7 Day Travelcard Question

I'm not sure why the man's race should matter, but the information I have says that you can only buy a 7-day paper travel card online before your trip. If you buy it there, it is loaded onto an oyster card. Even so, the information here - http://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/SiteData/Root/File/Visitor-Oyster-Card-FAQs.pdf - says you don't need photos for visitor oyster cards.

Yes- the paper travel cards sold at National Rail Stations do require photo id cards be made, too. The ID cards are free, but if you don't come prepared with passport sized photos, you'll need to get them made at the photo booth- I think they cost about 5 GPB or less. This requirement has been in place for about a year now.

Here is a link to the National Rail site. You will see the requirement for a photocard for tickets lasting 7 days or more at the end of the section on "London Area Travelcard Seasons". http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/season_tickets.aspx#London_Travelcard_Seasons

Then it appears that the government website I pointed our had outdated info. Under the FAQs for both the travel card and oyster, it says no photos are required. Good to have more recent info!

I just wrote to TfL to point out that their site may have outdated information about the need for a photo.

Nancy, if you load a 7-day adult travelcard on Oyster, no photo is needed. Perhaps the site you were looking at was specifically referring to the travelcards issued by the underground. Dan, if you still need a 7-day travelcard (e.g. it is cheaper to buy a 7-day card than to buy six 1 day card), there should be a photo booth in Victoria Station.

Thanks everyone!
Nancy - I should have also mentioned that I was having trouble understanding the ticket agent and was wondering if I heard him right.

Thanks for clarifying Keith. Sheesh... These card options are confusing. I don't mind appearing dumb to TfL; they'll probably reply with a nice clarification. :)

It shouldn't be too hard to get a handle on. Two different organizations issue a product called a Travelcard. It has been frequently advised on this Helpline that buying a Travelcard from the Underground will not qualify for the 2 for 1 scheme run by the railways. TfL is Transport for London, and while they have some involvement in trains (London Overground) they are predominantly involved in the Underground and their agents will sell Travelcards not valid for the promotion. Their 7 day travelcard, usually issued on Oyster but available on paper, does not require a photocard. The railways also sell a Travelcard product which does comply with the scheme that they are running. To have a weekly or longer season ticket on the railways, of which the 7 day Travelcard is one, requires a photocard and photo. Mentioning the race of the person who served you is irrelevent and inflamatory.

I was in London last week and bought two 7 day travel cards from St. Pancras rail station and did not need a photo. I had brought one just in case but they did not ask. I was given a travel card on the same orange and yellow cards that they use for train reservations and it did have the national rail chicken foot on it and it did work for my 2 for 1 tickets when we went to the Tower. Maybe you could try over there at that station.

Not quite sure why you had a photo but didn't actually ask for a photocard - they are free. The clerk probably assumed you already had one. If you had been stopped by a ticket inspector without one you would have been considered at fault. In and around London manual checks are pretty rare though.