Hey there. My family and I (myself, husband, daughters 8 and 10) will be traveling to London for 7 days next summer, then trains up to York, Edinburgh, Glasgow, over to Belfast, Dublin, then fly back to London, then home. During our 7 days in London we want to see the normal tourist sites, The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, but we also want to take a couple of days on tour buses out to Stonehenge, and some of the churches and castles (Oxford, Windsor, Leeds). So there will be some of those days out of the 7 where we will be out site seeing away from London, I'm thinking two days. What is the best option for travel within London? I have looked at The London Pass, but we would never visit as many sites as listed and it was expensive ($864). The other option was the London Travel Card zones 1-2, and then there was the Oyster Card. Should I buy a travel card of some sort, or just pay as I go on the tubes and buses? While in Paris we bought a billet of tickets and just used them up and then bought more if needed.
Posted by
Austin, Texas, USA
540 posts
Travel cards are very convienent and for seven days will pay off quick. If you buy one at a national rail station (Victoria, Euston, Kings Cross, etc) that have the chicken foot rail symbol thing on it, you can get two for one dicounts at Tower of London and other places. For your day trips, I would say just pay as you go.
Posted by
near Ringwood, Hampshire, UK
521 posts
Should I buy a travel card of some sort, or just pay as I go on the tubes and buses? Never do pay as you go on London Underground or buses. As an example, a single Zone 1 and 2 ticket on the Tube costs £4.50 cash, but only £2.10 off-peak with an Oyster card. This cost comparison table is worth looking at: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14416.aspx The other option was the London Travel Card zones 1-2, and then there was the Oyster Card. Travel cards purchased at mainline railway stations (not at Underground stations, and you have to have a valid mainline train ticket) benefit from 2-for-1 offers on many London attractions. Details and other conditions here: http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/2for1-london Oyster is what most Londoners and commuters use. Buy at any Underground station and top them up with some cash at the same time. There is a spending cap on Oyster, so the maximum cost per day is about the same as a paper 1 day travelcard - see that table I linked to above. Also from that page you will see how to get Oyster cards for your children - under-10s travel free when accompanied by an adult.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
I suggest getting a 7-day Oyster card. We did that on our visit. We were on some type of public transportation (tube or bus) up to six times a day. Very convenient. Buses are everywhere and in some areas of London have their own lanes.
Posted by
Austin, Texas, USA
540 posts
To clarify, I meant pay as you go on your train trips out of London. For sure you want a Oyster or travelcard for the tubes. The advantage of a travelcard from a national rail station is the two for one discounts. If you don't care about that, then an Oyster is easier.
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4044 posts
It may be possible to fly home (depending where home is) from Ireland rather than returning to London. Even if your route requires a connection in a London airport (or even Amsterdam) you are likely to save time and money when the cost of overnighting in London is factored in.
Posted by
OP
Houston, Tx, USA
25 posts
Thanks for all the tips. I think we will chose the Travel Card for 7 days in zones 1-2.
Posted by
Seattle, Wa, USA
449 posts
Alanna: If you decide to use the Oyster Card my advice is that the initial purchase and all additional increments be done using a credit card. Last year I purchased a card and some travel money using a credit card. Then I topped it by making a cash payment. Then I added more money using a credit card several more times. When I was leaving London and went to claim the unused travel money plus the cost of the card the Tube folks said that I had to spend down the travel funds because I had topped the Oyster card with both cash and credit card. I had to make some unneccessary trips to spend the card down to the point where I could turn it in and get the remaining funds returned. Geor(ge)
Posted by
OP
Houston, Tx, USA
25 posts
Good advice Geor, will do just that if you purchase the Oyster Card.