So I have searched and read many 2for1 posts on the forum, but I can't find the answer to my question (or the posts are over 3 years old and the info may not be good anymore). Can I give a scenario, and you guys tell me if I have finally gotten a grasp on this whole 2for1 deal? So, our hotel is a block from King's Cross. When I went to the National Rail website, I found that King's Cross is a National Rail station. So if we were to go there (which is the closest tube stop anyway), and buy our tube tickets from a National Rail ticket counter (as long as the type of ticket we buy is on their list of acceptable tickets), we can use that ticket for the 2 for 1. And to clarify, you can buy a one way, return or one-day TUBE ticket from a National Rail station? I'm a little thrown off because the word "train" keeps being used, and I understood that "train" and "tube" are vastly different. Like, you wouldn't call the "Tube" the train. Because it's the Tube. The train would be a vehicle that takes you a further distance?? My head hurts. :D
Also, when I went to print out some of the 2for1 vouchers, they ask you to put "When do you wish to travel". Although we have a rough idea of when we'd like to do some sights, nothing is set in stone. And some of the 2for1's that we're interested in are restaurants. Why are they asking that? Is this mandatory? Is that just so the 2for1 website gets an idea of when people will be going to these sights or are you committed to the date that you enter? We will not have access to a computer and printer while in London so we wanted to print these before we left...
One more thing. In another thread about 2for1, someone said that both people had to have a rail ticket. So you must present TWO train tickets PER 2for1 deal? The reason I ask that is, my parents will be with us, and they're not getting a 7 day travelcard (they're staying less than a week) and if they each bought a train ticket, we wanted to use one of theirs to also get the 2for1. But if you need two PER 2for1, that won't work...
This is really making my decision even more difficult because I'd like to get a 7 day travelcard, but we wouldn't be able to do the 2for1 with an Oyster Card. My brain has reached its capacity............. :P
Posted by
Charlotte, NC, USA
3428 posts
You do not have to buy rail tickets. The National Rail sells TUBE tickets, too- called travel cards or travel passes. They are paper (rather than the plastic Oyster card) and are good for 1 or 7 days for unlimited tube and bus travel in the zones you purchase (generally zones 1-2 are enough for most tourists). And yes, both people must have a pass/ticket. You can either print out the vouchers, or you can get a booklet when you buy the travel card at the station- but sometimes they run out. Some of the 'deals' do have expiration dates- thus the asking about when you plan to travel- but there are not set 'reservation' dates.
Posted by
OP
Clarksville, TN, USA
959 posts
Wow Toni, you answered my questions so simply! Thank you! And I didn't realize that I could get a paper 7 day travelcard! So how do they work at the tube station? Do you wave it like the oyster card or is it fed into a turnstile and it pops back out? (Like they used to do in Chicago before they, too, went to a contactless system.)
Posted by
Nederland, CO
1530 posts
You feed it into the turnstile and it pops back out - both on entering the tube station and exiting at your destination.
Posted by
Everett, WA
1300 posts
I may have been the person who said "both people have to show a ticket with the train logo to get 2 for 1." While I don't remember reading it on the web site, that was definitely our experience. Every time we showed the voucher, they asked to see one day travelcards from both people (we used the one day travel cards since that is what worked for us. )
Posted by
OP
Clarksville, TN, USA
959 posts
What great info you're all giving me. Thanks again, all!
Posted by
Charlotte, NC, USA
3428 posts
One other thing- if you want to use the 7 day cards, you'll each need to have a passport sized head shot photo (but not passport quality- you can print it at home) for the free id card they make that you must have with you when you use the travel card.
Posted by
Hampshire, England.
1075 posts
Posted by
Sidney, BC, Canada
993 posts
And make sure that you keep the ticket away from magnets. I had a day pass into London and to be sure I could find it easily I had slipped into a pocket of my purse that closes magnetically - the result was that when I fed it into the ticket barrier nothing happened. But very helpful and patient railway staff were always on hand to open the gate manually!