St Albans to London Peak with a Zone 1-2 Oystercard Season Ticket

[divitrain]

Hello everyone!

From Saturday I will be a St Albans resident who still has 4 or so months left on their zone 1-2 oyster season ticket.

With this in mind, does anyone know what the cheapest way to travel from St Albans (preferably City) to London (London Bridge, Tower Bridge area) in peak times whilst having a zone 1-2 oyster season ticket is? Is it possible to get some sort of return ticket to zone 2 and then my oyster card will have me covered the rest of the way?

I'll likely only be travelling 4 times a week so I'd imagine it's probably not cost-effective to buy a season ticket of any kind?

Also in the long-term, once my oyster season ticket runs out, are there any solutions to get a cheaper peak ticket rather than what seem like rather expensive tickets for this journey when I'm searching online at the moment?

For reference, as I'm nearly 27 I unfortunately can no longer own a 16-25 railcard also, but of course currently hold a Gold Card (for at least the next few months or so).

Appreciate there's a lot of questions here and I should probably have been planning this sooner!!

Many thanks in advance

 

[bb21]

There is no St Albans - Zones 1-2 season ticket all inclusive on one ticket. Any outboundary Travelcard must include at least Zone 6 and all the zones you will be travelling through.

If you don't need unlimited travel around London, you can use a St Albans - London Thameslink season ticket which will allow you to get to London Bridge through Thameslink core.

 

[MikeWh]

You can buy a ticket from St Albans to boundary zone 2 at £18.50 anytime return. A travelcard from St Albans to zones 3-6 is £72.90 per week, a saving of £1.10 if you do make 4 journeys. As both seasons are zonal there is no problem using a fast train.

 

[divitrain]

You can buy a ticket from St Albans to boundary zone 2 at £18.50 anytime return. A travelcard from St Albans to zones 3-6 is £72.90 per week, a saving of £1.10 if you do make 4 journeys. As both seasons are zonal there is no problem using a fast train.

Therefore if I bought a ticket from st albans to boundary zone 2 would this allow me to not have to get off the train to touch on my oyster? ie I'd be able to use the ticket to get on the train and tap out with my oyster in london (and obviously vice versa on the way back)? For some reason I was always under the impression that you had to tap in with your oyster regardless of whether it was a season card or not.

 

[yorkie]

Therefore if I bought a ticket from st albans to boundary zone 2 would this allow me to not have to get off the train to touch on my oyster? ie I'd be able to use the ticket to get on the train and tap out with my oyster in london (and obviously vice versa on the way back)? For some reason I was always under the impression that you had to tap in with your oyster regardless of whether it was a season card or not.

A Zone 1-2 Travelcard and boundary zone 2 extension is a valid combination of tickets as both are zonal. There is no requirement for the train to call. There is no opportunity to touch anywhere in Zone 2 when on a fast train, but I see that as not your problem!

The only downside is that if you ever lost one of these tickets, the assumption - from your journey history - may be that you are fare evading. So make sure you always pay by card, preferably purchasing each one online from the Thameslink website, and try to make sure you do not lose them!

 

[Tetchytyke]

I was always under the impression that you had to tap in with your oyster regardless of whether it was a season card or not.

You have to tap in/out with your Oyster at the start and end of your journey, but if you're using a Travelcard within the zones of validity that is only where facilities exist. Oyster facilties do not exist at St Albans City (SAC), as it's not in the Oyster area, therefore there is no obligation to touch in there. You have to touch out within the zones as normal.

As yorkie says, this does not change the rules that you must have a valid ticket for the whole journey. This means you'll need to buy a paper ticket to Boundary Zone 2, or if you'd prefer to buy online in advance, daily* tickets to Kentish Town would also allow you to take a fast train.

*if you use two season tickets the train must call at the station where you change tickets, unless both are zonal (i.e. SAC-Zones 3-6 and Travelcard zones 1-2 would be ok, but a SAC-Kentish Town and Travelcard zones 1-2 season ticket would restrict you to the stopper).

 

[John @ home]

If a person with a Zone 1-2 Travelcard is moving to St Albans and needs travel to and from London and continued use of the Travelcard, I think we would usually advise a changeover rather than additional ticket.

See this post from the RailUK Fares & Ticketing Guide.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Can you do a changeover between a Travelcard bought from a TfL (LU) ticket office and a National Rail outboundary travelcard/season?

 

[bb21]

Can you do a changeover between a Travelcard bought from a TfL ticket office and a National Rail outboundary travelcard/season?

What do you mean by TfL ticket office? Do you mean LU ticket office? If so, then no.

 

[divitrain]

Thanks for everyones help on this.

You have to tap in/out with your Oyster at the start and end of your journey, but if you're using a Travelcard within the zones of validity that is only where facilities exist. Oyster facilties do not exist at St Albans City (SAC), as it's not in the Oyster area, therefore there is no obligation to touch in there. You have to touch out within the zones.

Is there anything in writing that I can back this up with? For example - some sort of regulation I can quote etc? Just incase worst scenario hits and I get questioned by a member of staff and just stand there plum-faced quoting railforums.co.uk.

 

[yorkie]

NRCoC Condition 19

19. Using a combination of tickets
You may use two or more tickets for one journey as long as together they cover the entire journey and one of the following applies:
(a) they are both Zonal Tickets...

 

[Stats]

Is there anything in writing that I can back this up with? For example - some sort of regulation I can quote etc? Just incase worst scenario hits and I get questioned by a member of staff and just stand there plum-faced quoting railforums.co.uk.

Oyster Conditions of Use on National Rail services (pdf)

3.7 When you use a National Rail service, you should touch your Oyster card on the yellow card
reader before you start your journey, at the station you are leaving from; and at the end of your
journey, when you arrive at your destination station. You can still use your Oyster card at
stations where there is no yellow card reader or if it is not working provided that your
Travelcard is valid for the journey you are making. You may be asked instead to show your
Oyster card (and photocard where needed).

3.8 If you are using an Oyster card with a Travelcard season ticket (or tickets) loaded on to it and
wish to start your journey from, or travel to, a destination outside the availability of your
Travelcard season ticket, or on a route where your season ticket is not valid, you must buy a
ticket for your journey. However, if your journey begins and ends at a station within the London
National Rail Pay As You Go Area, you can follow the instructions set out in 3.19 and 3.20
provided you have sufficient pay as you go credit on your Oyster card to pay for the additional
journey(s). Failure to either buy a ticket or follow the instructions laid out in 3.19 and 3.20 may
mean you have to pay a penalty fare or you may be liable to prosecution.

There are also carnets that you may wish to consider
www.thameslinkrailway.com/tickets-and-fares/carnet/

 

[divitrain]

Thankyou very much - great stuff