Commute question cheapest option Finsbury Park to Welwyn Garden City and underground

[CobraClutch]

Hi All,

I'm trying to work out the most cost effective option to support my current commute. I'm currently commuting from Finsbury Park to Welwyn Garden City for work, peak there off peak back, no more than 16 times a month. I currently buy daily tickets at 13.70. I also travel on the underground (zones1-3) around 16 times a month. Overall I am paying in excess of 300 pounds per month on travel. Is there a cheaper option, my company offers a season ticket loan but I am not sure how to combine the Northern rail journey with the London underground. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Haywain]

Sounds like you should have a period season ticket from Finsbury Park To Welwyn Garden City and use PAYG for the underground.

 

[A Challenge]

You can also buy a season ticket from Welwyn Garden City to London Zones 1-6, and use it in reverse. This only works with seasons as it is valid to make unlimited journeys on it during the validity

 

[Surreytraveller]

Its not clear whether the 16 days you're using the Underground is the same 16 days as you're travelling from FPK to WGC, whether they're separate or whether its mix and match

 

[pelli]

I think you do not travel frequently enough to benefit from season tickets.

Typically the best value from non-annual season tickets is obtained by buying them for a month and a few days so as to last from Monday in the first week to Friday in the fifth week, so my calculations below are based on the period of five weeks (minus the last weekend) from 14/10 to 15/11 and I shall assume that you make 18 return journeys FPK to WGC ("train") and separately 18 return journeys within zone 1-3 on the underground network ("tube").

Without season tickets the prices are:
Anytime day return FPK - WGC: 18 * £13.70 = £246.60
Oyster PAYG zone 1-3: 36 * £3.30 = £118.80
Total: £246.60 + £118.80 = £365.40

The simplest single season ticket that will cover everything is
Season ticket WGC - London Travelcard Zones 1-6: £441.60

A season ticket for the train costs
Season ticket FPK - WGC: £286.60
which is more than the separate train return tickets
Total train season and tube singles: £286.60 + £118.80 = £405.40

A season ticket just for the tube costs
Travelcard Zones 1-3: £169.00
which is more than the separate tube singles
Total train returns and tube travelcard: £246.60 + £169.00 = £415.60

However, the travelcard is also valid for part of your train journey, so you only need to buy the return journey from Boundary Zone 3 or Alexandra Palace (the last station in Zone 3):
Anytime day return BZ3 - WGC or AAP - WGC: 18 * £12.50 = £225.00
Total train partial returns and tube travelcard: £225.00 + £169.00 = £394.00
(The train does not need to call at Alexandra Palace where you change from one ticket to the other since one of them is a zonal/season ticket.)

As long as you go to WGC at least 11 days in the five weeks, it turns out that it's cheaper to do the split one zone further out:
Anytime day return BZ4 - WGC: 18 * £9.00 = £162
Travelcard Zones 1-4: £207.10
Total: £162 + £207.10 = £369.1
(The ticket from the last station in Zone 4, New Southgate, costs slightly more: £9.20)

Maybe this last option is worth it, if you're certain that you'll travel this frequently (or if your London travel cost more than 36*£3.30), if it's convenient to buy the non-standard return tickets at FPK, and if you're prepared to quote the National Rail Conditions of Travel Section 14.2 at railway staff who may try to claim that your ticket isn't valid on non-stopping trains.

 

[Hadders]

WGC is due to get contactless soon so this might change things although daily/weekly caps might not apply if Brookmans Park is anything to go by.

 

[CobraClutch]

Its not clear whether the 16 days you're using the Underground is the same 16 days as you're travelling from FPK to WGC, whether they're separate or whether its mix and match

It's a mix and match. Thanks all for the advice so far.

 

[benk1342]

Consider London Terminals - WGC carnets (starting short at FPK) if you are only going 16 times a month.

edit: never mind sorry that comes to £13.90 per day which is more obviously. Had no idea the anytime fares were so much cheaper in reverse than going from WGC into London!

 

[pelli]

Consider London Terminals - WGC carnets (starting short at FPK) if you are only going 16 times a month.

edit: never mind sorry that comes to £13.90 per day which is more obviously. Had no idea the anytime fares were so much cheaper in reverse than going from WGC into London!

In addition, BRFares says break of journey is not allowed on any of those carnets (e.g. this one) and the Thameslink journey planner says (after you search a journey e.g. King's Cross - WGC, click "View all available fares", select one of the carnets, and click "more info" above the "add to basket" button to the right)

• Break of journey
  • Outward You cannot break and resume your journey
• *Valid from
  Your ticket is only valid for travel from the following London Terminal stations:
  
  • London St Pancras
  • Old Street
  • London Kings Cross
  • Moorgate
  • London Liverpool Street

so does that mean you can't use it to travel from Finsbury Park?

 

[A Challenge]

so does that mean you can't use it to travel from Finsbury Park?

Yes it does