The most expensive public transport journey in the world
Jul 3, 2014, 8:03 pm
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,719
Jul 4, 2014, 7:01 am
#33
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: AA GLD, Marriott PLT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,900
Jul 4, 2014, 11:52 pm
#34
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: CBR
Programs: QF, Velocity, AA
Posts: 284
They should really encourage tourists to get an Oyster card and not make it seem like such an issue or that it's a commuter only thing. It's 3 GBP that pays itself back in like one/two trips.
And I always think a local travel card makes a nice souvenir of a city anyway :-)
And I always think a local travel card makes a nice souvenir of a city anyway :-)
Jul 5, 2014, 10:31 am
#37
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Ontario, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan, IHG, Enterprise, Avios, Nexus
Posts: 8,355
They should really encourage tourists to get an Oyster card and not make it seem like such an issue or that it's a commuter only thing. It's 3 GBP that pays itself back in like one/two trips.
And I always think a local travel card makes a nice souvenir of a city anyway :-)
And I always think a local travel card makes a nice souvenir of a city anyway :-)
They are a nice souvenir and the balance stays on the card indefinitely. I've got three of them including one from the first year they were issued. The subsequent ones were picked up when I'd forgotten the others.
I'm back in London later this month so I'll probably return a couple of them after I've run down the balances.
Jul 5, 2014, 10:58 am
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,584
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
The ground transportation agent did not provide you with all of the options.
It is possible to get from JFK to EWR for about $7 via public transport, but that route could take up to three hours.
Going via EWR AirTrain/Long Island Rail Road/NJ Transit/EWR AirTrain will not necessarily be slower than taking the bus. And you can cut the cost of that route in half (roughly) by substituting the "E" subway train for the LIRR from Jamaica to Manhattan's Penn Station, and by substituting NJ Transit's #62 bus from Newark Penn Station to EWR for the EWR AirTrain.
You can find the various options described in the FT Wiki, which can also be accessed at http://www.flyerguide.com.
Originally Posted by drvannostren
I've read how expensive the LHR transport is...goes hand in hand I guess. Expensive to land at/transit through/get away from...yet I still wanna go there and check it out for sure.
I think my most expensive trip was JFK-EWR. I landed at JFK off of an overnight Cathay flight from YVR at about 5:30am or so. Asked the friendly transportation desk peeps what's the best/most cost effective way to get to EWR because my hotel was there as was my return flight. She said there's basically 3 options, 1) taxi but that's not cost effective 2) shuttlebus @ around $22 and decent speed 3) public transit which might take a bit longer but should be cheaper.
I'm adventurous and I wasn't in a hurry (other than I was tired) so I decided to try and be frugal and take transit. So it was JFK airtram (or whatever name it is) to New York Penn. I think that was like $12 or so, then it was a NJ transit to Newark airport station, another $10.50 or whatever.
In the end it cost me like .50 cents more to take transit and took a good 45-50 minutes more...learned my lesson. Whenever I'm in NY or that area now, it's the blue shuttle van I'll be choosing.
I think my most expensive trip was JFK-EWR. I landed at JFK off of an overnight Cathay flight from YVR at about 5:30am or so. Asked the friendly transportation desk peeps what's the best/most cost effective way to get to EWR because my hotel was there as was my return flight. She said there's basically 3 options, 1) taxi but that's not cost effective 2) shuttlebus @ around $22 and decent speed 3) public transit which might take a bit longer but should be cheaper.
I'm adventurous and I wasn't in a hurry (other than I was tired) so I decided to try and be frugal and take transit. So it was JFK airtram (or whatever name it is) to New York Penn. I think that was like $12 or so, then it was a NJ transit to Newark airport station, another $10.50 or whatever.
In the end it cost me like .50 cents more to take transit and took a good 45-50 minutes more...learned my lesson. Whenever I'm in NY or that area now, it's the blue shuttle van I'll be choosing.
It is possible to get from JFK to EWR for about $7 via public transport, but that route could take up to three hours.
Going via EWR AirTrain/Long Island Rail Road/NJ Transit/EWR AirTrain will not necessarily be slower than taking the bus. And you can cut the cost of that route in half (roughly) by substituting the "E" subway train for the LIRR from Jamaica to Manhattan's Penn Station, and by substituting NJ Transit's #62 bus from Newark Penn Station to EWR for the EWR AirTrain.
You can find the various options described in the FT Wiki, which can also be accessed at http://www.flyerguide.com.
Jul 5, 2014, 4:51 pm
#39
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: London, England.
Programs: BA
Posts: 8,476
Oyster card ........ They are a nice souvenir and the balance stays on the card indefinitely. I've got three of them including one from the first year they were issued. The subsequent ones were picked up when I'd forgotten the others.
I'm back in London later this month so I'll probably return a couple of them after I've run down the balances.
I'm back in London later this month so I'll probably return a couple of them after I've run down the balances.
Jul 5, 2014, 7:17 pm
#40
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: YYZ
Posts: 1,666
Melbourne's public transport system could be one of the most expensive for a visitor wanting a single ride.
They don't sell single cash fares and you have to buy a "myki" card for $14 with $6 of that being non-refundable, whatever's left of the $8 balance is refundable but the real kicker is that it's only refundable by cheque or transfer to another Myki account (absolutely useless for any visitor.) And oh, it has an expiry of three years too. A single Zone 1+Zone 2 ride could top $10 for the visitor because of this daft system.
I don't think I've ever ran into such an visitor-unfriendly transit system in the whole world as MEL.
They don't sell single cash fares and you have to buy a "myki" card for $14 with $6 of that being non-refundable, whatever's left of the $8 balance is refundable but the real kicker is that it's only refundable by cheque or transfer to another Myki account (absolutely useless for any visitor.) And oh, it has an expiry of three years too. A single Zone 1+Zone 2 ride could top $10 for the visitor because of this daft system.
I don't think I've ever ran into such an visitor-unfriendly transit system in the whole world as MEL.
Jul 6, 2014, 10:15 am
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,719
The current amount of Oyster balances on cards not used for more than 12 months is now well above £50m. It's an interesting accounting issue for TfL as to when they write off the outstanding amount in their accounts and do something useful with it. The cards will continue to be acceptable, theoretically for ever, but much of the value here will never actually be used.
Jul 6, 2014, 11:02 am
#42
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,584
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
"NYC Transit Metrocards, on the other hand, expire one year after issuance."
While Metrocards do expire, the remaining balance (if any) on an expired card can be transferred to a new card -- without charge -- for up to two years after expiration:
http://web.mta.info/metrocard/problems.htm
"NYC Transit Metrocards, on the other hand, expire one year after issuance."
While Metrocards do expire, the remaining balance (if any) on an expired card can be transferred to a new card -- without charge -- for up to two years after expiration:
http://web.mta.info/metrocard/problems.htm
Last edited by guv1976; Jul 6, 2014 at 11:04 am
Jul 21, 2014, 11:02 am
#43
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: EWR
Programs: Marriott Platinum, HHonors Diamond, United Plat
Posts: 128
Did you take the train from NYP to Newark Penn or Newark Airport? NJT tacks on an extra $5 (I think) to the ticket price to Newark Airport to pay for the Airtrain that carries you to EWR terminals.
Jul 21, 2014, 1:47 pm
#44
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: UK
Programs: BA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Accor Plat, IHG Diamond
Posts: 651
At half the price than the London example 
Stockholm tunnelbana: The shortest distance between 2 stations that I found with a quick search is 0,4 miles (For example between Slussen and Mariatorget) with the cost of the single paper ticket at 36 SEK (just over £3 today)
Stockholm tunnelbana: The shortest distance between 2 stations that I found with a quick search is 0,4 miles (For example between Slussen and Mariatorget) with the cost of the single paper ticket at 36 SEK (just over £3 today)
Jul 22, 2014, 3:46 am
#45
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: CGN
Programs: KL FlyingBlue Gold, AY+, MM FTL, TK*G
Posts: 348
Staying in Stockholm, Arlanda Express is more expensive than both Heathrow and Oslo, one-way is 260 SEK (28 EUR/22 GBP/38 USD) if bought ahead of the journey, onboard price is 360 SEK (39 EUR/31 GBP/52 USD). Journey time 20 minutes.
As a comparison, Flytoget in Oslo one-way is 170 NOK (21 EUR). Heathrow Express one-way is 21 GBP (ticket machine/online/ticket desk) or 26 GBP (onboard).
As a comparison, Flytoget in Oslo one-way is 170 NOK (21 EUR). Heathrow Express one-way is 21 GBP (ticket machine/online/ticket desk) or 26 GBP (onboard).