Getting around London 2021. Oyster still a thing?
Jun 19, 2021, 2:04 am
#31
Moderator: UK and Ireland & Europe
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I think there's a misreading of the web page there. There are weekly caps for both bus/tram and "all modes" - i.e. there is a lower-priced cap for "bus/tram only".
IIRC, though, it's a set week, not a rolling week.
IIRC, though, it's a set week, not a rolling week.
Jun 19, 2021, 5:03 am
#32
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
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Posts: 2,989
A weekly cap is calculated for journeys using contactless (card or device) or an Oyster card (bus and tram journeys only), that start on Monday and end on a Sunday.
Jun 19, 2021, 7:35 am
#33
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LON
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 3,911
It doesn't matter whether it's rail, tube, bus, tram, etc. Provided it is zonal transport, the weekly cap (bus/tram, or all modes) applies equally on a pay as you go basis on both Oyster and contactless, based upon a Monday-Sunday week.
Oyster has options which contactless does not have to prepay for a weekly or longer season ticket, and in the case of the weekly you are not constrained to a Mon-Sun week.
Oyster has options which contactless does not have to prepay for a weekly or longer season ticket, and in the case of the weekly you are not constrained to a Mon-Sun week.
Jun 19, 2021, 11:55 pm
#34
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
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It doesn't matter whether it's rail, tube, bus, tram, etc. Provided it is zonal transport, the weekly cap (bus/tram, or all modes) applies equally on a pay as you go basis on both Oyster and contactless, based upon a Monday-Sunday week.
Oyster has options which contactless does not have to prepay for a weekly or longer season ticket, and in the case of the weekly you are not constrained to a Mon-Sun week.
Oyster has options which contactless does not have to prepay for a weekly or longer season ticket, and in the case of the weekly you are not constrained to a Mon-Sun week.
This is partly because on contactless, the system can work out the cheapest combinations of zonal caps plus single fares at the end of the day before charging your card, and from Thursday onwards it can also look back at your journey history since Monday and recalculate the cheapest combination of weekly zonal caps plus single fares, then charge you the difference between the new weekly total and what you have already been charged.
On Oyster journeys are charged as you make them and there is no mechanism to recalculate the caps after the fact (or it's too difficult), so only the bus and tram weekly cap is implemented. What I don't know is if you are charged Ł0 for bus travel on Monday to Thursday because you already did some train travel earlier in the day and reached the daily cap, but your bus travel would have been charged at Ł4.65 had you not reached the daily caps, would bus travel on Saturday then be free?
Jun 20, 2021, 12:37 am
#35
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: UK
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Posts: 1,021
Jun 20, 2021, 10:31 am
#36
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Bloomsbury
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I have spent many very happy days in the last month or so wandering around the British Museum and Tate Britain, enjoying the lack of crowds and seeing things I've never seen before despite countless visits.
They're still free, but you do have to book a timed slot online before arrival. In the case of the British Museum, it is often impossible to get a slot on the day so plan ahead.
They're still free, but you do have to book a timed slot online before arrival. In the case of the British Museum, it is often impossible to get a slot on the day so plan ahead.
Jun 20, 2021, 10:44 am
#37
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Hi,
I will probably prebook a ticket for when I am in london in mid july. At the moment the site shows plenty of availability until end July ( currently end of booking period). Some limited availability times for tomorrow and more restrcited times on Saturday ( ie first time on Sat is 1220 compared to 1010 during the week)
Regards
TBS
I will probably prebook a ticket for when I am in london in mid july. At the moment the site shows plenty of availability until end July ( currently end of booking period). Some limited availability times for tomorrow and more restrcited times on Saturday ( ie first time on Sat is 1220 compared to 1010 during the week)
Regards
TBS
Jun 20, 2021, 1:48 pm
#38
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: RBKC
Programs: AA EXP and Eurostar Carte Blanche
Posts: 3,849
No, the daily caps across all modes apply to oyster and contactless, but the weekly caps for all modes apply to contactless, while only the bus and tram weekly cap will be applied on Oyster.
This is partly because on contactless, the system can work out the cheapest combinations of zonal caps plus single fares at the end of the day before charging your card, and from Thursday onwards it can also look back at your journey history since Monday and recalculate the cheapest combination of weekly zonal caps plus single fares, then charge you the difference between the new weekly total and what you have already been charged.
On Oyster journeys are charged as you make them and there is no mechanism to recalculate the caps after the fact (or it's too difficult), so only the bus and tram weekly cap is implemented. What I don't know is if you are charged Ł0 for bus travel on Monday to Thursday because you already did some train travel earlier in the day and reached the daily cap, but your bus travel would have been charged at Ł4.65 had you not reached the daily caps, would bus travel on Saturday then be free?
This is partly because on contactless, the system can work out the cheapest combinations of zonal caps plus single fares at the end of the day before charging your card, and from Thursday onwards it can also look back at your journey history since Monday and recalculate the cheapest combination of weekly zonal caps plus single fares, then charge you the difference between the new weekly total and what you have already been charged.
On Oyster journeys are charged as you make them and there is no mechanism to recalculate the caps after the fact (or it's too difficult), so only the bus and tram weekly cap is implemented. What I don't know is if you are charged Ł0 for bus travel on Monday to Thursday because you already did some train travel earlier in the day and reached the daily cap, but your bus travel would have been charged at Ł4.65 had you not reached the daily caps, would bus travel on Saturday then be free?
Jul 18, 2021, 12:17 pm
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
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If you have Express pass activated on an iPhone it is now only marginally slower. I stretch my arm a little bit further ahead of me and generally don’t have to break stride.
Jul 18, 2021, 2:54 pm
#41
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LON
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 3,911
Oyster will be quicker than Contactless bank card will be slightly quicker than ApplePay or Google play. But the differences are marginal. You generally won't cause a gate jam unless you fumble or there's some hoodlum behind you trying to tailgate through using your entry.
Jul 26, 2021, 4:44 am
#42
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Jul 26, 2021, 4:39 pm
#43
Original Poster
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So, OP here. I never actually used mass transportation on that particular trip to London. From very close to the Tate Modern, I walked everywhere. I walked as far as Greenwich, using the route recommended by Google. Trust me, you don’t get to un-see Deptford High Street. Then again, I wouldn’t have enjoyed a pint under the arches, at Southwark Brewery, had I not walked that walk (there and back).
If you enjoy walking, London is surely the ultimate walking city as far as the UK goes. From the Tate Modern, I recommend South Bank to MI6, then across the river and onto Parliament, to Horse Guards Parade, to The Mall, to Buckingham Palace, to Mayfair (Pint at Ye Grapes as patrons turn up in Bentleys), to Oxford Street, to Covent Garden (via Theatre Land plus Pint or more at The Harp, with off duty coppers in attendance), to the South Bank (pint and street food while walking) to bed.
If you enjoy walking, London is surely the ultimate walking city as far as the UK goes. From the Tate Modern, I recommend South Bank to MI6, then across the river and onto Parliament, to Horse Guards Parade, to The Mall, to Buckingham Palace, to Mayfair (Pint at Ye Grapes as patrons turn up in Bentleys), to Oxford Street, to Covent Garden (via Theatre Land plus Pint or more at The Harp, with off duty coppers in attendance), to the South Bank (pint and street food while walking) to bed.
Jan 21, 2022, 12:35 am
#45
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London
Posts: 1,546
travelinfoo - the system will have flagged your card as "inactive" due to the long gap with no usage. But if there is PAYG credit left on the card, it can be used. Find a member of staff in the ticket area of any tube station and they will be able to reactivate the card.
