Walthamstow to Staines return

[Sirild]

Just found this brilliant forum and I have a fare question for the gurus here:

5 adults, 2 children (9 and 13 years old)
From Walthamstow Central (WHC) to Staines (SNS) on Monday 9 July, at approx. 07:30 hrs. Same day return, after 18:30 hrs. No railcards.

Itinarary would be as follows:

Depart: Walthamstow Central (WHC) London Underground
Arrive Vauxhall (VXH)
Depart: Vauxhall (VXH) Mon 09/Jul/12 at 0832 SOUTH WEST TRAINS
Arrive Staines (SNS) Mon 09/Jul/12 at 0907

The best price I have been able to find is Anytime Day return,
5 adults @ £18 2 children @ £9 for a total of £108.

Is it possible to find a cheaper deal? Unfortunately, off-peak travel is not an option.

Is takethetrain.co.uk regarded as a reputable site for booking tickets?

Thank you very much!
Sirild

 

[Clip]

I cant use anything to check it up at the moment but do you hold oysters? IIRC the bairn aged 9 would go free with you on your tickets...

Then it would be the fares from Vauxhall you would be looking at which im sure would be cheaper..

I cant even load National rail enquiries on my netbook for some reason tonight so hopefully that made sense or someone comes along and helps you better.

And book the tickets from SWT for pick up at Walthamstow too.

 

[yorkie]

Is it possible to find a cheaper deal? Unfortunately, off-peak travel is not an option.

Yes. If you can touch in at Walthamstow before 0630, then the journey as far as Vauxhall becomes 'off-peak'; is that an option? (you may not be aware that before 0630 is off peak if you use Oyster PAYG?)

Possibly the cheapest way might be:

Oyster PAYG for:-
Walthamstow Central [[stn]WHC[/stn]] - Richmond [[stn]RMD[/stn]] (using the pink reader at Highbury & Islington; avoiding Zone 1)

Touching in between 0630 and 0930 and from 1600 to 1900
Adult: £2.20 each way (Adult Oyster required)
13 year old: £0.75 each way (11-15 Oyster required)
9 year old: Free (5-10)

Touching in at all other times (ie before 0630; 0930-1600; 1900 onwards)
Adult:£1.40 each way (Adult Oyster required)
13 year old: £0.70 each way (11-15 Oyster required)
9 year old:Free (5-10)

(paper) Anytime return ticket for:-
Richmond London [[stn]RMD[/stn]] - Staines [[stn]SNS[/stn]]
£8.00 Return (Adult)
£4.00 Return (5-15)

Total could potentially be £63.40 if you can touch in before 0630. It will be after 1900 by the time you touch in at Richmond so the return journey will be charged at the off peak rate.

If speed is more important, you can use Oyster PAYG to Vauxhall.

To find the fares changing at Vauxhall (or for any other journey) instead:-

Use http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/tickets/faresandtickets/farefinder/ to find the Oyster PAYG fares from Walthamstow to Vauxhall;

And look up Vauxhall to Staines (this will be a London Terminals to Staines ticket) on Takethetrain.co.uk (or any other site of your choice).

Note that you would need to allow time to get the Oyster cards in advance, and load credit on to them. If making other journeys in the London area in the longer term it is well worthwhile (I have 2 Oyster cards and I'm nearly 200 miles away from central London!)

Is takethetrain.co.uk regarded as a reputable site for booking tickets?

Yes

 

[Sirild]

Hi,

2 of the adults have Oyster PAYG. The others are all visitors to London. We will reommend that the adults buy tourist Oyster PAYG and buy a one day child travel card for tube travel zone 1-3 (Walthamstow - central London) when needed. They are only visiting London for 6 days.
The youngest child (9) should go free on the tube portion of the trip, I think. Maybe we can buy a child anytime return ticket Vauxhall - Staines for £6.15?

I first tried the option of Oyster PAYG for WHC - Vauxhall, and buying train tickets Vauxhall - Staines, but that would be much more expensive. edit: adds up to £109 - so might as well get the paper tickets.

 

[transportphoto]

Visitor oyster cards aren't worth it IMO. Just pop in to any Tube station ticket office and ask for the normal oyster cards and pay the refundable deposit. The visitor ones carry a £3 non refundable activation fee, where as the normal ones from ticket offices do carry a deposit however this, as I say, is refundable, if you collect in all of the oyster cards after their use and surrender them at any tube ticket office.

TP

 

[dzug2]

. We will reommend that the adults buy tourist Oyster PAYG and buy a one day child travel card for tube travel zone 1-3 (Walthamstow - central London) when needed. .

Tourist Oyster costs £3 - non refundable. Normal Oyster is £5 - but refundable


And to add to the complication, it's also worth noting 2 for 1 offers at tourist attractions in London for which you need rail tickets

http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/ So some days it may pay not to use the Oysters but to buy a travelcard instead

 

[IanD]

And to add to the complication, it's also worth noting 2 for 1 offers at tourist attractions in London for which you need rail tickets

http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/ So some days it may pay not to use the Oysters but to buy a travelcard instead

Buy the travelcard from a national rail station/ticket office as Transport for London only travelcards are not really eligible for the discount and some attractions enforce this (but some don't even ask to see a ticket if you have a 2-4-1 voucher!).

 

[Sirild]

Thank you for all your input! Looks like a bit more research is called for regarding 2for1London offers and travel cards
There are attractions on our visitors' "To do list" here. Again - thank you!

Sirild

 

[Clip]

Thank you for all your input! Looks like a bit more research is called for regarding 2for1London offers and travel cards
There are attractions on our visitors' "To do list" here. Again - thank you!

Sirild

Walthamstow station should have the leaflets theres for you to pick up your tickets. Though its worth noting only buy them for use with 2-4-1 at the rail station before you go downstairs to the tube.

 

[Sirild]

Thank you - yes, I'll double check with the upstairs rail ticket office at W'stow that they do indeed sell Day Travelcards that are OK for the 2for1 offers.

Siri