Oyster card: off peak price cap vs. off peak day travelcard
Jul 16, 2014, 2:36 am
#16
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Oyster card: off peak price cap vs. off peak day travelcard
The only real reasons to buy a visitor card would be ease.
They can be sold by third parties (some airlines sell them on board, travel agents, train companies with long distance services into London.
So there could be a slight time advantage compared to going to a ticket window etc, or if you know you will not return, and also will not have an opportunity to reclaim your deposit when you leave, 3 is less of a loss than 5.
They can be sold by third parties (some airlines sell them on board, travel agents, train companies with long distance services into London.
So there could be a slight time advantage compared to going to a ticket window etc, or if you know you will not return, and also will not have an opportunity to reclaim your deposit when you leave, 3 is less of a loss than 5.
Jul 16, 2014, 12:53 pm
#17
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I was delighted when I moved into London and found out that that wasn't entirely true. If you happen to have a Netword Rail card (costs £30/year) then you can buy a paper travel card from a Zone 2 or 3 station (e.g. Kentish Town, but you can collect at any National Rail machine) to London Zones 1-6, then it will only cost you £5.90 at the weekend rather than the standard Oyster cap of ~£9. A little travel hack for Londoners!
Of course for the average tourist this is irrelevant.
Of course for the average tourist this is irrelevant.
Jul 16, 2014, 1:36 pm
#18
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Don't forget that you can load certain types of railcard on to an Oyster, and that will decrease the cap as well (although I don't think the Network card is one - although you can get a Ryde gold card if you really want...)
Jul 17, 2014, 10:55 am
#19
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To follow up on my own question, I got a couple of Oysters today in a little corner shop in Teddington with no trouble whatsoever. I guess that with the phaseout of cash on the buses, they need to keep Ticket Stops stocked.
Jul 21, 2014, 3:58 am
#20
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I was delighted when I moved into London and found out that that wasn't entirely true. If you happen to have a Netword Rail card (costs £30/year) then you can buy a paper travel card from a Zone 2 or 3 station (e.g. Kentish Town, but you can collect at any National Rail machine) to London Zones 1-6, then it will only cost you £5.90 at the weekend rather than the standard Oyster cap of ~£9. A little travel hack for Londoners!
Even with the Network Railcard, which can't be loaded onto Oyster due to the £13 minimum fare from Mon-Fri, journeys such as Shenfield-Liverpool St return off-peak will be cheaper with a National Rail ticket. I wonder whether Crossrail will change this; probably not as Abellio or whatever they are called now will still operate trains on that route.
Jul 23, 2014, 9:37 pm
#21
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Jul 24, 2014, 3:50 am
#22
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Worth mentioning that from the autumn when contactless is launched on the tube, weekly capping will also be introduced on Oyster, so you won't pay more than a weekly travelcard in the zones in which you've travelled (unless you qualify for one of the discounts mentioned above)
Jul 26, 2014, 3:17 am
#23
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Not relevant for visitors, but the Ryde trick also gives you cheap first class upgrades in the NW region off peak.
Jul 26, 2014, 9:46 am
#24
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In the past, I have always purchased and used the paper travelcards when I have visited London.
For my upcoming trip to London, I am thinking of purchasing an Oyster card. I will be arriving a LHR T3 and plan to take the HEX to Paddington. Are the Oyster cards sold at LHR or at Paddington? Are there vending machines sell them or do I have to purchase them from an agent? Cash only or do they accept credit cards?
For my upcoming trip to London, I am thinking of purchasing an Oyster card. I will be arriving a LHR T3 and plan to take the HEX to Paddington. Are the Oyster cards sold at LHR or at Paddington? Are there vending machines sell them or do I have to purchase them from an agent? Cash only or do they accept credit cards?
Jul 27, 2014, 9:45 am
#25
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In the past, I have always purchased and used the paper travelcards when I have visited London.
For my upcoming trip to London, I am thinking of purchasing an Oyster card. I will be arriving a LHR T3 and plan to take the HEX to Paddington. Are the Oyster cards sold at LHR or at Paddington? Are there vending machines sell them or do I have to purchase them from an agent? Cash only or do they accept credit cards?
For my upcoming trip to London, I am thinking of purchasing an Oyster card. I will be arriving a LHR T3 and plan to take the HEX to Paddington. Are the Oyster cards sold at LHR or at Paddington? Are there vending machines sell them or do I have to purchase them from an agent? Cash only or do they accept credit cards?
I bought mine at the ticket window, and paid with a credit card. The machines allow you to top off with either cash or CC's.
Aug 2, 2014, 5:37 pm
#26
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I bought my Oyster card at LHR after arriving on a trip, a few years ago. I then use it every time I visit England (twice a year) by topping off at the machines at the tube stations (and online, before leaving the USA).
I bought mine at the ticket window, and paid with a credit card. The machines allow you to top off with either cash or CC's.
I bought mine at the ticket window, and paid with a credit card. The machines allow you to top off with either cash or CC's.
Aug 23, 2014, 11:25 am
#27
Join Date: Sep 1999
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I bought my Oyster card at LHR after arriving on a trip, a few years ago. I then use it every time I visit England (twice a year) by topping off at the machines at the tube stations (and online, before leaving the USA).
I bought mine at the ticket window, and paid with a credit card. The machines allow you to top off with either cash or CC's.
I bought mine at the ticket window, and paid with a credit card. The machines allow you to top off with either cash or CC's.
Can you buy an Oyster card at LHR or in London? Where at LHR? Then get a refund of unused value and 5.00 when you leave?
Aug 23, 2014, 11:43 am
#28
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You can buy an Oyster card at the ticket offices at the Heathrow underground stations, as well as at the ticket office in terminal 5 arrivals, or at any other underground station or Oyster Ticket Stop (basically most small newsagencies and convenience stores in and around London).
You can get a refund of up to £10 cash per card (£5 in unused fare plus £5 card deposit) at any underground station on surrendering the card and presenting two forms of ID, one with a photo and the other with your address. Refunds over £10 will be issued by a cheque in English pounds in the mail, which may prove difficult to use if you do not have a UK bank account.
You can get a refund of up to £10 cash per card (£5 in unused fare plus £5 card deposit) at any underground station on surrendering the card and presenting two forms of ID, one with a photo and the other with your address. Refunds over £10 will be issued by a cheque in English pounds in the mail, which may prove difficult to use if you do not have a UK bank account.
Jan 17, 2016, 10:18 am
#30
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