Another Oyster card/Tube question

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/oysteronline/2732.aspx

Oyster card is primarily for transport in London. Not sure it will work for the trains you'll need to take.

Okay, so my options for London are the 7 day travel card, and the oyster card--I'm not quite sure what the differences are, and which is the better option--didn't I read that you can load a paper travel card onto your Oyster card?

There are 2 ways to look at transport in London.

1. Paper Travelcard - Good for 7 days on tubes, bus, DLR. You can get a Zone 1-6. Getting the paper card entitles you to 2for1 offers at many attractions. Can't remember the website so maybe someone else can post that link.

2. Oyster card - A plastic card that is loaded with either a travel card (such as the 7 day) or a sum of money called Pay As You Go (PAYG). If you load the 7 day travel card (same cost as paper) on the plastic card you will not be entitled to the discounts on attractions. You can also choose to load money based on the journeys you think you will take. There is a cap per day for tube and bus use (£4.60 I believe) or just bus use (£3). Tbe travel is for zone 1-2 after 9:30 am and buses are all zones all the time. If you do PAYG there is also a refundable £3 deposit.

Also, if you go to any ticket office at a tube station they can help you pick the best option for your needs.

For your day trips you will need to purchase a cheap day return train ticket for each location.

This is all from my memory so if it is incorrect I apologize in advance.

Check out the London Plus Pass for day trips from London. Also includes a Heathrow Express round trip ticket into Paddington. The London Plus Pass will take you to Bath as well as many other locations, Portsmouth, Southampton, etc.

So should you get the papercard if you are planning on hitting all the major sites? I was going to do the Oystercard and then just pay when we got to the site.

The Oyster card gets you access to one set of discounts: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/microsites/oysteroffers/

Paper Travel Cards bought from National Rail stations get you access to a different set of discounts: http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/

The paper cards cover more things, but one might cover your itinerary better than the other.

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I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the Oyster Card is only for transportation IN London - not "around" London. On the website, it says it works for National Rail Service "in London". I think you will need to buy other train tickets (or bus tickets) to go to Bath, Windsor, etc. Hampton Court may be in range of the tubes.

Using your math of 9 days minus four days of travel outside of London, your best bet is probably the Seven-Day Unlimited Oyster Card for the 5 days in London (the math makes it better than a combination of travel cards) and then purchasing your tickets to the other destinations - perhaps even by getting BritRail tickets before you leave the US.

After looking up the London Underground Map, Hampton Court is accessible by National Rail Line - but it is in Zone 6, which means the Seven-Day Unlimited Oyster Card won't cover the trip. You MAY want to look into the price differential of getting the renewable card, but if Hampton Court is your ONLY trip "in London" that is outside of Zones 1 & 2, then paying for it separately and getting the 7-day card may still be cheaper.

But the rest of your day trips are definitely going to have to be ticketed with something other than an Oyster Card.