London Travelcard versus Contactless card.

[Razor1967]

Hi all,

I wonder if somebody could give me some advice on a trip I am making to London on Friday the 11th September.

I am arriving at Kings Cross at 09.36 and intend to travel to Liverpool Street on the tube to go to Bethnal Green to spend about 2 to 3 hours there, before moving on to Stratford for an hour and a half and then back to Liverpool Street, to Kings Cross and home.

I know the Travelcard option is £13.90 however the contactless cap per day is £7.40. However as I understand it spending that length of times at the stations would exceed the maximum journey time and I would be charged two maximum fares of £8.60 making is £17.20.

Therefore I would be better off buying a daily off peak travelcard.

Am I am right in my thinking or have I got the wrong end of the stick from the TFL website ?

Any expert knowledge gratefully received.

Thanks.

 

[JonathanH]

Therefore I would be better off buying a daily off peak travelcard.

Yes, if your plan includes anything which is not discrete journeys between stations where you leave the station on arrival then you are better off with a paper ticket. You certainly can't hang around for a number of hours 'trainside' at a station using Contactless as you will exceed the maximum journey times.

 

[Joe Paxton]

Hi all,

I wonder if somebody could give me some advice on a trip I am making to London on Friday the 11th September.

I am arriving at Kings Cross at 09.36 and intend to travel to Liverpool Street on the tube to go to Bethnal Green to spend about 2 to 3 hours there, before moving on to Stratford for an hour and a half and then back to Liverpool Street, to Kings Cross and home.

I know the Travelcard option is £13.90 however the contactless cap per day is £7.40. However as I understand it spending that length of times at the stations would exceed the maximum journey time and I would be charged two maximum fares of £8.60 making is £17.20.

Therefore I would be better off buying a daily off peak travelcard.

Am I am right in my thinking or have I got the wrong end of the stick from the TFL website ?

Any expert knowledge gratefully received.

Thanks.

Use a Travelcard. Oyster and contactless is designed around people making journeys, rather than milling around on station platforms for hours. You could be subject for more than just two maximum fares.

Have you got a railcard?

 

[Haywain]

Or use contactless and buy a paper ticket single from Bethnal Green to Stratford. That may come out cheaper.

 

[JonathanH]

Or use contactless and buy a paper ticket single from Bethnal Green to Stratford. That may come out cheaper.

That is certainly an interesting idea
£2.50 for each of the two underground legs - touching in at King's Cross, out at Bethnal Green then later at Stratford to travel back to King's Cross and £3.80 to enter Bethnal Green mainline station, wait travel to Stratford via Liverpool Street and wait. £8.80 in all.

 

[Razor1967]

No Railcard I am afraid. Wouldn't I have to touch in at Liverpool Street to get to Bethhnal Green too, or is that classed as part of the journey ? If I bought a paper ticket from Bethnal Green to Stratford is it valid via Liverpool Street or would I have to walk to the Underground Station to get to Stratford. I assume I would touch out at Bethnal Green and then use the paper ticket to get back in. Also to use it at Liverpool Street to get out and back in on the right platform for Stratford ? I guess I had would have to temporarily leave Stratford with the single ticket and touch back in contactless. Sorry if I appear dumb I am just used to buying the Travelcsrds previously but only doing this short trip this time.

 

[JonathanH]

If I bought a paper ticket from Bethnal Green to Stratford is it valid via Liverpool Street or would I have to walk to the Underground Station to get to Stratford.

Valid via Liverpool Street

Alternatively, you are also able to go to Hackney Downs and use the link to Hackney Central.

https://www.brfares.com/!faredetail?orig=BET&dest=SRA&ldn=1&tkt=SDS

Also to use it at Liverpool Street to get out and back in on the right platform for Stratford ?

That is no problem.

I guess I had would have to temporarily leave Stratford with the single ticket and touch back in contactless.

There are numerous Oyster readers within Stratford Station (eg around the stairways to the platforms) so no need to leave the station.

Wouldn't I have to touch in at Liverpool Street to get to Bethhnal Green too, or is that classed as part of the journey ?

I think you indicated that you would walk from Bethnal Green Central Line to the national rail station. However, if you went to Bethnal Green National Rail station you simply need to touch out on arrival and buy your single to Stratford to reenter.

 

[Razor1967]

Thank you so much for the replies I would have just bought a Day Travelcard. I will do as suggested and touch in at King's X underground and touch out at Bethnal Green via Liverpool Street. Buy a single to Stratford and re enter and go to Stratford via Liverpool Street. Touch in contactless at Stratford and back to King's X via Liverpool Street. Genius. Thank you so much, I would have never considered that option.

 

[davews]

As a rule of thumb at railcard prices a travel card is always the cheaper option if you need to do more than two tube journeys. Caps don't come into it as they are more than the travel card supplement. Without a railcard probably three. And you can't linger about, I ended up with a double maximum fare charge when I got stuck at Ealing Broadway due to tube delays, costs ouch (but refunded after a claim).

 

[JonathanH]

As a rule of thumb at railcard prices a travel card is always the cheaper option if you need to do more than two tube journeys. Caps don't come into it as they are more than the travel card supplement. Without a railcard probably three.

That seems like a good rule of thumb for an out-boundary travelcard decision - the scenario here appears to be for arriving in London on advance tickets where an out-boundary travelcard isn't available or works out more expensive.

And you can't linger about, I ended up with a double maximum fare charge when I got stuck at Ealing Broadway due to tube delays, costs ouch (but refunded after a claim).

Yes, very true.