £88.40.
However te above pass is for trains, underground and buses.
If you were at Ravenscourt Park you can catch a direct bus to Hammersmith Hospital from Hammersmith Bus Station, a bus only monthly pass is £75.30 and covers all zones.
From Gunnersbury by bus would involve a change of bus and take 45 minutes.
At Ravenscourt Park walking to Hammersmith then taking the bus direct to Hammersmith Hospital just using an Oyster Card on a Pay As You Go basis costs £1.40 per bus journey. If you were doing 5 return trips a week that is only gong to be about £45 a month, though obviously with the passes you could use them for travelling outside trips to work.
Thanks a lot for the great feedback! I would also like to visit most of London’s tourist spots in Zone 1 leisurely during my stay. Is Oyster pay as you go still cheaper or do i invest in a 7 day travel card in addition to Oyster card?
Does Gunnesbury to Hammersmith Hospital one way trip cost GBP 5.6 by tube or bus?
Its very hard to generalise. It sounds like you will be travelling quite a lot for leisure purposes when you are not working and it looks like you will be travelling to the sights and shops in Central London too which are in zone 1
In that case you really need a Monthly Ticket that is a flat fee however often or little you travel.
For Zones 1 to 2 that is £116.80, for zones 1 to 3 £136.80
Thank you. Had one more query. If i get a monthly travel card for £88.40 covering zone 2 and 3 which is where i will be staying and working, could i in addition use the pay as you go facility of Oyster card when travelling to other zones? How do we switch between the two options if possible?
If you have a monthly pass for zones 2 and 3 loaded onto your Oyster card and you also have funds loaded onto the Oyster for Pay As You Go then you can travel between say zones 3 and 1. The system will work out how much to debit from your card to cover travelling into zone 1.
Hi Bob,
just wondering how much £ to load an Oyster card with – travelling round london (usual tourist sites with hotel in chelsea), 2 travellers for 3 days.
Thanks
Joanne
If you are travelling in the centre of London the daily fare cap is £7.30 per day, £8.80 if you travel at peak hours.
If you take 3 or less tube journeys a day you won’t hit this cap.
I have a monthly travelcard from Wellingborough to London inc London Zones 1 – 6. Will this ticket be able to be used on the Javelin for travel between St Pancras and Stfatford?
Oysters and Travelcards are not valid on the Javelin trains
I just thought of another question. We are coming from Brussels to the Harwich Port. What is the best way to get there from Brussels? The Eurostar train and another train to the port or the Ferry from Holland that goes directly to Harwich? Or is there another option I am unaware of? You are so kind to be available to answer so many questions.
Not sure if best means cheapest or fastest in your book or somewhere in between.
Personally I’d take the Eurostar train to London St Pancras, then get the Underground to Liverpool Street where there are hourly trains to Harwich International with a change of train at Manningtree
My husband and I are spending only 2 days in London, June 14&15, after a cruise out of Harwich. What is the best and most affordable transit between London and the Port? Our hotel is the Arora Heathrow and we hope to use public transport to get around. Is there just one transit card to cover all trips between Harwich, London central and Heathrow? It is our 30th wedding anniversary so this trip is very special. My husband uses a cane and has limited walking ability. The HOHO sounds like a great way to see the city. What do you recommend? Thanks for your help. Sincerely, Mary
Harwich is well outside London, so getting to London or Heathrow is a separate ticket to transport in London.
From Harwich there is only one public transport option to London and that is the train to Liverpool Street. Most of the larger cruise ships at Harwich they put on a special cruise train to Liverpool Street which leaves Harwich International Station next to the cruise terminal about 9 a.m. and get to Liverpool Street mid-morning.
Not sure staying out at the Arora International out at Heathrow is going to be a good idae if you want to look at London, it’ll be mid-afternoon by the time you check-in and get back into London.
You might want to look at a hotel in Central London, perhaps at Paddington. The Heathrow Express train from Paddington gets to the airport in about the same time as the hotel shuttle from the Arora and is much more frequent.
Thanks so much for your reply. I’m not very good at computers so I thought it would come to my email. Then I had no idea how to retreive where I wrote to you ! Alas, I just found it. Excuse my ineptness. Do you know how much the cruise train costs? Also, what time does it leave London for Harwich? If we took the Eurostar from Brussels when do you think we must leave Brussels, make the transfers in London and arrive at the Harwich port. Our cruise departs June 3rd at 5p.m./1700hr. We are trying to keep costs down and my husband walks with a cane. We will have carry-on luggage only though.
The schedule for the cruise train is not published normally until February, normally it departs around midday from Liverpool Street Station.
Details will be published here:
http://www.harwich.co.uk/cruise_trains.asp
There are no seat reservations on this train. I would guestimate the fare to be about £30, the full standard fare for this route purchasing tickets on the day.
The alternative public stopping train runs hourly and you have to change trains, advance purchase fares are from £11.
Its broadly a 75 minute journey.
The Eurostar train terminates at St Pancras Station in London, 4 stops on the London Underground to Liverpool Street.
Hello, I would like to ask : Day travelcard is valid for 24h or untill midnight the same day which I bought?
I will travel between Stratford City to London Victoria station since Friday 3pm untill tuesday 3 pm, (Stratford city is it Zona 3 ?) so I dont know if works to buy 7 days travelcard or day travelcard?
Thank you for help, regards-Katarzyna
Its done on calendar days, not 24 hours from time of first use.
Hi,
Im going round in circles here trying to work out my best option so hoping you can help! I’m travelling to london with my son who will be 12 for 4 days. We are arriving and leaving from kings cross, but staying with relatives in ashford. So our stay will involve commuting between ashford and central london each day, and at least 2 of those days will involve several tube journeys for sightseeing. I have enough time to order a photo oyster card for my son if this is the best option, but at this point I just need someone to advice me what to do for the best!
Presumably you are staying near Ashford, Surrey near Heathrow and not Kent.
What looks like a simple request first of all actually looks more complicated when you look at it closer.
I am assuming you want to travel from Asford Station.
Without knowing this station personally it looks like Ashford Station is not valid for Oyster nor the standard London Travelcard.
You can buy a Return ticket from Asford to London on the train bundled with London Travelcard but that seems to cost significantly more than using a standard London Oyster/Travelcard
London’s red buses do go to Ashford and you can use Oyster or a zone 1-6 Travelcard on the bus to Ashford from Feltham the next station down the line or from Heathrow Airport, both in zone 6
I would get your relatives to check this one out with the station in person to confirm what I suspect above.
It looks at face value that you will save yourself significant money taking the local red bus to Feltham than travelling from Ashford Station, one station down the line.
Once you get this sorted out and lets assume you use the 117 bus to Feltham each day…
As an adult you will have worked out an Oyster card is best for you, bought at Kings Cross.
For your 12 year old your options are:
a) Apply for an Oyster 11-15 ID card (£10) enabling you to get a child Oyster Card
b) Buy a 1 child day Travelcard each day for zones 1 to 6 which you can get on demand without photos etc
The 1 day child Travelcard for zones 1 to 6 each day is £3.40 (£8.20 if you travel before 9:30 a.m. or at weekends)
The Oysters daily cap is £1.50 (£7.90) for the same but you will have pad £10 for the ID card.
All in all I think your best option is to get your realtives to pay a visit to Ashford Station ticket office who must be very conversant with your siuation. You might also check out how close your relatives are to red buses to Feltham Station or Hatt on Cross Underground Stations.
Hi Bob, Im arriving in London on Jan 22 nd till Jan 25th. Im staying in Paddington, I would like to know which card is convinient for me, most of my visit to London will be sightseeing. Thanks a lot, really appreciate your selfless task.
For 4 days for transport alone your best option is an Oyster Card.
If there are two of you and you are doing the normal first time tourist things like visiting the Tower of London, London Eye etc that are quite expensive to enter then you’ll get better value buying a 1 day Travelcard zone 1&2 from Paddington Station railway ticket office for the day concerned instead of using Oyster that day as it will qualify you for 2 for 1 admissions.
See: http://www.londontoolkit.com/whattodo/london_travelcard_2for1.html
Hi Bob,
One small question…is there a place at the railway station to have a passport size picture taken, or must we have one with us when we travel?
Thanks,
Kathy
There are “photo me” machines at all of London’s mainline railway stations.
I always think its best to bring your own photos if you can, just in case the machine isn’t working when you want it.
Thanks so much for being so helpful!
Hi, Bob.
We (my wife, my daugther -13 years old-, my son -8 years- and myself) are arriving to Heathrow by Jan 29th afternoon and leaving (via Heathrow, as well) by Feb 7th morning. Will be living in the Notting Hill area. Our plans include sightseen and possibly a trip to Liverpool for a day. What card (Travelcard or Oyster) do you recommend?In addition, if you have a tip about the best way to get Liverpool (for visiting Beatles stuff purposes) for a day, it would be also appreciated.
Thanks in advance and have a great 2013!
Through no fault of her own your 13 year old is going to be the “problem” regards getting best value from getting around London.
To get child fares on all the passes except a 1 day Travelcard she will need an Oyster ID Card. As this takes at least 4 weeks to apply for and process its already too late for this option.
Your “best” option really depends on how much hassle you wnat to go through to sqeeze out the best savings.
To get the best value for your visit involves some inconvenience:
Your 8 year old travels free on London’s buses and Underground, no tickets required.
For yourself buy an Oyster Card at Heathrow Airport Underground Station or Notting Hill Underground
At some point in your stay go to Paddington Station Railway ticket office and buy a 7 Day Travelcard zones 1 and 2 for yourself and your 13 year old. You will be issued ID cards free of charge (bring along a passport size photo) and will receive 7 day Travelcards with the rail logo. The rail logo is important as it qualifies you for the railways 2 for 1 admission promotion (see: http://www.londontoolkit.com/whattodo/london_travelcard_2for1.html) which can potentially save you a lot of money on admissions to attractions, in effect getting your 13 year old free in everywhere. By buying from the railway ticket office you get around the Oyster ID problem for your 13 year old to get child fares too. (Unfortunately the railways don’t sell Oyster Cards for kids)
On the days either side of the 7 Day period you can use your Oyster and you can buy a 1 day child Travelcard for your 13 year old.
Zones 1 and 2 cover the centre of London, but not Heathrow which is in zone 6.
From Heathrow the cheapest way to Notting Hill is the London Underground.
The alternative is the Heathrow Connect and Heathrow Express trains (which you cannot use Oyster/Travelcard on) to Paddington – about a mile from Notting Hill – much faster and much more room and less crowded than the Underground but more expensive.
Its worth getting a quote for a private car from someone like Simply Airports and Just Airports, door to door, you may be very pleasantly surprised.
If all the above is too much hassle just get an Oyster card for yourself and use that and buy a 1 Day Travelcard each day for your 13 year old, (you can buy up to 7 days in advance from Underground ticket offices)
Regards Liverpool, you might not ealise it is 200 miles from London. The only viable way to get there and back in a day is train from London Euston Station. I would suggest a tour like the one below
http://www.evanevanstours.co.uk/liverpool.htm
Think I reply with this comment under the wrong person. Pasting it again, in case I did it wrong:
Thanks, Bob.
A couple of clarifications needed:
- When you mean yourself, you both mean my wife and me? Meaning that she could also get a 7 days Travel card with Photo ID or Oyster card, as we prefered?
- My understanding is that one day Travel cards don’t need a photo ID to get child fare. Do the one day Travel cards apply for 2×1 promotions, as the 7 days do?
Additional question:
- Do you recommend walk tours, considering the age of my children (8 & 14)? Do you recommend any special company to do so? The main concern is that they have tours in spanish, mainly for my wife and children that don’t speak english so fluently as to understand an english spoken guide. I also read that Big Bus Tour company gives free walk tours when buying a HoHo ticket from them? We’re thinking of getting one of these HoHo buses. Is it worthy to get all the package from them or you suggest other companies for HoHo and walk tours.
Regarding Liverpool, after reading your comment and the prices of the tour, we’re seriously considering to cancel the trip there and changing it by a Beatle’s walk tour or so inside London.
Thanks, again.
Afraid its a bit complicated.
You do not need any id at all for Travelcards or Oyster for adults.
Children under 11 travel free on buses and underground and do not need any tickets
Children between 11 and 15 do not need id to get a 1 day child Travelcard or for individual child fares, for everything else they need an Oyster 11-15 ID Card to get child rate
BUT …
if you want 2 4 1 you have to buy a ticket from the railways (not Underground) who have different rules
Oyster Cards do not qualify for 2 4 1
If you buy a 7 Day Travelcard from the railways both child or adult you need a railways photocard which is made up free on the sport but you have to bring a long a passport size photo each.
AND …
To complicate things even further.
You can buy 7 Day Travelcards from the TFL on-line shop that don’t need photo id for adults or children and have them delivered to your home address but these do not qualify for 2 4 1
Rgards walking tours in my opinion the best outfit are London Walks, but I think they only do a Jack The Ripper Tour in Spanish.
I think the Jack the Ripper Tour is far the most popular but I think personally it needs to be done at night to stand a chance.
I’ve been on the walks done by the Original London Tour, the big rival to Big Bus and I’ll assume they are very similar. I was actually pleasantly surprised, but I’m not sure it would be a highlight for a 8 or 14 year old.
Although they are “free” each walk takes up at least 90 minutes and the day tickets for the bus are not cheap.
The Rock Music Walking Tour is good in the respect that it will quickly take you to a lot of key places you would otherwise just walk by or not see the significance in the Soho area, especially if you are keen on the Beatles. When I went on it I actually met Paul McCartney as he came out of his offices to go to the pub next door. Again I’m not sure it would be appealling if you had no interest in the Beatles, rolling Stones, david Bowie etc or had trouble understanding what was being said.
There is a small group Rock Music Tour Bus, which might be worth it in that you’ll see things like the Abbey Road crossing etc, may be you can slip on board and your wife/kids do the London Dungeon or somewhere?
Thanks a lot Bob, regarding the attractions is it a good option to buy the the London Pass for one day or two?
I would look carefully at the London Pass before you purchase, especially for just 1 or 2 days, few people can make it pay financially, though some appreciate the convenience and fast track elemnts
Hi Bob
we are coming down to london in Feb a Thur morning to Mon Evening trip flying into Gatwick and staying in Covent Garden we plan on taking in shows and seeing the sights also visiting either Loftus Road or the Emirates can you recommend which travel card to get
Thanks
There is not going to be much in terms of cost between an Oyster card and a 7 Day Travelcard zones 1 and 2. For flexibility, probably worth getting the Oyster at Victoria Station Underground Station, though don’t forget to get your deposit and balance back at the end.
If you get a return ticket on the Gatwick Express train into Victoria this will qualify you for the 2 for 1 admission promotion which sounds as if you could well take advantage off. (But don’t get the Oyster at Gatwick or on the Gatwick Express, its not as good as the one bought in London)
2 for 1 promotion details:
http://www.londontoolkit.com/whattodo/london_travelcard_2for1.html
Hi Bob,
I’ve been reading all your posts, and I am so impressed with your dedication! Your information is invaluable.
Sooo…my situation….
I will be in London with my 21 year-old daughter from January 16th through the 24th. We will be staying with someone from Airbnb near the Brixton Station. We will be flying in from Los Angeles arriving on the 16th in the morning and leaving on the Eurostar to Paris on the afternoon of the 24th.
What do you recommend travel-wise?
Thanks so much again!
Happy New Year,
Kathy
On the basis that you are looking for the most cost effective solution to get around London whilst you are staying just get an Oyster Card each from Heathrow Underground station on arrival, this will cover all your transport needs on the Underground, DLR, London’s red buses and train services. You can use the Oyster immediately by getting the Piccadilly Line of the Underground from Heathrow to Green Park, then the Victoria Line to Brixton.
There are no age concessions for 21 year olds.
Brixton is in zone 2 of London’s transport system, all the main sights and places to visit are in zone 1. If you are doing the normal first time tourist thing and doing the main sights you’ll save yourself quite a lot of money on admissions by buying a 7 Day Travelcard for zones 1 and 2 from a mainline railway station to cover the last 7 of the days, assuming you will be out and about most days.
See: http://www.londontoolkit.com/whattodo/london_travelcard_2for1.html
Thank you so much, Bob, for your prompt and helpful reply. You are wonderful!
Hi Bob,
Just a couple of extra questions…Would the 7-Day Travelcard for zones 1 and 2 purchased at a mainline railway station qualify us for the 2 for 1 deals on various attractions? Also, does Brixton qualify as a mainline railway station where we can purchase the Travelcards?
Thanks so much!
Kathy
The requirement is that you buy tickets from the railways (who sponsor this promotion), not necessarily from a Central London mainline train station.
I’ve stated Central London mainline railway stations because in the areas that most visitors stay in Central London thes big mainline stations ae the only places where the railways have ticket offices run by the railways and issuing tickets by the railways.
Elsewhere in London, outside the centre in the suburbs there are stand alone railway stations but not all have railways run ticket offices.
So I cannot with any 100% certainty say they will issue tickets with the rail logo on at Brixton railway station I am afraid.
You might ask whoever you are staying with in Brixton who know the area.
Do you know if the passport-sized photos need to be on photo paper or can they be copies on regular paper? Thanks.
I don’t I’m afraid