oyster payg for someone who goes to london 4-5 times a year?

anna42hmr · 6 March 2009 at 8:05PM

I go to london several times a year, sometimes for day trips and sometimes staying over, usually i just get the one day travel cards (as i am only there 1-2 days a time usually)

However am considering the PAYG oyster card for the next visits, i usually go weekends and am wondering if it is worth it, both for the conveince of not needing to get tickets each time, and also i understand due to the price capping that it works out slighly cheaper than a day card

How easy is the site to use to top up directly from tfl as i dont want to have to top up whilst i am there and que at the machines etc,

And what are peoples opinions, would this be worth while for me??

olly300 · 6 March 2009 at 8:13PM

It depends.

If you are going to have to take trains while in London then getting an Oyster PAYG is not going to work out cheaper than a travel card as most train lines currently are not on the scheme.

I live in London on a train route but have a PAYG so I have to work out before each journey whether I'm going to use the train.

Also nearly all tube stations and train stations have a newsagent that tops up PAYG oyster cards so if there are long queues in machines go into one of those.

Edited to say: I have topped up online but the next time I tried to top up they were trying to force everyone to do auto top up for £10. I always try and have less than that amount on the card in case I lose it.

anna42hmr · 6 March 2009 at 8:22PM

thanks for the reply i appreciate it

dacouch · 6 March 2009 at 8:25PM

You say you are in town for 1 to 2 days at a time, this could mean an Oyster will save you money.

Where abouts do you travel from? Do you make many tube etc journeys when you are in london

moonrakerz · 6 March 2009 at 8:32PM

I have an Oyster card for my infrequent visits and it does save money.

BUT ! - be careful, just like the congestion charge Oyster makes most of its money from "newbies" who don't quite understand the system, or when something happens unexpectedly they just shrug it off. If you make the slightest mistake you get "fined" !

When you return home after a visit to London, always log on and check your journeys and the fares are correct, if they aren't 'phone up and complain.

anna42hmr · 6 March 2009 at 8:37PM

dacouch wrote: »

You say you are in town for 1 to 2 days at a time, this could mean an Oyster will save you money.

Where abouts do you travel from? Do you make many tube etc journeys when you are in london

we usually arrive into london at euston or victoria (depending on if we get the coach or train from birmingham) we then head towards oxford circus, where the hotel is, or if its a day trip to leicester square etc, we also go on the tube to places like nottinghill, kensington, and typical tourist places, ie the millenium wheel, southbank etc. we dont ever go on overground once we get into london. we are honestly on and off the tubes all day, easily could get 8 different trips, (ie train station to hotel, hotel to shops shops to hotel, then to the west end and so on)

dacouch · 6 March 2009 at 8:55PM

I love oyster, they are trying to make the prices so its not worth using cash eg a single in zones 1&2 is £4 in cash but £1.60 on an oyster.

The beauty of an oyster is it will work out the cheapest method for you and charge you on that basis so if a 1 day travel card is cheapest thats what you pay.

The reason I asked about where you travel from is you may find it cheaper to buy your rail or coach ticket seperately eg sometimes its cheaper buying 2 singles especially if your not coming back the same day or splitting the journey.

If your oyster does not have enough on it for the journey then it loans you the money.

They are used on most of the public transport now

https://oyster.tfl.gov.uk/oyster/entry.do

macman · 6 March 2009 at 10:51PM

If you use the auto top up you won't ever have to worry about queuing to top up or going online to top up. Or about it running out when you are in a rush.

anna42hmr · 7 March 2009 at 8:08AM

macman wrote: »

If you use the auto top up you won't ever have to worry about queuing to top up or going online to top up. Or about it running out when you are in a rush.

that is something i am considering, howver not sure how to decide the "home" station that activates this?? would you recommend to set it as the tube that we will get on first for our next trip (victoria in that case) or the one we use most frequently (oxford circus, as we stay near there at the st georges regent street when we stop over)

am i right that you only have to swipe it at that station once to activate this???

svjenni · 7 March 2009 at 8:52AM

Your home station you only use once, so use Victoria.

I live in huddersfield but travel down every 2 months or so and had Kings cross as my "home" but in reality it doesn't really matter.

Auto top upis great you never have to think about queuing you just get on and go - if your card runs out of cash it doesn't matter where you are it flashes up auto top up, and lets you through and by the time you get home there will be an email telling you that you wer topped up at x station because your balance went below x

the 2 most important things to remember -
- if you decide to get a card but not autotopup, ensure that you register it online so you can top it up over the net or can easily transfer balances if it breaks

-REMEMBER TO TAKE THE DAMN THING WITH YOU!!!:rolleyes:

anna42hmr · 27 March 2009 at 7:36AM

svjenni wrote: »

Your home station you only use once, so use Victoria.

I live in huddersfield but travel down every 2 months or so and had Kings cross as my "home" but in reality it doesn't really matter.

Auto top upis great you never have to think about queuing you just get on and go - if your card runs out of cash it doesn't matter where you are it flashes up auto top up, and lets you through and by the time you get home there will be an email telling you that you wer topped up at x station because your balance went below x

the 2 most important things to remember -
- if you decide to get a card but not autotopup, ensure that you register it online so you can top it up over the net or can easily transfer balances if it breaks

-REMEMBER TO TAKE THE DAMN THING WITH YOU!!!:rolleyes:

thanks for the reply, i need have received my card now

oyster payg for someone who goes to london 4-5 times a year?

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