Oyster auto top up pay as you go vs. travel card

[AdrianHi]

I've had an Oyster card for nearly a month, auto top up pay as you go, trying to see if it saves money over buying a Zone 1 travel card including the train ticket.
I have just the monthly train ticket to Waterloo at the moment.
I don't think Oyster done this way is saving me money.
I need to renew the train ticket end of this week, looking for the best way to do this.
Does not look like I can buy a travel card or season ticket on Oyster for Zone 1 to Zone 1 travel.

Do people find a monthly travel card (train then tube) is cheaper than seperate monthly train ticket then Oyster card?

[omelette451]

Does not look like I can buy a travel card or season ticket on Oyster for Zone 1 to Zone 1 travel.

Do people find a monthly travel card (train then tube) is cheaper than seperate monthly train ticket then Oyster card?

The cheapest Oyster travelcard is zones 1+2.

Afaik most people find an inclusive train+tube travelcard cheaper. I don't know about using only buses for the London bit (as opposed to buses and the tube), though the cheapest option is definitely to leave your bike at the station and cycle from there to work every day.

[AdrianHi]

I've managed to track down ticket prices for SW trains online now so we have
Alton-Waterloo train only 307.20
Travel card zone 1 367.20
So £60 for the zone 1 tube bit
3.60 a day on Oyster which is up to 70.40 a month for 22 days

What a massive con, all those adverts telling you Oyster is cheaper.

Buses and cycling are too slow for me, need the speed.

[omelette451]

What a massive con, all those adverts telling you Oyster is cheaper.

In fairness the adverts are aimed at people travelling exclusively on TfL-administered services, not those travelling in from outside London, and it almost always is cheaper for those people. If the train companies were more willing to move towards accepting integrated ticketing systems on their own services you would indeed get Oyster benefits, but with the exception of southeastern trains they don't seem to want to know.