Days out guide tickets?

Laura, you don't buy a Days Out guide. It's free and can be picked up at any train station in London, for example, Victoria, Paddington, or Waterloo stations. The trick to being able to use a 2 for 1 ticket is purchasing a train ticket and then presenting that ticket along with the correct voucher from the days out guide at the attraction. You can also print out a voucher from the website but again, it has to be presented with a train ticket from the National Rail system. A tube ticket doesn't count. I hope this explanation helps to clarify your question.

To clarify points in Claudette's post, you do not have to have "rail" tickets as such, because the 2 for 1's are sponsored by the rail companies, a travel card ( good for travel on the tube, bus and DLR) bought from a NATIONAL RAIL STATION (not tube) are valid for the offers. 7 day travel cards require a passport size (not quality) photo, 1 day cards do not.

After reading numerous posts on oyster card vs travelcard, Im still a bit confused on which makes more sense. My husband and I arrive into Heathrow on a Monday around noon and leaving Thursday morning, staying at a hotel near Victoria Station. We'll be staying within Zones 1 & 2, seeing most of the normal touristy sites. Any suggestions?? Thanks for the help!!!

Tube vs travel card just depends on how much you plan on using the tube system. The travel card is useful if you do a lot of tube stuff in the same day. There are 1 day and 7 day versions of the travel card. The Oyster card is also useful but you have to keep track of how much is left on the card. You add money on the card yourself and then top it up when it gets low. Both can be bought at the airport just for zones 1 and 2. You would also pay a little supplement for the route from the airport into the city since its outside zone 2. Rick's London or England guidebooks have more information on this as well. I hope this helps some.

I suggest that when you arrive at Heathrow you buy Oyster cards and load about 20 PAYG pounds on each of them. Use them to get from Heathrow to your hotel and back to Heathrow. Also use them for any days you do not make use of any 2-for-1 offers from National Rail. The Oyster computer will automatically give you the best fare for all rides you take and you will never pay more than slightly less than the cost of a one-day travelcard for the zones you travel in that day.

Buy one-day, zone 1-2 paper travelcards at a National Rail station for each day you do want to visit a sight that accepts 2-for-1 vouchers. When you return to Heathrow you can get a refund of your Oyster card deposit plus any unspent PAYG pounds.

For a detailed breakdown of the features of Oyster cards and travelcards see this page on the London Toolkit site. It should answer all your questions.

Days out guide tickets are free. You have no need to buy them. If you want you can pick from any station of London.

To elaborate on monim's answer above - tickets for attractions using the Days Out promotion underwritten by the rail companies are NOT FREE.

Laura has been to the website for the Days Out and only needs to know that if you produce the voucher - download from the website is easiest because it gives both the current participants and the prices as you drill down - or obtain a brochure booklet at some rail stations, only if you can find it and they have some in stock and it is the current version (see why I said to download) you can then cut out the voucher from the back of the booklet - it is important to know that the tickets for the attractions are bought at the attractions' booking office, NOT the railway booking office (only exception is if the attraction is itself a train ride).

When buying the tickets at the attraction, ask for the Days Out 2 for 1 offer, give them the completed voucher, show them your proof of eligibility - the appropriate rail ticket or rail issued paper Travelcard with the BR logo (see the rules on the website) - and pay for a full price ticket and they will give you a matching free one.

It isn't complicated but the hoops do have to be jumped through correctly.

"Days out guide tickets are free. You have no need to buy them. If you want you can pick from any station of London."

I assume Momin has their terminology mixed up, I think he/she meant vouchers rather than tickets.

After doing a little more research, had one more question about thw 2-for-1 option if I get the travelcard....am I still able to make reservations at places, like the London Eye if Im using the 2-for-1 option? Thanks for all the advice!!!!

No, no reservations allowed.