Originally Posted by
stifle
The London Pass travel price for 2 days is higher than the cost of two days off-peak Travelcards. The others are only slightly lower, and you probably won't find yourself in zones 5 or 6 other than when you are going to Heathrow. Just buy an Oyster card. Don't bother with the London Pass travel option.
Originally Posted by
exbayern
1) Thanks both for the comments about the visitor cards. They are often a poor value (not just in London), aimed at tourists who haven't done their homework and prefer convenience over value. I tend to discourage people from using them unless they have done a lot of price comparison, and unless they have fixed plans in mind. Often people overestimate how much they think that they can achieve on holiday, and change their plans last minute, which makes those type of cards less valuable.
I agree about the visitor Oystercard, however I do not completely agree with the London Pass. It depends where you are going (the basis is the sights you can visit - you can do the math).
And I have one big issue with the command about the comparison between off-peak travelcard and the LondonPass-travelcard, because the last is not off-peak. So you have to take into consideration at what times you plan to travel. If it is off-peak you're right, if you're also traveling at peak hours, then the London Pass-travel option is something you can consider.
That's why I also posted a link to the Oyster- and travelcard prices.
Where I completely agree is that cards like the London Pass are in many cases not the cheapest and/or best option, but it certainly isn't scam either.
I'm planning to visit London later this year (we return home when the Olympics starts) with my 11 year old son. It is his first visit to London, so I guess I'm going to see quite some sights. We both wake up early, so our traveling will be also during peak hours. My hotel is in Zone 3. So in my case, I guess the London Travelpass is a good deal. But it certainly isn't always as good as it looks for me right now.
Please correct me if I'm wrong. I didn't buy the London Pass yet, so I'm open for correction.