Hi! I was wondering about the difference between the Oyster and Travelcard. I usually just purchase a 3-day or 7-day travelcard. What is the benefit of the Oyster?
Posted by
Boulder, CO, USA
780 posts
One benefit is that when you get your oyster card and register it online, if it gets lost or stolen, it can be cancelled and they will re-issue another one. You can also add money for a pay-as-you-go, which maxes out at about 5 GBP per day in zones 1-2 (which is where most tourism is). If you decide to put cash in it instead, it doesnt expire. You can save it for a future trip. You can always top up whenever it runs low. Or you can get a refund if you dont use it all. My husband was in London with me and put 20 GBP on it and he used it (zones 1-2) for 5 days somehow without the cash running out. This includes going out and back into Heathrow.
The oyster card somewhat resembles a credit card. You touch the yellow dot in the turnstiles going into and out of the tube turnstiles, rather than putting a paper card through it. You can also use it on any bus (not hop on /off) and you only touch it going onto the bus, not coming off.
You can also add a 7 day travelcard onto an oyster card (no more 3 day). But if you usually get your 7 day paper travel card from the rail station, they usually offer discounts and 2 for 1 offers, but the oyster card will not have that option.
Posted by
525 posts
Kristie,
Go to the Travelers' Helpline, To the North and look up Gary's question and responses regarding the Oyster Card. There are 22 responses. There are also websites that I listed under that response that you can go to - to see the difference. Google the questions and you will receive many choices on the subject to get your question answered.
b
Posted by
California
250 posts
I had the exact same question last time I went (last year). I decided to get 7 day travel card...but what they physically give you isn't a paper card...it's an Oyster card. The 3-5 day travl cards are still the paper I believe.
The station folks will help you too; just tell them what you want.I don't think there is a benefit of a 7 day travel card over Oyster Card, as my experience was they were the same thing...
Posted by
Old Bridge, New Jersey, USA
37 posts
I was wondering the same thing. I haven't been to London since Oystercard came on the scene. But I find I am on the Tube and the bus more than one or two trips a day, and I believe a travelcard will be more economical. With Oystercard you are a paying per trip, not unlimited trips per day. So, if you are only using the card sparingly/a day or so. The main thing is that they are discouraging buying individual trips, which are now something like 4 pounds.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
As Tami said, if you buy paper travelcards with the National Rail logo on them (only sold at National Rail stations, not tube stations), you can get 2-for-1 offers for many tourist attractions. See www.daysoutguide.co.uk for the details and to print the vouchers for the places you wish to visit.
However, if you use the Oyster card as a pay-as-you-go card, no matter how many rides you take on a given day the charges will automatically cap at no more than 50 pence less than the cost of a one-day travelcard for the zones in which you travel that day. If you limit yourself to the bus on a given day, the cap will be very low that day.
Posted by
Napa, CA
3580 posts
The Oyster card caps at 5.10 GBP per day during non peak hours (after 9:30am.) The 7 days travelcard has no daily limit and can be a value if you travel by bus and Tube a lot, especially during on-peak hours. You should decide in advance if you will use the Tube/bus a lot, or just once or twice a day. I use the Oyster Pass, pay-as-you-go, and have been satisfied. I "top it off" with a new 10 Quid occasionally. This can be done at stations or specially equiped shops. Very easy. I like to bring my Oyster home with at least 4 Quid on it, so that I don't have to top it off in the airport, but can wait till later.
Posted by
London
291 posts
For straight transport of less than 5 days then Oyster card is cheaper than Travelcard.
For 5 or more days a 7 Day Travelcard is cheaper than say 6 days of capped Oyster Card travel.
If you use the 2 for 1 admission offers with Travelcard, even one half price admission to say the Tower of London is going to be much more than any savings on Oyster Card.
If you have children between 11 and 15, visitors won't have the days/weeks it takes to get a London photo id card for their children for reduced child prices. A 1 GBP accompanied 1 day Travelcard get around this, no London ID card is required.
A lot of the surface railways are not compatable with Oyster Card. You can for example go to Hampton Court on a Travelcard by rail but not an Oyster Card as the railways ticketing system cannot read the smartcards used by Oyster.