Euston to Watford Junction - cheaper via Oyster Card PAYG instead of Freedom Pass + Boundary Zone 6 ticket?

[Sweetjesus]

I paid £4.25 from a ticket office at Euston, which was London Boundary Zone 6 to Watford Junction with a Railcard discount.

When I got on a train to Watford Junction, out of curiosity I looked up how much it'd cost if I went for Oyster card. I was surprised it is cheaper.

The ticket office did not mention this to me for some reason.

My question is, is it possible to obtain Oyster card PAYG fare before travelling thus avoiding the need to get off the train to touch in and rush back to the same train?

I do have an Oyster card with a Railcard loaded, so it would have been £1.53 if my calculation are correct.

 

[microrich]

I paid £4.25 from a ticket office at Euston, which was London Boundary Zone 6 to Watford Junction with a Railcard discount.

When I got on a train to Watford Junction, out of curiosity I looked up how much it'd cost if I went for Oyster card. I was surprised it is cheaper.

The ticket office did not mention this to me for some reason.

My question is, is it possible to obtain Oyster card PAYG fare before travelling thus avoiding the need to get off the train to touch in and rush back to the same train?

I do have an Oyster card with a Railcard loaded, so it would have been £1.53 if my calculation are correct.

My understanding is that with Oyster PAYG you must touch in and touch out to get the fare, presumably at Hatch End to get the £1.50 fare you're quoting. People with more knowledge may want to confirm, but don't think there's a way round that. I've been similarly frustrated when making journeys to places outside boundary Zone 6 with my TFL 60+ card.

That said, I assume you're aware that your Freedom pass is valid all the way to Watford Junction as long as you use the Overground/Lioness line? Obviously quite a lot slower than WMT where you would need an extension ticket.

 

[thedbdiboy]

You cannot get an Oyster PAYG fare in advance. If you want to split a fare which includes a PAYG component you're going to have physically get off the train and touch in and out to obtain it.

 

[MikeWh]

As has been stated, you need to get off to touch in with your Oyster card to get a PAYG fare. The Lioness line is included in both the Freedom Pass and 60+ Oyster card. If you want to avoid the full slow train then you can use any LNR service which stops at Harrow and Wealdstone and then switch to the Lioness line from there to Watford Junction. That will usually save you 15 minutes over taking the stopper from Euston.