Gatwick-Victoria

I've got a friend who's flying down to London from Inverness on Saturday. He and his partner are staying from Saturday morning to Monday afternoon in Pimlico, so will be getting the train to Victoria. I've told him to avoid Gatwick Express as it's more expensive and to opt for a Southern service after purchasing a Visitor Oyster Card.

What I want to know is;

1) Is the Oyster single fare x2 each way cheaper than just buying a normal return from Gatwick to Victoria, and if so, what's the difference?

2) Can Oyster cards be obtained from the ticket office at Gatwick?

3) Will a normal ticket be issued showing the Oyster discount or will they swipe in at Gatwick?

4) Is there actually any difference between normal Oyster and Visitor Oyster cards?

Many thanks in advance.

anti-pacer said:

I've got a friend who's flying down to London from Inverness on Saturday. He and his partner are staying from Saturday morning to Monday afternoon in Pimlico, so will be getting the train to Victoria. I've told him to avoid Gatwick Express as it's more expensive and to opt for a Southern service after purchasing a Visitor Oyster Card.

What I want to know is;

1) Is the Oyster single fare x2 each way cheaper than just buying a normal return from Gatwick to Victoria, and if so, what's the difference?

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When travelling on Southern, the Oyster/contactless single fare between Gatwick and Victoria is £14.20 if you touch-in between 0630-0930, otherwise it's £8.10.

Oyster and contactless fares can be looked up using TfL's Single Fare Finder.

2) Can Oyster cards be obtained from the ticket office at Gatwick?

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Yes, you should be able to obtain Visitor Oyster cards from the ticket office at Gatwick (see info).

There are also TfL Visitor Centres in the arrivals halls at both Gatwick North and South terminals (unsure whether they issue regular or Visitor Oyster cards). Their opening hours are a bit limited - 09:15 to 16:00 daily.

3) Will a normal ticket be issued showing the Oyster discount or will they swipe in at Gatwick?

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No ticket is issued with Oyster (or contactless) - they just need to 'touch-in' when they pass through the ticket gates at the beginning of the journey, and 'touch-out' at the end of the journey.

4) Is there actually any difference between normal Oyster and Visitor Oyster cards?

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Unlike regular Oyster cards, Visitor Oyster cards cannot be registered, cannot have weekly or longer Travelcards or Bus Passes loaded to them and are purchased so you cannot return them and get the deposit back (because there was no deposit, just a purchase price).

If they have a contactless credit or debit card each, then they could get the same benefits of using Oyster by simply using their contactless card to pay for their travel in London - just touch-in and touch-out with a contactless card as you would with an Oyster card (see this short video). All the ease of using Oyster without actually needing to obtain an Oyster card.

More info on contactless here:
tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/contactless

Worth noting that if either of them has an eligible Railcard - that's Senior, 16-25 or Disabled - they can only get off-peak discounted fares if they use an Oyster card (and have the Railcard discount set on that Oyster card) - it's not possible to get Railcard discounted fares when using contactless.

Joe Paxton said:

When travelling on Southern, the Oyster/contactless single fare between Gatwick and Victoria is £14.20 if you touch-in between 0630-0930, otherwise it's £8.10.

Oyster and contactless fares can be looked up using TfL's Single Fare Finder.



Yes, you should be able to obtain Visitor Oyster cards from the ticket office at Gatwick (see info).

There are also TfL Visitor Centres in the arrivals halls at both Gatwick North and South terminals (unsure whether they issue regular or Visitor Oyster cards). Their opening hours are a bit limited - 09:15 to 16:00 daily.



No ticket is issued with Oyster (or contactless) - they just need to 'touch-in' when they pass through the ticket gates at the beginning of the journey, and 'touch-out' at the end of the journey.



Unlike regular Oyster cards, Visitor Oyster cards cannot be registered, cannot have weekly or longer Travelcards or Bus Passes loaded to them and are purchased so you cannot return them and get the deposit back (because there was no deposit, just a purchase price).

If they have a contactless credit or debit card each, then they could get the same benefits of using Oyster by simply using their contactless card to pay for their travel in London - just touch-in and touch-out with a contactless card as you would with an Oyster card (see this short video). All the ease of using Oyster without actually needing to obtain an Oyster card.

More info on contactless here:
tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/contactless

Worth noting that if either of them has an eligible Railcard - that's Senior, 16-25 or Disabled - they can only get off-peak discounted fares if they use an Oyster card (and have the Railcard discount set on that Oyster card) - it's not possible to get Railcard discounted fares when using contactless.

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Many thanks for all this info. Much appreciated.

Does the Oyster time restrictions apply on Saturday? Also, without an Oyster card, what is the normal return fare to London on Southern, do you know?

Thanks again.

(1) Oyster single fare Gatwick to Victoria on Saturday will be £8.10 (and Gatwick to Pimlico tube station will be £10.30). It will be the same £8.10 on Monday for Victoria to Gatwick provided touch-in is before 4pm or after 7pm (but £14.20 between those times). A period return on paper tickets from Gatwick to Victoria would be £31.40 per person (that's an anytime return - there are no offpeak period returns). No time restrictions for Oyster or paper on Saturday.

(3) Touch in (and touch out in London).

(4) £5 refundable fee to buy an ordinary oyster card; £3 non-refundable fee to buy a visitor oyster (and only PAYG credit can be loaded on visitor oysters - travelcards can't be loaded)

anti-pacer said:

Many thanks for all this info. Much appreciated.

Does the Oyster time restrictions apply on Saturday? Also, without an Oyster card, what is the normal return fare to London on Southern, do you know?

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At the weekend and on bank holidays, all Oyster and contactless fares are at the off-peak rate (i.e. the cheaper rate!) throughout the day. The Oyster and contactless 'charging day' runs from 0430 to 0429 the next morning.

I had the normal (printed/paper) ticket fares to hand but forgot to quote them.

The 'Not Gatwick Express' fares to Victoria are £15.70 Anytime Day Single and £31.40 Anytime Return (so exactly twice the single fare).

Romilly said:

(1) Oyster single fare Gatwick to Victoria on Saturday will be £8.10 (and Gatwick to Pimlico tube station will be £10.30). It will be the same £8.10 on Monday for Victoria to Gatwick provided touch-in is before 4pm or after 7pm (but £14.20 between those times). A period return on paper tickets from Gatwick to Victoria would be £31.40 per person (that's an anytime return - there are no offpeak period returns). No time restrictions for Oyster or paper on Saturday.

(3) Touch in (and touch out in London).

(4) £5 refundable fee to buy an ordinary oyster card; £3 non-refundable fee to buy a visitor oyster (and only PAYG credit can be loaded on visitor oysters - travelcards can't be loaded)

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1) Would they touch in at Gatwick and out at Pimlico, or in between as well at Victoria

4) Is there any advantage of having a Travelcard loaded on an Oyster? He won't be going beyond Royal Victoria DLR (Zone 3) but will be using one trip on the Emirates AirLine and the Thames Clipper. All other journeys will be by bus, tube and DLR within Zones 1-3.

Many thanks for your help.

(1) Touch in at Gatwick, touch out at Victoria, touch in at Victoria underground, touch out at Pimlico underground. (Or touch in at Gatwick, touch out at Victoria, touch in on e.g. a No.24 bus - you don't touch out on a London bus, and the oyster/contactless fare would then be £8.10 plus £1.50).

(4) If not going beyond zone 3, then best to rely on daily capping on Oyster: Oyster will cap at £7.70, but a day travelcard is £12.30 because it automatically includes zones 1 to 6. Emirates, with Oyster or a travelcard, costs £3.50 one-way for an adult. Likewise, Thames Clipper is not included in the Oyster cap or travelcard price, but paying with Oyster gives a discount of around 20%.

Romilly said:

(1) Touch in at Gatwick, touch out at Victoria, touch in at Victoria underground, touch out at Pimlico underground. (Or touch in at Gatwick, touch out at Victoria, touch in on e.g. a No.24 bus - you don't touch out on a London bus, and the oyster/contactless fare would then be £8.10 plus £1.50).

(4) If not going beyond zone 3, then best to rely on daily capping on Oyster: Oyster will cap at £7.70, but a day travelcard is £12.30 because it automatically includes zones 1 to 6. Emirates, with Oyster or a travelcard, costs £3.50 one-way for an adult. Likewise, Thames Clipper is not included in the Oyster cap or travelcard price, but paying with Oyster gives a discount of around 20%.

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Brilliant, thank you so much.

anti-pacer said:

4) Is there any advantage of having a Travelcard loaded on an Oyster? He won't be going beyond Royal Victoria DLR (Zone 3) but will be using one trip on the Emirates AirLine and the Thames Clipper. All other journeys will be by bus, tube and DLR within Zones 1-3.

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Definitely not worthwhile for a three day visit. The shortest Travelcard that can be loaded on Oyster is a weekly (seven day) Travelcard. Day Travelcards cannot be loaded on Oyster (daily capping on Oyster/contactless is broadly the functional eqiuvalent).

One reason they might wish to buy a paper return ticket from Gatwick to Victoria (instead of using Oyster/contactless for that journey) is if they wanted to take advantage of the various "2FOR1 London" offers on admissions to attractions, which as the name suggests means that two people get in for the price of one.

These 2FOR1 offers are only available to people holding National Rail tickets as detailed on this page - the offers are not available to people using Oyster or contactless to pay for their travel. (As an aside, TOC-issued smartcards can be used with these offers...)

Two other quick points...

+ Worth noting Romilly's answer (post #4) that when using Oyster/contactless whilst there is no evening peak fare period when travelling from Gatwick to Victoria, if travelling from Victoria to Gatwick there is an evening peak (between 1600-1900).

+ Depending on where their hotel is in Pimilico and their willingness to walk, it might be just as easy to walk from Victoria station compared to getting the tube one stop. (Pimlico is the district just south of Victoria station.)

Joe Paxton said:

Definitely not worthwhile for a three day visit. The shortest Travelcard that can be loaded on Oyster is a weekly (seven day) Travelcard. Day Travelcards cannot be loaded on Oyster (daily capping on Oyster/contactless is broadly the functional eqiuvalent).

One reason they might wish to buy a paper return ticket from Gatwick to Victoria (instead of using Oyster/contactless for that journey) is if they wanted to take advantage of the various "2FOR1 London" offers on admissions to attractions, which as the name suggests means that two people get in for the price of one.

These 2FOR1 offers are only available to people holding National Rail tickets as detailed on this page - the offers are not available to people using Oyster or contactless to pay for their travel. (As an aside, TOC-issued smartcards can be used with these offers...)

Two other quick points...

+ Worth noting Romilly's answer (post #4) that when using Oyster/contactless whilst there is no evening peak fare period when travelling from Gatwick to Victoria, if travelling from Victoria to Gatwick there is an evening peak (between 1600-1900).

+ Depending on where their hotel is in Pimilico and their willingness to walk, it might be just as easy to walk from Victoria station compared to getting the tube one stop. (Pimlico is the district just south of Victoria station.)

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Interesting to know!

If he goes for a paper ticket option, what is he looking at for a return on both Southern and Gatwick Express?

Thanks again.

anti-pacer said:

Interesting to know!

If he goes for a paper ticket option, what is he looking at for a return on both Southern and Gatwick Express?

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As stated in earlier posts, it's £31.40 for a 'Not Gatwick Express' (i.e. Southern) Anytime Return per person.

For Gatwick Express, it's £35.50 for an Anytime Return - however you can get a 10% discount if you buy online from the Gatwick Express website, which brings the cost down to £31.60 (only twenty pence more than the 'Not GatEx' fare).

Whether it's worth paying the extra and buying a conventional paper ticket depends on how much they might benefit from the 2FOR1 offers, which is really only something they could decide.

The off-peak Oyster/Contactless PAYG fare (which applies all day Saturdays) is £8.10 if you tap in at any platform except platforms 13/14.

If you tap in or out at the gateline for platforms 13/14 you'll be charged the "premium" fare of £19.80.

What days/times are you looking to travel?

yorkie said:

The off-peak Oyster/Contactless PAYG fare (which applies all day Saturdays) is £8.10 if you tap in at any platform except platforms 13/14.

If you tap in or out at the gateline for platforms 13/14 you'll be charged the "premium" fare of £19.80.

What days/times are you looking to travel?

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He's coming into Gatwick on Saturday at 0845, and leaving Monday evening. However, having spoken to him, he is interested in the "2 For 1 London Attractions", so will need a paper ticket if he chooses that option.

Joe Paxton said:

Worth noting that if either of them has an eligible Railcard - that's Senior, 16-25 or Disabled - they can only get off-peak discounted fares if they use an Oyster card (and have the Railcard discount set on that Oyster card) - it's not possible to get Railcard discounted fares when using contactless.

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On this point, how does one go about getting a railcard added to an Oyster, since TfL seem to have taken away all of the staffed ticket offices at Underground stations?

Wookiee said:

On this point, how does one go about getting a railcard added to an Oyster, since TfL seem to have taken away all of the staffed ticket offices at Underground stations?

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Just ask one of the visible staff members to add it. They'll access the special staff menu on the ticket machines.

There are still staff in the ticket hall and they can load the Railcard for a customer on the touchscreen machines.

anti-pacer said:

He's coming into Gatwick on Saturday at 0845, and leaving Monday evening. However, having spoken to him, he is interested in the "2 For 1 London Attractions", so will need a paper ticket if he chooses that option.

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Worth noting if they want to take advantage of the "2FOR1" offers then they either need to download and print out the vouchers from the "Days Out Guide" website, or otherwise pick up a "2FOR1" booklet of vouchers from a station in the London or south east area and possibly further afield (I've never really thought about looking for them!).

All the train companies print their own version of the booklet - the contents inside are the same, it's just that the cover is different with the TOC branding (kinda wasteful but there you go). I think the cover should feature this "2FOR1" logo but I'm not certain of that.

MikeWh said:

Just ask one of the visible staff members to add it. They'll access the special staff menu on the ticket machines.

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telstarbox said:

There are still staff in the ticket hall and they can load the Railcard for a customer on the touchscreen machines.

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Thanks both. Only just remembered that I asked this question!