Season ticket/London Travelcard questions

[bluebells]

Hello, I need to buy a season ticket and I've never had one before so I'm trying to wrap my head around what exactly I can do with it.

I'm planning to buy this ticket and load it onto a smartcard:


Where it says also valid for travel in zones 7-9, does this mean I can use it for unlimited travel across all zones 1-9, for example on a journey starting at Waltham Cross (zone 7) and ending at Cheshunt (zone 8), or on a journey starting at Amersham (zone 9), going through zone 1 and ending at Orpington (zone 6) or Dartford (zone 8)?

And do I need to tap the smartcard on validators at stations without barriers like I would with Oyster, or can I just go straight through?

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

[MrJeeves]

Where it says also valid for travel in zones 7-9, does this mean I can use it for unlimited travel across all zones 1-9, for example on a journey starting at Waltham Cross (zone 7) and ending at Cheshunt (zone 8), or on a journey starting at Amersham (zone 9), going through zone 1 and ending at Orpington (zone 6) or Dartford (zone 8)?

Yes, some travelcards also include validity in Zones 1-9, such as these. This would cover unlimited travel throughout Zones 1-9.

And do I need to tap the smartcard on validators at stations without barriers like I would with Oyster, or can I just go straight through?

I'd recommend it, but typically it's not strictly required for Travelcards on smartcards.

If you're interested, the same Travelcard can also be issued on an Oyster card as well as National Rail smartcards. Doesn't make much of a difference either way, except with an Oyster you could also use it for PAYG journeys outside your Travelcard and make use of its extension fares (e.g., if you travelled to somewhere like Gatwick Airport).

 

[bluebells]

I'd recommend it, but typically it's not strictly required for Travelcards on smartcards.

If for example I got off at Euston on one of the platforms that you exit via a ramp, where there's a massive crowd around the validators, would it be fine for me to just not bother with it? Would I still be able to then tap through the barriers at the tube station?

 

[Joe Paxton]

Hello, I need to buy a season ticket and I've never had one before so I'm trying to wrap my head around what exactly I can do with it.

I'm planning to buy this ticket and load it onto a smartcard:
View attachment 178094

Where it says also valid for travel in zones 7-9, does this mean I can use it for unlimited travel across all zones 1-9, for example on a journey starting at Waltham Cross (zone 7) and ending at Cheshunt (zone 8), or on a journey starting at Amersham (zone 9), going through zone 1 and ending at Orpington (zone 6) or Dartford (zone 8)?

Yes, yes, yes and yes.

And do I need to tap the smartcard on validators at stations without barriers like I would with Oyster, or can I just go straight through?

Thank you in advance for your help!

No requirement to tap it on a validator before starting or after finishing a journey.

 

[Hadders]

If for example I got off at Euston on one of the platforms that you exit via a ramp, where there's a massive crowd around the validators, would it be fine for me to just not bother with it? Would I still be able to then tap through the barriers at the tube station?

Although in reality the train you'd use with a Zones 1-9 ticket is highly likely to depart from one of the barriered platforms. If you get the ticket issued on Oyster you could use it to Watford Junction but as Watford Junction is outside Zones 1-9 you'd have to touch in and out so that the correct PAYG extension fare cold be charged.

To get the ticket on Oyster you'd have to purchase it from Transoort for London.

 

[redreni]

Be aware GTR (and possibly other TOCs) appear to have hallucinated a requirement to tap in with a Travelcard season ticket in order to qualify for delay repay. It's nonsense, of course, but you may prefer to tap where possible to avoid arguments.

This thread refers:
Interesting Delay Repay refusal - GTR contend Travelcard season not valid if tap in was after scheduled departure time of train

Somebody who had a Travelcard season ticket on Oyster also reported that TfL helped itself to some money held as a PAYG balance on the same card after he tapped in at Heathrow T2-3 or T5 (I forget which) and didn't tap out at his destination, having also invented a requirement to tap in and out. Fortunately they can't do that to you if you have your Travelcard on a TOC-issued Smartcard as there cannot and will not be any PAYG credit on the card for them to steal...