Travelling around London advice

[4:20]

Please could somebody give me advice on how best to pay to travel around London with the following criteria? I am organising the travel for all of us on one French registered MasterCard (contact enabled). We fly into Stansted and already have a ticket for travel on the Stansted express to Liverpool St Station.

We are
5 - adults over 18
1 - 15 year old
1 - 12 year old
1- 6 year old
1 - 3 year old

Friday.
To travel 1 way journey from Liverpool St Station up to London Fields (in Hackney)

Saturday.
To travel extensively around zones 1 and 2 on a day trip around the sights (many tube journeys)

Sunday
Return journey from London Fields - Euston - Watford Junction.

Monday
1 way journey from London Fields to Liverpool St station


Many thanks if anyone can assist me.

[Joe14]

Tube

[Paul Waine]

Please could somebody give me advice on how best to pay to travel around London with the following criteria? I am organising the travel for all of us on one French registered MasterCard (contact enabled). We fly into Stansted and already have a ticket for travel on the Stansted express to Liverpool St Station.

We are
5 - adults over 18
1 - 15 year old
1 - 12 year old
1- 6 year old
1 - 3 year old

Many thanks if anyone can assist me.

Hi 4:20, I guess you can get some answers on Transport for London website: http://www.TfL.gov.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've no idea what age you start paying for fares - some of the youngsters will be free.

Also, I've no idea whether all the adults will require their own oyster card or contact less credit/debit card, I'd assume this is the case - though I think you can still buy paper tickets for train/tube. (I think cost of paper may be a little higher than contactless).

You can also set up payment on mobile phones.

London overground is TfL service - same as bus and tube. This goes out to Watford Junction. (Different fares to main line/national rail).

Check on engineering works - especially if your plans are Easter w/end.

Enjoy.

[4:20]

Hi 4:20, I guess you can get some answers on Transport for London website: http://www.TfL.gov.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've no idea what age you start paying for fares - some of the youngsters will be free.

Also, I've no idea whether all the adults will require their own oyster card or contact less credit/debit card, I'd assume this is the case - though I think you can still buy paper tickets for train/tube. (I think cost of paper may be a little higher than contactless).

You can also set up payment on mobile phones.


London overground is TfL service - same as bus and tube. This goes out to Watford Junction. (Different fares to main line/national rail).

Check on engineering works - especially if your plans are Easter w/end.

Enjoy.

Many thanks for taking the time to type that out, Paul. I've had a look on the tfl site and I think I've got the gist of it. I'm hoping I can arrive at Liverpool St, go to a ticket booth and buy all the necessary Oyster cards at the same time on one credit card and go from there. I think the credit card is then linked to all Oyster cards and it's just a case of registering each journey with the oyster cards as we go through the booths and the journey amount is charged on each oyster card up to a point in the day where it is capped.

It's either that or I have to put money on the Oyster cards before the journey.

I'll suss it out eventually ...

[elwaclaret]

Please could somebody give me advice on how best to pay to travel around London with the following criteria? I am organising the travel for all of us on one French registered MasterCard (contact enabled). We fly into Stansted and already have a ticket for travel on the Stansted express to Liverpool St Station.

We are
5 - adults over 18
1 - 15 year old
1 - 12 year old
1- 6 year old
1 - 3 year old

Friday.
To travel 1 way journey from Liverpool St Station up to London Fields (in Hackney)

Saturday.
To travel extensively around zones 1 and 2 on a day trip around the sights (many tube journeys)

Sunday
Return journey from London Fields - Euston - Watford Junction.

Monday
1 way journey from London Fields to Liverpool St station


Many thanks if anyone can assist me.

You can get zonal tube passes that give you decent range for less than a fiver a day per adult. they are really good if you want to zip from one spot to another, great for site seeing or like us this weekend when mixing meetings with pleasure. Pretty sure they work for buses and trains too but had no need to find out.

[COBBLE]

I would endorse the good advice already given, and add don't forget the same system operates on the buses using oyster cards. There is a cap per day per card of around £5 however many journeys you make within the inner zone and then a bit more as you move towards outer London. But it is amazing value, same price for one stop or many stops.

It will as suggested be a good idea to establish at what age children must be paid for as this could take one or more children out of the equation and simplify things for you.

[4:20]

You can get zonal tube passes that give you decent range for less than a fiver a day per adult. they are really good if you want to zip from one spot to another, great for site seeing or like us this weekend when mixing meetings with pleasure. Pretty sure they work for buses and trains too but had no need to find out.

Many thanks elwaclaret. That might be the best option for our needs. less than a fiver a day is great value.

[cockneyclaret]

Under 11s are free on the tube

[elwaclaret]

Many thanks elwaclaret. That might be the best option for our needs. less than a fiver a day is great value.

It’s about the only time you are going to say that about all weekend, but yes outstanding value and a million times better than travelling overground... in any form. Without being patronising make sure you take inhalers etc. With you. The air quality in the centre will come as quite a shock to the system if you are wandering if your used to country air.

[4:20]

I would endorse the good advice already given, and add don't forget the same system operates on the buses using oyster cards. There is a cap per day per card of around £5 however many journeys you make within the inner zone and then a bit more as you move towards outer London. But it is amazing value, same price for one stop or many stops.

It will as suggested be a good idea to establish at what age children must be paid for as this could take one or more children out of the equation and simplify things for you.

Thanks COBBLE, that's a good cap price on Oyster too, we've established that our 3 year old is free...as too is the six year old but an accompanying adult has to pay full fare (not sure if full fare equates to Oyster travel)... Our 12 year old and 15 year old can qualify for discounts but it's a bit short notice for us to sort that out I think. I'll have a word with a travel advice desk at Stansted as I arrive.

[4:20]

It’s about the only time you are going to say that about all weekend, but yes outstanding value and a million times better than travelling overground... in any form. Without being patronising make sure you take inhalers etc. With you. The air quality in the centre will come as quite a shock to the system if you are wandering if your used to country air.

Ha ha, great advice that, elwaclaret, not patronising in the slightest, one of the adults requires an inhaler, he read up on the air quality last week and made sure to note this factor in. He's a relatively fit mid thirties lad so hopefully will be alright but we'll all keep an eye on him, Saturdays going to be a killer of a day, they're all prepared for the walking, fingers crossed.

[claret wizard]

You can get the Oyster cards set up for young persons travel at tube ticket office, I’ve done ours on the day and they set it for a week or so. Then the card reverts to adult.

One thing to remember is that oyster is pre pay, so to get best value you need to know what you’re going to spend and only top up with that amount, or else you’ll leave credit on it. Contactless cards only take the amount you’ve used, so no over spend.

[tim_noone]

I would endorse the good advice already given, and add don't forget the same system operates on the buses using oyster cards. There is a cap per day per card of around £5 however many journeys you make within the inner zone and then a bit more as you move towards outer London. But it is amazing value, same price for one stop or many stops.

It will as suggested be a good idea to establish at what age children must be paid for as this could take one or more children out of the equation and simplify things for you.

So if I travel zones 1 and 2 it's a fiver all day..hop on hop of bus etc tube travel?? I have oyster but feel I'm always topping it up ...preferred the old zone travel card you knew you had all day up till Midnight for the very cheap purchase price.will see if the fiver for a day Oyster card travel pays when down for the Chelsea game.also buying a new Oyster card costs a fiver...

[AndrewJB]

You probably know this already, as far as taking food along if the youngsters get hungry (we call it “hangry “). For any weekday travel begin your journey after 9:30 so you don’t pay peak fares.

[AndrewJB]

Also check TFL, as some bus journeys could be more efficient, and you’ll see a lot more too.

[aggi]

I'll have a check later but I'm pretty sure that £5 is quite a bit too low. I think a travel card is over a tenner.

If you use a contactless card then I think it's £7.

[tim_noone]

I'll have a check later but I'm pretty sure that £5 is quite a bit too low. I think a travel card is over a tenner.

If you use a contactless card then I think it's £7.

I think they're about £14 for travel cards.. I might give em a go.... I don't have faith in oyster. Zone 1..6 £12.70..zone 1..9 £13..90 valid till 4.30 am edited

[HatfieldClaret]

Travelling around London advice

M25 mate; avoid the cesspit altogether.

[4:20]

Thank you to everyone for replying to my request for info and for the extra advice. I really am grateful for it and it will all come in handy. UTC.

[Woodleyclaret]

Circle is usually seriously disruptive at weekends plan not to use this route.If you buy Oyster cards remember to swipe both ways.if you dont the system keeps charging and uses all your credit.Put £20 on each card this should be plenty to travel with.If u fancy a curry there is an excellent low cost place opp Kings Cross Station ans Spoons on Liverpool St is also good very large

[COBBLE]

Just checked that the daily cap for Zone1/Zone 2 is now £7.

[aggi]

Yep, I've had a quick check and Oyster/Contactless is a lot cheaper than day travelcards (£7 per day against £13).

My advice would be to use contactless credit/debit cards where you have them (one per person).

If you don't have enough of those then an option would be to use Apple Pay/Google Pay on mobile phones with NFC (I think each would need to be a different credit/debit card).

Otherwise, buy Oyster cards for the other people. They cost £5 but you can claim that back if you hand them in at the end. You will also get back any money left on them (or you can keep them, credit doens't expire). Top them up and just use them, TFL automatically applies the cheapest rate and will cap the price for a day if you use it a lot. Just remember to touch in and out on each journey (except for buses where you just touch it at the start).

For the under 10s they get free travel. At the tube station just go to one of the gates and staff will let you through, or go to a big gate and all go through together. The 12 yr old may get away with this if they look young.

For under 16s you can get them an Oyster card and then go to a counter at the tube station to get the children's discount added.

This is the cheapest (and easiest) option.

[Burnleyareback2]

Tube and bus if needed.

As above get an Oyster card before you go, it’s much cheaper than buying tickets on the day.

Only found this out after about 5 years of buying tickets a hoc.

Children’s oysters are trickier to get posted, I just got my daughter an adult one (13) still cheaper than day tickets.