London Travelcard fares

[mathmo]

Can anyone explain how London Travelcard fares work, as in from where you can get them, how much they cost etc? I've never really got my head around them in the past, and don't know if they're cheaper than buying tickets separately and so on. In particular, I'm looking to go from Cambridge to Oval tube station and return this Saturday and want to know what's the best (i.e. cheapest) ticket to buy. I don't have an Oyster card if that's relevant.

Thanks!

 

[yorkie]

For a small extra cost (typically around £3-6) you can get a day travelcard as an add-on to an off peak day return.

It's often cheaper to split tickets, but in a reversal of fortunes the railway companies give a discount to this combined ticket, and you only get one 'coupon' rather than two.

Travelcards are available from the former NSE area, plus a few other places.

 

[jopsuk]

mathmo- can I suggest that an Oyster card might be a good investment? It's handy even for infrquent trips to London- and you'll never spend more than the cost of travel card on it*.

Otherwise, from Cambridge an off-peak day return with all-zones travelcard** is £19 (without railcard) valid only using National Express East Anlglia services (to Liverpool Street), or £24 (not restricted- so you can use the faster FCC services to Kings Cross). Comedically, there also seems to be an FCC-only off-peak day travelcard- for £37! Wonder how many of those they sell, given Cambridge is a NXEA station?

*whether peak or off-peak being decided by when you first touch in
**there's no off-peak travel card that isn't all-zones

 

[paul1609]

You want to travel to Vauxhall the nearest station to the Brit Oval. The cheapest fare is an off peak day return £14 via Liverpool Street, then Waterloo and SWT or £19 via Kings Cross then waterloo alternatively a one day travelcard is £24.

 

[yorkie]

Comedically, there also seems to be an FCC-only off-peak day travelcard- for £37!

Appears to be a ticket that allows travel back from London in the evening peak (RETURN TRAVEL: Any train) and only available for railcard holders. Railcard holders cannot get discounts on "Anytime" travelcards. Without this ticket it would create a situation where railcard holders would be unfairly penalised and the solution would be to buy two singles, so it fills a gap in the market.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

You want to travel to Vauxhall the nearest station to the Brit Oval. The cheapest fare is an off peak day return £14 via Liverpool Street, then Waterloo and SWT or £19 via Kings Cross then waterloo alternatively a one day travelcard is £24.

Oyster single from Liverpool St (or King's Cross - no difference) to Vauxhall is £1.60

So the cheapest combination is £14 + £1.60 + £1.60 = £17.20 if you get an Oyster card (unless you forget to touch out in which case you'll be charged an extortionate amount )

 

[jopsuk]

Appears to be a ticket that allows travel back from London in the evening peak (RETURN TRAVEL: Any train) and only available for railcard holders. Railcard holders cannot get discounts on "Anytime" travelcards. Without this ticket it would create a situation where railcard holders would be unfairly penalised and the solution would be to buy two singles, so it fills a gap in the market.

Ah, OK. Makes sense now

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Oyster single from Liverpool St (or King's Cross - no difference) to Vauxhall is £1.60

So the cheapest combination is £14 + £1.60 + £1.60 = £17.20 if you get an Oyster card (unless you forget to touch out in which case you'll be charged an extortionate amount )

It's one of these jounreys where there are time savings to be made by paying a little more. With the cheapest option, there's no particularly easy route from Liverpool Street to Vauxhall. "Best" is Central Line to Oxford Circus- a not very pleasent interchange. If he's willing to pay a little more for conveniance (ie straight onto the Victoria line), he'll pay £1.20 more (total) by alighting at Tottenham Hale. Zone 2, so off-peak single on Oyster is £2.20.

 

[mathmo]

Thanks for your help. I think I will get an Oyster card when I arrive so just buy the normal return ticket, though I want to go to King's Cross rather than Liverpool Street so will have to pay the extra £4 (with a railcard). I do actually want to go to Oval tube station though (I'm not going to the Oval itself!).

£18 for an off-peak return to King's Cross is annoying though - I could have sworn it didn't cost that much...

 

[Nick W]

If time isn't an issue you might as well go to Liverpool Street and save you a bit. You can also get advance tickets as cheap as £6 (so £12 return) on NXEA into Liverpool Street.

From Liverpool Street the quickest way is probably to walk to Moorgate (5 minutes walk west) and then catch a direct tube train.

I gather from your username that you're a student (do tell us more ). Have you got yourself a railcard?