We will be in London for two full days next spring, doing the main sites and using bus or tube as transporation methods. I've heard and read some about the oyster card, but I'm not quite understading it. Is it worth buying one for two days? Can anyone explain it to me a bit more? (by main sites I mean home base is Victoria Station, then to St. Pauls, Tower of London, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abby, Big Ben, Parliment, London Eye, Buckingham Palace). Thanks, I appreciate the help! (I've been told before, and have seen others be told as well, that we should search for our topics before posting a new question, becuase it's probably already been asked an answered, but I've always tried to do this, and it rarely works for me)
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
An Oyster card is definitely your best choice for two days. Load £20 on it and use it as a pay-as-you-go card. If you're flying into Heathrow, use it to get from the airport to central London on the Tube. The Oyster computer will automatically give you the best single ride fare for each ride you take and it will cap at no more than 50 pence less than the price of a one-day travelcard for the zones in which you travel that day. When you leave London you can get back any money you didn't spend plus your £3 deposit. Or keep the card for your next trip to London!
Posted by
OP
Baudette, MN, United States
163 posts
Thanks Tim!
Posted by
South Yorkshire, UK; formerly St. Louis, MO, USA
317 posts
Jodi,
I have to agree with Tim here -- Oyster is your best bet. Besides the benefits Tim mentions, its also much easier to "tap in, tap out" than try to fumble with a paper ticket and feed the turnstiles. Oyster prices are also cheaper than paper tickets in general (to try and get folks to use them.) I was just in London a few weeks ago, and you can pick them up either at a ticket window or vending machines inside Tube stations. Vending machines that carry them are tall and narrow, usually right next to the normal ticket and top-up machines.
Have a great trip!
Posted by
525 posts
Don't forget there is or was a 3.00 GBP fee in June. 2008 to purchase the Oyster card but you can get it back when you are through using your Oyster card. Go to the ticket window and turn it in.
You still go through the turnstiles but you just slide the card over the turnstile.
I just saw Rick in London on the PBS station and he mentioned the 24 hour card that is good on busses and tube. Do other posters have a more updated comment. We bought the Oyster card in June as we were in London two different times within a 3 week period.
I agonized over this decision and the posters were very helpful because I was getting VERY confused as to what to do. Don't worry about asking the question if it has been asked before. It takes too long to start searching for previous comments. I have seen comments about going to the search box and type in the subject matter. I guess I'll try to see if I can find "my" questions from April and May. It does take time just getting to the platform form for the tube so trying to see all that you have listed will be tiring. Then, you will spend time at the exhibits. You may want to factor in the Evensong at Westminster or St Paul's. London Eye may have a long line. Tower of London a couple hours. Any museums would be another couple hours. So much to see. Look at Rick's book for his two day sights suggestions in London. We need to go back to see more of what we missed in 5 days. We did a LOT of walking.
Posted by
St.Cloud, Florida, US
93 posts
I would like to add to the original question....We're going to London and I'm looking at the Oyster Card too...seems we can jump around town pretty well...but does the Oyster Card work on the trains that are leaving town? We're wanting to day trip to Cardiff and Warwick Castle?
Posted by
Spokane, Washington, US
50 posts
I hope Jodi doesn't mind me adding on to her question, but I just thought about it when I was reading her post.
Can we buy 1 oyster card and use it for two people? Or do we still need to buy to separate oyster cards while traveling?
Thanks
Jill
Posted by
Montara, CA, USA
2 posts
Can I buy an oyster card with a credit or debit card?
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Becky, an Oyster card is not good on the train routes you wish to take. Buy same-day return tickets.
Jill, you tap in when you start a ride and tap out when the ride ends so each person must have his/her own Oyster card.
George, you may use your card(s) to buy an Oyster card.
Posted by
Colorado
10 posts
Question on Oyster card refunds - Do you get the unused funds back in cash from the machine when you return the Oyster Card? Or credited to your credit card if you purchase the Oyster Card that way? Or do they only send a check back to you in the future?
Thanks, Russ
Posted by
London
291 posts
Given your itinerary you're actually better off with a Travelcard, not an Oyster Card.
Although the Travelcard is marginally more expensive than Oystercard, currently 5.30 GBP per day as opposed to the Oyster daily cap of 4.80 GBP you make big gains by using the 2 for 1 entrance promotions twinned with Travelcard to places like the Tower of London. This provides a major saving.
However you have to purchase your Travelcards from the rail station ticket office at Victoria, not the Underground. See the url below for complete details
www.londontoolkit.com/briefing/travelcard_oyster.htm