BA0197

I plan on purchasing a 7 Day Travelcard on my arrival into London. The TfL website states that 7 Day Travelcards purchased at a "TfL Outlet" are issued in the form of an Oyster Card. With regards to Heathrow T5, I am a tad confused about which services are included with the purchase of the Travelcard. The TfL website is not overly clear on this matter.

The TfL website clearly states that Travelcards and Oyster cards are not valid on Heathrow Connect services between Hayes & Harlington and Heathrow. Can I assume that services between Paddington and T5 are permissible? I know HeX is out of the question on a travelcard, correct?

Also, is there a "TfL Outlet" at the T5 tube station?

Thank you for helping,
BA0197

ajws_83

Firstly, you need to decide which zones you want to travel in. LHR is in Zone 6, and if going to Central London you will need a Zones 1-6. As you rightly said, Heathrow Express (and Connect between Hayes & Harlington and LHR) are not valid for travel in the travelcard area. If you really want to get Heathrow Express, a separate ticket plus travelcard might be your only option. I'm pretty sure there used to be a Zones 1-6 + Heathrow Express day travelcard, but I think that might have been discontinued now. From T5, you can use all bus (except hotel buses) and tube services...just not trains. Travelcards in the zones are valid on ALL services, bus, tube, DLR, tram and National Rail services, just not HEX..

The train station at T5 is run by BAA/Heathrow Express, and not London Underground/TfL. There is a ticket office there, but it is staffed by HEX staff. I am not 100% sure but they might be able to sell you Oysters. if in doubt (and you have the time), take the HEX to T123 (which is free) and go to the Tube station there, which has Tube Staff. Or, TfL send Oyster cards abroad if you have the time between now and your travel date.

Hope this helps with some of your questions?

Regards...

cme17

Hi. You can't use a travelcard for the Heathrow Connect from Paddington to T5 as it is not valid from Hayes and Harlington to Heathrow. You would need to buy a ticket from Heathrow to H+H and then use the travelcard from there. There is a ticket office at the underground station at T5.

It may be cheaper just to buy an Oystercard rather than a travelcard. The oystercard is prepaid and charges you for each journey. If you use it a lot in one day, it will only charge you the cost of a travelcard for that day.

If you buy a 7 day travelcard at Heathrow you will need to get a zone 1-6. Depending on your travel plans and if you stay in central London you won't need zone 1-6.

BA0197

Yes, I should have been more clear. I will be staying at the Heathrow Renaissance (Zone 6) and commute to Zone 1 everyday. In addition, I will be using the Travelcard to make inter-Zone 1 commutes everyday. I will be staying in London for 9 days

My plan will basically be:

Free bus to T5 from the hotel (as it is in the airport boundary)
Paddington Line Service to Piccadilly Service
Inter- Zone 1 travel (destination varies)
Back to T5
Free bus to hotel

I will purchase an Oyster Card for the remaining two days. Therefore, I assume the 7 Day Travelcard is the best option?

irmster

If you are staying at Renaissance, then get the Bus to T1-3. Quicker and more choice of buses.

I presume you mean the Piccadilly line?

Yes, in this case a 7 day travelcard will work.

BA0197

Yes, Piccadilly Line Service to Paddington.

Thank you for your help. Will catch the bus to Heathrow Central; it looks quite nearer.

BA304

The Piccadilly line doesn't go to Paddigton.

UKtravelbear

The Picadilly line does NOT go to Paddington.

The only way to go direct fromn LHR to Paddington are the Heathrow Connect and the Healthrow Express.

Depending on your ultimate destination in central London it may well be quicker to just take the picadilly line and change in the centre of town rather than train to Paddington then onto (say) the Bakerloo then having to change again (and again) somewhere else

Give us an idea of where you will be travelling to in central London and we will be able to give you firmer advice.

Littlegirl

Taking the tube to London from LHR is painfully slow!

stifle

And also please tell us whether you expect to be travelling before 0930 on weekdays.

UKtravelbear

It depends on your ultimate destination LG which is why I asked the OP to tell us where they were going to.

I did the HEX once thinking it would be qukicker to get home to Balham but with having to change to the tube at Paddington and then another change to the Northern line it would have been quicker to have just went to the Picadilly line. (and proved by the TFL journey planner too).

8420PR

If you are price conscious then London Underground Picaddilly Line the cheapest from LHR.

Have a look a the fares here:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14416.aspx

You can buy an oyster card from any station. If you are travelling at peak times ( 06:30-09:30 and from 16.00-19-00 Monday to Friday ) or plan to take lots of trips each day on buses and underground then the 7 day travelcard is the best option. Otherwise for off-peak trips into and out of London you could save money by using the pay as you go oyster card. LHR is in Zone 6 and the city centre is Zone 1.

Oyster cards are not valid on Heathrow Express or Connect from LHR, and while it is faster it is also much more expensive.

Littlegirl

He said he was going to zone 1

NoTiersForMe

A couple of points which I don't think have yet been explicitly answered:

--T5 has a fully functioning Tube station where all TfL products can be purchased.

with pedant hat on:
An Oyster card is an electronic payment card which can hold both a "pay as you go" component or a travelcard [of varying zones and durations] or, indeed, both types of ticket. TfL's website says that the purchase of a 7-day travel card requires an oyster card, so that travelcard would be "sitting" on the Oyster card the OP would need to buy at T5 tube station. The TfL site says paper travel cards are available national rail stations. I don't know if the train station at T5 counts as one, or indeed if there are other travel desks at LHR which sell a paper travel card. It's really a moot point as the OP would need to buy a Oyster card to put some PAYG funds on it so he/she might as well just put the travel card onto that Oyster as well.

-- you can get from T5 to T123 via the HEX which is FREE between terminal stations at LHR. This may be quicker than getting one of the buses between the two terminal areas.

stifle

You cannot get paper 7-day or longer Travelcards at LHR.