Cheap London Anytime

[ThomasTank]

Hi

I want to take advantage of a National Rail 2 for 1 offer. I usually use Oyster so need to buy a cheap ticket NR ticket. What is the cheapest Anytime ticket I can buy just to qualify for the 2 for 1? Thanks

 

[transportphoto]

If your using the underground etc then buy a travelcard from a national rail ticket office rather than use oyster

 

[ThomasTank]

I have a season ticket on Oyster so that won't work.

 

[bb21]

Am I right in assuming that you won't be using the National Rail ticket at all?

Which station are you starting from?

 

[causton]

If you need an Anytime ticket, the cheapest I can find is £3.20 by choosing random stations e.g. Cambridge Heath - London Fields (go on, someone try and get away with Cambridge - London on that ticket )

Someone might be able to find cheaper, not too sure about how NR paper ticket fares are calculated!

 

[swt_passenger]

You have to have two tickets, and they have to have the destination of London - or the exact destination applicable to the particular 'attraction' that's offering 2 for 1.

FAQ here:

http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/faq.aspx#3

 

[Paul Kelly]

Which offer is it? If it is 2 for 1 entry to various places on London from Daysoutguide.co.uk, the terms and conditions say:

2FOR1 and special offers/admission vouchers are available with almost ANY type of train tickets issued to London (or to the Attraction Destination) on normal 'paper' ticket stock (i.e. not electronic or 'smartcard' but for exceptions see below) and valid on the day you wish to the visit the attraction, theatre, or restaurant, e.g. National Rail issued tickets include Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak, Travelcard, Advance, Anytime, Season Tickets and various promotional travel tickets that may be issued from time to time, etc...

By way of recognition most 'paper' rail travel tickets show the Double-Arrow (or 'crows-foot') National Rail logo, then you're safe to assume it is valid. If you are unsure in any way please ask at your local staffed National Rail station.

I can't see a paper ticket to London Terminals cheaper than £2.60. This is the price of an anytime day single from quite a few places, e.g. Clapham Junction to London Terminals.

If this is indeed the offer you're interested in and you tell us where you're going, somebody might be able to come up with a cheaper fare to the local station to the attraction (wherever it is).

 

[Bungle73]

What do you need an Anytime ticket for?

 

[MikeWh]

Cheapest will be a wholly within zone 1 fare like Vauxhall to Waterloo or London Bridge to Cannon Street/Charing Cross. Because they are between two terminals (for ticketing purposes) the stations are mentioned explicitly. £2.20 single, £4.30 return.

 

[Paul Kelly]

Ah my London geography isn't good enough! I checked Vauxhall to Victoria but saw it was also £2.60 so "presumed" there were no cheaper "inter-London terminal" tickets...

 

[barrykas]

Cheapest we've found is Vauxhall to Waterloo or Waterloo East to Charing Cross, both priced at £2.20 Single. GroupSave and other discounts are available, of course.

Cheers,

Barry

 

[ThomasTank]

Many thanks all. That'll do nicely - unless anyone can top that!

 

[Mojo]

What do you need an Anytime ticket for?

Off-peak Day Return tickets are not available in the London area (except for First class) as Oyster Pay As You Go is expected to be used.

Many thanks all. That'll do nicely - unless anyone can top that!

Is the attraction in central London or elsewhere? The Zone 1 Only ticket is £2.20 but a single for any other one Zone outside Zone 1 is £1.80 (e.g. Clapham Jn - Vauxhall).

 

[Bungle73]

Off-peak Day Return tickets are not available in the London area (except for First class) as Oyster Pay As You Go is expected to be used.

Oh. I haven't lived in London since 1998, so it's been a while since I've needed to purchase a ticket for a journey within the London area.

That's not very good.

 

[dzug2]

remember you will need a return ticket - or two singles

 

[Paul Kelly]

Really? The Terms & Conditions (quoted in my post above) don't mention that it has to be a return - and they are quite specific about other things, so I presumed a single was OK. Are you sure?

 

[John @ home]

The Terms & Conditions ... don't mention that it has to be a return

That's not my interpretation.

If for example you buy Return tickets to London, outbound on a Monday and returning on a Friday, you will be able to use the vouchers throughout the Monday-Friday period, provided you show both outward and return portions of your tickets (remember to tell the train company staff that you need to keep your outward tickets!).

If for example you are buying single tickets, e.g.Advance tickets to London for a one-way journey on a Monday, and Advance tickets for departing London on a Friday you will be able to use the vouchers during the Monday-Friday period, provided you show both outward and return tickets (remember to tell the train company staff that you need to keep your outward tickets!).

http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/faq.aspx#1

My view is that this means you need to show a return ticket or single tickets for both the leg to London (outward) and the leg from London (return).

 

[bnm]

That's not my interpretation. My view is that this means you need to show a return ticket or single tickets for both the leg to London (outward) and the leg from London (return).

But only, according to those T&Cs, if you intend to visit an attraction during the time between the validity of your out and return portions of a return ticket or the period between the validity of two single tickets to and from London.

I can't see any logical reason why ATOC would exclude holders of single tickets from the offer.

The T&Cs state, "2FOR1 and special offers/admission vouchers are available with almost ANY type of train ticket issued to London... and valid on the day you wish to visit the attraction."

Excluding single tickets wouldn't meet my definition of "almost ANY". And such an exclusion, if it were the case, should be explicitly included in the T&Cs.

 

[34D]

Why is an Oyster record card not acceptable then?

 

[wintonian]

That's not my interpretation.My view is that this means you need to show a return ticket or single tickets for both the leg to London (outward) and the leg from London (return).

My interpretation is that the bit quoted is an example used to explain in which circumstances you do not need a ticket valid on the day you are visiting the attraction.

If for example you are buying single tickets, e.g.Advance tickets to London for a one-way journey on a Monday, and Advance tickets for departing London on a Friday you will be able to use the vouchers during the Monday-Friday period, provided you show both outward and return tickets (remember to tell the train company staff that you need to keep your outward tickets!).

Single tickets do appear to be valid for the offer as long as the destination is London Terminals or London Thameslink.

(The exception being tickets "to the Attraction Destination" which isn't defined but should be self evident in most case I would have thought.)

2FOR1 and special offers/admission vouchers are available with almost ANY type of train tickets issued to London (or to the Attraction Destination) on normal 'paper' ticket stock (i.e. not electronic or 'smartcard' but for exceptions see below) and valid on the day you wish to the visit the attraction, theatre, or restaurant, e.g. National Rail issued tickets include Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak, Travelcard, Advance, Anytime, Season Tickets and various promotional travel tickets that may be issued from time to time, etc...

 

[IanD]

I've used these vouchers on a number of occasions and have never been asked to show my train ticket. I do have one (generally a 1 day z1-4travelcard) just never showed it.